Another Summer | C.F

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ADDISON ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

"Belly, you look gorgeous. I mean, you always do, but that dress looks amazing," I tell her once she enters the room fully dressed. She had a blue dress with yellow flowers.

"You look amazing too." I had a black dress that was fitted at the top and then flared out at the bottom, ending just above my knees. The back was slightly bare and was tied with different straps at the back.

"Let me cover the bruise." She sits on the bed, and I start covering the bruise with some makeup. I let her brush her hair while I go downstairs for some water.

I see Conrad going downstairs with a bathing suit on.

"You're going to surf?"

"That's the plan," he says without looking at me. Once he reaches the first floor, he turns to look at me, looking surprised to see me.

"Do I look ridiculous? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No, not at all. You look so beautiful, Adds"

"Thanks."

"Before you go, can we talk about something, about what happened last night?" he asks.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Thanks for not letting me do that. It was a stupid thing, and you were right. I'd be regretting it right now."

"Yeah, sure, no problem." I fake a smile while I say those words. I know he wouldn't want to kiss me. I know he doesn't feel the same way I do.

"Adds, I'm ready," I hear Belly talking to me from the top of the stairs.

"Okay, let's go, or else we'll be late. See ya, Con," and I leave the house without looking at him twice.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

I drove to the club, and as soon as we entered and saw all the tables with girls in dresses, I regretted accepting this invitation. A woman guided us to a table where the girl who was with Steven at the bonfire was sitting, but I didn't know her name. Belly and I sat down, and we just stayed there. Turns out the girls are really nice, and I think we could become friends. The idea for today's reunion was to get to know each other better.

There's a girl named Nicole, who participated last year and went to the ball with Conrad. I thought I would hate her, but it turns out, like the others at the table, she's really nice. We spent a few hours there, and once we left, we met Jere and Steven at the exit since both of them work at the club. Jere kept staring at Belly all the way to the car.

"Stop that creepy stare," I told him.

"Adds, I love you, but shut the fuck up."

"Jere, why don't you just go and talk to her? I'll tell you something before you find out from anyone else. Cam asked Belly out. They're going on a date tomorrow. So, just talk to her before you lose her. I'm Team Jere, not Team Cam."

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way and I just lose our friendship, Adds? She's so important to me."

"I know my sister, Jere. If you ask her out, she will say yes. At the beginning, she was doing all the Cam thing just to make you jealous, but now I think she's starting to like him, so move."

"I will talk to her tonight."

"What are you going to say to her?"

"What I feel-"

"Wait a minute," I interrupted him. "Go slowly. You don't want to freak her out. Start talking and give her some hints about how you feel. Then after talking for a few days, you can tell her. But you can't just go and tell her out of nowhere that you're in love with her."

"I've never said that I'm in love with her."

"Jere, I can see the way you look at her. That's not a look of friendship; that's a look of love."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Anyway, let's forget this topic. What about you and Conrad?"

"There's nothing happening between me and Conrad," I replied.

"Is there something happening between you and Conrad?" I heard Steven ask from behind.

"No," I told him. "And you shut up," then I whispered to Jere, "let's just go home."

"Adds, this conversation isn't over."

I ignored him, and we all got into the car, and Jere drove us home.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

We were all having dinner when Susannah announced that tomorrow we would have the book signing party that she organized for my mother, and we all had to go except for Belly.

"Why doesn't Belly have to go?" Steven asked.

"Because our beautiful lady right here has a date tomorrow night." Once Susannah finished talking, I looked at Jere, who was right in front of me, but he was looking directly at his food, pretending he didn't care about what we were talking about.

Once we finished eating, I left all the dishes in the kitchen and went to the beach to think. I haven't talked to Conrad since our last conversation before the rehearsal. I was just sitting in the sand looking at the sea when I felt someone sitting next to me. I turned and looked at Conrad.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You're acting weird. You haven't talked to me or even looked at me since you left."

"You're exaggerating. I'm talking to you right now."

"What happened? Are you mad at me or what?"

"No."

"Adds, please look at me." I turned my whole body, so we were face to face. "What do you want, Conrad?"

"I want to know why you're mad at me."

"I'm not."

"Oh, yeah. I truly believe you."

"I don't know what you want me to say, honestly."

"Yesterday we were good, and now you're not even talking to me. Is it because I tried to kiss you?"

"No, let's just forget that you tried to kiss me and move on."

"You really want that?"

"Yeah."

He just stayed in silence, staring at me.

"Who are you planning to ask to be your escort?" He asked, changing the topic.

"I haven't thought about it. Don't worry, I wasn't planning on inviting you. I know you hate those kinds of things."

"Yeah." He looked away.

"I met Nicole today. I understand why you agreed to be her escort. She is so nice and beautiful." He just nodded in response.

"If you don't find anyone to go with you, I can. I already know the dances and all that stuff."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

"Okay, now I'll leave you alone."

"Bye, Con."

He just stood up and went back to the house. And I stayed there, looking at him, thinking about all the things I wanted to say to him, but I couldn't. I knew that would ruin everything, and as Jere said, I'm not willing to risk this friendship just for this stupid crush.