Chapter Thirty-Nine

As evening falls, Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad continue studying; Conrad switches to his English paper with headphones on. Belly receives a call from Taylor but silences it, realizing she has pushed home drama aside and is focused on Cousins and the Fishers, despite the sting of Taylor’s earlier words.

Jeremiah quietly suggests Belly could leave that night and borrow his car, promising to retrieve it after Conrad’s exams. Belly insists on staying to accompany them the next day, and she’s hurt by Jeremiah acting like she’s an outsider rather than family.

Belly teases Jeremiah about getting in trouble with Mara, still upset he hadn’t told her about that relationship. Jeremiah repeats that he and Mara are over, but Belly presses, feeling excluded and betrayed that he kept it secret. He insists it wasn’t serious, contrasting it—then guiltily trailing off—with how serious Conrad’s past with Aubrey was.

This near-comparison jolts Belly. She acknowledges that Conrad had truly loved Aubrey, not her, while she has loved Conrad longest and truest. The admission brings both pain and a small sense of relief, as Belly accepts the imbalance of their feelings even as she remains committed to helping him finish his exams.