Certainty | TSITP

S I X .

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Ana asked, as she made her way into the kitchen, seeing belly unload all of the groceries.

Belly sighed, and looked to Ana. Motioning for her to start.

"I don't know what I did to you. I mean I understand being mad... at like Conrad but me? Really? Last I checked we were fine and then- the funeral..?" Ana ranted.

"You really don't know?" Belly asked with a scoff, "it will always be you, Ana. They will always love you. Did you know... during mine and Conrad's whole relationship he only talked about you? Jere stopped talking to me all together because of you. Susannah loved you.. and yes she loved me but she always bragged about you."

Ana was thrown off guard. Belly was so very angry at her... for something she had no control over. Even belly knew that, because she kept going.

"And I know... I know it's not your fault. But I have to compete with you no matter what! It's just all so..."

"Frustrating? Saddening? Awful? Belly, I am so, so, sorry. I didnt know that's how you felt, or how people were treating you. I didnt mean to be 'competition' if anything I thought you were my competition." Ana laughed sadly, "I mean... last summer." She said, referring to Conrad.

Belly cleared her throat and nodded her head awkwardly, "yeah... last summer."

"Listen, belly... I wanted to be your friend. I tried so hard. And I really wish we could've been... and I hope by the end of all this... maybe we can be? I'm really sorry for everything."

"No, no, don't be. It's not your fault, it's just all so much sometimes... but yes, maybe at the end of all this." She smiled softly.

Ana nodded and started to help unpack the food. Happy her and belly had gotten to talk alone. And she had started to feel better about being aroung her..

which was huge cause it seemed to her that all she would be doing for a little while was be aroung belly.

~

"Dad should be calling soon." Conrad said, as the three others walked into the dining room with him.

"Yeah, I'm gonna wait upstairs so you guys can talk to him alone..." Ana started, about to walk away.

"No, stay, stay." Ana turned back aroung looking at the boy who was silently begging her. She quickly zipped past belly and sat next to jere before belly could.

The phone began to rang, and Conrad answered it quickly as belly sat next to him.

"Dad, hey."

"Hey, con. I only got about a few minutes here."

"Hey, dad!" Jere said.

"Jere? You're in cousins too?"

"Yeah, I just got here last night." 

"All right, I got a heads up from the bank telling me you're trying to access your trust. That's not gonna happen." The man said sternly.

"So you've already made up your mind?" Conrad asked.

"Yeah, I mean that money is for your future. I'm not going to let you blow it on a beach house."

"It's not just a house dad." Jere started.

"You want me to beg, dad? Cause I will, I'll do whatever you want." Conrad said.

Ana started to zone out. The sound of everyone talking started to blur as she thought back to the whole year she had spent away from the fisher boys and his family.

The funeral...

"Wait so you've known we're losing the house since the funeral?" Jere asked, pulling Ana out of her thoughts.

"Jere, I'm not your evil father trying to ruin your life. And believe it or not, I'm just as upset as you are about it."

"That's such bullshit, that's such bullshit. You've never cared about this house, dad. You never cared about it cause you never cared about mom." Conrad snapped.

"You know that's not true. Jere, come on, you get it. Don't you?"

"Dad, I-I don't get why we can't just use our trust to buy it, and then we can sell it later if we need the money."

"No. Julia's gonna go ahead with the open house tomorrow. I really appreciate the attempt here, but this is the end of the conversation. You just make sure that Julia gets everything that she needs. You got it?"

"Conrad was right. Talking to you is pointless." Jere hung up the phone quickly. Running over his face with his hands.

Ana looked around the table with a sympathetic look. She reached over and rubbed Jere's back gently. Trying her best to show him any sort of comfort.

Conrad saw this, his already teary eyes, somehow tearing up more. He felt so stupid for letting Ana go, he was so frustrated about what was happening with the house. He hated everything.

And he hated Jere for getting all of Ana's attention.

Before anyone said anything the door opened, Steven and Taylor walked in with giant smiles.

"Surprise!" Steven shouted. "Oh shit... I knew we should've told them we were coming.."

"No, no, it's not that." Ana laughed softly.

"We're losing the house." Jere spoke up.

"Oh... cinderbelly. They're selling the house?" Taylor asked softly, giving her best friend a hug.

"Yeah." She said sadly.