𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 // (𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

Part 36

Everyone slowly walks towards the kitchen.

"What the fuck, Julia?" Conrad shouts.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure this is a shock but I spoke to your father and we decided to not drag this out any longer."

"What you two decided on doesn't mean shit, you had no right to touch anything in this house, those were her things."

Steven quickly walks over to him.

"I'm just doing what I have to do," Julia tells him.

"Bullshit, you could've warned us, all you wanna do is spite our Mom!"

"Enough." She stops him. "You're not the only one hurting, and your mother could've warned you, just wanted to make me the bad guy."

"Well I am so sorry that she was too busy dying to make your life easier," He looks her dead in the eye. "It sucks that our Grandfather loved her more than you, but I'm not surprised."

Then he turns around and leaves, and we all follow after him.

I knew that this would happen soon, I tried to not think about it, but from the second we arrived yesterday I knew she'd do this, I wish I had been better prepared.

"Of course, Dad didn't try to stop her," Conrad calls his father.

"What can he do?" Jeremiah asks him.

"Jere, he doesn't care about us!" Con snaps. "And this asshole won't even pick up my fucking calls."

"What are we gonna do?" Steven asks.

"I don't know!" He paces.

"We can't just leave, the deals not sealed yet," I tell them.

"Where are we gonna sleep?" Steven questions everyone.

"Sleeping bags are in the garage."

"I'm not sleeping In this house." Con mumbles.

"I've got an idea." Cam chimes in. "I've got my Mom's card for the country club, we could crash there."

"That could work." Jere nods.

"But I can not say enough about the fact that we need to be super clean, quiet, and careful."

We all agree, and head to our cars.

~~

Everyone makes their way inside the club, and start to split off into groups.

It is only Conrad and me left.

"Con?"

"I never should've gone to the boardwalk."

"There was no you could've known what she was planning."

"But she never would've done it if I was there." He rolls his eyes. "They took fucking everything, and you heard Skye, the house will seek fast."

"We can figure something out, we have to try."

"I guess so."

"Okay, I think I'll catch up with Jeremiah."

"Seeya." He walks away toward the kitchen.

A little while later, Jere and I find a cinema room.

"This is perfect." I laugh.

He runs up to the projector starts up a movie.

He sits down and I run over to the snack stand, and grab us a sprite and twizzlers.

"Twizzler straws!" I yell excitedly.

I place the drink in the cup holder and open it.

"Sprite, your favourite," He winks.

I smile Insincerely.

Sprite is not my favourite.

"Here," Jere opens up the twizzlers and hands me one.

We both put them in the can and start drinking from it, looking each other in the eye as we do, our faces almost too close for comfort.

When we pull away he gets a strange look in his eyes.

"Movie night always make me think of you, I'd miss you so much and want to call you but,"

I nod.

"You should've, I would've answered."

He moves close to my face, but I move back the tiniest bit, and his expression changes.

"I should text Conrad and Steven, tell them we found a spot." He says, sitting back in his chair.

Did he just try to kiss me?

"You know what, I'm just gonna go find Conrad, we'll be back soon."

"Okay."

Him being like this, just makes me think of this last year, the few times I've seen him, the way he has acted.

~~

"This feels like a holiday film." I smile.

"You know Mom, loves a theme." Jeremiah tells me.

"I'm glad we all get to celebrate together this year."

"Sure." He replies.

"Let's sit down." I say to Conrad, who has tried to sneak up behind me.

"Look at this table, Martha Stewart can kiss my ass."

"Love it when you swear." My mother tells her as everyone sits down.

"Ass isn't swearing, Susannah, say 'motherfucker'." Steve laughs.

"Steven!"

"What, she said she loves it?"

"She mother-fucking loves it." Susannah cackles.

Conrad takes my hand, and I can see the look on Jeremiah's face, but it isn't my fault, so I don't let go.

Throughout dinner we all joke about old times and he seems to loosen up a bit.

"Steven pass me a bit more please." I ask him.

Conrad smiles.

"What?"

"Nothing, just happy."

I giggle.

Later in the evening, Jeremiah walks out into the hall, where Conrad and I are laughing together.

"You ready for board games?" I ask him.

"I'm tired, I'm gonna just watch tv or something."

I nod.

"Y/N! Get up here beck found tons of 90's clothes for you to try and Belly is about to beat you to them." My mother shouts.

"I haven't even gotten through the last batch of baby tees."

"Oh, I'm not sure how I feel about you wearing my Mom's 'baby tees', from college." He laughs.

"It's tons of ratty oasis shirts, that she stole from me!"

"Don't listen to her, this stuff is gold." Susannah yells.

"See you." I kiss Conrad quickly before running upstairs, letting the boys have their own time together.

I wish this could last forever.

'Sometimes he holds her hand too tight, Oh but that's alright, 'Cause he'll never leave'