BACK TO YOU

sixteen. stunned

▬▬ CONRAD SMILED AS HE leaned against the wall, his hands lazily shoved into his pockets, his eyes on the girl that was curled into her sheets. Her stuffed shark cradled closely to her chest, her hair a mess against the pillow, and her soft snores filtering through the air. He knew that if he didn't wake her up she’d miss the sunrise, which she always watched but a part of him didn’t really care. She was adorable.

The other part of him knew she would kill him if he didn’t wake her up.

So he moved towards her bed, dropping to his knee as he gently brushed her hair out of her face. “Lennox.” He called out softly and she groaned, making his smile grow. “Come on, baby. You’re gonna miss the sunrise.”

“Go away.” She grumbled, pulling the covers tighter around herself.

He chuckled lightly, resting his chin on the edge of her mattress. “Come on, Lenny.” He mumbled and when she didn’t move he pushed himself up, leaned over the girl and kissed her cheek. Then he watched as a smile pulled at her lips, but still her eyes stayed closed. “I know you’re awake.”

“We can skip it today.” She hummed, looking up at him. “Cuddle with me.” She poked out her bottom lip and he hummed before lifting up the covers and sliding into bed next to her. She grinned as she moved closer to him, laying her head on his chest. “You’re so easy.” She mumbled, snuggling into him. He laughed, shaking his head a little as he wrapped his arm around her. He pushed the shirt she wore – his shirt – up a little and let his hand rest on her hip.

“Whatever.” He huffed, but he knew it was true. He was helpless against her, those big brown eyes, that pout, and the fact that she looked damn good in his clothes.

>>>>> • <<<<<

▬▬ "HERE, CATCH." Lennox mumbled and Jeremiah nodded, opening his mouth as the girl tossed a fruit loop into the air and he caught, causing the two to cheer. “Yes! You, my friend, are getting better at this.”

“Ha ha.” He muttered sarcastically. “Your turn.” He grabbed a fruit loop and she nodded, getting ready, then he tossed it and she leaned back, catching it in her mouth. But her victory was short lived as she lost her balance and kept going backwards. “Len!” Jeremiah jumped forward, reaching for arm, but before he could grab her, Conrad caught her.

“You gotta be more careful.” He told her, helping her back onto the stool and she smiled up at him.

“But I caught it.”

“Insane.” Jeremiah mumbled, shaking his head.

“Yes, yes she is.” Conrad nodded, kissing her forehead, just as Belly made her way down the stairs.

“Hey, Bell, there are muffins.” Lennox told her, leaning back against Conrad, who had yet to move out from behind her. “Connie and I got the good ones.”

“Thanks.” The girl nodded, grabbing a muffin from the box that sat on the counter as Susannah and Laurel made their way into the kitchen, the former holding a garment bag and a pair of shoes.

“Oh, Belly, you should get going,” The blonde told the girl. “Oh, and everyone, stay out of the family room. I’ve done all your paintings and tonight after the ball, we’ll have a big unveiling.”

“You got it.” Lennox mumbled as she nodded, getting a smile from the blonde, whose smile only grew as she watched the two teenagers – Conrad had his arms around Lennox, his finger lanced together over her stomach and she leaned against him, one of her hands lightly moving up and down his forearm.

“Can you put this in Laurel’s car, honey?” Susannah asked, handing the garment bag to Jeremiah before she held the heels out to Belly.

“Yeah, yeah.” He nodded, standing up as he took them from her.

“Hurry, hurry.” The blonde rushed a smile on her face as she lightly shook Belly’s shoulders.

“And you,” She got Lennox’s attention. “Come with me, Angel.”

“Do I finally get to see the dress?” She asked, her eyes wide as she looked over at the women, who just smiled. “Yay!” She quickly wiggled out of Conrad’s arms and rounded the counter. “Let’s go.” She grinned, getting a laugh from the blonde, who sipped on her coffee.

“You’re gonna love it.” She wrapped her arm around the teenager and they left the room, Lennox waving at her boyfriend over her shoulder.

>>>>> • <<<<<

▬▬ IT WAS AS WELL KNOWN fact that Lennox didn’t really do things like the deb ball. She had only been to one ball, and it pretty much sucked. She had gone to the deb ball the previous summer with Conrad but when Nicole needed a sub because her escort bailed, Lennox had suggested Conrad, only after asking if he was okay with it. So she had spent most of the night alone, watching her non-boyfrined, at the time,  dance with some other girl. She was fine with it, but that didn’t make her sitting alone at their table any less pathetic.

So, going to the ball, she was nervous. But that was mostly due to the fact that she and Conrad were official this time, which Susannah and Laurel had gushed about all afternoon as they got ready. It was their first appearance as a couple, according to Lennox, Liam’s party didn’t count.

“I think it's cute.” Callie mused as she pulled up outside the country club.

“What? The dress?” Lennox asked as she smoothed her hands over the silky, maroon fabric that clung to her body.

“No. I mean, well, yeah. But also the fact that you want to surprise him.” The younger girl told her, smiling over at the girl in the passenger seat.

“Is it cheesy that I hope it’s like that one scene from Anastasia?” Her cheeks flushed, she had had the idea in her head the second she had slipped into the dress after she had done her makeup and Callie was all for it – her having been called when Lennox had had enough of the moms’ gushing.

“No, I think it’s…” She trailed off and Lennox groaned, letting her head hang forward, her perfect ringlets cascading over her shoulder and hanging around her face. “Okay, it is cheesy, but I think it’s great that you want this fairytale moment. And it’s literally the cutest thing ever. Now, get out of the truck.”

“Thanks for the ride.” She told the girl. “I’ll call you later.”

“You better.” She grinned, then Lennox slid out of the truck, waving once more before she closed the door and turned. She smoothed her hands over the fabric, tugging it down a little as Callie drove away and when she looked up, she stopped when she saw Conrad standing at the bottom of the steps, his eyes on her.

“Laur,” Susannah got her best friend's attention, her smile wide and her eyes on the two teenagers, and Laurel turned, her own smile growing.

“Len, you look…”

“Is you not saying anything bad?” She asked as she made her way towards him and his eyes dropped down to the slit in the left side of the skirt, which showed off her leg with each step.

“No, no.” His eyes met her as she stopped in front of him, her heels giving her a little extra height. “You’re stunning.” A wide smile tugged at her lips, and her eyes crinkled around the corners with the sheer size of it. “I’m stunned.” He added, his hand on her hip as he pulled her closer to him.

“Good.” She hummed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“They’re all watching us, aren’t they?” He whispered and she just nodded, not having to look to know that both moms were watching them from where they stood with Jeremiah. “Yeah.” He sighed. “So, can I kiss you, or am I gonna get yelled at for messing up your makeup?”

She tilted her head as if thinking about it and he chuckled, tugging her even closer to him and she giggled. “I think one would be alright.” She nodded and he smiled, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her lips and he pulled back entirely too soon for her liking.

“We should go.” He nodded his head towards the others and she nodded, stepping away from him and he held his arm out. She grinned as she looped her arm around his and they made their way up the steps, stopping near the others.

“Nobody say a word.” Lennox stated, holding her hand up a little when Lauel opened her mouth, but the woman laughed lightly, but she didn’t continue.

“Look at us.” Susannah smiled, her eyes moving from Jeremiah, to Laurel before landing on the couple to her left as Steven joined them. “It's perfect.”

“Mom, you're not gonna cry, are you?” Jeremiah asked.

“What, and ruin my makeup? No way.” A soft sigh left her lips. “It's just… everything’s gonna be different next year. Conrad's going off to college.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, not missing the way Lennox's hand tightened around his bicep.

“It may be the last summer we're all together.” She continued and Lennox watched as Laurel’s smile faded just as Conrad tugged her closer, and she knew something was going on.

“Just don't forget I get to dance with you tonight.” Jeremiah told her, moving towards her and she chuckled as they rocked back and forth before he dipped her.

“Oh.” She mumbled when she was up right, her eyes squeezed closed and she held onto her youngest son.

“Oh, mom, you okay?”

“Yeah, no, it's just…” she shook her head, a smile on her lips. “- it's been way too long since I danced. I, um, must be out of practice.”

“Come on, we should go inside.” Conrad told them, tugging Lennox with him.

“Yeah.” Susannah nodded, wrapped her arm around Conrad's free arm. “I can't get over how adorable you two are.”

“We are adorable, aren't we?” Lennox grinned as they neared their table.

“I'm happy you two worked it out.” Susannah told them as she sat down, the couple taking their respective seats. “I knew you would eventually.”

“Yeah, it just took us all summer.” Lennox huffed, but a teasing smile played on her lips as she met Conrad's gaze.

“I got there eventually.” He leaned towards her, lightly tapping the end of her nose. She scrunched her face up, narrowing her eyes at him and he laughed, while Susannah just smiled at them.

Seeing them together, and happy, filled her with so much joy and she was hopeful for their future.