𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐍² , 𝗧𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗣.

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞, 3

"okay, ummm, i think i'm gonna get..." i said as we stood at the counter at rosie's.

"raspberry." both me and jeremiah said.

"yeah. wierd." jeremiah said.

"yeah. you could always read my mind." i said.

"mostly, i mean... i'm glad it's back. our esp anyway." he said.

"yeah me too." i said and then put two fingers on my head. "okay. i know you're not eating any pie because... you don't want to ruin your abs." i said, closing my eyes and then opening them.

he gasped and touched his abs. "i mean they are a service to mankind, so..." he said and i hummed. "maybe not. maybe. you never know."

"rose?" a feminine voice called out and i turned around seeing nicole.

"nicole." i said, slowly as i slowly walked to her, jeremiah following.

"how have you been?" she asked.

"good. good." i awkwardly said.

nicole and i ended on bad terms.

"jere, i was so sorry to hear about your mom. she was so lovely." nicole said to jere.

"yeah. she was." jere said, gloomily.

"hey, our order is ready. go get it." i said, sending him away to not sad him more from the conversation.

"how is conrad and him holding up?" she asked.

"well, they are grieving. still. it's only been a month so.." i trail off also not wanting to continue this conversation.

"i reached out after the funeral but i never heard back, so i figured things were intense." she said.

"they were.." i said. i ask how she's doing and the debs and she tells me how everyone is like away and broken up.

"what about you, i didn't even know you guys were coming this summer." she said.

"it was. it was unexpected, you know? but. but we just missed the summer house." i said.

"where are the others? conrad?" she asked.

"back in the summer house." i said.

"oh. you know, rose, i just want to apologise for that day at the lake. i shouldn't have left you stranded. alone. and naked. i realize how fucked up it was for me to do and i shouldn't have done that. i guess i was too jealous. and i.. also made caleb bail on you." she said.

"oh! oh no, it's whatever. its been a year so. doesn't matter and yeah i kind of figured that you made him bail but it's whatever now." i said, nodding.

soon, she bits goodbye and jeremiah comes to me.

"well, that was awkward." he said.

"it doesn't feel like summer." i sighed, as i watch nicole ride on her bike and i see a black car.

it felt so nice. watching the christmas decorations. the christmas lights. i had never seen cousins like this. but it felt good. being with him.

i feel jeremiah's hand on my shoulder and i blink out of my memory. he hands me the pie and we sit in his car.

we get in the driveway of the summer house and i feel a sense of deja vù. i sigh, and get out of the car. i blink the tears away, knowing that susannah won't come running out of that door and hug me and tell me that i'm in bloom again. i know that conrad won't come to me and hug me and tell me he likes me with glasses.

because he hates me.

"it's so wierd being here in the winter." i said as we entered the summer house and conrad shuts the door behind me.