BACK TO YOU

five. mr brooding

▬▬ LENNOX SAT ON THE FLOOR in the living room, her camera in her hands as she took pictures of the guys playing video games. She shifted a little, moving onto her knees then she leaned closer and took a close up of Jeremiah, getting a chuckle from the boy and he stuck his tongue out at her so she snapped another quick picture.

“Len, you’re in the way!” Steven huffed. “We can’t see the-”

“Boo hoo.” She huffed, moving to the other side of the couch and taking a picture of Steven, he looked annoyed. “I need pictures for this class I’m taking and you guys are my subjects.”

“Why?” He asked, glancing over at her.

“Cause you’re so darn cute.” She grinned and he rolled his eyes as Jeremiah laughed at the two, glancing at the girl before looking back at the tv. "And the assignment is family."

“You’re taking a photography class?” Conrad asked as the girl sat on the floor and crossed her legs under her.

“Yeah, Susannah helped me find one in town. It's only a few days a week.” She nodded, her smile wide and his own smile grew just a little. He knew how much she loved photography. She had been attached to her camera since Susannah had gotten it for her one Christmas, she was nine.

“That’s good.” He nodded, glancing back at the tv. “You were always pretty good with a camera.”

“I’m hoping to up my game, though. Need a solid portfolio if I wanna get a scholarship.” She mumbled – not that she needed one, her dad had money to spare, she just wanted to do it without him. She looked down at the camera as she flipped through the pictures she had taken, in almost all of them Jeremiah was smiling, Steven looked annoyed and Conrad, well, he wasn’t anything. “Can you smile, at least once?” She looked up at him. “For me? But, like, a real smile. Not a fake, posed smile.”

“Len…”

“Please?” She moved onto her knees again and moved closer to him, putting herself between his knees. He shifted a little on the couch, taking a deep breath. “Pretty please?” She poked out her bottom lip and batted her eyelashes and he couldn’t help it, a smile pulled at his lips and she quickly snapped a picture. “Thanks.” She hummed, moving so her back was against the couch next to his legs as she looked at the picture. Her smile faded slightly as she looked at the boy on the small screen of her camera, his smile was small and his eyes… his eyes held a sadness but there was also this adoration that washed over his face. It reminded her of the way he used to look at her. Not that he ever stopped.

“See you guys later.” Belly called out and Jeremiah turned around, a wide smile on his face.

“Damn!” He stood up and rounded the couch towards the girl.

“Are you kidding? No. Yeah, fine, just abandon the game completely, Jere.” Steven huffed and Lennox chuckled as she looked up as Jeremiah neared Belly, she quickly jumped up, and leaned over Conrad’s lap, her camera up as she snapped a picture of the two just as Jeremiah spun the girl under his arm.

“You… look… hot.” He told her and she giggled as Lennox smiled at the picture on her camera, still laying across Conrad’s lap.

“Hey, hey, hey, no flirting with my sister.”

“Shut up, Steven.” Belly huffed.

Lennox rolled over and sat up, sitting next to Conrad, her legs hanging over his. “Look.” She turned the camera to him, a wide smile on her face and he took it from her hands and looked it over.

“You’re amazing.” He told her, his voice low as he looked from the small screen to her and her smile grew. “I mean, uh, it’s a good picture.” He handed it back to her and her smile faded a little then she moved her legs and stood up before moving around him. “Lennox-” his eyes following her as she rounded the couch.

She had gotten so caught up that, for a moment, she forgot. She forgot that they weren't together. She forgot that he was no longer the first person she showed her pictures to. Her stomach churned, twisting in an uncomfortable way but she ignored it and forced a smile.

“You look great, Bells.” Lennox told her, hanging her camera around her neck. “This can’t be for Laurel’s party.” Lennox tilted her head a little, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, no, actually. I’m going to the drive-in.”

“With who?” Jeremiah asked.

“It’s a date?” Lennox asked, her smile wide and the younger girl nodded, her own smile growing as her cheeks flushed then her phone chimed and she pulled it out of her back pocket.

“Uh, okay. Bye.” She told them before walking out of the room.

“Tell Cam Cameron I said hi!” Lennox called out and Belly turned, making a face at the girl, which she got a picture of, then Belly left. “She’s growing up so fast.” Lennox mumbled, her hand held against her heart as she turned to leave the room and her smile faded as she shook her head a little, not noticing the eyes of the oldest Fisher boy as he watched her leave the room.

His own stomach twisted in an uncomfortable way, though it was becoming a sensation he had grown used to.

And he knew that he had fucked up, once again.

>>>>> • <<<<<

▬▬ THERE WERE MOMENTS, small, tiny moments, when Lennox would forget that she and Conrad weren't what they used to be. It had happened twice in the last 12 hours. And each time reality hit her like a ton of bricks, knocking all the air from her lungs as sinking deep into her gut.

The latest moment still lingered in the back of her mind even as she moved around the small book store, her camera raised as she took pictures of everyone. Most people would smile and hold up Laurel's book, some would just hold up their drinks, Jeremiah and Steven, however, were trying to see how many books the latter could hold and the former kept stacking them up.

She loved those idiots.

She took a few pictures and smiled at the small screen on her camera as she turned around, bumping right into a hard chest and she looked up, a smile pulled at her lips when she saw Nate. He was dressed up, well, sort of. He wore a nice t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts with a pair of Nikes on his feet.

"What are you doing here?"

"My mom made me come, Callie's around here somewhere." He told her. "I didn't realize that it was the same book party, if I had known I would've come with you." She smiled up at him and he chuckled a little, pushing his hair back – he didn't have a hat covering his hair.

"Well, since you're here, I wanna introduce you to Laurel." She grabbed his hand and turned, pulling him behind her, a small laugh leaving his lips. All he could do was mumble an okay and follow her towards the woman.

And Conrad narrowed his eyes, following the two with his eyes. He hated it, he really did. But he knew he had no right to say anything.

"Laur," Lennox grinned, stopping at the table. "I wanna introduce you to someone." She tugged on the boy's hand and he stepped forward, stopping next to her. "This is Nate, we met at the bonfire. Nate, this is Laurel. My other mom."

Laurel smiled at the girl, she was glad she could be that for the young girl.

"It's nice to meet you." Nate extended his hand and Laurel stood up to shake his hand. "Uh, my mom really likes your book. Said she couldn't put it down."

"Oh, uh, thanks." She mumbled, her eyes moving to Lennox as the girl wrapped her arm around the boy's. "So, Len, are you two-"

"Jeez, Laur. No." She shook her head, her eyes wide. "We're friends."

"Though we did make out." Nate added and Lennox bumped him with her hip as a way of telling him to shut up and he laughed.

"He's an idiot." Lennox told the woman. "Ignore him." She shoved the boy backwards and he laughed. "Oh, and the pictures are gonna look great."

"I told you that you didn't have to take pictures."

"I want to. This is a big deal for you. Your book is amazing and I'm so proud of you."

"You really are an angel."

"Yeah, but her horns are holding up her halo." Conrad muttered as he walked by them, a small plastic cup of champagne in his hand.

"Fuck off." The girl huffed, raising  her middle finger and he walked away, sipping from his glass.

"What happened with you two?" Laurel asked, looking from the boy to the brunette in front of her.

"Uh, nothing really." Lennox shrugged. "He's just an ass."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She smiled. "Now, focus on you and this book, I'll keep an eye on Tweedledum and Tweedledee." She motioned over towards Steven and Jeremiah.

"Thank you." Laurel gave her hand a squeeze and the girl nodded before walking away, nodding for Nate to follow her.

"So, Mr. Brooding, he's pleasant."

"He's a dick." She huffed, her voice loud enough for the boy to hear and he looked over at the two, which Nate noticed and he slipped his arm around Lennox's waist and tugged her closer to him. "What are-"

"Shh." He leaned down, his lips close to her ear.

"Nate?"

"Not a vibe, my ass." He chuckled, keeping her close to him and she rested her palms on his chest. "He's totally pissed that you're with me."

"He’s with Nicole."

"Doesn't change the facts." He kissed her cheek before stepping back and she rolled her eyes, shoving him back a little before she turned to find herself a drink. Nate followed after her. “Are you mad at me?”

“No, I just… I don’t know-”

“You’re still into him?” He asked and she shrugged as she looked up at him. “Well, he’s still into you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” She mumbled as she took a sip of her drink then she looked around the room to see Conrad, Steven and Jeremiah all sitting on a couch, all three slumped down a little. “Look, um, I’ll catch up with you later, maybe. But right now, I have three very bored boys to cheer up. Tell Callie to text me.” She quickly walked away from him and over to the three boys, sitting on the arm of the couch next to Jeremiah. “You guys look like you’re having a blast.”

“Get bored with your boy-toy?” Jeremiah asked, poking her side and she smacked his hand.

“He’s not my boy-toy. He’s a friend.” She huffed and he chuckled, but Conrad kept his eyes on the girl.

“Why not? He’s hot.”

“You should go for it.” Steven added and she looked up to see Nate standing with who she assumed was his mom then she looked back at the boy’s to her left, her eyes meeting Conrad's for a moment. Then she looked away.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Why? Hung up on someone else?” The youngest Fisher boy teased but the girl stayed quiet, her eyes on her hands as she toyed with her camera and his smile faded. “Oh, damn, Len, I didn’t know.”

“I’m gonna go.” She pushed herself up, ignoring Steven and Jeremiah calling after her then she made her way out of the bookstore and to her car.

“Lennox.” She stopped, her eyes closed and her hand on the handle of her door. Her heart beat faster against her ribcage, her head spinning and her stomach churning.

“What, Conrad?”

“What Jere said-”

“Look, Con, um, I’m not really in the mood for this.”

“Look at me, please.” He begged, his own heart beating faster. He had so many questions, and he needed answers. He also needed her to look at him, he could always see exactly how she felt because of her eyes.

“I can’t.”