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Chapter Text

                                                                                              Belly´s POV

Today was the day. Twelve years of hard work led to this moment, the moment I finally earn that piece of paper that shapes everyone´s future.

"Isabel Conklin!" The director calls and I stand up so fast that I nearly lose my balance. It´s hard to not trip over my gown and to keep my graduation cap on my head, but I somehow make it up the stairs, accompanied by loud clapping from the crowd. As I receive my diploma I hear Jeremiah and Steven shouting things like "Go Belly!" and "Show them what you got!", which makes me laugh because they are so sweet.

Taylor is the last to get her diploma. As she walks across the stage, she flipps off the crowd and everyone bursts into laughter, but it wouldn´t be taylor without a moment like that. The director hands her the paper with a clearly annoyed expression, but they never liked eachother anyway, so taylor has nothing to lose. She walks over to me and gives me a big hug, which I did not expect. "What´s that for?" I ask her, still in her arms. "We´ve come so far and I´m really looking forward to going to Finch with you," she mumbles into my ear. "I´m also looking forward to going to Finch with my bestie," I say before letting her go.

After taking pictures with the whole class, I could finally go to my family, but most of all I want to see one person. He is impossible to miss with his golden curls and beautiful sea-blue eyes staring right at me. He wears black suit pants and a light blue botton-up shirt that perfecly matches his eyes, along with a blue tie. He looks so good that even after a year of being together my heart is still beating faster at the sight of him. Without thinking i run up to him, he lifts me up and spins me around like he always does, because that´s just our thing and I love it. As he gently sets me back on the ground, he opens his mouth to say something, but I stop him by pressing my lips against his.

We hadn´t seen each other in a while, he´d been busy with college at Finch and I was wrapped up in finishing school. Even though Jere visited me every weekend he could, it was never quite enough. But honestly how could I ever have enough of this wonderful man I get to call my boyfriend?

I´m the first to break the passionate kiss before it gets any deeper in front of all the people in the room.

"I´m so freaking proud of you Bells," he says, his hands resting on my hips and a wide smile on his lips. Instead of answering anything I pull him into a tight hug. "I missed you so much," I mumble against his neck and i could feel his smile. "I missed you too Bells. Like crazy."

Missing Jeremiah is one of the hardest feelings in the world. But being in his arms right now makes it all worth it.

"My Bells is growing up," he says, cupping my cheeks with both hands. "I knew you´d make it."

"Thanks, Jere," I reply, blushing, feeling like the happiest girl and kissing him again.

"Okay, okay lovebird. Enough for now," Steven interrupted smiling, but visibly annoyed as he appears with Mom, Dad and Taylor by his side. Disappointed that our moment had been cut short but still laughing, Jere and I break apart and turn toward my family.

Steven doesn´t like us together. Since Susannah died, his friendship with Jeremiah did as well. The reason behind that is unclear to me, but by the time he got closer to Conrad and since then they were never the same. It´s really sad because they used to be best friends.

With my mom it´s kind of the same. She still doesn´t like the idea of me and Jere being together even though she always pretends to. But I can see it in her eyes everytime she looks at the two of us, it´s this disappointed mom-look she gives me everytime I do something wrong.

All of them are thinking of Jere as this playboy, that he´ll hurt me and leave me sooner or later, but that version of Jeremiah never existed.

This past year with him by my side was the best time I´ve ever had. He lets me experience real and tender love, something I´ve never experienced before. I mean of course I was with Conrad and I loved him, but our whole relationship was toxic and buit of my obsession with him as a kid. With Jere it´s different, our love feels like a safe embrace you never want to escape from. It took me long enough anyways to open my eyes and see this perfect man who was always waiting for me.

"Come here bean," Mom says with happy tears in her eyes. She pulls me into one of he deepest hugs she´d ever given me. "Everything okay Mom?", I ask a bit surprised by her emotions. "After everything you still made it. I´m so proud of you Belly. More than words can say," she says through quiet sobs. Then she adds softly, "She would be too."

I know that she isn´t only crying because of my graduation, but because she thinks of Susannah. She should be here today and it makes me sick to my stomach that she can´t. I know she would have done everything to make this day unforgettable for me in her own typical Susannah way. Now without her someone is missing.

Actually two people are missing: Susannah and Conrad. He said he sadly can´t come, because he has to help a friend with moving into a new apartment, which we all know is a lie. We have not spoken with each other since last summer but i wanted him to be here, because he belongs to us, even after everything that happened. At the end of the day he still doesn´t seem ready to face me and that´s okay I guess. It must be hard for him to see me and Jere together and I will give him time to deal with it. I really hope that sooner or later everything goes back to normal between everyone, exactly how it used to be.

"You made it weirdo," Steven teases, giving me light smack on my head. "Would´ve hurt my ego to badly, if you graduated and I didn´t," I reply. "Touche," he says, laughing.

After my french teacher,which is also my favourite teacher, congratulated me Jere pulls me closer to him. "You wanna get ou of here? I have a surprise for you," he whispers into my ear and sending shivers down my spine. I could never refuse him anything, when he whispers in my ear like that, it´s just so damn hot. "Everything as long as it´s with you," I answer.

"I´m always with you Bells."

He takes my hand and we walk outside."Would you mind if I´m taking you to dinner, my lady?" he asks playfully, kissing the back of my hand. "Only if you don´t make me eat Hawaiian pizza," I say, laughing. He clutches his chest dramatically. "That really hurts Bells."

"You really have to stop eating this culinary disaster."

"Never," he says grinning. "But today is your day. So whatever you want, I want too.

We end up sitting in my favourite restaurant, eating seafood and talking about the future. "Are you looking forward to coming to Finch?" he asks while eating his salmon. My face changes immediately without me even wanting it to, because that´s one thing I´ve been thinking about for a long time now.

Jere must have noticed, because he puts down his fork and takes my hand. "Everything okay?" he asks a little worried.

"Yes," I don´t know why I lie and his face is clearly telling me that he doesn´t believe me.

"No," I admit lowering my gaze.

"What´s wrong?" he asks and the way he does it, in his calming Jeremiah voice makes me talk.

"I know it sounds dumb, because I always complain about high school, but now that it´s over I´m afraid. Like really afraid."

"Hey Belly look at me," he says gving my hand a light squeeze. As i turn my head to him he continues,"That´s not stupid at all okay? I felt the same way when I graduated."

"Really?" I ask surprised.

"Yeah, I was terrified. Going to college is a big change in your life. You have to rebuild your routine, make new friends and stay focused. That´s all really intimidating and it´s normal to feel this way, because almost everyone feels like that.

"This statement from him suddenly makes me think about somehing. In the time he started college his mom died and we didn´t talk, because I broke his heart, so he had to go through all this alone.

"I´m sorry," I finally say after thinking.

"Sorry for what?" he asks confused.

"I wasn´t there for you when you needed me," but he interrupts me

"Belly it´s okay."

"No it´s not Jere, you were my best friend and I let you down because I was caught up in my own stuff."

He lowers his head and I could tell that he wants to say something, so I rub his hand with my thumb, letting him take his time.

"It was really hard.... dealing with everything all at once," he admits, clearly trying to not get too emotional. "I was basically on my own. And it hurt. A lot." His voice breaks a bit while he talks and I can´t help but hate myself for not being there for him. Conrad and him never never really had a good relationship, especially not since last summer. Adam was never a father with whom you can talk to, Susannah died and Ieft him alone.

"I can´t imagine how lonely you must have felt," I whisper, not knowing what else I could say to make the situation better.

"Yeah but I met new people and it diddn´t take long until I was comfortable there. You on the other hand have Taylor and of course me. You are such a wonderful person, that I can only hope to get some time with you, because everyone will be fighting about you," he says so confident, that I have no choice but believe him.

"I will always have time for you," I answer and meaning it, because I love being with him more than anything else.

"Good for you, then I don´t have to kidnap you," he teases and we both start laughing.

"Actually I got something for your graduation." He bent over to get something out of his bag and gives me a gift wrapped in yellow paper with a ribbon on top of it.

"Jere you really didn´t have to-"

"It´s nothing big, just open it." I can´t pretend to not be curious, so I unwrap it. Quickly I see a framed picture, showing Jeremiah and me on the beach as kids. The frame is decorated with little daisies and seashells.

It didn´t take me long to realize when this photo was made.

"That was the day we searched for sandcrabs on the beach." A wave of nostalgia washes over me.

"Yes I found it the last time I was in the summer house and had to take it with me."

When we were kids the boys were always together and I often felt really excluded. The only one who did something with me was Jeremiah. I remember that I felt so special on this day, because he waived to play a video game with Steven and Conrad just to go looking for sandcrabs with me. That meant the world for me in this moment and I think I subconsciously fell in love with him on that exact day.

"It´s perfect Jere thank you." I lean over the table to kiss him. "I love you," I whisper.

"I love you more," he says with a grin knowing that would spark our usual debate.

"I´m not getting into this with you right know. You know that I love you more and that you´re wrong."

"No I absolutely am not," he shoots back and we laugh again.

"I´m going to put the photo in my dorm room so can see your pretty face every second of the day."

"Belive me you will see me every second of the day anyway, because I´m going to be the most clingy boyfriend on the planet," he says still laughing.

"I hope so, because i won´t be any better." Feeling the need to have his lips on mine again, I lean forward and give him a slow, gentle kiss.

In this moment I feel like everything is going to be okay and that i shouldn´t worry too much. I´m actually looking forward to going to college now, because i´ll have the opportunity to hang out with my boyfriend every day of the week. I´ll always have this incredible man by my side who will, without any doubt, be picking me before anyone else and this means everything to me.

Chapter Text

                                                                                           Belly´s POV

"Bells," I hear Jere´s soft voice, as he gently nudges my shoulder. "Time to wake up we´ve got a long day ahead of us."

I barely slept last night, because I was too excited for today. A few weeks ago, Jeremiah, Taylor, Steven and I made plans to spend a week at the summer house together and I´ve been looking forward to it ever since.

Cousins beach holds such a special place in my heart. Every time I return, it truely feels magical. Growing up there, spending entire summers barefoot in the sand has left an imprint on my soul and I´ll forever be grateful for those memories.

The last couple of visits, though, have been anything but lighthearted. Susannah´s cancer, her passing, all the chaos with Conrad and Jeremiah and the the near-sale of the summer house. It was a lot to handle once for all of us and the magic seemed to fade away with every complication.

But this year feels different.

I´m covinced that this time will be much better than the lasts, because how could it not be? This is going to be the first time Jere and I are at Cousins beach as a couple and I´m going to celebrate my 18th birthday in my favourite place. We all deserve our holiday after this stressful year of school and I´m sure that it´ll be perfect.

I turn over and blink my eyes open, squinting at him "Good morning, sunshine," he says, smiling as he gently tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Morning," I murmur, giving him a sleepy kiss.

"What time is it?

"It´s 6 a.m., we should drive off in one hour to avoid any traffic jam."

"Oh great. Wake me up in 59 minutes," I groan, while shutting my eyes again.

He chuckles. " Belly I know you´re tired, but you really have to wake up and get ready, it´s going to be a long day."

I just want to sleep, so I stay quiet and pretend I didn´t hear what he just said. "Okay you don´t want it any other way," Jere says which is the last thing I hear before he tickles me on my whole body. 

"Jereeeee! Stop!" I laugh, trying to twist away from his grip, but don´t succeed, because his arms are way too strong.

"Are you awake now?" he teases, grinning, as if he really needed an answer.

"Yes! Yes! I´m totally awake. Now quit it," I gasp between giggles. He stops, still smiling.

"See, wasn´t that hard right?"

"You´re lucky that you´re cute, otherwise I´d toss you off the bed."

"Lucky me," he replies smugly.

"How´d you even get in here without my mom making a scene?"

"She´s still asleep, so I took the opportunity to come and wake you up by myself."

"Ugh, I hate that she won´t let us sleep in the same bed. She can be so overprotective sometimes."

"I know I hate it too, but we will sleep in one bed plenty of times in the future so don´t worry."

I absolutely think so too, but when he talks about our future my heart just melts.

"And I think we´ll break plenty of rules in the summer house," he whispers playfully into my ear, knowing exactly what it does to me.

"Oh really, you think so?" I ask in a sarcastic way.

"I definitely think so." He presses a kiss to my cheek, making me blush. I stand up and stretch a bit before going to my closet to choose an outfit.

"Is Steven driving today?" I ask him.

"Nope. Actually, I´m driving."

"Wait, what? Why?" I ask, surprised, because he yesterday just arrived from his seven hour drive from boston. All because he wanted to pick me up so we could drive together, even he also could easily drive alone.

"Steven doen´t want to and you and Taylor aren´t options. So it´s on me."

" But you literally just drove seven hours yesterday. You can´t do another ten today, that´s way too much," I say, afraid that he´ll overdo himself.

"Hey bells, I knew what I was signing up for. I came here, because I wanted to start this trip with you, so please don´t worry. I´ve got this."

"Okay," I sigh, still concerned. "But if you fall asleep and we end up in a car crash it´s your fault."

"That won´t happen, I promise," he says, laughing.

"It really means a lot that you camme all this way just for me," I say quietly, my voice full of gratitude, because I have someone who is willing to do all these things just to be with me.

"Anything for you Bells." He leans in to give me soft and sweet kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you more." He kisses the top of my nose and I blush again.

By 7 a.m., we´re all sitting in the car, Jere and I in the front and the other two in the back. As Jerestarts the engine, my stomach begins to growl loudly, because I haven´t eaten anything yet due to the stress of packing my clothes last minute. Jeremiah notices it and points under my seat.

"I got you something." I peek underneath and find a paper bag with my favourite sandwiches inside.

"No way. When did you get these?" I ask stunned.

"While you were getting ready. I figured you´d be hungry," he shrugs, like it´s no big deal. My whole face lights up and I have the biggest smile on my face. He is the very best when it comes to princess treatment, he just knows me too well.

Taylor, of course, notices. "That´s so sweet of you, Jeremy," she says, then shoots Steven a look.

"Why can´t you be more like him?"

Steven rolls his eyes. " Because you love me just the way I am."

"If you say so...," she teases, laughing as he nudges her and wraps an arm around her.

"Thank you, Jere," I say, squeezing his hand. 

"Can´t let my girl starve," he replies, pressing a kiss to my knuckles.

My girl.

Of course I´m his, but hearing it out loud still sends butterflies through me.

The drive is filled with music, snacks, inside jokes and nonstop conversation. When "Summer Love" by Justin Timberlake starts playing, Jere and I glance at each other, both grinning, because  it´s our ultimate road trip anthem.

"Ridin´in the drop top with the top down...," he starts rapping, already bouncing to the beat. I pick up the next line "...saw you swichtin´lanes girl." We go back and forth, laughing, pointing at each other, fully in sync.

"You guys are so gross," Steven groans. "Let them have their moment," Taylor says with a mouthful of Doritos.

"I can´t wait to fall in love with you, you can´t wait to fall in love with me..." we sing in unison, voices echoing in the car.

"Damn Bells you still got it," Jere says, beaming.

"I´d never forget the lyrics to that song."

After nine hours, the mood was abit down and everyone was either silent or asleep, which is normal because we literally talked and sang the whole time. The sun casts golden light over the passing landscape. Jere´s hand rests on my thigh and mine is interwined with his.

I watch the scenery blur by. Fields of wildflowers, golden skies and peaceful small towns. One of the many things I love about summer is that it always brings colour back to the world. Everything blooms and everything comes alive.

I feel it deep in my chest, that quiet peace, which overcomes me only on the road to Cousins. That unspoken knowing that I´m going back to Cousins beach, the place that holds so many of my memories.

My home.

I absorb all that I see and try to recognize everything that´s different from the past years. But the comfortable silence gets interrupted by Steven. " Hey Jere I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot," Jere replies, his voice hoarse with fatigue.

"Why isn´t Conrad coming this year? He is really closed off since a couple of months and I just wondered if you know something."

"We haven´t talked much," Jere says evenly. "He mentioned that he has stuff to finish at Standford. He´ll come after we leave." Jeremiah pretends to not care about the whole situation with Steven and Conrad, but deep down I know that he cares way too much.

"Oh that´s too bad. Do you maybe know why he´s not texting back, because I think the internet is pretty good at Stanford." The dissapointment in Steven´s voice is clearly audible and I see how Jere is clenching his jaw because of it.

"Considering that you two are such good friends, you don´t talk to each other much." Jeremiah expresses annoyed.

"Are you mad at me or something?" Steven asks confused.

"No, no I´m just tired sorry." He lies straight into Steven´s face, but he seems to believe him.

I mean he really looks tired, but I know him too well to believe that lie. They were best friends until Steven dropped him for Conrad and that hurts him of course, because they never talked it out, as they should. I see how his face is getting really tense, so I squeeze his hand. He glances over and I give him a little smile to check if everything is okay and he smiles back. It was a little smile, but it was there and it should mean that everything is okay. Sadly I know that he wasn´t doing good at all and I hate Steven for neever seeing the wrong in his actions. I reallly hope that they can solve this problem in the future, because I know that otherwise Jere will constantly be thinking about it. This is the kind of person he is, emotional and empathetic. That´s one of the many reasons I love him, because he has the biggest heart and whoever doesn´t value this has only himself to blame.

After a last half hour we finally made it. We are back in Cousins beac. We all get out of the car happily and stretch for a bit. I walk over to Jeremiah and hug him. "Thanks for the safe and comfortable drive." I muffle against his ear.

"Literally anytime for you Bells," he says smiling and giving me a kiss. "You ready to break some rules?" he asks smirking.

"With you, always." I answer grinning, knowing exactly what he means.

Despite the little awkward moment in the car I´m sure that this week will be fun, because I have Jere on my side and he ´s the only one I need to always have a smile on my face.

Chapter Text

                                                                                                   Belly´s POV

Six unforgettable days filled with barefoot beach runs, smoky campfires, late-night movie marathons and secret rule-breaking, because Jere and I just can´t seem to stay away from each other, have now flown by. Today is our last day in Cousins, but not just any day. It´s my 18th birthday and I´m beyond grateful that I get to spend this milestone surrounded by the people I love most, in the one place that has always felt like home.

As I slowly wake up, the memories of last night come flooding back, and with them a wave of butterflies swirls in my stomach. It had been an intense night between Jere and me, and somehow it keeps getting better every single time. Just when I think we´ve hit the peak, he surprises me again. Jeremiah knows exactly how to touch me, how to kiss me, how to drive me wild. It´s almost unfair how deeply he gets me. And honestly? I don´t think that I´ll ever get enough of him.

Still tangeled in the sheets, completely naked, I instinctively roll over, eager to snuggle into Jere´s arms one more time before heading downstairs. But as my arm reaches across the bed, I´m met with nothing but cool, empty space. No warm body, no muscles and no sleepy smile. Typical Jere, he´s probably already downstairs planning something sweet. That´s just who he is, but I would prefer him laying next to me right now.

I throw on the first clothes I can find - shorts and Jere´s oversized gray t-shirt that still smells like him - and head downstairs.

As I´m walking down the stairs, the scent hits me instantly. Sweet vanilla, butter and something warm - pancakes. But not just any pancakes. My favourite. The kind only Jere can make. Somehow, he´s managed to perfect them, crispy on the edges, soft in the center, with just the right amount of chocolate chips.

Laughter and familiar voices drift from the kitchen. Jeremiah, Taylor, Steven and my mom.

Stepping into the room, the first thing I see is Jere, standing at the stove like he owns the place, flipping pancakes with effortless charm. At the same time Taylor and Steven are perched on the stools, compltely engrossed in some animated conversation.

My mom´s the first to notice me and her face lights up instantly.

"Guys, look who finally woke up!"

In a blink, all eyes are on me and Taylor bolts from her chair like she´s been launched from a cannon. She throws her arms around me, nearly knocking me off balance.

"Oh my god, Cinderbelly! Happy freaking birthday!" she squeals, pulling me into an impossibly tight hug.

"Thanks Tay." I grin my cheeks already aching from smiling.

She lets go for a second, places her hand dramatically on my shoulders and shakes me like a snow globe.

"You´re eighteen! Do you even understand what this means?!"

And then another hug, which is even tighter.

Next is my mom. Her eyes are misty and her lip quivers slightly as she embraces me.

"I can´t with you anymore, you´ve been making me cry all month. Happy birthday bean."

I melt into her arms and can´t help but enjoy this rare emotional state she´s in right now. My mom isn´t usually one to wear her heart on her sleeve, so moments like this are really precious. KIssing both of my cheeks she whispers: "My little girl... a grown woman now, I can´t believe it."

Steven, of course has to ruin the mood in the most Steven way possible. "Okay mom, it´s enough now, she isn´t dying or something.

He saunters over with his signature smirk and open arms. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Don´t give me that look," he says. "Let´s just get it over with."

Laughing, I let him pull me into a quick, slightly awkward hug.

"Happy birthday weirdo," he mutters, pulling back.

"Thanks," I say, still smiling.

After him, it´s  Jere´s turn.

He walks over and immediately spins me around in that familiar, dizziying way he always does, planting a kiss on my lips.

"Happy birthday, my Bells. Eighteen looks ridiciously good on you."

He pulls me close again, whispering against my ear, "My t-shirt does too."

Blushing I break the hug and put my hands on his chest.

"Thank you Jere."

And then we kiss again, just because.

"Always. Now sit, pancakes and eggs are waiting for you."

The table is perfectly set and my plate is piled high with golden pancakes and fluffy scrambled eggs. The smell alone makes my mouth water.

As we all dig in the first bite is heavenly.

"Oh my god, Jere. These are insane," I say, reaching over to squeeze his hand. He grins, our fingers lacing together effortlessly.

"Thanks, babe." He presses a kiss to my cheek.

"Seriously, Jeremy, you should open your own brunch place or something," Taylor suggests between mouthfuls.

Jeremiah starts laughing, "Yeah, we´ll see about that."

"So what´s your plan for today?" my mom asks, curiousity flickering in her voice.

Truthfully, I hadn´t even figured it out until two days ago. Then Cam replied to one of my beach Instagram stories, asking if we´d be up for a little boat tour. Just like in old times. And honestly, it felt like the perfect idea.

"Cam´s taking us out on his boat and after, these guys apparently have a surprise for me."

"That sounds perfect," my mom says with a knowing smile.

"I have to work on my manuscript today, so I´ll be back late. But before I go I wanted to give this to you first."

She hands me a gift wrapped in soft tissue paper. Inside is a beautiful book titled "Poème Francais"

I told my mom that I want to do extra courses in french, because in the last couple of years I really enjoyed learning it in school and I absolutely love the language in general. I want to see how far I can come with it and this book is perfect to start with a harder level of it.

"Mom, that´ll be so helpful. Thank you so much," I say really meaning it and pulling her into a hug.

"I´m glad that you like it."

"I really do."

"You´ll get our gifts later on the boat, but for now these are for you," Jere hands me a beautiful, large bouquet of daisies with a big smile on his face.

My heart flips.

"Jere.. they are so beautiful, I love them."

"I love you."

I cup his cheeks and lean in for another soft, sweet kiss.

"I love you more."

These little gestures and proofs that he knows me and wants to make me happy mean the world to me and he does it constantly. That´s one of the many many things I absolutely love about him.

After breakfast, my mom heads out and I change into jeans shorts, a white cropped tank top and my olive green bikini underneath. As we walk down to the harbour, the sun is high, the sky cloudless, the weather really warm and Cam´s boat is already pulling in.

"Hey guys, you want a ride?" Cam calls out with his signature grin.

We all start cheering and clapping loudly.

"I´ll take that as a yes. Hop on party people!"

"We don´t need to be told twice, Cam Cameron!" Jere jokes and we board the boat.

Cam´s boat gleams in the sunlight - white, polished and spotless. He definitely takes pride in keeping it clean and shiny. As we step on, we exchange hugs and greetings.

"Happy birthday Belly," Cam says giving me a warm smile during our hug.

"Thank you Cam. This means a lot."

"I hope this ride is a decent enough birthday gift."

"It´s perfect. Really - thank you for doing this."

We start to drive out to the sea when Jere hugged me from behind.

His warm embrace always gives me a kind of peace no one else ever could.

"Have I told you today that you look beautiful?" And once again I feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"Actually, you did not," I say, placing my hands over his and turning my head slightly in his arms.

"Shame on me, because-" he kisses my left cheek, "you look-" a kiss on the right cheek, "absolutely-" and then a soft kiss on my nose, "stunning."

After anchoring the boat in the middle of the crystal-clear sea, we all jumped in, swam, laughed and talked for hours. It was a perfect afternoon and I´m so glad Cam messaged me on Instagram two days ago to make this happen.

Later as we were all lying on sun loungers, soaking in the last warmth of the day, Taylor suddenly sat up, visibly excited.

"Okay, I can´t wait any longer!" she announces and pulls out a bag, handing it to me.

Curious, I open it and gasp, as I see what´s inside - a strapless navy blue mini dress, the one I wanted to buy last week but had to leave behind, because I forgot my wallet.

"No way, Taylor! Did you really buy me this dress? It´s so expensive!"

"I had to - you looked too georgeous in it to leave it behind."

"You really didn´t have to do this Tay."

"I had to. Besides, you need a dress for later, so now you´ve got one."

I pull her into a tight hug.

"Thanks Tay, you really are my best friend."

"You can thank me later Jeremy." she says while winking at him.

"Oh I definitely will."

In the same moment, Jeremiah stands up and walks over to us.

"Okay, I think it´s my turn now."

He pulls out a small wrapped box and hands it to me. Inside I see a delicate necklace and bracelet, both adorned with tiny sun and daisy charms - simple, golden and stunning.

"Oh my god... Jere. These are so beautiful."

"Is this real gold?" Taylor asks wide-eyed, as she looks at the jewelry.

"Actually, yeah. For your girlfriend´s 18th birthday, you gotta go all in." he admits, grinning.

"Jere you really didn´t have to spend so much money on me." I say feeling bad that he did this for me.

"Hey don´t you dare to feel bad right now."

Damn he knows me too well.

He takes my hands as he continues "There´s no one else in the world I´d rather spend my money on than you, I just want you to be happy. And you know that I won´t stop with it."

I can´t explain how much I love this boy, everyday without an exception he does everything to make me feel good, comfortable and pretty. He gets me like no one else does and he always says the exact right things to me. Actually the best gift I have on this birthday is to be able to spend it with him.

"Thank you Jere." I stand up and hug him.

"Can you put the necklace on me?"

"Sure thing."

He gently fastens the chain around my neck and kisses my shoulder, sending goosebumps across my skin. I take my phone out to see how it looks like when I wear it.

"It´s perfect Jere, really perfect."

"I´m glad you like it."

I give him two quick kisses, just enough to avoid Steven´s annoying comments.

"I always knew there was a vibe between you two - and now look at you," Cam grins.

"You knew?" Jere asks looking surprised.

"Yeah, he told me on my 16th birthday actually."

"You were so undeniably comfortable with each other and so touchy, like really touchy," Jeremiah and I start laughing.

"It was all so normal for you and that made me start questioning things. Now two years later everyone can see that my insticts were right."

"I didn´t see it, but you were absolutely right Cam." I agree with him

"Cam Cameron is just the best." Jere adds laughing.

"Catch it Belly." My brother says and though I was distracted I still manage to do it.

"Are you serious, Steven?" I ask, giving him an annoyed look.

He puts his hands defensively in front of his body and laughs.

"I had to test if your your refelexes are still good."

Opening the box I find a USB stick, which confused me a little bit.

"There are songs on it, to be exact 18, you know, because you´re 18 now," He explains, scratching his neck.

"I chose songs that we used to listen to with some audio notes from me to explain why I chose each one."

That was the last thing I expected from my brother - something so emotional and sweet, because he is Steven and that´s really rare.

"Wow, Steven... I don´t know what to say."

"That´s so sweet Steven, I´m really proud of you," Taylor says, playfully running her fingers through his hair.

"Since when are you such a softie man?" Jeremiah teases.

"Just shut up guys. I´m never doing something nice again." We all start laughing and I hug him.

"Thanks Steven, it means a lot."

"Yeah, yeah okay enough with hugs for at least five years."

"I agree, but still thank you."

"Of course."

At 6 p.m. we arrive at home and everybody tells me to dress up for the surprise, so I do just that. I change into the beautiful navy dress Taylor had bought me. It fits perfectly - snug around my waist and hips, just how I imagined.

While I do my makeup, Taylor comes in to change too.

"Oh. My. God. Belly you look amazing girl. I knew that I had to get you this dress."

"It really is perfect." I say, my voice full of excitement.

"Jeremiah is definitely going to eat you up tonight."

"Taylor!"I laugh, blushing and and smacking her arm.

"What? It´s true!"

"Maybe..." I admit grinning.

"Déja vu, much?"

"From last summer?"

"Yeah."

"Same. Crazy how much can change in just one year. Back then, I couldn´t even decide between Jere and Conrad. Now I wouldn´t even have to think about it twice."

"And that´s why I´m so proud of you. I mean since I know you, you had this obsession with Conrad, no matter how bad he treated you. But you grew out of it and chose the right guy, even if it was hard for you to let go.

"It was hard, but the best decision I ever made. Jere´s the right one and I´m glad that it all happened the way it did.

"You just have to trust me more often babe."

"Yeah I absolutely should."

Taylor puts on a pink mini dress and stands beside me to look in the mirror.

"We look hot." Taylor says, making a couple of pictures from us.

"We really do. Can you tell me now what the surprise is? Please?" I demand, making puppy eyes.

"You´ll see it soon enough. Now, let´s go!" she says, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door.

As we walk down the stairs, I immediately spot Jeremiah already waiting and his beautiful blue eyes looking straight in mine. The eyes I could stare in for the rest of my life without getting bored.

He´s also changed into something new - black short pants and a white, short sleeved linen shirt. And oh my god... he looks so good in it. The top two buttons of his shirt are undone, giving me the perfect view of his sun-kissed skin. His sleeves hug his biceps just right, revealing the muscles and the veins I´ve secretly stared at more than I´d like to admit. In this very moment I´d rather be home alone with him on top of me, than outside, but I guess I´ll have to be patient.

As I step in front of him, his lips curl into that boyish, perfect smile of his. He gently spins me around by the waist, his eyes slowly trailing over me before locking with mine again.

"Wow..." Jere breathes out, like the air´s been knocked from his lungs.

"You look absolutely..." he pauses for a second, searching for the right word.

"Breathtaking."

I reach up to cup his cheeks and pull him into a soft, determined kiss - the kind that says later.

"And you look so hot." I whisper close to his ear, just to see him react.

He lets out a low growl - the kind that sends a shiver through me.

"Why do I have the feeling that you´re gonna drive me insane tonight?"

"Because I will," I say with a mischievous smirk. His smile turns into something darker - playful, but intense. The way he looks at me right now makes me feel like the only girl in the whole world.

" I love the idea of that," he murmurs, kissing my cheek and slipping his arm around my shoulders.

"But first... we´ll celebrate your birthday."

After a few more minutes of teasing glances and secret smiles, I climb into Jere´s red Jeep, only for Taylor to reach over from the back seat and blindfold me.

"Seriously?" I laugh. "Is this really necessary?"

"It´s tradition," Steven insists from the back.

"Since when?" I ask.

"Since now," Taylor answers already giggling.

The drive isn´t very long, which tells me we´re still somewhere near the summer house, but I have no idea where exactly. The music plays low in the background and every so often I feel Jere´s fingers graze mine. Even blindfolded, he finds a way to calm me down.

Eventually, the car slows down and rolls to a gentle stop. I feel Jeremiah´s hand slide gently into mine.

"Can I take it off now?" I ask, already grinning even though I can´t see a thing.

"Not yet," Taylor says teasingly from the back seat. "Just wait like... five more seconds."

I hear the car door open, a soft breeze brushing across my legs. Someone helps me out - Jeremiah of course - and I feel the crunch of gravel under my sandals.

"Okay," he whispers behind me, his voice low, close to my ear. "Now."

I slowly untie the blindfold and blink a few times, letting my eyes adjust. The second I realize where we are, my breath catches.

The Country Club

All lit up with fairy lights, white laterns hanging from the trees and soft music playing through outdoor speakers. The pool area is cleared and decorated like a dream - round tables with candles and flowers, string lights twinkling everywhere, like stars had come down just for tonight. I´m frozen in place for a moment, just taking it in.

"Oh my goodness," I breathe, my voice barely a whisper. "You brought me here?"

Jeremiah steps beside me, his hand brushing the small of my back. "We know how many memories you associate with this place and how much you love it, so we thought it would be a good idea."

My chest aches in the best way. All those moments come rushing back - Susannah, the deb ball, all the dance practises with Jere and the night we spent here all together last year. Standing here right now with Jeremiah, I just feel... peace. Maybe even full circle.

"It´s the perfect choice," I say, turning to kiss him gently. "Really."

When we walk inside, the place is full of people. I spot a lot of Cousins friends I haven´t seen in years, some girls I used to hang out with and Cam´s also there sitting at the bar and talking to someone.

There is a soft summery beat playing and I instantly feel the rythm in my shoulders. It´s everything a birthday should be - warm, nostalgic and a little bit magical.

Suddenly I see Nicole walking over to me with a gift bag and a warm smile on her face.

"Happy birthday Belly," she says hugging me and handing me the bag. "You look so good tonight, I love that dress."

I smile softly "Thnaks Nicole."

She pauses, then adds, "You look happier, I´m glad you do."

How can I not shine with this boy by my side?

Throughout the party we dance, laugh, sing, drink and just have the time of our lifes.

"Okay! Game time: Who knows Belly best!! " Taylor starts yelling.

"Don´t embarrass me guys," I beg, laughing as I sit in the middle of the group.

Steven, Taylor and Jeremiah go all in. Steven brings up childhood stories, Taylor exposes teenage drama, but it´s Jeremiah´s quiet answers that get to me - my favourite candle scent, the way I always eat around the edges of a cookie first, the song that made me cry last year for no reason at all.

And every time he gets it right, he doesn´t even gloat. He just smiles like it´s the most normal thing in the world to know so much about a person and that makes it even better.

After all the laughter, dancing and too many cupcakes, Jeremiah leans close and whispers "Wanna sneak out here for a bit?"

I glance around - the party is still going strong, but i know exactly what he means and I´ve been waiting for it the whole day. My heart starts beating faster.

"Yeah," I whisper back "Let´s go."

He takes my hand and just like that we disappear into the night.

We barely make it through the door before his lips are on mine, we´ve both waited the whole night for this exact moment.

Jeremiah presses me gently against the wall, his hands on my waist like they belong there. The kiss is soft at first, sweet, like he´s still thinking about how I looked at the party, like he´s still stunned. But it doesn´t stay soft for long.

I pull him closer, wrapping my arms around his neck and he lets out a quiet groan against my lips. "You have no idea what you´re doing to me," he whispers, his voice low and raspy.

"Oh, I do," I answer playfully, smiling into the kiss.

His hands move up, brushing under the fabric of the dress Taylor got me, his thumbs gently caressing my skin like I´m something delicate. Like I might break if he touches me too fast. I can feel his breath speeding up and I know mine is too. We´re a mess of heat and want and something deeper I can´t even describe.

He lifts me up with ease and I wrap my legs around his waist, not once breaking eye contact. His eyes - those soft ocean eyes - are filled with something raw. Love, need, everything at once with this pure admiration for me, which makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. He carries me up the stairs and into the bedroom without any effort, like my body just fits into his arms.

When he lays me down on the bed, it´s gentle. Careful. It seems as if he wants to memorize every second. He hovers over me, brushing the hair out of my face and then presses a kiss on my forehead, so tender it makes my chest ache.

"I love you," he says quietly and determined.

"I love you more," I whisper, my voice barely a breath.

He kisses me again - deeper and slower - like we have all the time in the world, this night could stretch on forever and we´d still want more of each other. His touch is everywhere, warm, steady and familiar in the best way. My dress slips off, piece by piece and he looks at me as if I´m the only girl who has ever existed.

Being with Jeremiah like this doesn´t just feel good, it feels like home. Like I´m exactly where I´m supposed to be. Every kiss, every touch, is filled with something more than just passion. It´s love. It´s everything we´ve been through. It´s everything we are.

His mouth moves to my neck, collarbone, the top of my chest - every kiss sending sparks through me. He slowly pulls down my underwear, starting to do dangerous things with his tongue.

"Jere," I groan, arching into his touch.

He shushes me "It´s your day, so let me spoil you."

When I let him, he does just that and lets me come several times, because he knows exactly what he has to do to turn me on in the best way.

He kisses me along my stomach and my breasts, before he looks me straight into my eyes.

"I´m never going to want someone else."

"I won´t either."

Our bodies finally come together and we move in sync. There is nothing rushed about it - it´s slow, messy and just perfect. 

I don´t think that I´ll ever feel so safe and secure in arms that doesn´t belong to Jeremiah Fisher, because we know each other for so long and I know that I can be myself around him without having to worry that he´ll judge me. He knows every version of me and he loves me anyway. Because of him I understood that the best relationships arise from friendships, our love was always inevitable but we had to be best friends first, to really see each other.

Afterwards, we´re tangled in the sheets, chest to chest, breath to breath. My head rests on his shoulder and he draws lazy circles on my bare back with his fingers.

"Thank you for everything that you did today Jere. My birthday couldn´t have been better." I say as I look up to him.

"Everything for you beautiful," he answers, giving me a kiss on my forehead.

"I hope we´ll still be doing this when I´m 28."

Jere looks down at me, brushing his thumb along my jaw. We will be. I´ll make sure of it.

I snuggle up close to his chest and give it a couple of kisses before I fall asleep, knowing that I´ll never forget this day.

Chapter Text

                                                                                                       Belly´s POV

From today on, a new chapter in my life begins—a chapter I’ve been waiting for for so long, but one I’m also really scared of.

College.

A couple of months ago, I made the decision to go to Finch. I’m not the best student, so my options were limited. But when the opportunity came to go to the same college as my boyfriend, I didn’t even have to think twice. Of course, there were other reasons too—Finch has a great volleyball team, strong academic programs, and Taylor is going there as well.

I told my parents that Finch is a good school and that it has all the things I want, but the truest of all is that I just want to be near him, I want him for all seasons, not just summer.  I actually need to have him around the whole day, to be able to see, hug and kiss him whenever I want, because for the first time in a really long period I feel genuinely happy and he’s the one who is responsible for it.

As my parents, Steven and I arrive at campus the sun shines brightly and everywhere are people with their families and friends who are in the situation as me. I ask myself if Taylor’s already here and if she’s as afraid as me. We decided that we won’t share a dorm room, so that we have to meet new people and be more open. Then, it sounded like a good idea, but now I’m not sure anymore. I mean what if my roommate can’t stand me or Taylor finds new best friends and forgets me? I know that I’m probably exaggerating right now, but I can’t help it.

As soon as I step out of the car, all those fears vanish,because I see Jere—running straight toward me, his face lit up with the biggest smile. I do the same, eager to be in his arms again. We crash into each other, and he lifts me off the ground, spinning me around like a princess. I can’t help but giggle. When he puts me down, he kisses me.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he says, still holding me tightly.

“Oh, believe me—I do.”

Because I’ve waited months for this. We kiss again, longer and deeper this time, completely forgetting about everything and everyone around us. That is, until my brother interrupts—like always.

“Can’t you two wait at least an hour? Once I’m gone, you can do whatever you want.”

“Can’t you go bother your girlfriend and stay out of our business?” I shoot back, clearly annoyed.

“Don´t pretend that you don’t want me here little sister, I know you do.“ He says with this stupid Steven-grin on his face.

I narrow my eyes at him. “No, I really won’t.”

“Okay, enough, you two,” Jeremiah says, laughing, as he walks over to greet my brother.

“Good to see you, man.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Then he gives my mom a warm hug and shakes my dad’s hand.

“I think I’ll need your help with all this stuff,” my dad admits to him.

“Of course, Mr. Conklin, that’ll be no problem.“ 

“Good boy.”

It takes us about an hour to carry all my stuff into the dorm and say our goodbyes. Even my dad, who’s usually the funny guy, gets a little emotional. That’s when it really hits me—this is actually happening.

Everyone steps outside to give me and my mom a moment alone. I’m really grateful for that, because I could definitely use a little motherly advice right now.

“You gonna be okay here, bean?” she asks, concern in her eyes.

“I really hope so… but—” I trail off, unsure how to say it.

“But?” she prompts, gently taking my hands in hers.

“But I’m scared. What if I don’t fit in? What if I hate it? What if everyone else hates me?”

“Okay, okay, slow down, bean.” She squeezes my hands. “College is a big change. It’s scary for everyone, but you’re not alone. I know you’ll make friends—you’ve got a big heart. And you’ve got Taylor and Jere right here with you. Just because you’re not sharing a room with them doesn’t mean you won’t spend time together.”

Thinking about seeing Jeremiah every day makes me smile.

“But,” she adds, “I want you to stay open to new things and experiences. Use college to figure out who you are and what you want.”

I know what she means—Jere.
I don’t think that she’s really happy with the idea of me and Jere going in the same college, which we are used to by now. She doesn't want me to commit to one person so early in my life, but if I’m honest I don’t know if she would say the same thing if I were  with someone else. That’s the thing I really don’t understand about everyone around us. They don’t see how much Jere actually changed since the death of Susannah and I hate it. Assuming that he’s an immature kid who isn’t serious about anything is just so wrong, because he was the one who took care of literally everything when Susannah was sick. His whole mindset has changed and I hope that the others will acknowledge this new Jeremiah really soon, because he deserves it.

“Yeah, Mom. I know.”

“I’m going to miss you so much, bean,” she says, pulling me into a tight hug.

“I’ll miss you too, Mom.”

“You’re going to do great. I know it.”

I’m not sure if she really believes that or if she’s just trying to convince herself—but either way, I needed to hear it.

After our emotional goodbye, I sit alone on my bed, taking a moment for myself. But that moment doesn’t last long, because a few minutes later the door opens and a girl walks in, carrying way too many boxes to see over.

That must be my roommate.

“Need a hand?” I ask.

“Please,” she says, sounding desperate.

Laughing, I take a few boxes from her and set them down while she does the same.

“Thank God I made it,” she groans, stretching as her back cracks loudly.

“Was that your back?” I ask shocked, because it really sounded like the back of my grandma and this girl is clearly my age. “Don’t look at me like that, I think I got lost almost 10 times, the campus is so freaking big.“ she laughs. She collapses onto her bed and lets out a dramatic sigh.

“It really is. I’m Belly, by the way.”

“Oh yeah, sorry—I’m Anika. I guess we’re roomies now?”

“Guess so. Are you here alone or do you know someone already?”

"Yes I do, my best friend Zoe’s here too. What about you?“

“I do too, my best friend Taylor and my boyfriend.”

“Wait—you’re going to the same college as your boyfriend?” she asks, stunned.

“Yup,” I reply with a grin.

“That’s so cool… except if you break up. That would be hell. I know how weird it can be to be in school with your ex—even in the same class.”

“No way. You were in the same class as your ex?”

“Unfortunately, yes. But that’s a story for when I have more energy,” she says, still lying on her bed.

“Well, the relationship between me and Jeremiah is different. We’re not going to just break up. We know and love each other too well for that.”

“Jeremiah… sounds like a man out of heaven.”

I laugh. “That’s actually a great description.”

“Then I guess you’ll be living the college dream. Parties, classes, and lots of sex, of course.”

I blush, trying to hide my smile.

“I can’t even see you right now, but I know your cheeks are totally red,” she teases.

“Oh, shut it,” I laugh, throwing a pillow at her. She catches it, laughing back.

Just then, someone knocks on the door. I open it to find Taylor and a beautiful blonde girl standing there.

“Oh my God, Taylor!” I hug her tightly, because we haven’t seen each other in three weeks.

“I missed you, babe.”

“I missed you too.” I pull away and see the blonde girl hugging Anika. That must be Zoe, her best friend.

When they part, Anika introduces us. “Belly, this is Zoe—my best friend. Zoe, this is Belly—my roommate.”

“Nice to meet you, Belly,” Zoe says warmly, hugging me.

“Nice to meet you too.” I smile. “Anika, this is Taylor—my best friend. Taylor, meet Anika—my roommate.”

We all laugh at the coincidence that we basically swapped best friends and they hug each other too

“So,” Zoe says, “what were you two talking about before we got here? I heard giggling.”

“We were talking about how Belly’s going to be having lots of sex with her boyfriend,” Anika says with a mischievous grin.

“Oh, no doubt,” Taylor adds. “Their sex life is thriving. I hear it way too often.”

“Says the girl who sleeps with my brother,” I shoot back with a mock-disgusted face.

“Wait—what?” Anika looks from me to Zoe, clearly confused. “Am I hearing this right?”

“You guys are interesting. I love it.”

“Believe me, you don´t know anything yet,” Taylor tells her.

“We’re going to have the best late-night talks,” Anika says excitedly.

“Absolutely,” Zoe agrees. “Speaking of sex, I already saw someone today I wouldn’t mind on top of me.”

“Zoe!” Anika exclaims. “We said we’d focus on ourselves this year.”

“I know, but he was too hot to ignore.”

“Sounds promising,” Taylor says. “Describe him.”

“He has these incredibly golden curls and guys his eyes? As blue as the freaking ocean. He has this sun-kissed skin, which is just so hot and I think he’s a couple of years older than us.“

Taylor gives me a look and I know exactly what it means: “That girl is talking about your man.“ 

I smile and show Zoe my lock screen, which is a photo of Jere and me, sitting on a bench, his arms wrapped around me.

“Oh shit,” Zoe gasps, face turning red. “I’m so, so sorry—I didn’t know—”

I laugh. “It’s okay Zoe, I would lie if I say that this the first time that happens.“ Shrugging my shoulders I continue „You really don’t have to be embarrased.“

“But I’m still embarrassed.”

“That is the Jeremiah out of heaven?“ She asks pointing at my lock screen while she laughs at Zoe.

“Yes, to be exact Jeremiah Fisher. He’s one year above us."

“Must be bittersweet, having such a good-looking boyfriend,” Anika muses.

“It really is. I mean every girl ,except of Taylor, wanted or wants something from him.“ 

“Oh, I definitely wanted him,” Taylor admits, laughing.

“Shut up, Tay!” I say, nudging her.

“What? I mean look at him.“

Jeremiah does look like someone out of a dream. And I know that. But I’ve grown a lot. I love myself more now. And when I see other women staring at him, I don’t worry anymore—because I only ever see him staring at me. He shows his love for me so openly and so brightly that I can't feel insecure. In his eyes, I’m the only one.

“I, for one, will never look at him again,” Zoe jokes, still slightly embarrassed.

After a while, Taylor and Zoe head off to unpack. Anika and I do the same.

“You thinking about joining a sorority?” Anika asks, folding her clothes.

“I considered it. Jere’s in a fraternity and he loves it. But I’m not really the outgoing type—that’s more Taylor’s thing. She’ll definitely join one. You?”

“Same here. Zoe’s all about it, but I’m more reserved. I need my space.”

“I think we’ll get along really well,” I say honestly. We’re already clicking in all the right ways.

“I think so too, Belly,” she replies with a smile.

The whole day passes quickly with unpacking and getting to know each other. By evening, I realize I haven’t seen Jere all day, so I head over to visit him.

“Hey, beautiful,” he says, grinning as he opens the door.

“Hey,” I reply, kissing him and stepping inside.

“How was your day?”

I tell him everything while he listens quietly, just like he always does.

“So Anika’s best friend is rooming with Taylor, and they’re basically your friendship in reverse?” he asks, amused.

“Exactly. It’s kind of creepy.”

“Sounds like a good day though.” He pulls me onto his lap, smiling.

"It really was. It was much better than I expected. You have a new fan by the way.“ 

"What do you mean?“ He asks a bit confused.

"Zoe apparently saw you today and really liked what she saw. She didn’t know that you’re my boyfriend so it was a little awkward.“ 

“Oh. I’m flattered. But I already have everything I want.” He grins at me. “And I love what I see.”

“I love you, you know that?”

“I still love you more.”

“That’s not true,” I say, swatting him lightly.

“It is.” He kisses my neck. “I will never want anyone else. I hope you know that. I’ve only ever wanted you, and I can’t wait to spend every day here with you by my side.”

“I know, baby. I can’t wait either.” I cup his cheeks and kiss him again.

This morning I was terrified of college. But now? I feel hopeful. I’ve already made two new friends. My roommate is amazing and I have Jere and Taylor by my side every day.

College can only be good.

Chapter Text

                                                                                                                  Belly´s POV

Waking up and realizing you’re on your period has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. That familiar cramping in your lower abdomen, the heaviness, and the sinking realization that this is your life for the next few days is exhausting. And honestly, it just puts me in the worst mood.

Today’s one of those days.

Which is really unfortunate, because I’ve been looking forward to this Saturday for weeks. Jeremiah and I had planned to go to a music festival together—a whole lineup of artists we both love. He surprised me with the tickets a few weeks ago, as a reward for the good grade I got on a math test I studied forever for. It was the sweetest thing. He was so excited and I was too.

But the second my alarm goes off, I know something’s wrong. The pain hits me like a truck. It’s sharper and deeper than usual—like a thousand tiny knives twisting inside my stomach and back. I’ve felt this bad only once before, when I was fourteen and back then I had to stay in bed for a whole week.

I drag myself out my of bed, hunched over like I’m eighty, and shuffle to the bathroom. I kneel over the toilet, thinking I’m about to throw up, but nothing happens. So I force myself upright and attempt to get through my skincare routine without collapsing.

I look like a mess.

How am I supposed to survive a whole festival like this?

Should I just tell Jere what’s going on? He’d understand.

No. I can’t. He spent money on those tickets. He’s been excited for this for weeks.

I can do this. I won’t ruin this day.

I finish my skincare just as there’s a knock at the door. Step by painful step, I make my way over and open it.

“Hey, beautiful,” Jere greets me with his usual big, sunshiney smile. He looks ridiculously good today. Of course he does.

“Hey,” I murmur, giving him a kiss, trying not to show how much I’m struggling.

He grins and pulls a paper bag from behind his back.

“Brought breakfast so we can eat together before we head out.”

“Thank you, Jere,” I say, stepping aside to let him in.

“Of course. But didn’t you say you’d be dressed already so we could leave in half an hour?” he teases, setting the bag down.

“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t hear my alarm,” I lie. I’m still in my pajamas, nowhere near ready. “But I can skip breakfast so we can stay on track.”

He waves me off. “Nah, it’s fine. Take your time. We’ll just get there a little later. No big deal.”

He starts unpacking the food—scrambled eggs and waffles, perfectly warm and smelling amazing, but I feel nauseous just looking at it.

“I wanted to make everything myself, but figured it’d take too long. I hope that this is still okay,” he says, setting the table for us.

“Of course it is,” I reply quietly. My voice barely works. I sit down next to him, wrapping one arm around my stomach, hoping he doesn’t notice. I try to eat and keep up a normal conversation, but every bite feels like a battle. I can barely move without discomfort, and I seriously feel like I might puke.

“I’m gonna go get ready,” I mutter, slowly getting up and inching toward the bathroom.

“But you barely touched your food,” he says, frowning a little.

“I’m not that hungry.”

“Okay… Bells, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Why would something be wrong?” I deflect quickly.

“Come on, Belly. I know you better than that,” he says, standing and walking over to me. “You’re pale, you keep holding your stomach, you’re not eating, and you hate when things don’t go according to plan.”

He takes my hands gently in his. “So I’ll ask again. Can you please tell me what’s wrong?”

Shit.

Sometimes I ask myself why I even try lying to him, because in the end it doesn’t help anyway. Jeremiah just knows me too well, maybe more than anybody else in this world. But how else could it be? We know each other since forever and been always best friends. It’s a huge advantage to date your childhood best friend when it comes to things like this, but in this exact situation it’s a disadvantage. I feel the tears welling up before I can stop them. I don’t even mean to cry, but the pain and frustration and guilt all crash together inside me. When he sees the tears in my eyes, his expression changes instantly.

“Hey, hey, come here,” he whispers, pulling me into a warm hug.

“I didn’t want to ruin today,” I choke out into his shoulder, sobbing quietly.

„Does something hurt you, Bells?“ He asks softly and I nod.

I’ve never told any of the boys when I was on my period. It always felt too awkward, too personal. But with Jere… nothing ever feels awkward. He’s never made me feel weird about anything. And if I can’t be honest with him, then who can I be honest with?

I pull back from the hug just enough to look at him. “I’m on my period.”

“Oh,” he says softly, the realization settling in. “And it’s worse than usual, huh? I figured—since you’ve never mentioned it before.”

“Way worse. I’m sorry, Jere. I know how much you were looking forward to this festival, and I know how hard it was to get those tickets. If you want, you can go with someone else. I won’t mind.”

He tilts his head, giving me this look like I’ve said the dumbest thing in the world. “Belly, do you seriously think some random music festival is more important to me than you feeling okay? Because if that’s what you think, I’m honestly offended.”

“No, but—” I start, hesitating. “I just don’t want to ruin this for you. You’ve had a long week too. You deserve to have fun.”

He cups my cheeks in his hands, his eyes warm and focused. “I wouldn’t have fun with anyone as much as I would with you. So if you’re not going, I’m not going either.”

I place my hands over his. “Jere, you really don’t have to—”

“I know. But I want to.” He wipes away one of my tears with his thumb. “We’re gonna have a cozy, chill day here in your dorm. And I’m gonna do everything I can to make you feel better okay?

"Okay," I answer, because I know that he won’t accept any other response.

“Perfect,” he says with a smile, kissing my forehead. “I’m gonna go grab a few things. Do you need anything?”

I wince. “I hate to say this, but… I’m out of pads and tampons. So that would be really helpful.”

He pauses, looking at me.

“I’ll come with you,” I say quickly, already trying to get up.

“Nope,” he says, raising his hands like he’s surrendering. “I’ve got it. I’ve just… never done that before. But you stay here, lie down, get comfy. If you feel like watching something, pick whatever you want—we’ll watch it together.”

“Anything?” I ask with a mischievous little smile.

“Everything,” he grins.

I laugh, despite the pain. “Deal.”

He kisses my fingertips and heads for the door. “I’ll be back in like 45 minutes. Try to rest, okay?”

And just like that, he’s gone.

While Jere’s gone, I try to do what he told me—lie down, rest, relax—but honestly, no matter how I sit or lay, it just makes the cramps worse. I shift from side to side, curl into a ball, stretch out again, but nothing helps. The pain is still pulsing through me, and I’m getting more and more desperate with every minute.

At least I manage to pick a movie for us to watch later.

To All the Boys.

I love those movies so much. They’re soft and sweet and full of little moments that make you believe in love again. But despite all my efforts, I’ve never been able to convince Jeremiah to watch them with me. Today is his lucky day.

I’m curled up under my blanket when the door finally opens and Jere walks in, holding a large box in his hands.

“Hey baby,” he says gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Perfect,” I say sarcastically, giving him a thumbs-up.

He walks over to the bed and hands me a small bag. “Here are your pads and tampons. I hope I got the right ones—I asked Taylor for help.”

I look inside and smile. “Yeah, these are exactly the ones I use. Thank you, Jere.”

He grins, then lifts the larger box and places it gently on the bed. “I also asked Taylor for tips on what to get when someone has period cramps, so... this is for you.”

I peek inside the box and immediately feel my heart clench. There’s Midol, a hot water bottle, a selection of teas, my favorite snacks—Oreos, chocolate-covered pretzels and even Shin Ramen, which he knows is my ultimate comfort food.

I’m honestly speechless.

He did all of this for me.

He asked Taylor for help, made sure to get the right things, skipped the festival he was so excited about—and instead, he came back with a care package made just for me. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. He’s standing there with this hopeful smile, like he just wants to make me feel better in any way he can.

And I lose it. Again.

This time, the tears come fast, not from pain, but from pure gratefulness.

“Hey, hey, Bells,” he says softly, putting the box down and rushing over to pull me into his arms. “What’s wrong? Did I mess something up?”

I cling to him tightly. “No. Jere, you did everything perfectly,” I manage to say between sobs.

“Then… why are you crying?” he asks, still so gentle, still holding me like I’m something precious.

“Because I don’t know how I deserve you,” I mumble into his chest. “And… hormones. Probably.”

We both laugh quietly, and he pulls back just enough to see my face. His fingers gently lift my chin so our eyes meet.

“Then everything’s okay,” he says with a soft smile. “I’m gonna go heat up the water bottle and make you some tea, alright?”

I nod, wiping at my eyes.

“You already picked what we’re watching, didn’t you?”

“Yep,” I say, curling back up under the blanket. “Hope you’re ready for a teenage rom-com marathon.”

He groans dramatically. “Of course it’s To All the Boys. But I did say I’d watch anything.”

“And I’m holding you to that,” I grin.

He leans down and kisses my forehead. “I´m right back.”

After we finish the first movie—and an entire package of Oreos—I sit between Jere’s legs, my hands resting on the hot water bottle, and his gently layered on top of mine.

“So, what did you think of the first movie?” I ask, glancing up at him.

“I think our pool kiss was way better than theirs,” he answers with a smug grin.

“That’s it?”

“Oh, and I’m definitely hotter than that Peter guy.”

I laugh. “I have to agree with you on both points. But honestly, it’s not even fair. Our pool kiss was way too iconic for anyone to compete.”

“It really was,” he says, his tone softening. “Feels like a lifetime ago, though.”

He’s staring off for a moment, probably thinking about the exact moment everything changed between us. When my best friend became something more. When we had that kiss—still the best one of my life.

“Maybe it feels that way because we’ve grown so much since then,” I say quietly.

“Yeah… probably.”

During the second movie, the cramps get worse. I press the hot water bottle harder against my stomach, trying to keep the pain at bay. Jere must notice, because a moment later he says gently, “I can try to massage you, if you want.”

I don’t even speak—just nod.

He carefully moves the bottle aside and places his warm hands on my stomach, drawing slow, firm circles. The pressure is perfect, and the relief is immediate.

“Is this okay?” he asks, his voice soft, like I’m something fragile.

“Please don’t ever stop,” I murmur, melting under his touch.

He chuckles and kisses my temple. “I won’t.”

And he doesn’t. He keeps massaging me all the way through the movie, and for the first time today, I feel close to relaxed. By the time the second movie ends, it’s already afternoon.

“I’ve gotta say,” Jere starts, stretching slightly behind me, “even though I feel bad for John Ambrose… I’m glad she ended up with Peter.”

“See?” I grin at him. “Told you you’d warm up to him eventually.”

“Yeah, guess you were right.”

He studies me for a moment. “Are you hungry? I can make you some ramen if you’re up for it.”

Luckily, the nausea from earlier has faded, and my cravings have returned in full force. Just hearing the word ramen makes my mouth water.

“That would be amazing.”

He beams. “On my way, Miss Conklin,” he says playfully, then basically jogs into the kitchen.

“I love you so, so, so much, Jeremiah Fisher!” I call after him, unable to help myself.

He pops his head back in a second later, rushes over, and covers my face in kisses, making me giggle.

“I love you more,” he whispers before darting back into the kitchen, leaving me to swoon.

I must doze off, because when I wake up nearly an hour later, I still hear Jeremiah in the kitchen. Curious, I pull myself out of bed and shuffle toward the smell of something warm and sweet.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he greets, turning away from the oven when he hears me. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” I reply, stretching slightly. “What’s in the oven?”

He grins at my curiosity. “Chocolate soufflés. I´ve read that most women crave chocolate during their period, so… figured I’d give it a shot.”

My heart squeezes at how thoughtful he is.

“How is it even possible for one human being to get everything so right?” I ask, genuinely baffled.

He shrugs casually. “When it’s for someone you think is worth it… it’s really not hard.”

I walk straight up to him and kiss him—long and soft, full of everything I don’t know how to say.

“Okay, now go back to bed and I’ll bring you your food,” Jere says with a wink.

“Oh, what a service,” I tease, grinning. “I should be sick more often.”

We curl back into bed together, sharing dinner and Jere’s chocolate soufflés, which taste like something straight out of heaven. I absolutely devour mine without shame.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch him staring at me—probably because I’m eating like someone who’s never seen food before, or because I look completely disgusting.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. Only then does he seem to realize I noticed and snap back to the present.

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world,” he says, so full of admiration that it’s hard not to believe him.

But I don’t.

“Take it back,” I say firmly, surprising even myself with the sudden bite in my tone.

His brows knit together. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want you to lie just to make me feel better. I look awful—especially on my period.” I cross my arms, suddenly frustrated, even though I’m not entirely sure why.

“Are you having one of those mood swings right now?” he teases, laughing.

“Stop laughing and take it back!” I say, hitting his shoulder.

He just laughs harder. “Jere! Don’t make me more angry!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he says quickly, holding his hands up in mock defense. “But I definitely won’t take it back. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“Even when I’m on my period?” I ask, half-daring him to lie.

“Especially then,” he says with a smile. “Because it’s just you—no makeup, no pretending. Just real, raw you. And I love you.”

Even when I’m cranky or insecure or borderline irrational, he somehow always knows exactly what to say. He makes me feel seen, even when I feel like a mess. I can’t help but smile as I wrap my arms around him and bury my head into his shoulder.

“Thank you… for being the best boyfriend I could ever wish for. And for staying here with me today.”

“So… I did a good job?” he asks, playful.

“Are you kidding?” I say, pulling back just enough to look at him. “You did the greatest job in the history of all boyfriends.”

He grins. “I’m honored. How’s your stomach now? Want me to massage you again?”

Truthfully, I’d almost forgotten about my cramps. Between the Midol, the cuddles, the dessert, and being spoiled by Jeremiah all day, they faded into the background.

“They’re better,” I admit. “But I wouldn’t mind another massage from your magic fingers.”

“Anything to make sure they don’t come back,” he says, tapping the space between his legs. “Come here.”

I shift between his legs again, letting him resume the gentle massage. His hands are warm and strong and so familiar, and I swear I could melt into him completely.

“I really am the luckiest girl in the world,” I murmur. “Every girl would be jealous if they saw how you spoil me every day.”

He doesn’t say anything—just kisses my temple a few times, but I can feel the giant smile on his face.

“I never thought someone could mean as much to me as you do right now.”

“Me either, Bells. And don’t you dare feel bad about me staying today,” he says, his tone suddenly more serious. “I’ll always be there for you. Making sure you’re okay—that’s all I ever want. I don’t need the festival or anything else to have fun. I just need you. You’re my person.”

Once again, he reads me like a book. Once again, he says exactly what I didn’t know I needed to hear.

This man.

We finish the day with the final To All the Boys movie, both of us swooning over the happy ending. Even though I thought there was no way my cramps would ease up today, they’re completely gone by the time the credits roll.

And it’s all because of Jeremiah.

He’s the first guy I ever talked about my period with. The first one to buy me Midol, pads, and tampons. The first to massage my stomach when it hurt too much to move. He made me feel loved when I felt gross. He made me laugh when I wanted to cry.

He took a day that could’ve been miserable—and turned it into one of the sweetest I’ve ever had.

And if there’s one thing I know for sure after today…

I need to keep this man forever. Whatever it costs.

Chapter Text

                                                                                                          Jeremiah POV

Nothing feels better than cuddling with Belly after a long and stressful day. We barely saw each other the whole week, she was caught up in volleyball training, preparing for an important game ahead, and I was buried in books, studying for my upcoming winter exams. But now, lying here in my bed with her head resting on my chest, feeling the rhythm of her breathing and the comforting scent that is so typically Belly Conklin, every bad thing just seems to fade into the background. Because how could it not? This is everything I ever wanted, everything I’ve dreamed of. Her in my arms, fitting against me in a way that makes it feel like even our bodies were made for each other.

She’s telling me about her week, her words coming in soft waves, when suddenly her stomach growls again, loud enough that I can’t ignore it anymore. It’s the fifth time in the past ten minutes.

“Okay, that’s enough,” I say, pushing myself up.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asks, confusion flickering across her face. “I want to cuddle.”

“Belly, your stomach is growling so loud it’s even making me hungry just from hearing it.”

She sighs, half-guilty, half-trying to brush it off. “I guess the Pop-Tart between practice sessions wasn’t enough.”

That’s when I feel the familiar frustration rising in me, the kind that only comes when I know she isn’t taking care of herself the way she should. “Belly, you can’t just eat a Pop-Tart and then train all day. You know that isn’t good for you.” I say, because this isn’t the first time she’s skipped meals and I know it won’t be the last.

“I know, I know,” she says quickly, as if she’s heard it a hundred times before. “I just didn’t want to stop too long. You know how competitive I get, and the team we’ll face next week is really good.”

I shake my head, helpless against her stubbornness. But I can’t stay mad, not when she looks this exhausted. “Alright, that’s it. I’m getting you something to eat. Right now.”

Her eyes widen. “Jere, it’s almost midnight. Everything’s closed. And I’m not even that hungry.”
I grin and put both index fingers dramatically to my temples, narrowing my eyes I try to read her thoughts. She plays along immediately, mirroring me with that teasing smile I love. 
After a long, exaggerated silence, I announce, “You definitely want pizza.”

She laughs, shaking her head in disbelief. “I didn’t even think of that. But now that you said it… I really crave pizza.” She pauses, smirking. “We’re at a point where you know me better than I know myself.”

“What can I say? ESP never fails us,” I reply, secretly proud of how well I know her. I grab my jacket and cap, ready to head out.

“Wait, you’re not seriously going out alone in the middle of the night, are you?” she blurts, sitting up so fast her hair falls into her face.

“What do you think I’m doing right now, Bells?” I ask, laughing because she looks so shocked.

“No way. If you’re going, I’m coming with you.”

“Oh, really? You’re gonna protect me from the bad guys?” I tease, knowing it’ll get under her skin.

She narrows her eyes. “Excuse me? You don’t know everything that’s inside me, Fisher.”
That makes me laugh even harder, because she only calls me Fisher when she’s annoyed. I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and press a kiss to her forehead. “Oh, believe me, I 
do.”

“Good. Then you know I’m coming with you.”

“Bells, it’s freezing out there. You just showered and your hair’s still wet—”

“I don’t care. I’m not letting you wander around by yourself at this hour. We’re doing this together.”

And that’s so her, stubborn, protective and impossible to argue with. I grin, pulling her to her feet. “Alright then. Midnight pizza hunt. Let’s go.”

The November air hits us like a wall, sharp and cold, but somehow it feels lighter because she’s with me. Belly tucks her hands into the sleeves of my hoodie, it’s way too big for her, but that’s exactly why she loves stealing it. We walk side by side down the quiet streets, our breath rising in little clouds.

“Okay, be honest,” she says after a moment, her voice doubtful. “Do you actually think we’re gonna find anything open at this hour?”

I smirk at her. “Of course. I’ve got a sixth sense when it comes to food. Fisher radar.”

She laughs, bumping her shoulder into mine. “You mean Fisher nonsense. It’s almost midnight, Jere. We’ll be lucky if we find a gas station with stale chips.”

“Then we’ll eat chips together. Or gummy worms. Or—” I pause dramatically. “Those questionable hot dogs that spin under the heater for twelve hours.”

“Ew, stop. That’s disgusting.”

I slip my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer against the cold. “Hey, you’re the one who dragged me out here. Midnight cravings, remember?”

Her lips twitch into a smile. “Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d actually take me seriously.”

“Bells, if you say you’re hungry, I’d walk across the whole city if I had to,” I say, and for once I don’t even try to make it sound like a joke.
She looks at me then, her expression softening in a way that makes my chest tighten. For a moment she doesn’t say anything, just studies me like she’s trying to memorize the 
moment. Then she shakes her head, whispering, “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you love it,” I shoot back, tugging her hand in mine.

The thing is, it’s the truth. If Belly needs something, I’ll always do everything in my power to give it to her, to make her happy. It feels like a compulsion, like something written into me, and maybe it makes me pathetic or overcaring sometimes, but I don’t care. I want her to know, every single day, how much she means to me, even if it means wandering through empty streets in the middle of the night in search of pizza.

After one hour of wandering through the empty streets, we are still laughing like idiots. We started daring each other with the silliest challenges just to pass the time. Belly had to give me a piggy bag ride to the next street sign and I had to sing the chorus of Daylight, her favorite Taylor Swift song loud enough for the whole street to hear. We laughed so hard we had to stop in the middle of the sidewalk, clutching our stomachs and I bet if someone else would have seen us like that they would think we’re crazy. But that’s just us. When we’re together we forget everyone else around us. It’s just us and it’s always been like this. We don’t ever have to get embarrassed when we’re with each other because we know every version of the other one and that’s something so special and rare.

Jere, do you think we’ll even find the way back?” Belly asks after we realize she left her phone in my room and my battery is down to ten percent.

“I don’t know. Maybe,” I tease, earning a playful punch to my arm.

“Not helpful,” she mutters, but I can tell she’s not really annoyed.

“All roads lead to Rome, Bells. Which is exactly why we have to get pizza right now.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “You’re such a jerk.”

“Excuse me? Did I hear that right? Did you just call me a jerk?”

“You heard me perfectly.”

“Oh, okay.” The second I say it, I scoop her up and throw her over my shoulder, running down the street while her laughter echoes through the night.

“Jere!!! Put me down! I take it back!” she half-yells, half-laughs, pounding her fists against my back.

When I finally set her down, she immediately grabs my hand, and just like that we’re walking again, quieter this time but still smiling.

“It’s not like this is the first time we’ve done something like this,” she says with a knowing smile, and suddenly I remember it all over again.
It was Belly’s ninth birthday when we snuck out of the house in the middle of the night with her birthday money, determined to buy candy. Looking back, it was reckless and dangerous, two kids wandering around alone in the dark, but back then none of that mattered. We only cared about the adventure, about doing something together. And it hasn’t really changed much over the years, except that the feelings between us grew into something deeper, something inevitable if you ask me. We’re still those kids at heart, laughing, 
teasing, pushing each other, only now we’re also in love. And I can’t help but feel proud that we’ve come so far.

“That’s true,” I say, nudging her. “But remember how you wanted to ask a stranger to drive us home?”

She groans, covering her face with her hands. “I didn’t think we’d ever make it back, Jere! I was so close to crying.”

„We were lucky that our moms found us even if we had house arrest for the whole summer.“

„The sweets were worth the punishment.“ She says looking up at me.

„And the adventure.“ I add, squeezing her hand.
We keep challenging each other the whole hour after, knowing that Belly loves competitions. She challenged me to walk only on the curbstone without falling off, and of course she joined in two seconds later, trying to push me off. We pretended we were in a midnight race, sprinting from one corner to the next. She cheated though, yanking me back by my sleeve just so she could win, but she would never admit that. We decided to walk backwards for as long as possible, until one of us nearly crashed into a trash can and we did many other things as well until we see a snack stand with lights on.

„Jere, look! It’s open.“ Belly shrieks excited, running towards the light.
When we get there, it doesn’t really look like a good place to eat. It’s very small, shabby and nobody was in there except for one tired-looking employee. But that is probably the case because it is 2 am, I say to myself, hoping for the best. Belly and I exchange a glance and both nod as a sign to go in. We end up taking one pizza margherita to eat outside. As Belly takes her first bite, her face contracts and I laugh at the sight of it.

„So how does it taste Bells?“ I ask teasingly on which she responds with a disgusted thumbs up.

„Oh really so bad?“ 

„The dough isn’t cooked enough and the tomato sauce is way to sweet to call it a tomato sauce.“

„Do you want to find something else?“

„No I´m way to hungry to not eat this pizza.“ She says, having a hard time to eat it with her thick gloves.

„Wait let me help.“ I grab the slice and feed her. If feeding your partner was love language it would definitely be mine, because Belly skips her meals so often that I really have to worry sometimes. Feeding on her is really needed.

A couple of minutes later I surprisingly spot an older couple, probably in their seventies, walking around hand in hand. They move slowly but steady, their steps perfectly in sync, like they’ve been practicing this walk together their whole lives. Their steps lead to us.

„What are you two doing out here at this time?“ The woman asks us with a warm smile, which is so similar to the one of my mom´s.

„My girl got hungry so we went to look for something.“ I answer giving a knowing grin to Belly and laying a hand around her shoulders. 

“You two remind me of us,” her husband says, his voice gentle but strong, like someone who’s lived through a thousand stories.

His wife chuckles and nods. “Young love. Staying out too late, walking around like the world belongs to just the two of you.“ 

„I mean it looks like you’re still doing it.“ Belly says also smiling at them. 

„A little slower but, yes we do. The trick is to make the best out of every moment and never refuse an adventure.“

The older man squeezes her hand „Though it looks like you’re already doing that. Don’t ever loose this special bond.“ 

„We won´t.“ Belly replies having this touched spark in her eyes that I’m also feeling right now. After we told each other goodbye and they continued to walk away, I kiss her on the head. 

„Am I crazy, or did the universe just try to send us a message?“ she asks, leaning her head against my shoulder.
„I think we just saw the older version of ourselves,“ I answer softly. She doesn’t reply for a while, her face taking on that thoughtful expression she always gets when she’s really 
thinking.

„I really want that for us,“ she whispers after a moment. „I always want to be silly with you, doing everything we dream about now even fifty years from now.“

I can’t put into words how much it means to me to hear her say that. Since can think I could never picture my life without her and didn’t want to. The fact that she’s thinking the same way means everything to me and that we reminded that couple of themselves when they were younger, makes this moment even more perfect.

I lean forward and press a gentle kiss on her mouth. „I’ve never wanted anything else, Bells.“

When she finishes her pizza, we slowly start walking back to campus, savoring the quiet of the night and each other’s company as fatigue finally begins to settle in. The November cold feels less biting now, as if it knows we’re wrapped up in our own little world.

Back in my room, we collapse onto my bed, exhausted but smiling.

„I think I might have to get hungry at midnight more often,“ Belly mumbles into my chest, her voice muffled but happy.

„Was the  two am pizza that good?“ I ask, teasing.

„No, it was awful but the company was more than perfect,“ she replies, making me grin from ear to ear.

„Yeah… it really was a fun night.“

„So… would you go out with me next time too?“

Feeling my eyes grow heavy, I squeeze her hand and whisper, „I’d follow you anywhere, my Bells.“

And that’s the truth. This girl has my whole heart, and I wouldn’t want it in anyone else’s hands. Nobody makes me feel the way she does. She just gets me in a world where most of the people around me don’t even try to understand me. She’s everything to me, and I would walk across the country at midnight just to show it to her.