𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫.

041.

1 year ago

walking hand in hand, cindy and conrad strolled along the shoreline, the girl's laughter filling the air like a melody.

"this almost doesn't feel real," cindy blurted out, her voice tinged with disbelief. her smile grew wider with each passing moment.

"how 'bout now?" conrad teased, his voice filled with affection as he leaned in to kiss her gently. cindy's laughter mingled with the sound of the waves crashing nearby, her cheeks blushing a rosy hue as she walked ahead of him, her eyes never leaving his captivating gaze.

cindy cleared her throat, throwing her head back slightly to gather her thoughts. "i can't stop smiling."

conrad couldn't resist flirting with her, his words filled with sincerity. "you know you have the prettiest smile i've ever seen. your whole face just lights up. i wanted to say that to you all summer."

as they continued their walk in comfortable silence, their fingers intertwined, a wave of guilt washed over cindy, she took a deep breath, looking down at the ground. "there's, uh, something i need to tell you. i don't know how..." cindy's voice trailed off, her words hanging in the air.

"what is it?" conrad nudged her gently, his eyes filled with reassurance. "we can figure it out."

with a trembling voice, cindy confessed, "a few days ago... jeremiah told me he had feelings for me." conrad's footsteps halted, and he stopped in his tracks, causing cindy to come to a stop as well, their eyes locked in an intense gaze.

an awkward chuckle escaped conrad's lips, breaking the silence. "oh. wow, okay. so, what did you say?"

"i-i kissed him a few times." cindy explained and conrad's expression was blank as he soaked it in, staying silent as they started to walk again, their pace slow.

"so, um... so when we both came to pick you and taylor up from the side of the road, you know, you went with jere, you two already?" conrad tilted his head, his sentence left unfinished, but his meaning clear.

cindy nodded, her heart beating faster as she responded, "yeah." she turned to look at conrad, her eyes filled with vulnerability. "but there were moments this summer where i thought maybe there could be something between you and me. and then, you know, you shut down."

"no, i know," conrad admitted, his voice tinged with regret. he stopped once again, apologizing repeatedly. "it's all my fault, i know."

cindy took accountability, shrugging her shoulders with a sense of ownership. "i mean, it's mine too." she adjusted her hair, taking a few steps ahead of conrad.

conrad pursed his lips, contemplating their situation. "do you wanna be with him?"

cindy paused, her heart pounding as she turned to face him, the sunlight casting a warm glow on half of his face. the butterflies in her stomach were a mix of excitement and unease. "being with you is all i've ever wanted."

a smile tugged at the corners of conrad's lips as he reached for cindy's smaller hand, his touch sending electric shivers down her spine. "be with me, then."

cindy couldn't contain her excitement, her laughter echoing through the air as she playfully bumped into conrad, shaking her head in disbelief.

"what, is that funny?" conrad asked, his confusion evident. but cindy's beam of happiness made him smile even wider.

"no, i'm sorry. it's just weird. i mean, everyone in the house knows i've had a crush on you ever since, like..." cindy's sentence trailed off as conrad pulled her closer, their bodies almost touching.

conrad's eyes widened, causing cindy to freeze, her breath catching in her throat. a mischievous smirk played on his lips as he leaned in, his voice filled with playfulness. "wait, wait, wait, wait. you have a crush on me?" she couldn't help but blush, shoving his shoulder lightly and shooing him away with her hand. his expression turned serious as they stood before each other, "you're it for me, cindy.

cindy smiled softly, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip in a display of nervous anticipation. "i don't want to hurt jere."

"me neither," conrad replied, his shoulders shrugging in agreement. "look, i'll talk to him. he might not even be that upset, you know? it's jere. he never takes anything too seriously." conrad's gaze drifted off into the distance, lost in his own thoughts. "it's not like how it is with us."

the word "us" sent a shiver down cindy's spine, and she felt a surge of emotions overwhelming her. her head spun with a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings, but deep down, she knew what she wanted.

"i'll talk to him first. i owe him that," cindy stated firmly.

conrad didn't fight her on it, agreeing with her as they continued to walk down the sandy path littered with fallen leaves from the trees, the two reached the side door to the beloved beach
house.

cindy and conrad walked together hands intertwined, as they stepped into the open living room. their hands quickly slapped to their sides as they noticed susannah.

the woman turned to them, the smile on her lips appearing as she held a glass of wine, cocking her head slightly as she looked them up and down.

"early morning walk on the beach?" susannah asked innocently, her tone laced with amusement, as if she had unraveled their secret.

cindy's hair fell over her ear, her eyes dropping to the floor, and she replied, "uh, yeah."

susannah chuckled softly, the excitement evident on her face as she set the glass down. "i knew it. i knew it."

cindy let out a shaky laugh, her hand brushing against conrad's as she gestured towards the hallway. "i'm gonna go."

conrad nodded, holding onto her pinky finger for a few seconds, his grin never fading. he watched her disappear quickly down the hall, feeling an indescribable sense of happiness fill his entire being.