Being Belly’s sister was difficult enough without the drama, but here we are.

She was engaged to Jeremiah without having even finished college. Everyone was mad, naturally. You don’t exactly announce this at a family dinner after a dead friend’s—Conrad and Jeremiah’s mom—honoring. But they did, they showed up with the smallest, cheapest ring known to mankind after Belly admitted to you that Jere cheated on her, twice.

You didn’t speak to Conrad a lot, anymore, but going back to the house your mom made Belly go in the car with her and Steven, not with her fiancé and there was no comfortable space there. Conrad being the gentleman he is offered you a seat in his car. You used to be close, so you couldn’t just say no—so you said thank you politely, like an adult woman should.

Before Belly even liked Conrad, you were his friend. You were his age, a bit older, Susannah and Laurel’s first baby. They never pushed the romance on you two, but there could’ve been something that Belly ruined. Now, you weren’t even friends.