𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓, jeremiah fisher

eighteen. why did you choose him?

WE'RE ALL SITTING in the kitchen—me, Belly, Conrad, Susannah, and Mom. We're all just talking and laughing together, and I feel so at home right now.

This, right here, surrounded by the people I love, is what I look forward to every summer. This is the only place I really feel like I belong, and the corners of my mouth tug up at the thought.

I'm taking a bite of one of the cookies Susannah baked when Belly opens her mouth and says nonchalantly, "Jeremiah's taking me to the deb ball."

Conrad's eyes shoot toward Belly with a resigned expression on his face before his stare moves to the side of my face. I turn away and ignore him. Instead, I just keep eating the cookie and pretend that it doesn't affect me that Belly's going to the ball with Jeremiah.

"Really?" Susannah exclaims, elated with the news. "That's great, Belly!"

Belly smiles and nods. They begin talking about the deb ball, and I zone out of the conversation suddenly feeling out of it.

I hear footsteps outside of the kitchen before a blonde head appears in the doorway, a determined expression on his face as he scans the room before those baby blue eyes land on me.

"Jere," Susannah calls with a small smile on her face.

He doesn't respond. Taking confident steps toward me, he reaches out and his hand finds mine.

"I need to talk to you," he states. In front of everyone. Keeping his eyes locked onto mine.

I blink at him. No one says anything, but it's completely silent in the kitchen as everyone watches Jeremiah pull me to my feet and drag me out of the kitchen. I don't say a word as we leave the house and get to his car.

Wordlessly, he lets go of my hand and nods at his jeep. He walks around the other side and gets in as I follow his lead and get in too. He's silent for the entirety of the ten minutes he drives. He doesn't tell me where we're going to supposedly talk, and I don't ask.

We're driving with the ocean on our right side when he suddenly pulls over into a small clearing of sand atop a cliff. It's not that high up, but it's high enough so that most of the ocean can be seen as the sun overlooks the water.

It feels like someone is squeezing my heart when I realize what this place is.

It's mine and Jeremiah's secret spot that we always used to go to when we wanted to hang out. We used to come out here for hours and hours, just sitting and talking and joking around. Sometimes we would carefully walk down the steep trail that led down to the beach and play there.

All the memories we shared here suddenly crash over me so hard that I can't think of anything but how much I miss him and just us being friends. I wish and I wish with my entire being that somehow, we can go back to the way we were before.

But deep down, I know we can't.

I'm still sitting in the car looking out at the ocean when Jeremiah gets out of the car, shutting the door behind him. I watch him walk to the edge of the cliff and sit down. I exhale quietly and then do the same. I walk to him and slowly lower myself down so that there are still a few feet between us.

He closes his eyes, lifting his head towards the sky. Without even realizing it, I admire the side of his face. The sun bounces off his golden curls and casts a glow on his skin. His freckles get a little darker, his long lashes dusting the tops of his cheeks. I let out a little sigh.

"Why did you choose him over me?" he asks so suddenly I'm caught off guard. He opens his eyes and his gaze turns to me, sharp and intense. "When he treated you so bad?"