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TWENTY-NINE

The girl scoffed. This woman did not just say that.

"I'm so sorry that she was too busy dying to make your life a little easier. You know it sucks that our grandfather loved her more than you, but I'm not surprised." Conrad said before turning around and walking out.

The girl sighed looking at the woman one last time before following the boy outside. Everyone else followed.

"Of course dad did nothing to stop her." Conrad complained, taking out his phone no doubt calling his dad.

"Connie what can he do?" Jeremiah asked his brother.

"Jere! He doesn't care about us!" Conrad yelled which caused the girl to close her eyes. Like she said she's never seen Conrad like this before. And she did not like this side of him. She took deep breathes as she opened her eyes again. "And this asshole won't even pick up my calls." The boy turned around as his eyes set on his cousin. He walked towards Skye. "Did you know about this?"

"Easy Connie." Jeremiah said trying to stop his brother, but he couldn't.

"No no. Did you know about this?" Conrad asked.

"I didn't know anything ok. I swear I would have told you." Skye said.

"Would you have? Really?"

"Connie..." The girl warned the boy to be a little nicer to his cousin.

"Because we haven't seen each other in 10 years." Conrad continued. "Would a day at the boardwalk have been enough to make you betray your mom?"

"Listen, I know we don't know each other very well, but I wouldn't have sideswiped you like this."

"And we believe you Skye." The girl said, tugging on the boy's shirt for him to cut it out. He got the hint and didn't say anything else.

"Connie what are we going to do?" Steven asked.

"I don't know." Conrad yelled, pacing back and forth.

"Ok we can't just leave. All right? The house isn't sold yet. We still have a chance." Jeremiah said, hopeful.

"A slim one." Skye added. "I mean full disclosure Mom's realtor is expecting multiple cash offers, all over asking, no contingencies."

"Thank you Skye for that bleak as fuck assessment." Steven said.

The girl rolled her eyes. "You guys my dad can buy this house. He said so himself."

"Brie... no we talked about this." Conrad said to the girl.

"That's our only chance ok. You can't access your trust, combined we have nowhere near the money to buy this place. My dad's the only option we got."

Conrad shook his head. "No. No. We can't."

"Connie..."

"I said no!" The boy raised his voice at the girl which he never does. Even if he was upset or angry with the girl, he never raised his voice. He always talked to her in a nice, soft voice. So this not only made her surprised, but sad. Briella could tell the boy felt bad about it. It was something he did with his eyes. Something she's learned all these years. But he wasn't gonna say sorry about it, at least not in front of all their friends.

"Ok where are we going to sleep tonight?" Steven asked, trying to defuse the tension.

"I think there's some sleeping bags in the garage." Belly offered.

"I'm not sleeping in this house." Conrad said, shaking his head.

"Ok. We don't have to. All right?" Jeremiah said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Ok well hotels are usually all booked up around this time of year." Belly mentioned.

"I feel like I should go." Cam Cameron said. "And I'd totally invite you guys to come stay with me, but it's a pretty small place so..."

"Yeah maybe... maybe we should go too." Taylor added.

"Don't go yet." Jeremiah said. "I know a place we can crash for the night."

And that was how Briella found herself on her way to the Country Club. 

✄-----------------------------

uuuuh oooh at this point conrad is fucking up his chances with being with brie so now i'm thinking 

team steven

OR

team jeremiah

HAHAHAHAHAHA