Chapter Text
Party's over
Chapter 1: I like the way you kiss me.
jeremiah
It's only been a week, but I feel like a little happy toddler when I see her get out of the car. I missed her, even though we've been talking practically every day. She has that summer glow radiating from her, and I'm more than glad to see her so happy again, her smile never once wavering away.
After leaving their house last Friday, Belly called to tell me how Laurel decided they'll be back in a week, and then kept calling to talk to me about volleyball camp and how excited she is because things are finally getting back to normal. As normal as you could say for this strange summer. Nothing will ever truly be like before, not without my mom. But I’ll do my best to make sure Belly feels as happy as we all used to be when we were kids.
Before I left her home, she kissed me goodbye. I couldn't quite control myself, so I'm pretty sure that we ended up making out in front of my car for over ten minutes. I hated leaving her, especially now, especially after everything that went down after Con's final. But I had to get the house back in order, which was a priority right now.
It was awkward, everything between me and my brother once I came back to Cousins. But soon enough he stopped moping around and we decided to work on getting the house back to how it should be, and so far I think we've done a pretty good job, no fighting in sight. Not that I'm surprised. Conrad doesn't like fighting. He just sits in silence until everything is kind of brushed over, thrown under the rug.
The thing is, I don't think Belly and I could simply be brushed over this time. It doesn't work like that.
He's in California for orientation though, so the rest of the job is kind of left up to me and my dad to finish off. We're almost done, so I'm trying not to stress over it any longer.
The only thing I'm trying to focus on right now are Belly's soft lips, as well as that little sound she makes deep in her throat whenever I kiss her for a little too long. I wonder if I should tell her how she moans quite a bit. She'll probably get mad if I do, so I decide to shut up my stupid mind and just keep kissing her.
There's no better feeling in the world than being kissed by Isabel Conklin. I've come to that realization months ago, back when I kissed her for the first time, last summer - but with every passing touch of lips it simply gets better.
She giggles slightly when I place my hand on her neck, and she wraps her arms around my shoulders, pulling me in.
I think I'll faint. Or tell her I love her and make a fool of myself because it's too soon. Or both.
We're both in the kitchen, her small body settled firmly atop of the kitchen counter, me standing in front of her. It's funny how, even when she is prompted up like this, she needs to crane her neck in order to reach me. She’s adorable.
I trail my hand down her body, over the beautiful strapless sundress she's wearing. This way I can easily see every little mark on her shoulders, and a single scar right below her collarbone. And yes, I really want to kiss it. But it's nowhere near private enough for that.
The dress somehow reminds me of my mom, and I spend too much time trying to recall if she was the one who got it for her.
It's quite short and hugs her closely at the top, and I can't help but notice how hot she looks in it. Usually I'd cuss at myself for thinking like that, but I'm pretty sure that boyfriends are allowed to think their girlfriends look fucking incredible in small sundresses. If not, sue me! Sundresses have always been my kryptonite. Belly Conklin in one might just be another level.
Suddenly, I feel her tongue against mine, her tasty mouth opening up slightly. Mine follows suit without a second of apprehension, and all I can think about is how I could do this for the rest of my fucking life if I have to, and you'll never see me complaining.
“Woah-” Aaaand fun’s over.
Belly backs away slowly and without much panic once she recognizes Skye's voice, and I try my best not to make a pouting face. I might as well have, considering how I can't hide my feelings for this girl even if I tried. You could very well pay me a billion, and I'd fail.
“Um, hi guys…” They say, in something that resembles actual shock. I feel kind of sorry for Skye, in all honesty. The kitchen might not have been the best place for hot makeouts, but I don't really care. I missed my girl.
“Skye!” Belly charges off of the kitchen counter, which really makes me reconsider the decision of inviting them to come over. I just didn't want to leave them alone with their mom for hours in this extreme heat, after hearing they had arrived early. I'd go into a freaking coma if it were me in their shoes and I had to do so with Adam Fisher breathing down my neck.
Julia offered to come help us get everything back into the house, since she was kind of the one who got it all messed up in the first place. My dad declined though, invited them to spend a week with us in Cousins instead.
“I didn't know you were already here.”
Belly rushes to hug them, and I can't help but laugh at how uncomfortable Skye seems. Still not into hugs. Noted.
It's funny when Belly tries her best to waver away without making everything even more awkward, eyes huge. She stands next to me again, and I'm on the moon when I feel the way her arm brushes against mine.
“We just got here.” Skye says, settling in on one of the chairs. “Mom's still at the motel, but Jeremiah called.” They motion toward me. “Told me to drop by. Anyway, it seems like I missed…a lot.” Skye does some weird motion with their hands and points at us.
Belly and I eye each other, a beautiful smile tugging at her lips. I really want to kiss those lips again.They're so pink and flushed, and I love it because I know that it was me who did that. It's me who kissed those lips dumb.
Her cheeks go scarlet. “Yeah, um, it's been…kind of a crazy week.”
“Very crazy.” I add.
“You wouldn't believe.” Belly jokes.
“Do tell, I'm all ears. My week passed mostly by losing my eyesight due to a Modern family marathon, but hey! Not everyone can be as fun as you guys. I mean, the things I have witnessed while-”
“Okay, okay…” I interrupt. “-we get it.” I say. Did that sound smug? It did kind of sound smug. I don't really give a damn. And I laugh anyway.
“I did kind of…miss you guys, I guess.” And there it is. Skye might pretend not to care, but I'm pretty sure there's much more to it than they let out. “Turns out that spending time with you isn't completely unbearable, after all.”
“Oh? Say that again?” I pretend not to hear jokingly, teasing the shit out of them - to which I earn a fist bump from Belly right on my arm.
Owh. She's tough.
“You heard well, blondie. I'm not repeating it.” I have to smother a laugh. I can't help it. I really am glad that I've gotten to know Skye better.
I hate thinking about how, if my mom weren't gone, this wouldn't have happened. It's fucking messed up. But at the end of the day, my whole entire family has been nothing but messed up for as long as I can remember.
I hate that my mom's gone, it's the type of pain you never get past. But at least, in some way, it pushed us to find a way to bring our family together. And that's enough to keep us going.
“We missed you too, Skye.” Belly says, with this beautiful grin on her face.
“Okay, you losers!” Taylor scares the shit out of me as her and Steven enter the kitchen too. “I don't care where, I don't care how, but we are partying tonight. I've been hitting a ball for a week straight, I have blisters all over my fingers, we need to have some fun!”
“Yeah, honestly, she's right. It's summer and I want to get drunk. You in, Jere?”
“I'm always in. I just don't know about any parties tonight.” Honestly, it was the last thing I cared to think about. I spent more time talking to my dad about college, dismissing all of the possible classes and majors he thought would be “good for me” so I could follow in his footsteps or whatever.
No, thank you. I don't know what I want, but I very well know what I don't. And that's doing the same shit my dad has been doing since I know about myself. And I barely even know what his job is, I just know that it's boring and miserable.
“Actually, Nicole texted me earlier.” Belly chimes in. “I forgot to tell you guys, her birthday was like a month ago and she's celebrating it now. Big blow out party at that dude Liam's house? She like, paid for the ‘venue’ or something. I thought we could go.”
“There!” Since when is Taytay so loud? “Perfect, right? Rich people parties!”
“Since when are you friends with Nicole?” I can't help but laugh at the way Belly rolls her eyes when Steven asks this. I'm pretty sure that she wants to smack him across his face.
“Shut up, Steven! She's my Deb sister, we're friends. Kind of.”
“I'm just saying it's weird that-”
“Babe, maybe just shut your mouth for a second there?” And Taytay runs to the rescue. What surprises me is how quickly Steven actually goes quiet, and it's weird considering how he's never like that when he has an opinion. For as long as I could remember, I would just walk out of the room when he'd get like this. Both Belly and I couldn't deal with all the talking.
It's nice to see him all in love though, if that's what I should call it. I thought he and Shayla were it last year, it just seemed like the real deal, at least back then. But I'm glad Taylor and him are doing good. Maybe she's just what he needed all along.
“I hate you both.”
“Skye, you coming?” I wade closer to Belly and wrap my arms around her waist, my chin on her shoulder. I don't care that Steven shoots me a glare as soon as I do so, and I don't give a fuck if my dad or Laurel were to come in. I've never gotten to do this before, in front of people, not like this. It's easy and beautiful and it feels like a relief.
I simply let go and lose myself in her touch, in the way she easily pulls me closer and waits for Skye to answer as if it's nothing, the fact that I'm holding her, as well as Taylor's little grin as she watches us. I'm half convinced she'll pull her phone out and snap a picture.
“I…Listen, last time was nice, but-”
“Nope. No. You're coming, I don't care.” Belly says, “What else would you do anyway? You're in Cousins, Skye, we always have fun here! And going to parties is part of the fun.”
“Until the cops get you. Then you're grounded.” I glance at Skye.
“My mom really-”
“It'll be fun. I promise. And, you know…Cam's boat leaves tomorrow. He might be there…” Belly eyes Skye in that sneaky way, and she does this thing with her voice, like when she teases the crap out of me. Skye's cheeks turn bright red.
“Fine. But, just remember I am not drinking, and I sure as hell don't want to meet half of your friends because, no, I won't like them.”
“They aren't really friends anyway. More like acquaintances, you know?” I add.
“And if I want to go back and sleep, I'll just leave. You can't stop me.”
“It's settled then.” Steven says, eager to just finish up the conversation. I haven't seen him this excited to go party in forever. It kind of feels like last summer, when everything was a little easier.
“I'm so down for this, I haven't had fun in, like, eons.” Belly and I both glance in Taylor's way. She leans back on to Steven's chest in a dramatic sigh, and we all giggle when he half fumbles before catching her. Taylor barely even flinches. “Next time you drag me to camp, Belly, make sure you bring some more beer to practice, because this is not going to work any longer.”
“Dream on.”
I just bury my head into Belly's neck, smiling bright, as the kitchen fills with laughter.
I watch her bare back through the windows as I place the chopped watermelon into her favorite fruit bowl. It's a pink, oval-shaped vessel that my mom had gotten for her tenth birthday. Small white clouds are scattered across it, and I'm sure that it's mostly the nostalgia that ties her to it, since it does look a little childish to the naked eye.
Of course, that would never bother her. She loves anything that reminds her of childhood, like those little kid magazines that she used to collect with pictures of One Direction and Hannah Montana on them - and I'm sure she's saving up in a box somewhere, probably hidden under her bed.
She's sitting on the edge of the pool, a quiet melody playing from her phone. I can't quite hear what the song is all the way from here, but I notice the way she sings quietly, the trace of her lips moving recognizable even from a distance.
The moment I step through the door, feeling the soft summer breeze against my skin, she turns around and notices the bowl of fruit even before noticing me at all.
I make my way around her as I hear her mumble something about what it is that I'm carrying. Soon enough I'm sitting next to her, one of my legs dipped into the cool water, the other bent down on the hard ground beneath me.
“Any room for company?” I ask, taking a small piece of the melon into the plastic fork, removing a couple of visible seeds and placing it in her mouth. She moans dramatically, as if it's the best piece of fruit she has eaten in her entire life, closing her eyes and dipping her head back toward the sky.
This girl will be the death of me.
“Always.” She mumbles. “Especially when said company brings me delicious food.”
She eyes me, her smile big. There's a little bit of juice left hanging on the side of her mouth, so I lift my finger and brush it off, then take a bite of the fruit as well. Or wait, isn't this a vegetable? I remember discussing it with my mom. I just kept calling it a fruit, the technicalities be damned.
“More, please.” Her bossy little voice makes my heart leap, and I smother a laugh before doing exactly what she tells me to. This one piece is crammed with the seeds so I take some time removing them, and I can feel her growing impatience by now. I only think of how adorable she is, how I very well might keep doing this longer, until she loses her mind a little more.
I give up on it though, another piece of the fruit easily finding its way to her mouth.
“So, how was camp? You think you could be captain again?” I don't care that she's talked to me about this a hundred times over the phone by now. I just ask again, knowing well that I'll watch her all excited and in her element once I ask the question.
“It was perfect. Coach told me she's sorry that she didn't trust me more and that she's glad I'm working hard for the team. As for captaincy, I think I'll have to be patient. Maybe in the fall, if I prove myself worthy by then.”
“You'll get it, I know. You're working twice as hard as anyone there.”
“Yeah well, I also have, like, a million grades that need fixing once school starts up again.” She says through a sigh, as I pass her yet another bite. She licks my finger by accident, though I'm not sure if she noticed. “I screwed up big last year. Mom says that it's not just volleyball I have to focus on. I mean, she's right. Me and trig…there's some serious catching up we have to do. But, you know…it'll be a lot. And it's senior year, on top of all that. Just thinking about September is making my head spin.”
“Well, I know best what it's like to lose your shit and have your grades fumble down a fucking hill. It happened to me too, last year, you know?”
“You didn't tell me that.” Her voice is soft and shaky and sad and all I want to do is just grab her and kiss her and forget about anything else in the world. But I know I can't. Not now.
“Yeah, well, we weren't exactly…” She knows what I mean. I don't have to say it. I don't even want to say it at all.
“What happened?”
“When mom was getting worse. That's when I kind of…slipped. A lot. But, you know, I worked hard during the first semester. I was even able to bring home a couple A's, if you can believe it. So those kind of…helped me push through, when everything…”
“Went to shit?” More like collapsed, was taken down by a tornado or a tsunami and just took everything with it.
“Yeah, I guess that's the wording I was looking for.” I pass her another bite, and I love the way that she smiles slightly, even though the conversation had turned kind of dark. It's why I love her. Have feelings for her, I mean…Oh, fuck it, I do love her. And one of the reasons why is how light it all feels. Even when everything is awful and dark and hard, it's her smile and her voice that brings comfort and pushes me forward.
“Well, mine were awful all year long.” She squints as she turns her gaze away toward the sky. “I don't - I don't even understand what happened to me. I just…it's like I was lost. And I didn't even notice.” Her voice grows quiet, and that's when I feel the weight of her head against my shoulder.
“It happens, Bells.” I kiss the top of her head.
“Yeah, well, now everything's hanging on by a thread. Especially college.” I start rubbing my palms against the top of her arm, and then start creating little circles with my fingers on the same spot. I know that she loves it. “Like, if I worked harder last year, I would have had some volleyball scholarship secured by last May. I've heard that it happened to a girl on the rival team. It could have been me, too…I was good enough. Until I wasn't.”
“There's a whole year in front of you. Maybe something like that happens by the end of next season, you never know.”
“Yeah, maybe. But, you know, I should just focus on admission essays come September. I shouldn't…rush.”
“Take it step by step.” I whisper in her ear.
“Step by step. Yeah. Okay.”
“That's my girl.” I kiss her cheek, and the way she laughs fills my heart. Steven can call me a simp all he wants, I might as well be one. Belly is too precious for me to feel normal whenever I kiss her.
“I forgot how good you are at pep talk.”
“Think I've grown rusty?”
“No, you're great. Perfect boyfriend material.” I can't help but grin at that. Did she just call me a perfect boyfriend? “There's something missing, though…” I frown slightly.
“What? You want some more fruit?”
“Nope.” She sways her head. “But I do want a kiss. A long one.” She wipes the confusion away, and my face softens when I hear her words.
And so I obey. Again, her lips are on mine, her body in my arms, her hands in my hair, pulling and playing with my curls.
I feel the way she scoots over, climbing over one of my legs and slipping into my lap, as she kisses me harder, opens her mouth, slides her tongue against mine as I tug on her bottom lip. She then bites my own in return, not allowing me to take control, and I almost wince. Belly's definitely never been one to play.
She tastes of watermelon juice, of that one vanilla scented chapstick that she uses, and of…Belly.
The very moment Taylor steps out the door and sees us making out without a care in the world, I notice her. I wait for Belly to be the one to back away, but for some reason, she doesn't. She's still kissing me, and being the person that I am, I have no willpower to let go. Zero. How could I, when this feels so fucking incredible?
“Hey, um, not to ruin the mood or anything but,” I hear Taytay mumbling in the distance, but I can barely decipher half of what she's saying. Belly's lips are so soft, and her hands are gripping at my hair really hard, to the point where it's difficult to focus on anything else. And she isn't stopping, “-could your romantic endeavors take a break so I can do your makeup, Belly? I have to start in time to do us both, and I still don't know what to wear…Wait, are you even listening to me?”
I waver, starting up a path of kisses down her neck and cheek so she can answer. “Barely.” She mumbles slightly, laughs in that cute little way, and then crashes our lips together yet again. Oh, I'm loving this.
“Belly!”
“I'm busyyyyy!” She says, tugging at the collar of my shirt.
I don't remember the last time I've seen her smile this big, her forehead and nose touching mine, as she barely pays attention to whatever Taylor is trying to say. I hold her tighter around her waist, stealing yet another kiss, to which she smothers a laugh.
I should probably let the girls talk. Taylor seems to be losing her patience, and it's the first time I see her this way since Belly and I had gotten together. She was screaming animal names at us just a few days ago so, go figure. But even though I'd love to kiss my girlfriend some more, and more, and then some more - I kind of have all the time in the world to do that. Might as well try and let them have a moment or two.
But Belly-
She just doesn't seem to want to let go. She's clinging to me more than to that stuffed giraffe she's been carrying around everywhere since the day on the boardwalk.
“Okay. Do it on your own then!” Taylor yelps, her hands crossed, eyes stern.
“Ugh, wait, fine.” Belly calls out in a pathetic grumble, “I'll be there in five.”
“Proceed.”
And we do…
Until Steven comes out.
“OH, FUCK! I told you last year not to ever do this in front of me-”