Our Beloved Summer | A TSITP Story

Chapter 16

"We should go down to the beach..." He said. I looked back at him, my mouth was left open from the shock that firework sent through me, "Go see Jeres set up."

I simply nodded. He had left me dumbfounded, completely. I could tell that he knew that because he smiled at me and grabbed my hand, leading me down the path to the beach.

He walked first and the closer we got, the more I wanted to keep him to myself. I pulled on his hand, looking in front of me to see the small group of people I presumed were our families.

"Maybe we should keep this between us for a bit. You know, figure this out for ourselves." I said. I didn't want anyone to ask questions before my own questions were even asked. Conrad looked at our hands and his eyebrows came together before he looked back at me.

"Yeah, sure." He let go of my hand, and we walked all the way on the beach separately. Beck was the first to see us.

"Look who decided to join us, you were just about to miss the best part!" She yelled, happily. Conrad and I stood away from each other but not without looking at each other first. He gave me a small smile and I returned it. I looked up in the sky until I felt someone come up beside me, it was Belly.

"You look better." I said, remembering what she looked like on the sofa just four hours before. She did look more like herself, but she didn't look happy.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." She said, crossing her arms in an angry huff.

"What's wron-" I was cut off by a giant firework flying up in the air, showcasing all kinds of colors and shapes. The center, though, was a huge palm tree. It was the big firework Jeremiah had been bragging about ever since we arrived in Cousins.

When I looked back to see Conrad's reaction, he wasn't there. I searched the beach to find him, but still, he wasn't there. Maybe he went up the house, I thought. So I went up there as well. There was no one outside, or on the first floor of the house. The second floor though - I could see the light coming from under his door.

I knocked on it and called out to him. I heard no reply, so I went to open the door, but it was locked. Why would he lock the door?

I stood there, confused about why he would leave the beach and lock his door. But, I let him be even if I wanted to still talk to him.

Since I couldn't talk to him in person like I wished I could, I just thought about him. All night long. I thought about him as a kid.

He was so funny and caring. Always looking after Jere and Belly even if he didn't want to. He cared about me. When I believed in fairy tales, I thought was would be my prince charming. He was everything a prince was, just without the crown. Then we both grew up and he was just my best friend. Maybe I'd seen him as something more, I couldn't really remember, but I remembered he was my favorite part of summer. He was my entire summer.

It was me and him, always. And when it wasn't, I never stopped thinking about him. He was always on my mind, always with me. I couldn't get away from him. I didn't want to. Not anymore. Not now that I know how he felt.

But still, why did that kiss take three years?

—

By the time I had woken up the next morning, Belly was already gone with Steven and Jere to the country club. I still wanted to ask her about her mood last night. But Conrad quickly crossed my mind.

After getting changed, I walked over to his bedroom door and lightly grabbed the doorknob. It wouldn't turn. I was so bewildered about why he would lock his door, especially after the night we had together. Did he not want to see me like I wanted to see him?