All too well ² // the fisher brothers

012

Eleanor 🎀

"Are you hungry?" Belly asks, interrupting the quiet moment between Jeremiah and me. She walks over to the cupboard, rummaging through it until she pulls out a tin of hot chocolate mix. I grab it from her hands and toss it into the bin before she can say anything.

"Man, Susannah used to have this place filled to the brim before we got here," Belly comments, looking at the now bare shelves.

"I can go out and get something," I offer, sensing her disappointment.

"We could make some frittatas," Jeremiah suggests, leaning against the counter. "The grocery stop is right next to Ocean Harbor."

Belly shakes her head, her lips pulling into a small smile. "You guys can go find Aunt Julia. I'll stay here."

For the first time in months, I feel a weight lift at her words. Belly choosing to stay behind gives me a strange sense of relief. I don't know if it's because it spares me the awkwardness of all three of us together, but I'm grateful.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Jeremiah asks, his voice soft with concern.

"Yes, you guys go," Belly insists. She glances at me and adds, "I know Ellie's got great communication skills—she'll talk Aunt Julia out of selling the house."

I nod, appreciating her faith in me but knowing it won't be as easy as she's making it sound. "Okay."

We gather our things and start heading toward the door, and as I turn back for a second to glance at Belly, she gives me a reassuring smile. It's weird to feel so calm with her decision—like for once, things aren't as complicated.

Aaron ❤️‍🩹

"Isla, we need to pack right now," I say, my voice firm as I start toss in clothes into my suitcase without any real sense of order.

She looks up from her phone, confused. "Why?"

"Because we're going to stay with Ellie," I tell her, not stopping to explain any further as I grab a stack of shirts from my dresser.

Isla walks into my room, leaning against the doorframe. "She doesn't need help," she says, her eyebrows raised like I'm overreacting or something.

I pause for a second, looking at her, trying to get her to understand. "I know," I say, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "But I love her, and I don't trust Jeremiah and Belly."

Isla crosses her arms, still not convinced. "Love her? You told her?"

"Yeah," I admit, shrugging like it's no big deal, though my heart's pounding just thinking about it. "I told Ellie I loved her, but she was drunk. I'm pretty sure she didn't even know what I was saying."

Isla raises an eyebrow, like she's thinking through all the complications I'm trying to ignore. "You really think going over there is gonna change anything?" she asks, her voice calm but a little challenging.

I throw a hoodie into the suitcase and zip it up roughly. "I don't know. But I can't just sit here while they're over there. Jeremiah's shady, and Belly's... Belly."

Isla sighs, clearly annoyed but maybe a little understanding. "Fine, I'll pack," she says, finally giving in.

"Thank you," I say, the tension in my chest loosening just a bit. I don't know what I'm expecting to happen when we get there, but I know I need to be there, close to Ellie. Whether she remembers what I said or not, I want her to know she's not alone, especially with those two hanging around.

As I grab my keys and jacket, Isla disappears into her room to pack. I glance at my phone, wondering if I should text Ellie. But I don't. Not yet. I'll see her soon enough.

🌊

As I'm folding up the last of Ellie's clothes, Isla turns to me with a sly grin. It's the kind of look that instantly makes me suspicious. She's up to something.

"So, Aaron..." she says, dragging out my name, "there's something I need to tell you."

I raise an eyebrow, bracing myself for whatever she's about to drop. "What is it?"

She bites her lip dramatically, trying to look all serious, but I can see the amusement in her eyes. "I... I think I have feelings for Steven."

I blink at her, completely caught off guard. "Wait, what?"

Isla nods, keeping up her act, her face deadpan. "Yeah, I don't know how it happened. He's just so... I don't know, there's something about him."

For a second, I actually start to believe her. My mind races, trying to process this new information. Isla, liking Steven? This is coming out of nowhere.

"Are you serious?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"Dead serious," she says, but there's the tiniest twitch at the corner of her mouth. She's trying so hard not to laugh.

I squint at her, piecing it together. "You're messing with me, aren't you?"

She can't hold it in anymore. The grin breaks across her face, and she bursts out laughing. "You should've seen your face! Oh my god, Aaron, you actually believed me."

I roll my eyes, but I can't help laughing too. "You're such a pain, you know that?"

"Come on, admit it, that was good," she says, wiping away a tear from laughing so hard.

"Yeah, yeah. You got me," I say, shaking my head. "Steven, really?"

Isla shrugs. "I had to make it believable."

"Well, for a second there, I thought the world was ending," I joke.

She punches me lightly on the arm. "Relax, Aaron. You know I'm always on your side."

"Good to know," I say, smirking. "But if you ever did like Steven, I'd be the first to let you know you've lost your mind."

Isla laughs again. "Noted."

i'm so fucking sorry i posted so late.
i was so busy with skl and shit.
i went on holiday last week and the wi-fi was so shit so i couldn't upload anything.
i'll try and post more often (but with skl i doubt it)

Word count: 1,010 words