The Summer Wedding | A Belly and Jeremiah fanfic

Chapter Forty-Six

I don't waste time panicking about what I'll say to him. I wake up, get dressed and drive straight to George's house.

Today is the day, I will fix everything. I will put everything back into place and I will finally be brave enough to take what I want.

As much as I don't want to panic, I'm still very anxious, but I don't let myself hesitate when knocking on the door.

Thankfully, George doesn't take too long to answer, and when he sees me, he lets me inside immediately.

I get a sense of deja vu when he leads me to the couch to talk. "I hope your brother doesn't interrupt this time," I joke.

George doesn't laugh, but he does give me a small smile. A clear sign that he just wants me to get this over with.

"The time we spent together was incredible. You were there for me at a time very few people were and I cannot thank you enough for everything you did to me." I begin, taking as many deep breaths as I need.

George let's me speak, but his hands are fumbling anxiously in his lap. He knows what's coming, but he needs to hear it as much as I need to say it.

"You are amazing and I hope that someday you find someone who will appreciate that. Maybe not Elsie, and definitely not me. I know you think that's what you want, but one day you'll meet someone equally as incredible as you, and you'll realise that what we had was never meant to last.

"I'd want nothing more than to keep you in my life as a dear friend, but I'm afraid old feelings would get in the way. I love Jeremiah. I do. I think I always have, and I'm sorry that I didn't realise it sooner. I can't have this," I indicate to the gap between us, "getting in the way of what I'm pretty damn sure will be my happy ending. I wouldn't want that for you, either."

I watch the lump in his throat bob as he swallows down nerves or sadness. I can't be sure what he's feeling. I hate having this conversation, especially since I already broke up with him a year ago. But it's clear we never let go, and we have to. Now more than ever, I need to break away from George. Once and for all.

He finally looks up to meet my eyes, "you love him."

"Yes," I nod enthusiastically, "absolutely."

"And he loves you just as much?"

"God— I hope so."

A twitch in his jaw, "I want nothing more than for you to be happy, Isabel. If he's the one you want, I can let you go."

My face cracks into a sad-happy smile. A few tears fall, but I pull him into a hug to hide them.

He pulls away almost too quickly. "Thank you, for— whatever this was," he releases a sad laugh, muffled by tears.

I smile, nod and stand to leave.

I pull him into one last hug at the door, and I know, deep in my soul, that this is it. Finally. I have let him go.

And for once in my goddamn life, I know I've done something right.

I'm filled with a sense of electricity. It flows through my veins and I feel— free. Not entirely, but it's one rope that won't tie me down ever again. Another weight off of my shoulders.

It's this energy that encourages me to turn up at the beach house unannounced.

I almost expect my mom or Susannah to answer the door, but instead, I'm met with the golden, handsome face of Jeremiah Fisher.

His jaw twitches at the sight of me. One second he's calm and collected, and the next he's slipped a mask of indifference in place and I can't tell what he's feeling anymore.