The First Summer of Forever

Chapter 23- For a Reason

Jeremiah

"Belly, what's wrong?" I blurted out, hoping she'd tell me what she was crying about. I had to try really hard to understand what she was saying between sobs.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you. I don't know who else to call. This was a mistake."

"Woah woah woah- Belly. it's ok. I still care about you, and your safety. Are you guys ok?"

"Have you talked to Conrad?" She said, worriedly.

"No, should I have?" I asked sharply.

"We're in Key West staying at a hotel. He left the room a little while ago kind of upset and I haven't heard from him in a few hours. He won't answer his phone." She said crying, barely able to get the words out.

"What the hell is going on, Bells? I swear to God... I'm gonna kill him."

"No, it's not like that, Jer. I don't think it was a real fight or anything. He's just upset because of something that happened today."

"Well, what happened, Bells?"

"I uh...well... I ... got sick a few times today, I thought it was maybe a hangover since we went out last night. Or maybe the seafood pasta I had for dinner. So Conrad, he went into the store to get me some medicine and ginger ale"... she rattled off, not pausing to take a breath in between thoughts. "...But he also got a pregnancy test for me to take..." she paused, taking a breath before she said this last part.

I knew what she was thinking. If she said it out loud, that meant it was true, that it was happening. I was dead silent on the other end of the line, waiting for Belly to drop the bomb on me. I knew what she was about to say. I didn't even need her to say it out loud to know. "Jer, I'm pregnant."

 There it was. She said it. There was a time in our lives which didn't seem like that long ago, when I all but knew that she would say those words to me one day. But it wouldn't be like this. She wouldn't have been telling me because I was going to be an uncle. She would have been telling me because I would have been the dad. I felt my stomach twist in knots at the thought of it. "I don't understand how this happened, and now Conrad is gone. I could tell he was about to have one of his panic attacks, but I never thought he'd do this... just not answer my phone calls." Then she said, "I'm worried about him."

I stood on the beach frozen while I heard her spill out the words. It took me a minute for my body to catch up to my brain.

"Jere, are you there?"

"...Yeah, sorry Bells, this is just like- crazy, unexpected news. Hold,hold on. Okay. Just stay right there and let me try to call him. I'm sure he just needs time to process everything, okay?"

Rebecka looked at me quizzingly like- "What the hell?" We hadn't known each other long, and I wasn't sure I was ready to tell her about everything in my past- not yet.  We actually met the day that Bells and Con left on their honeymoon. The day I drove back to the beach house after remembering mom's words.

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When I walked out on the beach that day, I sat down on the sand and just watched the sunset. I wondered if anything would ever feel right again. All of a sudden, this dog- this golden retriever-came up to me with his ball and dropped it in my lap. He started pawing at me, wanting me to throw it. So, I threw it and he brought it back to me. We did that a few times when this girl- this drop dead gorgeous girl- came running up frantically yelling "Sunni!! Sunni! There you are!" 

We hit it off immediately and have been hanging out every day since then. Of course I had to break it off with Shells- I mean Michelle, the girl I had been seeing and brought to the wedding. I don't know how to explain it but it was love at first sight with Rebecka. "Hey, I'm Rebecka, but everyone around here calls me Becky, or Beck." My jaw almost hit the sand. She was tall, with sandy, sun-bleached blonde hair and blue eyes, like my mom. She had a few freckles spread across her nose and brown shoulders, and her hair flowed down her back. She had tan, sun kissed skin and was absolutely a vision. It was like mom brought me back to that beach at that exact moment for a reason. "It's always ourselves we find in the sea."

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The words resonated in my head as I heard Belly speak again. "I think I know what to say to Con, Bells. Just hang tight and I'll call you right back after I talk to him- if he picks up."

"Okay." I heard her say weakly from the other end of the line.

As soon as I hung up the phone I was calling my asshole brother.