𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 ✓

20

"What the hell was that?" I say and Faye reels back at my harsh tone. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud." I run my hands down my face and walk closer. "Are you okay? Is this why you've been acting weird? Faye-" I ramble until Faye cuts me off.

"Reece. I need you to do something for me okay? I need you to drop it. This is only part of the reason I've been acting off, but I'm fine. Do you trust me?" She asks with pleading eyes and I pause. How can she ask me to do this?

"Faye—"

"You know me pretty well Reece. Do you really think I'm going to do something I don't want to do? Drop it." She demands, but it's her still soft tone of voice that tells me what I need to know. She's not being defensive or blunt, she's begging. I melt with a sigh.

"Of course I trust you. Always. I'll drop it on one condition." She looks at me worriedly. "It goes back to how it was before." I request and her eyes scan over my body as if taking inventory, before nodding resolutely.

I hold my arms out for her and she immediately walks into them, hugging me to her. The tension that had been building in my shoulders and neck escapes me in a sigh and I breathe easily again. "Can we just go home?" She asks while looking up at me with her chin against my sternum. I laugh and nod. "Of course. Let's just go say goodbye."

We walk hand in hand outside and see that everyone is in sitting on the patio still. I walk towards Sky. "Hey, we're going to head out. You were such an amazing host and it was really nice to meet you." She smiles wide at me then at Faye.

"Take care." Lexi says from the side and I know that she means "take care of her ". I bid goodbye to the rest of the group, only excluding the brooding man standing off to Lexi's side.

I walk off and Faye follows closely behind. "Hey, what if we went and picked up our brothers? We could go get Hunter first because he's further, then stop at your mom's to get Felix? They could stay with us for the weekend." I ask Faye and immediately her mood lifts.

"That's a great idea, Reece."

The drive is obnoxiously loud with the two boys in the back, talking about everything and nothing as if they've been best friends for their entire lives. I see Faye smile from the corner of my eye and I know that everything is alright. Faye starts to include herself in the conversation with the boys and by the time I park in the lot of the apartment, even I'm chatting away with all of them.

"Alright. How about we go change into swimsuits, I'll order pizzas, and we can watch the fireworks from the hot tub?" I ask them and they each give a cheer of approval. The boys race up the stairs and Faye and I take our time, just enjoying the silence for a few more seconds.

Eagerly waiting beside the door as I fish for my keys, Hunter and Felix burst into the apartment as soon as the door is unlocked, digging through their bags to get changed. I show them the bathroom and they take turns putting on their swim trunks.

I'm already wearing mine, so I climb in the hot tub and call for pizza while I wait. I remember Faye telling me once upon a time that Felix's favorite pizza was Margherita so I order one of those along with the usual for Faye and I because Hunter will eat anything.

Soon after I get off the phone, Faye and the boys join me out on the balcony, climbing into the hot tub and I watch as the water rises up higher against the side, threatening to spill over. My eyes dart to Faye's pale skin as she slowly sinks lower in the water, closing her eyes and lifting her arms up to rest on either side of her. I force my focus on the distance and away from her bare skin.

As soon as the doorbell rings, I practically jump out of the tub and haphazardly dry off my legs so as not to track water through the apartment. I pay the pizza delivery girl and ignore the way her eyes trace over my wet abdomen smiling politely and closing the door with one hand while balancing the three boxes on the other. I grab three plates and put the pizzas on the table that sits beside the hot tub.

"One of each please!" Hunter tells me and I load up his plate and pass it to him. Felix looks curiously at the pizzas and his eyes light up when he sees his favorite.

"Is that Margherita?" He asks and I nod. "Two, for now, please," He says, and I smile, passing the plate to him. I grab two slices of pepperoni for Faye and three slices of cheese for myself, putting them all on one plate for us to share.

"Enjoy," I say and everyone digs in while mumbling "thank you's" with full mouths. Felix ends up choking on his bite when the fireworks go off and he gasps. I slap his back and laugh while everyone continues to watch the amazing show, only slightly concerned.

Mostly red, white, and blue colors light up the sky, followed by loud popping noises permeating the silence. I scrunch my nose when I smell the smoke carried by the wind, and I hope that our friends are having half as much fun as I am.

"Can we make a fort and sleep in it tonight?" Hunter asks me with wide eyes and I nod enthusiastically.

"Of course! Sleepover!" I yell and Felix and Hunter high five. I hold up my hand for Faye and she rolls her eyes but slaps it anyways, a smirk tugging the corner of her full lips.

We all finish what's on our plates and hop out of the hot tub to dry off. I wrap a dry towel around Faye's shoulders and the appreciative look that she gives me makes my heart skip a beat. We all carry the pizzas into the kitchen and set them on top of the counter before I leave to grab the comforter from Faye's bed and multiple pillows to build the fort from.

I finish drying off and change into a pair of plain grey sweatpants, forgoing the shirt. I'm still running the towel over my hair when I come out of the bathroom and run into Faye, who gives me an odd look as she walks out of her own room wearing similar clothes, but with a loose, white cropped t-shirt that actually belongs to her for once.

We leave the fort building to the boys and set them up with some more pizza, drinks, and the tv remote to watch whatever they want. "Don't mess with the volume though, unless you're turning it down more," I tell them, wanting Faye to be able to get some sleep tonight at least.

She drags her feet tiredly into my room as if it's second nature and I laugh as she face-plants onto my mattress with her arms spread wide, groaning. "Okay baby, let's get some sleep." I flip her around so that she's laying on her back and lift her up with one hand under her knees and the other on her back to place her under the covers on her side of my bed. I turn off the light and crawl in beside her, keeping my distance.

A cold hand reaches for me and attempts to pull me closer, so I slide my body against the cool sheets, fitting perfectly against Faye's small body. I almost groan audibly as she wiggles her backside against my crotch to get comfortable, and have to strategically position my hips away from hers so that she can't feel my reaction.

"Night Reecey. Love you."

"Sweet dreams, Faye," I reply, leaving out those words in fear that she would hear the truth behind them.