chapter forty - three

After the fight between Conrad and Jeremiah, Belly visits Jeremiah in his room. Seeing his swollen eye and grief, she apologizes and they both cry over Susannah’s illness and the summer falling apart. Belly decides to stay, and they fall asleep in their clothes, face-to-face, like when they were children.

At dawn, Belly slips out and runs into Conrad, who is rumpled and drunk. When Conrad makes a cutting remark about her staying with Jeremiah, Belly lashes out, calling Conrad selfish and saying she can’t believe she thought she loved him. She returns to her room in tears, shaken by the hurt on his face and questioning whether she had the right to say those things.

Later, Laurel enters, insisting Belly get up and be strong for Susannah. Belly feels betrayed that the mothers hid the truth but accepts Laurel’s plea. In the kitchen, Belly greets Susannah, who asks her to look after “him,” which Belly understands without naming Conrad. They bake muffins, talk about dances, and Belly learns Laurel secretly bought her the purple dress, reminding Belly how lucky she is to have her mother.

With rain threatening, Belly finds Conrad alone on the beach, hollow and distant. She apologizes; he asks her not to leave and admits he’s furious at his mother’s choices, finally breaking down in tears. Drawn by first love and Susannah’s request, Belly kisses him. Conrad pulls back, saying it can’t happen like this, and asks her simply to stay with him.

Belly takes Conrad’s hand. As the rain comes harder, they sit together in silence, holding hands, choosing presence over romance while the rest of the world fades away.