𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓘 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾

ོ༘₊⁺☀︎₊⁺⋆.˚

The long wooden dining table on the back deck was overflowing with food.

Shells cracked, laughter echoed, and the golden light of the setting sun flickered across half-drunk glasses and buttery plates.

The seafood boil was a chaotic masterpiece — lobster claws, shrimp tails, ears of corn, spicy sausage (for those who wanted it), and enough garlic butter to feed a village.

Everyone had a bib tied around their neck, even Susannah, who insisted on it "for the aesthetic."

Conrad sat at the head of the table, effortlessly cool in a faded gray T-shirt and rolled-up sleeves.

To his right sat Emberlyn, her knees tucked up under her, arms resting loosely on the edge of the table as she picked through a cracked crab leg.

She hadn't looked at him once since they sat down.

He noticed.

To Conrad's left was Susannah, beaming at everyone like this was the happiest moment of her summer.

On the same side of the table sat Laurel and Jennifer, followed by Belly and Cam, who were whispering to each other and giggling like no one else was at the table.

On the other side, Emberlyn was flanked by Celina, who was already on her second strawberry lemonade cocktail.

Then came Jeremiah, Taylor, Steven , summer

and finally August — who hadn't said much at all since dinner began.

He was too busy glaring at Cam every time he so much as looked at Belly.

Cam cracked open a lobster claw with the little metal cracker, smiling proudly when it popped.

"This is delicious," he said, holding up the meat triumphantly.

"Yeah," Belly agreed, her smile soft and a little dreamy.

Jennifer gave Laurel a playful wink from across the table. "Of course it is."

Jeremiah leaned forward toward Cam, mouth twitching. "So, Cam. You mind if I call you Cam Cameron?"

Cam laughed. "Mm-hmm. Yeah, man. Feel free. That's funny. Cool."

Susannah dabbed her lips with a napkin, her eyes twinkling. "I'm glad you're here, Cameron. I know your mom, Denise, from the club. I've heard a lot about you."

"Thank you so much for having me, Susannah," Cam replied politely. "My mom says hi."

Laurel chimed in next. "Cam, have you ever had miyeok-guk before? It's a Korean birthday tradition."

Cam peered curiously into the small side bowl of seaweed soup Laurel had placed in front of him. "No, but it looks so good. Thank you."

"I made it vegetarian," Laurel added. "Belly told me."

Cam nodded. "Thank you, Laurel."

Celina leaned across Emberlyn to raise her glass. "We love a thoughtful queen."

Jennifer chuckled. "I might need the recipe. Summer and Emberlyn have been obsessed with Korean food lately."

"Literally," Summer said, eyes wide. "I watched one K-drama and now I'm deep in my kimchi era."

Emberlyn turned slightly toward her mom and Celina. "And Korean food is just so good."

Celina groaned. "She made me try fermented radish before she left to come here and I still have trauma."

The table erupted into laughter, and even Conrad cracked a rare smile.

But then August, who hadn't touched much on his plate, spoke up, voice sharp. "Why don't you eat meat, Cam Cameron?"

Cam blinked. "Uh, the meat industry is, like, the number one contributor to global warming. And I just—I like animals."

"Just don't come for my leather jacket," Taylor warned, raising an eyebrow.

Steven chimed in, deadpan. "I'm pretty sure you mean pleather."

"Ooh," Jeremiah added, grinning.

Taylor flipped him off without hesitation.

Steven smirked. "You know, uh, actually, Belly eats meat. So you let her kiss you with those lips?"

"Guys," Belly groaned, flushing.

Jeremiah and Steven cracked up, while Emberlyn shot August a sharp glare from across the table — drop it, her eyes said.

Cam, for his part, remained calm. "No, I don't judge people for eating meat. It's just a personal choice. I don't care."

But August wasn't done.

"So you don't mind if, uh, like, her lips touch a dead animal, and then those dead animal lips touch your lips, right?"

Cam laughed. "I don't mind at all. In fact..."

Without hesitation, he leaned over and kissed Belly. It wasn't over-the-top — just quick, confident, and slightly smug.

Jeremiah and Steven recoiled in synchronized horror.
"Ew."

" gross" Summer mumbled

August's fork clattered against his plate. "We're eating. Fuck."

Laurel sat up straighter. "All right, all right. Belly's allowed to kiss—" She deepened her voice comically. "—but that's it."

She burst into laughter at her own joke, and Jennifer quickly followed, snorting into her wine glass.

"Mom, please." Belly turned red. "You're so not funny. No more wine for you, okay?"

Steven smirked. "I'm sorry. I just don't understand why anybody would want to kiss somebody who once fully shat in the bathtub."

"I was like two years old!" Belly cried.

Steven leaned back. "Two? More like six."

"You're never gonna live that down," Emberlyn said, smirking. "Not with this group."

"I hate all of you," Belly moaned.

Susannah sighed happily, as if the chaos brought her peace. "Aw, I remember that. God, that feels like a lifetime ago."

Taylor jumped in. "I remember when I visited last summer and you dared Steven to pee in the fireplace."

Celina gasped. "Oh my God, I remember! And he stunk up the whole house for days."

Jeremiah was doubled over laughing. "Do you remember that?"

Jennifer raised a brow. "I blame the neighbor's cat."

"You always blame the cat," Emberlyn muttered.

"We were drunk," Steven said defensively.

"On, like, half a White Claw," Emberlyn countered.

That made Conrad laugh — soft, genuine, the sound catching Emberlyn off guard.

She looked over instinctively, finally meeting his eyes for a half-second before quickly turning back to her plate.

Across the table, Belly glanced at the girls. "You know, um... I was thinking maybe we should go to Nicole's party?"

Emberlyn perked up. "Oh yeah. Same."

"Yes." Celina gasped dramatically. "Oh my God. I love you."

"I'm so excited," Taylor grinned, practically bouncing.

And just like that, the light shifted.

Conrad's hand tensed where it rested on the table.

He said nothing, but the air around him seemed to thicken.

His eyes flicked back to Emberlyn — she was talking to Celina now, laughing, not looking at him. Again.

He dropped his gaze to his untouched lobster tail, and for a second, all the summer noise around him dulled.