ephemeral [ Conrad Fisher ]

32

I HADN'T  felt out of the loop in Cousins for a while now, but watching Conrad, Jeremiah and Belly interact had me turning on my heel and finding my way back outside and down to the beach. It wasn't that I felt left out, I just felt like that was a moment for just them, one of those moments that I couldn't impose on because it was what they needed, and it was solely theirs. 

I smiled softly at the group that had congregated on the beach, taking my seat on the sand leaning back against the edge of the chair behind me.

"I can't believe Clay didn't come this summer. Those bonfires he threw were always crazy." Steven shook his head twirling a piece of Shayla's hair between his fingers

Nicole rolled her eyes "Please, you're only saying that because you'd get trashed on champagne and think you were the king of the world."

I giggled, shaking my head, "Hey in his defense, getting drunk on champagne is enough to make you feel like royalty."

"Exactly!" Steven leaned over high fiving me, "Lennox gets it."

Even Shayla cracked a smile, nodding in Steven's defense too "Champagne is rather posh."

Jeremiah grinned, taking a seat on the sand close to me, setting a pitcher of the deep red concoction they had been making in the kitchen when I went to check on them "Good thing were not posh right?" he leaned closer for a moment whispering with a boyish smile on his face "He came."

"Oh Jere!" I grinned giving the boy a tight side hug "That's great."

Soon Belly and Conrad joined us, each holding as many margarita glasses as they could fit in their hands. Conrad's eyes met mine as he took his seat in the beach chair behind me, as he handed out the glasses "What's great?"

"Jere and Steven were just telling me about the Fourth of July bonfires you guys used to go to." The lie rolled off my tongue easily as I released Jeremiah turning my head to smile at Conrad.

"Oh!" Belly grinned softly, a reminiscent look in her eyes "They always got to have these s'mores. I once made Jeremiah bring one back for me, and he did. It was soooo rubbery and burnt, but I still ate it." She giggles pushing into Jeremiah playfully as she sat "That's a Fourth of July core memory for me."

Jeremiah smiles back at her winking, "We could make another core memory bells."

"I'll take whatever's in that pitcher now." Steven shook his head, a disgusted look covering his face as he poured himself and Shayla a drink before passing the pitcher around the small circle we had made. I hummed softly, pouringing one for Conrad passing it back before I settled in between his legs taking my first sip as his hand found its way into my hair.

"Holy shit you're right it's a good thing we're not posh." Nicole giggled "Because whoever made this has a heavy hand."

I couldn't help but chuckle at Steven's reaction to the potent concoction he'd poured. "Yeah, it's not exactly a delicate sipper."

"Posh or not, it gets the job done." Belly's giggles echoed mine as she takes a sip

Cameron smiled, Gigi trailing not too far behind him "Well what do we have here?"

"Cam!" Belly smiled her eyes softening at the boy, far too focused on him to notice Gigi pushing her to the side just enough to squeeze between her and Jeremiah

The boy smiled, sitting close to Belly, shaking his head as she offered him a sip of her drink "I don't drink remember?"

As Conrad reached for the pitcher a second time, a soft frown creased my forehead. "Slow down, Con," I murmured, aware of Jeremiah nodding beside us. His teasing followed, "Save some for the rest of us; it's not a race, man."