Conrad's Version Ch 39 Explicit

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The last time I had stayed in the guest room at Belly’s house was four years ago, in March. Right before everything fell apart.

Laurel always insisted on the guest room when I slept over, even though I was fairly certain she knew by then that Belly and I were together in every sense of the word. She was practical like that. Don’t ask, don’t have to address it.

I had driven straight to Belly’s the night I found out Mom needed round the clock care at home. She had gotten bad. Nobody was saying how bad out loud because saying it made it real and none of us were ready for it to be real. I held it in the way I held everything in, quietly, and at considerable cost.

At Belly’s, I usually waited until the house went completely silent before slipping down the hall to her room. That night I was sitting up in the guest room reading when the door creaked open.

“Belly.” I kept my voice low. “It’s too early. Laurel isn’t asleep yet.”