#tsitpedits

english isn’t my first lenguaje, secret relationship, emotional angst — Thank u sm for the req!

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Summer in Cousins had begun like a light promise, something unplanned. It wasn’t a trip you’d mapped out months in advance, more like a last-minute gift. Steven, your best friend for years, had invited you under the excuse that “he couldn’t handle being the only one without female backup whenever Belly got intense.” You laughed because you knew there was another reason behind the joke: Steven hated the thought of spending the whole summer surrounded only by his Cousins friends without having someone who truly got him. And you did. You always had.

The car smelled like sunscreen and an open bag of chips left on the backseat. Belly rode up front, singing along to every single song on the radio with full energy, while Steven drove with that mix of pride and nerves he always carried. You sat in the back, window rolled down, letting the warm coastal breeze wash over your face. You didn’t know that drive was about to change so much.

You pulled up to the Fishers’ house at sunset. The sky was painted in shades of pink and orange, and the ocean looked like a giant mirror. As soon as you grabbed your bags, Susannah came out to greet you, her wide, welcoming smile making you feel like you’d been part of the family forever. She’d heard about you plenty of times thanks to Steven and Belly but you’d never had the chance to spend a whole summer in Cousins. That first night, between laughter and hugs, Susannah suggested everyone head down to the bonfire at the beach. “It’s tradition how could you know Cousins without your first bonfire?” she said.

That’s where you saw him.

Conrad Fisher was standing by the fire, wearing a navy hoodie and shorts. His posture was relaxed, though his eyes looked far too serious for his age. You’d seen pictures, heard endless stories from Belly and Steven, but in person he was different: there was this unsettling calm about him, like he carried more than he let anyone see. When Belly introduced you, he barely lifted his gaze, nodding slightly in a quiet greeting. “Nice to meet you,” he murmured.

It wasn’t love at first sight, not in the traditional sense. It was something stranger: the instant feeling that there was something behind those eyes he didn’t show just anyone.

That night, while everyone sang, drank, and laughed around the fire, you found yourself watching him more than you wanted to admit. And the curious thing was he seemed to be watching you too. Every time you laughed too loudly at one of Steven’s jokes, you caught his eyes on you, fleeting, like he was weighing something.

The days passed. Cousins turned into a delicious rhythm of sun, beach, and long nights. You realized Belly was sweeter than she first appeared, though sometimes a little jealous of attention. Steven was your partner in daily adventures. And Conrad… Conrad became the mystery you couldn’t help but gravitate toward.

The first real conversation happened one random morning. You’d woken up early to walk the beach with a book tucked under your arm. You didn’t expect to find anyone else, but there he was, sitting on the damp sand, staring out at the ocean like he was searching for answers. You hesitated, then walked over anyway.

“Do you ever sleep?” you asked, trying to sound light.

He barely turned his head, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips.

“Sometimes. But the ocean’s more interesting.”

You sat down beside him without asking. The silence that followed was comfortable the kind of silence you rarely share with strangers. Then you started to talk about books, about music, about what Cousins meant to him. You discovered Conrad wasn’t cold, just reserved. And he discovered that with you, he could talk about things he never shared with anyone else.

That’s how it began.

There wasn’t one exact moment where something “changed.” It was more like a string of small things: him handing you his hoodie when you were cold; you laughing at his dry, sarcastic comments; the late night walks on the beach, when everyone else was asleep. It was easy with him, even when he drifted off into his own head.

One Friday night, after another bonfire, came the first secret. You’d lost track of Steven and Belly, so you decided to head back to the house alone. Conrad offered to walk you. The path was lit only by the moon, the air heavy with salt. The conversation was minimal until suddenly, without thinking too much, he stopped and looked at you with that seriousness that always undid you.

“I don’t know why,” he said, “but I like being with you.”

You didn’t know what to say. Your heart was pounding. And then, he leaned down and kissed you. At first it was clumsy, uncertain, but there was an intensity that left you trembling.

When you pulled apart, you both laughed nervously. “This is…” you started.

“A secret,” he finished.

And that’s how you decided it. Neither of you wanted to complicate things with Steven or Belly. Especially Belly she’d always had this kind of quiet devotion to Conrad, even if she never said it out loud. You didn’t want to hurt her. So you kept quiet.

What followed was a double summer: the one everyone else saw volleyball games, dinners on the deck, lazy afternoons with books and the one only you two shared, made of stolen glances, midnight texts, fleeting porch encounters, hidden kisses in the kitchen when no one came down for water. There was adrenaline in the secrecy, but tenderness too.

One night, lying back on the sand, Conrad whispered, “I’ve never wanted a summer to last this long.”

Your heart nearly burst. You weren’t sure exactly what it meant, but you knew you felt the same.

The problem was, secrets like that can’t stay hidden forever. Steven was the first to suspect. He noticed how often you disappeared, how Conrad always volunteered to go with you. One afternoon, when you came back from “running” (when in reality you’d spent an hour kissing Conrad under the pier), Steven gave you a narrowed look.

“You and Conrad… is there something?” he asked bluntly.

You nearly melted with nerves, but before you could respond, he sighed.

“You don’t have to tell me. I already know.”

His tone surprised you not angry, more confused. And maybe a little protective.

“Just… be careful, okay?” he added.

Then it was Belly. She found out in a less subtle way: one afternoon she walked into the kitchen and saw you both a little too close, laughing at something only you understood. The way Conrad looked at you said it all. Belly didn’t say anything at first, but you knew she’d seen too much.

That night, she came to your room.

“Are you with Conrad?” she asked, her eyes shining with a mix of surprise and a little hurt.

All you could do was tell the truth. Belly stayed quiet for a long moment, then finally nodded.

“He’s always been complicated,”she murmured. “But if anyone can make him happy, I think it’s you.”

It wasn’t full approval, but it was acceptance. And that was enough.

The secret stopped being a secret little by little. The Conklins found out, Susannah too (she even smiled in that way that made it seem like she’d known all along). All that was left was to live it without fear.

Summer went on, and with it your relationship with Conrad no longer hidden, no longer fragmented. You learned that the serious boy could be funny, affectionate, even a little jealous sometimes. And he learned that with you, he could let his guard down.

When the summer finally ended, as you packed your bags, he came up to the car where Steven was already loading luggage. Conrad took your hand firmly, not caring who was watching.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said.

It wasn’t a light promise. It was the start of something real.

And as the car pulled away from Cousins, you looked out the window toward the beach and knew this summer had been different from all the rest. That between the waves and the glow of the bonfires, you’d found something bigger than a secret: you’d found Conrad.

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