The Summer I Tried To Stay Whole - A 'TSITP' FanFiction
This was supposed to be the summer everything came together. But for Belly Conklin, it's the summer she begins to quietly unravel.
Caught between two brothers - one steady, one stormy - Belly returns to Cousins Beach carrying more than just old feelings. With laughter echoing from the dunes and salt still on her skin, she's trying to hold together the pieces of herself that no one else can see: the secret shame, the quiet hunger, the ache to be chosen - and the fear that maybe she never truly will be.
As the season unfolds in stolen glances, sparkler-lit nights, and moonlit swims, Belly will face the hardest question of all: what if the love you've been searching for isn't between two boys, but buried in the girl you've been afraid to become?
⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️
This story contains themes that may be sensitive or triggering for some readers, including:
• Disordered eating / body image struggles
• Anxiety and emotional dysregulation
• Depression and low self-worth
• Complex emotional relationships / love triangle tension
• Mild descriptions of mental health therapy and recovery
• Emotional conflict between family/friends
• Occasional strong language and suggestive dialogue
Please take care while reading, and feel free to skip chapters or scenes that don't feel safe for you.
You are more important than any story. 💛
