Annalise blinked awake, the soft morning light flickering through the blinds of a room that wasn't hers. The scent of salt air and faded cologne surrounded her, grounding her in the realization—she was in Conrad Fisher's room.

She pushed herself up, her heart stuttering for a moment as she remembered last night. She had been talking to Conrad and Belly, about hour much she liked her but didn't know how to say it. The weight of it had made her exhausted, and at some point, she must have drifted off.

The bed was empty beside her. Conrad wasn't here.

Annalise swung her legs over the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes before standing up. She padded toward the door, quietly making her way downstairs. The Fisher's house felt warm, familiar, lived in—a stark contrast to how her own home sometimes felt.

As she stepped into the kitchen, the smell of coffee and something sweet filled the air. Susannah Fisher stood at the counter, stirring the tea, looking as radiant as always.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Susannah greeted with a warm smile.

Annalise felt a small rush of embarrassment. "Morning," she mumbled, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

Susannah didn't pry, didn't ask why she had woken up in her house, in her son's room. She just smiled knowingly, like she understood things before anyone ever said them out loud. Annalise gave her a small wave before stepping out of the kitchen, feeling a little relieved.

Just as she was about to turn toward the front door, Conrad walked in, his hair slightly messy like he had just woken up himself.

"You let me sleep in your room?" Annalise asked, crossing her arms.

Conrad smirked. "You fell asleep, so I let you stay. I wasn't gonna wake you up just to make you walk two houses down" He paused, then added with a teasing grin, "Even though I wanted to. But that would make me a bad person" he said.

Annalise rolled her eyes before lightly hitting his arm. "You're the worst," she said, though there was no real annoyance in her voice.

He just chuckled. "Come on, go home before your mom freaks out" he said.

She did just that, finally making the way back to her house. It wasn't far—just two houses down— but the moment she stepped inside, something felt off. Raised voices were coming from the kitchen. Her parents were arguing.

Annalise froze, trying to make out what they were saying, but the words were muffled, their voices blending together in a tense hum. Just as she was about to take a step closer, her brother, Ezra, suddenly appeared beside her.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for practice?" he asked casually, but there was and edge to his voice, like he was deliberately distracting her.

She hesitated, glancing toward the kitchen before sighing. "Yeah... I guess" she said.

Annalise made her way upstairs, trying to push the tension of her house out of her mind. She rummaged through her closet, pulling out an outfit for the debutant ball practice. Once she was dressed, she hurried downstairs, adjusting the strap of her bag.

Ezra was waiting near the door. "Need a ride?" he offered.

She shook her head. "Conrad's taking me" she said.

Ezra gave her a knowing look but didn't say anything. Instead, he just nodded, stepping aside as she rushed out the door.

Annalise practically sprinting back to the Fishers house, her heart pounding. She didn't want Conrad to leave without her. As she reached the driveway, she spotted his car, the engine running. She yanked the door open, breathless.

Conrad looked over, amused. "Did you just run?" he asked.

She was still catching her breath but managed to nod.

He chuckled. "You could've just texted me, you know" he said.

Before Annalise could respond, she noticed someone in the backseat. Belly.

Her stomach flipped. Last nights conversation came rushing back—the way she liked Belly but didn't know how to tell her. And now, here she was, sitting in the same car as them, completely unaware.

The air felt a little awkward, but she pushed the feeling aside as they pulled out of the driveway, heading to practice.

Conrad pulled up in front of the building where debutant ball practice was being held. The car ride had been mostly quiet, at least on Annalise's end. Belly and Conrad had exchanged a few words here and there, but Annalise's mind was elsewhere—still replaying the conversation she'd had with Conrad last night, still hyper-aware of Belly sitting just inches away from her.

"Alright, you guys are here," Conrad said, shifting the car into park.

Belly was the first to hop out, and Annalise followed, adjusting the strap of her bag. Just as she was about to head toward the entrance, Belly hesitated, turning back toward her.

"Hey, Annalise.." Belly started, her voice softer, almost hesitant.

Annalise glanced up at her, heart thudding just a little. "Yeah?" she asked.

Before Belly could say another word, a familiar voice cut in.

"Well, well, look who we have here" Jeremiah said.

Annalise turned to see Jeremiah strolling toward them, his hair still damped from the pool, his work uniform slightly wrinkled like he'd just thrown it in without thought. He grinned at them, looking effortlessly carefree, as always.

Belly immediately shifted, stepping back slightly, and Annalise caught the way her expression changed—like whatever she was about to say had just vanished from her mind.

"What are you doing here?" Belly asked, crossing her arms.

Jeremiah smirked. "Uh, I work here, remember? Lifeguarding, saving lives, the usual" he turned his attention to Annalise. "What about you? Ready for more debutante practice?" he asked.

Annalise let out a small laugh. "Not really, but I guess I have to be" Annalise said.

Belly suddenly straightening, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I should head inside. I'll see you in there, Annalise" Belly said.

Annalise blinked. "Wait, what did you want to talk about?" Annalise asked.

Belly paused for half a second, then quickly said, "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to ask if you did the practice steps from last week?" Belly asked.

Annalise narrowed her eyes slightly. That didn't seem like what she was going to say. Not at all. But before she could push further, Belly was already walking toward the entrance.

Jeremiah watched her go, then turned back to Annalise. "Weird timing, huh?" he asked.

Annalise sighed, shaking off the strange feeling. "Yeah, anyway, what were you saying about lifeguarding?" Annalise asked.

Jeremiah launched into a story about some kid who kept doing belly flops into the pool no matter how many times he was told to stop. Annalise listened, laughing at his animated retelling.

"Sounds like you have the most eventful job ever," she teased.

"You have no idea" he stretched his arms over his head, then glanced at her. "So...do you have a partner for the ball yet?" Jeremiah asked.

Annalise shook her head. "Nope. Still figuring that part out" she said.

Jeremiah's expression brightened. "Why don't I be your partner?" he asked.

Annalise raised an eyebrow. "Wait, really?" she asked.

"Yeah, why not?" he said with a grin. "If that's okay with you, of course" he said.

Annalise thought about it for a moment. Having Jeremiah as her partner would definitely be fun—he was easygoing, good at keeping things light. And honestly, she didn't have anyone else in mind.

"Yeah," she finally said, smiling. "I think that's a good idea" Annalise said.

"Perfect," Jeremiah said, giving her an easy wink. "Looks like we're in this together now, partner" he said.

Annalise laughed, shaking her head before finally heaving inside for practice, her mind still lingering on Belly—and whatever she had really wanted to say.

After practice, Conrad pulled up in front of the building, waiting for Annalise and Belly. The sun was beginning to set, casting golden hues over the parking lot. Belly climbed into the passenger seat, but Annalise hesitated just outside the car.

She glanced over toward the pool, where Jeremiah was still working, gathering stray pool toys and closing up for the day.

"Hey, you coming?" Conrad asked from the driver's seat.

Annalise turned back to him and shook her head. "Actually, you guys go ahead. I'll get a ride with Jeremiah" she said.

Belly's head snapped toward her, her expression faltering just slightly. "Oh...okay" her voice was neutral, but Annalise caught the flicker of something in her eyes—something that almost looked like jealousy.

Conrad, unfazed, shrugged. "Alright see you later" he said.

As they drove off, Annalise walked over to Jeremiah, who was stacking chairs near the poolside. He looked up and grinned. "Back for more lifeguard duties?" he asked.

Annalise smirked, grabbing a few start towels and tossing them into the laundry bin. "Figured i'd help you clean up. Seems like a fair trade since you're my debutante partner now" she said.

Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. "So this is what I signed up for? Free labor?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Pretty much" Annalise said.

The two of them worked side by side, chatting between tasks. The evening air was warm, the sky shifting into shades of deep orange and purple. As they finished up, Jeremiah leaned against one of the chairs, wiping his hands on his shorts.

"You know," he mused, "I don't think i've ever spent this much time with a deb before. It's kinda fun" he said.

Annalise smirked. "You mean when we actually practice?" she asked.

Jeremiah laughed. "I mean...yeah, when we practice. But also just hanging out" he said.

And that was the thing—lately, they had been spending more time together. At first, it was about the ball, about learning the steps, getting their routine right. But more often than not, they ended up doing anything but practicing. They'd grab food, take long walks on the beach, or just sit and talk about everything and nothing.

It became a pattern.

When people asked, they'd say it was all for the ball, but deep down, Annalise knew that wasn't the full story. She liked being around Jeremiah—he made things easy, fun. He was a distraction from everything else, form the way her feelings toward Belly were tangled up in uncertainty.

"Come on," Jeremiah said, tossing his towel over his shoulder. "Let's get you home before someone thinks I kidnapped my debutante partner" he said.

Annalise laughed, bumping her shoulder against his as they walked towards his car.

Meanwhile, back at the Fishers house, Belly sat in the living room, scrolling aimlessly on her phone. But her mind wasn't on her screen. It was on Annalise. On how she had chosen to stay with Jeremiah instead of riding home with them. On how, lately, they seemed to be in their own little world.