What Could I Do? - The Summer I Turned Pretty

4.

I'm guessing something happened between Belly and Conrad, because since neither of us had dates yet we paired together for the dance lesson.

"Do you think this is too much?" Belly asks me as she shows me her text she wants to send to Conrad. I shake my head and she sends the text to him.

"What did you guys talk about?" I ask her curiously.

"About when I was drunk. Turns out he might actually have feelings for me." She says and I smile at her.

Belly got a little too excited because she ended up stepping on my foot.

"I'm so sorry Allie." She says as she looks down at my shoes. I shrug in pain.

Just then Jeremiah comes out in his pool uniform, and looks at the both of us.

"You two look stunning. May I have this dance." He says looking at both of us. Belly grabbed his hand first, and he still put his hand out for me to grab.

"I think dancing is only for two people." I say to him and he pouts at me but just dances with Belly.

I think someone else might have feelings for you too Belly..

How could I come in between you two. Maybe I wasn't made for a fisher boy. My family didn't even know Susannah's or Laurels. If they never went to Cousins beach and bought the beach house, we would of never met.

Then I would of never felt these feelings for my sunshine boy. And I wouldn't feel this heartbreak with watching my crush fall in love with my best friend. And I don't hate her for it either, I don't even hate him.

I was just standing alone by myself watching Jeremiah and Belly dance together.

Jeremiah then breaks out of Belly's grasp, and tells Alexa to play a song.

Everyone started crowding him as he danced to the song. All the girls wanting to throw themselves at him.

With all the girls in the crowd, his eyes met mine and his already huge grin just turned even bigger as he caught my eyes.

I looked behind me and beside me to see if he was actually looking at me. Belly was on the other side, so he was definitely looking at me.

Just then I felt my phone buzz and I got a text from Conrad saying Goodmorning Allie cat.

I replied back to him a few seconds later. I then look up to see Jeremiah looking at Belly again.

I sighed and went away from the crowd. The instructor stopped him seconds later and he started to leave but winked at either Belly or me.

I wanted so desperately for that wink to be for me, but it was definitely to Belly.

Conrad comes by a few moments later, and he waved at me. I was the only one who noticed him so I knew that wave was to me. Then Belly and Nicole noticed him and he waved at both of them too.

Belly felt the same way I felt when Jeremiah winked at her. Embarrassed because the guy she liked maybe didn't like her back.

I know how you feel Belly.

-

"Have you seen Conrad today?" Belly says to me smiling wide.

"I haven't not since the morning." I say to her and she sighs sadly.

"What's wrong Isa?" I say to her trying to pry information out of her for being upset.

"I just, promise you won't be mad?" She says to me and at the bottom of my stomach I knew what she was going to say.

I nodded my head and she said it. The words I had been dreading my whole life.

"I think I'm starting to have feelings for Jere.." she says to me and I sigh and look down.

"But! But! Just say the words and I'll never even look at him again." She says back with a small smile at the end.

I couldn't bring myself to say what I really wanted to say. I just did what I thought was right at the time.

"It's okay, go for it. How could I be the one to come in between love." I say to her and weakly smile. She looks at me confused.

"Um hello? This is Jeremiah we are talking about here. Your crush since ever?" She says to me trying to change my opinion.

To be honest, my opinion changed a long time ago. All I could remember is the way he spun her around. Jeremiah never spun me around like that. I knew this summer would be the worst one yet.

I shrugged, and smiled.

"Hey ladies, thinking about me again?" Jeremiah says suddenly as he opens the kitchen fridge.

We both give each other a look which Jeremiah noticed immediately.

"Okay, what did I do?" He says and Belly and I both just look at each other.

"Okay, be weird then." He says and he was going to leave, but Belly stopped him.

"Have you seen Conrad yet?" She asks him and he shrugged as well.

"Probably helping the author sail." And with that he left us.

-

Belly went for her midnight swim and I stayed in our room trying not to cry from the events that happened today.

I knew Belly was developing feelings for him, but I choose to ignore it, and my heart started to build a wall so when she would tell me. I could be ready to let him go.

I heard a knock on the door, and Conrad came in.

"Oh, sorry. I thought Belly was in here." He says as he shuts the door behind him and sits on the other side of the bed.

"Why are you still here if you're looking for Belly? She's on her midnight swim." I say to him and he pretended to look offended.

"I found someone clearly in need. Judging by the tears stained on your cheeks." He says as he now positions himself to lay right next to me.

"Is it that obviously?" I say to him and let out a laugh. He nods his head playfully.

"What's got you down?" He asks me and I bite my lip not knowing if I want to tell him how desperately in love I am with his brother.

I just decided to stay quiet looking up at the ceiling as if it was the most entertaining thing I could watch.

I didn't even notice Conrad grab my hand, but he did. He held my hand in his, it felt wrong, but I didn't move.

This must be how Belly feels when Jeremiah touches her.

Conrad and I stayed like this for a few minutes until he got a text from Nicole asking to stay over with her.

I told him to go, and that's exactly what he did. Why would Belly go for a taken man, when she's got a totally emotionally available golden retriever just ready to take her out.

How could I compete with that.