What The Future Holds| XO Steven Conklin

Chapter 004 Nothing Says Happy 4th Like A Boyfriend.

The Fourth of July in Cousins was all about traditions. Susannah decks out the whole house. The dads come up for the weekend. And.The boys steam clams and shoot off fire works.

All the other Fourth of July's I had to sit and admire Steven from afar, but this year I got a front row seat.
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It had been three days since Steven and I made out at Nicole's party and three days since he said he loved me. Or IN love with me.

We haven't decided what we 'were' to each other yet and didn't want to label anything to quickly.

I guess you could say we were in the 'talking' faze.

Belly was inviting some friends. By friends I mean Cam, Nicole, Gigi, and Shayla. This is gonna be fun.

When I had got to the kitchen in the morning Steven and Susannah had fished their painting time for the day.

He looked really nice in a dress shirt. Looking at him in something nice made me eager to see him at his prom, at his wedding. Which I secretly hoped I would be the one next to him.

Conrad had gone to the beach to get the lighter fluid for the clams. Belly, Jeremiah, and I were sitting at the table.

Laurel came into the kitchen wearing makeup. I had never seen her in it before, she had always been a chapstick and brow gel kind of woman, which I respected.

"Laur, are you wearing makeup?" Susannah said jokingly.

Commence the 'awws' and 'ooos'

"Does this have anything to do with John coming to the clam bake?" Mom asked her.

"Oh please, the husband always come on the fourth." Laurel replied folding napkins.

Conrad walked in holding the bucket of clams.

"Speaking of dads, yours called, he's closing a deal so he can't make it," speaking to Jeremiah as if no one else was in the room. She knew he was the only one who wanted him here.

"Did you say dads not coming?" Connie said with almost a grin.

"But I got some serious fireworks for the show this year." Jeremiah was disappointed and I get why, mom , Conrad, and I have always protected him from Adam.

"We will take a video." I say trying to make him feel better.

"It's not the same" he got up and went upstairs.

I pulled Steven aside to talk.

"So Shayla's coming today, what do I say If she asks what we 'are'?"

"That I'm your boyfriend." Steven said it as if it was obvious, not even giving it a second thought.

I liked that. I liked that he was confident in us.

"Ok" I smile.

...

Steven and Belly's dad has got here. His girlfriend taught us to make pomegranate margaritas. We decided to make it with a twist.

I didn't plan on drinking but this was the time to have a big sister win with Conrad.

"Well we have to use the good blender!" I chime in as Jere is batting juice and Belly the kool-aid.

"I haven't used that thing since the great kool-aid debacle of 2011" Jeremiah says but I had already grabbed the blender.

Over a decade ago Susannah and Adam has taken us twins to the mall. Belly and Jeremiah were left at home with Laurel who was writing a book, so she was in her office most of the time.