(lauryn's outfit for this part of the chapter)

Before Lauryn knew it, it was the Fourth of July. Conrad and Jeremiah's dad, and Belly's and Steven's dad were joining them in Cousins Beach, then later that day they would have a party and watch fireworks that night. While Lauryn used to love this holiday and look forward to it every year in Cousins, today it was just a painful reminder that she wouldn't be able to spend it with her parents anymore. But she didn't let anyone know that. Instead, she plastered a smile on her face and acted like she was fine, when in reality, she wasn't.

Lauryn was currently in her bedroom, getting ready for the day. Her bedroom was on the second floor and had a beautiful view of the ocean. Her room had a summer themed to it. White walls with a mix of blue, pink, and white floral print curtains and bedsheets. A wooden bed frame, with a dresser that had a mirror and a small TV in the corner. Her surfboard leaned against the wall by the window. Her desk was against the wall, near the door. Her room had a bathroom connected to it and a closet as well.

On the walls were different summer themed decorations. Polaroid pictures of her and her family and of her and her friends hung on the wall above her desk. Different sea shells that she found throughout the years decorated her desk. The others she collected were in a jar on her desk. The bookshelf was filled with books and there were pictures frames that sat on it. The nightstand next to her bed had a lamp, a couple picture frames, and a couple of books. And she had a bean bag chair by her book shelf. On the walls besides the polaroid pictures were a few posters of shows, movies, bands and singers she liked. On the floor was a soft, white rug that sat in the middle of the room.

She stood in front of her full length mirror, staring at the outfit she finally decided on. She wore Fourth of July themed outfit. She wore a blue, red, and white tank top and denim shorts. She wore white shoes, and a Fourth of July themed bandana as a headband. She wore a necklace and a couple of rings. She also had a pair of Fourth of July sunglasses just in case. Her hair was down, curled, and she wore a red star hair clip in her hair. And she wore a simple red lipstick.

"Lauryn! Are you ready?" Coralee called out from downstairs.

"Yeah, just a minute!" Lauryn replied, grabbing her phone before heading downstairs. "Alright, I'm ready." She said as she came downstairs.

"You look great." Coralee smiled, kissing her cheek.

"Thanks. So do you." She smiled. Her aunt was wearing a white sun dress, a cardigan that was navy blue with red stars and had white sandals on.

"Thank you, sweetie." Coralee smiles. "Let's get going, then. I'm sure everyone's waiting for us. Doug is already over there."

Once they got next door, they noticed the backyard was decorated and set up for a Fourth of July party. There was a table of food set up off to the side and Fourth of July decorations scattered across the backyard. Lauryn was surprised that the boy's dad was there. She had learned from Jeremiah when texting him the other night that he probably wouldn't make it. It seemed like Susannah wasn't happy about him being there though which is understandable.

Lauryn noticed that Nicole, Gigi, and Shayla were there as well. She knew they were debs this year and Shayla was Steven's girlfriend. She had learned from Belly that Nicole and Conrad were kind of a thing. She noticed they were in the pool, talking and laughing and she had to admit they looked cute. As she looked away when Jeremiah called her over, she missed Conrad looking at her. He smiled to himself, happy that she was there now. 

And honestly he was taken aback by how beautiful she looked. Conrad has been kind of a thing with Nicole. He liked her and they somewhat had a history since he was her escort last summer. Lauryn still can't believe he was an escort since this year he said he wouldn't be an escort. He did have a thing for Nicole, but after he had realized his feelings for Lauryn last summer, those feelings for Nicole started going away. He planned on ending things with her soon, but hadn't gotten the chance yet. She was still the same, sweet girl and was still his friend, but that was all she was now. A friend. Because the moment Lauryn entered the backyard, all his attention was on her and Nicole noticed that which made her upset. She couldn't help the jealousy that boiled up inside her. She didn't understand why he was still paying so much attention to her.

"Lulu!" Jeremiah calls out to her, grinning as she looked at him. "Look at you! Looking amazing as ever!" He complimented.

She couldn't help but smile as a blush forms on her cheeks. "Thank you, Jere." She replied.

"How are you feeling?" Jeremiah asked.

"Good, it's just hard." Lauryn admitted.

"Want a drink? I'm sure it will help take your mind off things." Jeremiah suggested, smiling at her.

Conrad saw how Lauryn grimaces at the mention of alcohol and knew why. Everyone knew she didn't drink because of how her parents died. Jeremiah's eyes widen in realization at seeing Lauryn's expression and he immediately felt bad. "Right, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. That was stupid."

Lauryn gave him a reassuring smile and squeezes his hand gently. "It's okay. I'm fine."

Conrad didn't miss the small gesture and he felt a pang of jealousy. He hated it and knew he had no right to be jealous, but he couldn't help it.

"Lauryn!" Belly called out excitedly, hugging her.

Lauryn giggles, hugging her back. "Bells, love the dress!"

"Thanks! Taylor picked it out for me." Belly smiled. Lauryn nodded and smiled back in response. Lauryn had met Taylor before. Taylor was Belly's best friend from back home and she thought Taylor was nice and such a fun person to hang out with.

****

As the party continued, Lauryn and her aunt and uncle got to meet Belly's and Steven's dad new girlfriend, Victoria. She was younger than Lauryn expected, but she had to admit Victoria was really nice. Lauryn got to spend more time with Belly, Shayla, Gigi, and Nicole as well and she had to admit Shayla, Gigi, and Nicole were all great. She had fun with them and enjoyed their company.

Soon the teens moved to the beach to continue the fun. Belly had even made pomegranate margaritas. Lauryn could tell Belly was getting drunk and she had to admit it was pretty amusing. Belly had invited Cameron, a boy she had met at the annual beach party on the first night of summer and who she has been seeing since then. She liked Cameron and thought Cameron was kind and a great guy.

And while Lauryn enjoyed spending time with the teens at the beach, very entertained when watching the drinking game that Belly had suggested, she still felt left out. And she knows part of it is her choice because she doesn't drink, but she also can't help that she doesn't feel like she belongs. So she decided to go for a swim in the ocean.

"Where's Lulu?" Jeremiah asked, not noticing her by them anymore.

"I'm sure she's fine." Gigi shrugged.

"I'm gonna go find her." Jeremiah announced, getting up. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a strong urge to protect her. It's always been that way with him. When they were kids, he would always make sure no one hurt her. And it was the same now.

"Lulu?" He called out, walking along the shore. He finally spotted her a few feet away, sitting on the sand and picking up some sea shells.

He smiles softly and walks over to her, sitting down next to her. "Are you okay? I'm sorry if we made you feel left out."

"It's not your fault. I know it's my choice not to drink and it's not like you guys have done anything bad." Lauryn told him.

"Still, you're our friend and I don't want you to feel left out." Jeremiah told her.

Lauryn smiles at him and squeezes his hand. "Thanks, Jere."

"Of course. Wanna come back?" Jeremiah asked.

Lauryn nodded and they both stood up, but she gasped when she tripped over some of the seashells she left on the sand. Jeremiah's eyes widen as he quickly pulls her close, so she wouldn't fall. They end up chest to chest, her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist. They stare into each other's eyes, breathing heavily. She feels her heart pounding hard against her chest and butterflies filling her stomach. Her lips were only inches away from his. It was the perfect opportunity to kiss him. All he would have to do is lean down a little and their lips would be touching.

"Lauryn?" Jeremiah murmured.

"Hmm?" She hummed.

"I..." Jeremiah's voice trailed off, his eyes flickering from her lips to her eyes.

"What is it?" She whispered.

"I... We should get back." He stammered, pulling away.

"Right." She nods, letting go. "Let's go." She added, not able to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Come on." He took her hand and led her back to the group.

****

The rest of the day, they spent the time having fun on the beach. Jeremiah had made sure to keep her more included somehow whether it was just wrapping his arm around her or having her sit next to him. It was his way of making her feel included. She really appreciated it and it made her heart swell. She didn't think her feelings for him could grow anymore, but here she was, falling more and more for him.

She was now sitting at the docks next to Belly. Belly had a pomegranate margarita in hand and she was clearly drunk by now. Shalya, Gigi, Nicole, and Steven were with them as well. Conrad and Jeremiah were throwing a football around in the backyard though.

"I don't get Conrad." Nicole admits. "It's, like, one minute he's all over me, and he stays over, but then we don't even f**k, right? And then this morning, he's, like, super into me, he's all over me and now he's like 'oh, football'."

"Yeah, no, he's really hard to read sometimes." Belly laughs. "Like all the time."

"Do you really think he likes me?" Nicole asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Yeah, totally." Belly responds. "I mean, he talks about you a lot."

Nicole smiles. "Really?"

"Yeah. Mm-hmm." Belly smiled.

Lauryn knew she was lying because she hadn't heard Conrad talk much or barely at all about Nicole, at least not to her. But she knew Belly was trying to make her feel better.

"Hi." Cameron greeted, handing Belly a water. "You may want to hydrate. Water."

"Cam Cameron," Belly grins, reaching over to pinch his cheek. "You are so sweet." She glances at the girls with a smile. "Isn't he sweet?"

Lauryn couldn't help the amused smile on her lips as she watched this. Belly was so drunk, it was pretty amusing. She never would've expected Belly to be a drunk.

"You wanna go for a walk on the beach?" Cameron asked Belly with a smile.

"Belly, by the way, I love that dress." Shayla commented, smiling at Belly.

Belly ignores Cameron's question and smiles at Shayla. "Really? Thanks, I...Taylor got it for me actually."

"Mm, Taylor has great taste." Shayla spoke.

"Yeah, I know right? She totally does. You know what? You and Taylor are, like, twins. Because you're both mega-fashiony." Belly continued.

"It's true. It's true." Cameron agreed.

"And you're both, like...Baddies, Wouldn't you...Baddies." Belly laughs. "And you both like the same summer boys which is..."

Shayla chuckles, but then she furrows her eyebrows. "We do?"

"Let's go for that walk." Cameron suggested, standing up and trying to guide Belly away before she said something she regretted. Lauryn raised her eyebrows, wondering what Belly meant.

"No, no, no, Cam. I'm talking. One sec." Belly faces Shayla. "Look, Shayla, like, don't worry because my brother is an idiot. And it didn't mean anything. It didn't mean anything."

"Let's go for that walk." Cameron grabbed her arm, pulling her away.

Shayla stares at her with confusion. "Wait, what didn't mean anything?"

"Um, them-them kissing. It was like...He-he loves you." Belly stammered as Cameron managed to drag her away.

Lauryn felt even more awkward when she was left alone with Nicole, Gigi, and Shayla. She wasn't sure what to say to them, so she didn't. And it seemed like none of them did either. She was hoping someone would say something, anything to break the awkward silence.

"You and Jeremiah were pretty close earlier." Nicole commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lauryn questioned.

"Oh, nothing. Just that you guys seem very close. Like, how he makes sure to keep you included and keeps touching you." Nicole shrugged.

"Are you two together?" Gigi asked, raising her eyebrows.

Lauryn knew from Belly that Gigi had a thing for Jeremiah and it seemed like Gigi didn't like her because she was closer to him. "No, we're not. We're just friends."

"Oh, that's good to know." Gigi smiled.

"I'm gonna go back to the house." Lauryn walked back to the house, noticing Conrad was in the out door shower. He looked upset too, which made her wonder what was wrong. He had been fine before, but now he was upset. She wondered what had happened.

"Hey," She speaks up, gaining his attention. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Are you?" He asked, trying to act like he wasn't upset.

"Not the best day, but I guess it was still good." She shrugs. "What's the matter?" She asked in concern.

Conrad sighs, his shoulders dropping in defeat. "Just my dad. Nothing new." He muttered.

"I'm sorry." She frowned.

Conrad shrugs and turns around, continuing to clean up the stuff Jeremiah had thrown at him when they were digging the clam pit. Lauryn didn't push, knowing he wanted some space and she understood. She was about to go inside, when Conrad spoke up.

"How are you really?" Conrad asked.

"What do you mean?" She furrowed her eyebrows, looking back at him.

"I can tell today was hard on you. The drinking, the memories it probably brought up, and all the questions you got. I'm just asking how you're really feeling." He explained.

"Oh." Lauryn nods, her eyes dropping to the ground. She bit her lip, trying not to cry. "It's hard, Con. It's really hard. It hurts. It always does, especially when there are reminders everywhere. Like, the Fourth of July reminds me of the times I would go to the fireworks with them and how much fun I would have. It hurts to be reminded of all the things I'll never have with them again. Things I'll never do with them again. I'm just...I'm trying to cope the best I can." She spoke.

Conrad walks over and pulls her into a hug. She melts in his embrace, burying her face in his chest and hugging him back. She didn't even care that he was wet from the shower. She was just comforted by his embrace and didn't want to let go. She didn't even notice the tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt safe in his arms and didn't want him to let her go.

"You're doing great, Lu." He whispers. "I know how hard it is, but I also know you'll be okay."

"Thank you." She sniffled.

They pulled away and Conrad wiped her tears away with his thumbs, smiling softly at her. "No need to thank me, Lu."

Lauryn smiles back at him. "I'll let you get back to showering."

"I'll see you later." He told her.

Lauryn nods and heads to her house. She changed clothes into more comfortable clothes and went next door, seeing the boys were cleaning up. "What happened? She asked after noticing pieces of cake were on the ground.

"Belly had tripped on her way out when Susannah was carrying the cake and they both fell." Steven explained and Lauryn cringed.

"I hope they're both okay." She said worriedly. "So, uh, do you guys need anymore help with cleaning up?"

"Actually, could you stay and help me finish up?" Conrad asks. "Jere and Steven are going to go get the fireworks set up."

"Yeah, sure." Lauryn nodded, helping him clean up.

As they were cleaning, they both ended up eating the extra cake. They had already gotten the dishes cleaned up and all that was left was the trash. As they were finishing up, Adam, Conrad's and Jeremiah's dad, walked out and took out a cigarette.

Conrad notices him and walks over to him. "Hey, dad."

"Oh, hey." Adam replies. "Did you guys get everything cleaned up?"

"Yeah, and Belly's upstairs with her dad." Conrad responded.

"Why'd you let her get so drunk? You're lucky she and your mom didn't get hurt." Adam scolded.

"I didn't know she was drinking that much." Conrad admitted.

"You're the oldest. You're supposed to look out for the younger kids." Adam continued.

"I don't know why, but I thought I could talk to you." Conrad remarked before turning to head inside.

Lauryn frowned as she watched this. She had been tying a trash bag up and planning to head inside when this interaction happened. She felt bad for Conrad and how his dad treated him.

"Hey, hold...Connie, hold on. I'm sorry, man. I got a lot going on right now."

"That's no excuse." Lauryn spoke up after Conrad walked inside. "It doesn't give you the right to treat him like crap. He's your son. The least you can do is not be a jerk and actually be a father."

Adam glares at her. "This is none of your business. Stay out of it."

"I understand that, but he's my friend so I'm gonna defend him." She retorts. "I'm just saying, it wouldn't hurt for you to care about him more." She then walked inside the house to take the trash away.

After that, she went to Conrad's room to check on him, but he wasn't there. She sighed softly and left the room. She went back to her house until the fireworks started and then she went to the docks. She was surprised to see Conrad there. She walked over and sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Hey," She spoke softly. "Are you okay?"

"Not really." He replied honestly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

"Not right now." He responded.

Lauryn nods in understanding. "That's fine."

"Thanks for sticking up for me." He suddenly said after breaking the comfortable silence.

Lauryn glances at him with surprise. "You heard that?" She grimaces. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stepped in. I didn't mean to cross a line."

"Don't apologize." He tells her. "I'm actually glad you did. It means a lot to me."

"Anytime." She smiled at him.

Conrad smiles back at her and kisses her forehead. She leaned against him, cuddling into him as they watched the fireworks. But suddenly a firework goes off, startling them and causing them to pull apart. They didn't know that Jeremiah had left the house and saw them leaning against each other like this. He was jealous he had to admit, but he also wondered if maybe Conrad had a thing for her. Did she have a thing for him too? He hoped not.

A/N so much happened in this chapter