(lauryn's outfit for this chapter)

The next morning Lauryn woke up to her phone going off with a text from Conrad.

Coco<3
meet me at the beach?

Lulu<3
Yeah, give me 10 minutes.

Coco<3
okay, I love you <3

Lulu<3
I love you, too <3

Lauryn smiled as she read the messages. She glanced over at Belly who was still asleep and decided to let her rest. She got up and changed clothes. Once she was ready, she wrote a quick note to her aunt and uncle letting them know she went out. She didn't know when they would wake up, so she decided to write the note instead of waking them. She walked to the beach, smiling as she saw him sitting on the sand staring at the ocean. When she walked over to him, she smiled and sat by him.

"Hi, Coco." She greeted.

"Hi." He smiles. "You look beautiful."

Her face turns red and she shyly looks down. "Thanks. You look handsome."

Conrad reaches out and gently lifts her chin, his green eyes meeting her brown ones. They had the look of pure adoration and love as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I meant to check on you last night." He admits. "But Belly beat me to it. I figured you'd be okay with her."

"I was okay." She reassures him, smiling a little. "I mean, sure there was a lot of crying involved," She chuckles lightly. "But we had a great time and it was well needed."

"That's good. I'm glad." He smiled, his hand moving to cup her face.

Lauryn leans into his touch, her heart fluttering. "How are you doing?" She asked softly, her brown eyes filled with worry and concern.

"I'm hanging in there, I guess. You help." He admitted.

"You help, too." She gave him a soft smile, and his thumb lightly traced her bottom lip, causing her face to turn red and her heart skip a beat. 

"Can I kiss you?" Conrad asked quietly.

"You don't have to ask." She replied softly, leaning in to kiss him. Her hand went to his neck, her fingers brushing his hair. His arms wrap around her, holding her close as he kissed her back. 

When the kiss ended, he rests his forehead against hers again, keeping his eyes closed. "I love you, so much."

"I love you, too." She replies, her thumb stroking his cheek and opening her eyes. "I'm here for you. Always."

"Thank you." He says, opening his eyes and she smiles softly. "I'm here for you too. I promise."

"I know."

He kisses her forehead and hugged her. She hugged him back, burying her face in his neck. He held her close and ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the closeness and feeling of comfort. They sit there in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying being in each other's presence and being close. It felt nice.

"Wanna get breakfast?" Conrad suggested.

"Yeah." Lauryn nodded, pulling away from him.

"My treat." Conrad offered. 

"No, I'll pay for it." She argued.

"Okay, first one back to the house gets to pay. Go!" He said before suddenly taking off.

"Hey!" Lauryn shouts with a laugh, quickly getting up and running after him. "Cheater!" She teased.

Conrad laughs, glancing over his shoulder to see how far ahead she was and grinned when he saw her not that far behind. He slowed down a bit, letting her catch up.

"I see that! Don't let me win!" She called out.

"Fine, fine." He chuckled, picking up the pace.

They ran until they got to his house, the two of them laughing. Lauryn was the first one at the front door. "Ha! I win!" She exclaimed, her face turning red from the running.

"Okay, okay. You win." Conrad laughed, panting a little as he caught his breath. Lauryn smiled, leaning her forehead against his and he smiled, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm still paying though." He murmured, kissing the top of her head. 

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Fine, if you insist."

He grins. "I do."

"Alright, let's go. I'm starving." She said and he laughed, intertwining their hands as they walked inside.

They get to her car and he, of course, open the door and close it for her. She smiled, her heart fluttering. He always did that. Even before she had a crush on him and when she had a crush on Jeremiah, he did this. Lauryn drove them to their favorite breakfast place, a little café called The Beach Hut. They went there every morning, well, every morning they remembered to go. It was their thing.

Conrad parked the car and got out. He opened her door and helped her out, then intertwines their hands. She smiled at him, her heart skipping a beat as she squeezed his hand. She then looked at The Beach Hut, her smile widening. The Beach Hut was her parents' favorite place. They used to bring her here every morning when they were little. It was something they did together and was a nice little tradition. And after they passed, she and Conrad tried keeping that tradition alive.

The Beach Hut looked like it did when she was little. There was an outside deck area that was decorated with flowers, a wooden fence, and a small playground for kids. There was also an outdoor bar area and an outdoor area for people to sit at. Memories of being here with her parents flooded her mind and her smile saddened. 

Conrad notices and frowns, his hand finding hers immediately and giving it a gentle squeeze. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just...My parents. Memories." She stammered.

"Oh." Conrad nods in realization, his face softening. "Do you want to leave?"

"No, no. It's okay." She reassures him, squeezing his hand. "Let's go eat."

"Are you sure?" He asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"I'm sure. This isn't the first time I've been here since they died. It's just hard. I'm fine." She reassured him.

"Alright." He said. "If you want to leave at any point, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled.

( LAURYN'S POV ) 

We walk into The Beach Hut and I look around. It's a cute little café with the menu displayed on the wall and a counter for ordering. It was summer themed on the inside and outside, just like it was outside. There was a large aquarium filled with fish, a wooden staircase, and a loft area. There were also several booths, a few tables, and an outside patio.

I smile as the smell of freshly brewed coffee, waffles, and bacon hits my nose. It smelled heavenly. "This place always smells so good." I remarked, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"That it does." Conrad chuckled.

I glance around the room with a small smile. The place was cozy and I loved it. There were paintings on the walls, all painted by the owner's wife. She was a great painter.

I spot a painting of a dolphin and my eyes widened. "I remember that!" I grinned.

"The dolphin painting?" Conrad raised an eyebrow, walking over to where I was.

"Yeah. My mom painted that." I smile, pointing at the painting.

"Seriously?" He asked with surprise, a smile tugging on his lips.

"Yeah, her and Mr. and Mrs. Bardot were close friends." I explain. "My parents were regulars here and they let my mom paint some of the paintings. This one was one of them."

"Oh wow." Conrad says, impressed. "Your mom was really talented."

"Yeah, she was." I smile softly, my heart aching slightly at remembering her. I missed her and dad so much.

"And the owners still keep this one up?" Conrad questioned curiously. 

"Of course we do."

We turn around to see a woman in her late forties walking over to us. She had blonde hair with streaks of blue, hazel eyes, and was wearing a sundress and flip flops. She was still as cool as ever. Her name was Macy, but I somehow always end up calling her Mrs. Bardot even though she constantly told me to call her Macy.

"Hey, Macy." I greeted, giving her a small smile. I mentally patted myself on the back for saying her first name this time. 

"Hello, Lauryn." She smiles back at me, giving me a hug. "I'm so sorry about your parents." She said softly. "We all loved her. She will always be a part of this place."

"Thank you." I whispered, hugging her back as I exhaled sharply, trying not to cry.

Macy pulls away and gave me a small smile. "What can I get for you guys? The usual?"

"Yes, please." Conrad answered, his gaze going to me, a look of concern and worry on his face.

"Alright, I'll have it out shortly." She tells us. "You can sit anywhere you like, you know the rules." She smiled softly and I nodded, leading Conrad to a booth in the corner.

"Well, that was...Something." He commented, sliding into the booth across from me.

"Yeah." I agreed, keeping my gaze on the table. 

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's just..." I glance up at him with a sigh. "Everywhere I look in here memories of them appear. I've been here before and this happens, but today it seems to be more prominent. Maybe because of what's going on with Susannah, I don't know. It's hard. I miss them." I frowned, fidgeting with my bracelet I wore. 

"It's hard. You're allowed to feel that way." Conrad reminded me.

"I know." I nodded in agreement. 

"And like Macy said, they will always be a part of this place, too." He said, reaching his hand out across the table and offering it to me with a soft smile that made my heart skip a beat.

I take his hand, his thumb lightly tracing the top of it that made my heart flutter. "Yeah." I whispered.

"I'm here for you. I know I already said this, but really just say the word and we can leave." He added.

"I know." I gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

"Here we go." Macy said, placing our food on the table. "Two chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream and bacon." She smiled, setting the plates down.

"Thank you." We spoke in unison, smiling at her. 

"I hope everything is okay." She continued, referring to the news about Susannah. I knew she knew about it because my aunt and uncle kept her and her husband updated on Susannah.

"As good as it can be." Conrad answered with a small shrug.

"Good." She gives us a sympathetic smile. "Well, if you guys need anything else, just holler."

"Okay, thanks." Conrad said and I nodded, offering her a small smile.

"Thank you." I say quietly.

"No problem, honey." She smiled before walking away.

I turned my attention back to Conrad, who was looking at me with concern. I sigh, "I'm fine. Really."

"Okay, if you're sure."

"I am. Thank you, Coco." I said, a genuine smile forming on my face.

"Anything for you." He smiled and started eating.

"Same." I grinned and we began eating.

As I ate, I couldn't help but think about my parents. About the times we spent here. About how many times they sat in the same spot I was sitting in now. How many times my dad sat where Conrad was sitting now and how my mom would sit by me or my dad.

"Remember when we were kids and your parents brought us here?" I spoke, my eyes meeting his.

"Yeah, and we used to have races to see who could finish their pancakes the fastest. You were the champ, you always won." Conrad recalled, a grin on his face.

"You and Jeremiah would make bets on who would win." I chuckled, remembering those times fondly.

"He would make bets on you because he knew you would win. I figured you would win, but I had to admit I was impressed and a bit surprise that you did win." He smiled in amusement.

"True. And Belly and Steven played with us too, though Belly would always give up halfway through." I laughed.

"Oh, yeah." He grins. "But, hey, you won a lot, too."

"I did." I giggle.

"You had a competitive spirit, that's for sure." He commented.

"That I do." I smiled and he returned the smile, his gaze softening.

We continue to eat and talk, holding our hands across the table. Once we finished, I glanced over at the painting. It was a simple painting. There was a dolphin in the middle and a wave surrounding it. On the bottom of the painting were the words 'Live and Love Life. Never let the waves break you.' It was something my mom told me when I was little when I was too scared to go in the ocean.

**flashback - third pov**

"Mama, what if the waves get me?" Six year old Lauryn asked her mom as the family walked on the beach.

"Don't be silly, darling. The waves won't get you. But if you do go into the water, the waves can't break you if you fight them." Her mother told her, crouching down to her level.

"I'll never let the waves break me." Little Lauryn proudly stated.

"Good." Her mother smiles. "Just be brave and remember never let the waves break you. No matter how big or scary they are. Fight through it and be brave."

"Okay." Little Lauryn smiled brightly, her smile widening when her mom kissed her forehead. 

**end flashback**

I was taken out of my thoughts when I felt Conrad squeeze my hand, his thumb brushing the top of it. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"The quote on the painting. That's what my mom said to me when I was younger. About not letting the waves break me." I explained.

"She was wise." He smiled a little. 

"Yeah, she was." I agree.

"So was your dad." He added.

"I was lucky." I smile sadly, a single tear falling.

Conrad notices and gets up, moving to my side and wraps his arms around me. I lean into him and he rubs my arm, resting his chin on the top of my head. "You are lucky. To have parents who cared for you and loved you as much as they did."

"I know." I mumble, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Come here." He whispered and held me close.

"Thank you." I murmur and he kissed the top of my head.

"Do you want to go home?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah." I admit. 

"Okay. I'm gonna go pay. Wait for me, alright?" He said softly. He kissed my cheek, giving me a gentle squeeze before getting up and going to the front counter to pay. 

I grab my purse and walk over to the painting of the dolphin. I notice my mom's initials in the bottom right corner and smile.

"Lauryn?"

I turn around and see a man in his mid forties. He had brown hair and a short beard. He was wearing a Beach Hut t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I smile, knowing this was Macy's husband, Landon.

"Hey, Landon."

"I heard about Susannah. I'm sorry, hun. Your family and the Conklins and the Fishers has been through a lot. You have our support. You know that, right?" Landon reassured me, a soft smile on his face.

"Yeah, of course. Thank you, that means a lot to me. I'm sure it does to my aunt and uncle, too." I tell him.

"Anything for your family." He told me and I knew he meant it. And I appreciated it a lot. 

"Hey, Lulu." Conrad's voice makes me turn to the left where he's standing and I smile at him. "Ready?" When he noticed Landon, he sends him a smile. "Hi, Landon. Good to see you again."

"You, too, Conrad." He nods. "I'm sorry about your mother. Anything you guys need, just let us know."

"Thank you, Landon. That means a lot." Conrad replied. 

"Of course. Well, I'll see you around." He said before heading to the counter.

"Let's go home." I whisper to Conrad, intertwining my hand with his and leading him out the door.

Once we're in the car, he starts it and pulls out of the parking lot. He glances at me, seeing the somber look on my face and sighs. He reaches over and grabs my hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I reply and take a deep breath. "Sorry...I had a great time with you, it's just..."

"You were ready to leave, I get it. You don't have to apologize. I love you, my love." He murmured, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. The action and his words caused butterflies in my stomach to swarm and my heart to skip a beat.

"I love you too, Coco." I respond with a small smile. 

We spend the rest of the car ride home in a comfortable silence. When we arrive at his house, we both unbuckle and I smile as he opened my door for me. He helps me out and takes my hand, intertwining our fingers. We walk into the house and I lean against him, closing my eyes.

"What do you want to do?" He asked curiously.

"Cuddle." I reply.

"C'mon."

I smile as he leads me up the stairs and to his bedroom. He lays down on his bed and opens his arms. I climb onto the bed and snuggle into him. He holds me close, kissing the top of my head and I bury my face in the crook of his neck. We lay like that, my hand on his chest, playing with the hem of his shirt. We both didn't need to say anything, the silence was comfortable and we were content. I listen to his breathing and his heartbeat and I can't help but smile. I loved this boy, more than he would ever know. And he loved me, too.

"You're beautiful." He suddenly commented, causing my heart to flutter.

"I'm in sweats and and an old t-shirt and my hair is in a messy bun. Nothing special." I giggle, my face turning red.

"That doesn't matter. You're always beautiful." Conrad told me. 

"You're too sweet." I smile and lean up, placing a kiss on his jaw.

"I mean it." He murmured.

"I know you do." I nod. He always means it and he shows me every day. It made my heart melt. "Thank you, Coco." I add, nuzzling my head into his neck.

"Anything for you, Lu." He smiled, tightening his arms around me. I closed my eyes, feeling safe in his embrace. He was the one person I could easily be myself around. We were two pieces of a puzzle, and no one else fit. Just him and me. My other half. My soulmate. We may be young, but I knew without a doubt that I loved him and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.

"Do you believe me?" He asked softly, breaking me from my thoughts. He sounded unsure, as if he wasn't sure if I did believe him. But of course I did. How could I not?

"Yeah, I do." I reply and place a gentle kiss on his neck. "And thank you, really. You are amazing." I tell him. It was true. He was one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I was so lucky to have him. We may have our disagreements, but they are never over anything major and we are quick to resolve them. He has been nothing but supportive of me. He makes me feel like the most important person in the world and I am so lucky to have him by my side. He's the best.

"I love you, Coco." I whisper.

He places a gentle kiss on the top of my head, rubbing my arm gently. "I love you too, Lulu."

We stay like that for the rest of the night. Cuddled up in each other's embrace, taking in each other's company and warmth. We didn't need words. We just needed each other. Everything was perfect.

A/N wanted to try something new with the first person pov !! lmk what you like better, third person pov or first person pov !