Conrad Fisher 23.
6ft 1, tan, fluffy blonde hair, ocean blue eyes.
Introverted, and deeply caring, complex. Quiet, highly intelligent, he frequently bottles up his emotions leading to him appearing distal yet he is intensely devoted, loyal and sacrificial to those he loves.
Jeremiah’s older brother.
Isabella Conklin 22.
5ft 6, long brown hair, brown eyes, tan.
Passionate, sentimental, optimistic romantic, resilient, stubborn.
Steve’s little sister
Taylor’s friend
Jeremiah fisher 22.
5ft 9, curly blonde hair, tan, blue eyes.
Outgoing, social, playful, charming, impulsive.
Conrad’s younger brother.
Steve Conklin 23.
5ft 9. Brown hair, brown eyes, tan.
Charismatic, whitty, ambitious, protuberance big brother.
Isabella’s big brother.
Taylor Jewel 22.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, tan.
Confident, bold, loyal, social, direct.
Isabella’s friend.
Susannah Fisher 41.
Blonde hair, green eyes, tan.
Warm hearted, kind, free spirited, nurturing, loving.
Conrad and Jeremiah’s mum.
Laurels best friend.
Laurel Conklin 42.
Brown hair, brown eyes.
Organised, creative, guarded. She has a love for Conrad Jeremiah but Conrad is her favourite.
Susannah’s best friend.
Conrad, belly and Jeremiah have been best friends since birth. Isabella has always liked Conrad since she was young every year she goes to their summer house at cousins beach spending summer with them.
Chapter 18: He looks happy
The room held the deep, blue silence of a held breath. Outside, the world was dark, the kind of dark that felt like velvet pressed against the window. Inside, there was only the shared warmth under her comforter, the slow sync of their breathing, and the solid, undeniable reality of his body next to hers. She traced the line of his collarbone through the soft cotton of his shirt, her touch feather-light, as if confirming he hadn’t dissolved into another one of her dreams.
He turned his head on the pillow, his ocean-blue eyes catching the faint green glow from the clock. He didn’t smile, not with his mouth, but something in his gaze softened, unraveling. He leaned in and kissed her.
He kissed her back, Conrad’s phone buzzes he ignored it not breaking the kiss. A minute later it buzzed again he broke the kiss “sorry,” he mumbled he took it from his pocket and opened it seeing a text from Trusky and a photo. you should’ve been here this party’s dope. Trusky said he opened the photo it was Trusky holding a beer standing next to Jere who was holding a beer his arm wrapped around a girl kissing her cheek. “He looks happy.” Belly said smiling. “Yeah he does.” Conrad said.
He stared at the screen. The photo was grainy, lit by pulsing party lights. Jeremiah’s smile was wide, unchecked, his eyes crinkled with genuine laughter as he planted a loud, theatrical kiss on some blonde girl’s cheek. She was laughing too, head thrown back. Trusky, red-faced and beery, grinned beside them, giving a thumbs-up. It was a perfect snapshot of uncomplicated, moving-on joy.
Conrad felt the knot in his chest, the one he’d carried since last summer, loosen another fraction. Proof. It was proof.
“See?” Belly murmured, her voice soft with relief. She snuggled closer, her temple resting against his shoulder as she looked at the phone. “He’s okay. He’s having fun.”
“Yeah.” Conrad’s thumb hovered over the screen. He should text back. Something casual, brotherly. Lookin good, have one for me. But his fingers felt clumsy. This image, this permission slip, felt too fragile to touch.