tidal wave

? chapter twenty five ?

"I don't want to hurt you again, either," Conrad said taking Bre's other hand.

"I mean, I don't know if it's something we can control, but, um...we can try" Bre said pulling Conrad into a hug. They both felt lighter pulling away from each other.

The one thing they both struggled with was communicating. And that's what they needed to work on.

"Friends?" Bre joked smiling and looking up at Conrad. They both knew she was joking but neither would be opposed to being friends.

Bre always felt lighter in Conrad's presence. And the same for him.

"You still owe me a surf lesson" Conrad joked, Bre had completely forgotten about that.

"Shit, I haven't heard back about my essay" Bre scrunched her eyebrows. Her essays have been submitted a full 24 hours, and usually, she'd hear back from her lectures by the morning after if she'd passed.

"You will don't worry" Conrad smiled walking back into the house.

The feeling of hope was a forgotten feeling for both Bre and Conrad but it was circulating her mind once again. When they both returned to the kitchen they both had the same smile on their faces.

One thing neither Bre nor Conrad saw was Jere, Steven and Belly's high five. Their plan looked like it had worked.

When they made it back in the house they all waited in the empty living room for Adam to arrive. Bre had been helping Laurel cook some food, as Laurel had thought of it being a nice way to encourage him to come and have a conversation. Bre on the other hand had no hope, the whole time she'd known Adam and through Conrad she knew he wasn't as kind and open as they were all talking about. The grief had made Adam harder and crueler than he was before and Bre could tell that from across the country. 

"Hey Bre, I um have to tell you, that Finn is gonna come by in a bit" Jeremiah said approaching Bre who was sitting on the floor picking her nails. The news wasn't something that she didn't want to hear, she just wasn't necessarily ready for that conversation. 

"Oh, well thank you for telling me" Bre said not changing her facial expression. 

"I know you guys got into an argument last night, he texted me when he got home. Just remember he's your best friend" Jere smiled, before heading back to stand with Belly and Steven. 

Bre who was lost in thought hadn't even heard Adam come into the house. It was only when everyone headed to the kitchen she followed like a sheep. Her natural thought was to stand next to Conrad, they both needed each other. 

"I'm here to back up the boys" Laurel smiled looking at the children standing before her. 

Adam who had made his mind up about the house had gotten even more annoyed about them all being there for the conversation. 

"Maybe this should be just an adult conversation" Bre spoke up, she knew they all needed to talk it out and not have people butting in. 

"Great idea" Julia smiled, all the group went back to the living room to listen in closely to what was being said. 

"You can't let them lose this house," Laurel said the moment the room was cleared. 

"Well, it's done. Julia sold it" Adam spat, he had made his mind up and nothing was ever gonna change that. 

"Uh actually, I've changed my mind on that" Julia butted in. Bre had stood next to Belly taking her hand. The two girls desperately need this. 

"I'm not letting them lose anything, this has been out of my hands from the start. So don't go making me the bad guy here" Adam snapped, Bre naturally reached her free hand to Conrad but he had his arms crossed. 

Bre looked around at her friends and saw the hope slowly fading. The walls that used to be filled with memories and love were slowly wearing away. She couldn't feel the magic Sussanah so lovingly poured into the house. Her breaths got faster and the air felt thicker. The voices went mute, she couldn't hear Laurel and Adam talking just her breath getting heavier. 

"You don't have a vote okay? I know Suze made you feel like part of this house was yours but it's not" Adam shouted which brought Bre out of her panic and anger. Conrad spotted the faces of Bre and Belly fall and he couldn't take the animosity towards Laurel anymore. 

"Where do you get off saying shit like that?" Conrad stormed into the kitchen. Bre was shortly after him. She was angry. How dare he speak to her like that. Someone who he'd spent the best part of twenty years knowing. 

"Con, it's for the best. Do you think railroading me would change my mind?" Adam smugly said. All of them were annoyed now, and there was nothing that would make them feel any less annoyed. 

"Excuse me, but fuck you. You don't care about this house because you can't see past your grief" Bre shouted, she'd reached her boiling point and she'd had enough. 

"Okay, all right, all right. Let's take a minute" Laurel said proud of her oldest daughter but not wanting this to get any more out of hand. 

"Suze wouldn't want us arguing like this" Adam said sighing. 

"You wouldn't know what she'd want. You lost her a long time ago" Conrad said stepping forward again to face his dad. 

"It's easier this way. To let go of her, she's everywhere here. It's going to be easier to let this house go" Adam said holding back the tears in his eyes. 

"Can't you try to see past the grief, for the boys? They are standing here telling you they need this house" Laurel said looking at Adam. Parent to Parent. Griever to Griever. 

"Dad please?" Jere asked with tears in his eyes. All Bre could focus on was Conrad. She wanted to be holding his hand and feeling his comfort but they seemed further away in a room a few meters away from each other than in different states.

"Look I'm not gonna squander your trust, but if I sell the Boston House. That will give us enough. You'd both be at school most of the time. If that's what you both want?" Adam looked at his sons for the first time. They all understood one another. 

"Yeah," Conrad and Jere nodded in unison. 

"Okay then" Adam nodded at the two boys. It was at that moment they all erupted into a cheer. Bre hadn't even looked twice before she was scooped up by Conrad into a hug. 

That was the feeling she'd wanted this whole time. The feeling of warmth. 

When they pulled apart Bre had to hold herself back from pulling him into a kiss. His cheeks were a soft rose red, and his eyes were even more piercing than they usually were. 

"We did it Ana" Conrad whispered in her ear. 

"I know Con" Bre smiled. 

It was like the light in the house had been turned on. The laughter that had been missing from all of their lives had returned. The memories of every forgotten summer were being whispered around the kitchen. 

The magic Susannah had spent so many years creating for those kids was going to live on. Or so they all hoped.