The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

73

I TIPTOED TOWARD KLARISE, THE agony on my butt and my lower body still being an obvious torment as I move.

Klarise looked up from nursing Jackson's hair and at me. "Shh, he's asleep."

I nodded, finding a seat next to her where Jackson wasn't in the way. He had his head lying on Klarise's lap, eyes closed peacefully. This boy, despite how quiet and sometimes annoying he got, was actually pretty cute when he's asleep and not finding ways to ignore me.

"Are you feeling better now?" She asked me quietly as I rested my head on her shoulder. We were waiting for the rain to get better in a small cabin near the stables. It started raining right after we finished, or rather, they finished while I was getting my ass wrapped up. And the rain was too hard for us to drive back, adding on, it was getting really dark. There wasn't a place for us to really sleep, so we've made sleeping bags on the floor of this cabin. I guess, even if we were waiting for the rain to stop, it was too late to drive back. Although Juno was still insistent that he can drive back in any condition at all.

"Yes. But if you want the honest answer, no. I feel horrible and I think I probably won't be able to walk in a month."

"You're so dramatic. You just walked over here right now." She chuckled, pulling the hair that's in my face out of the way so she could land a kiss on my cheek.

"Hey," Cameron strolled toward us, voice soft too as Jackson was so sound asleep none of us wanted to wake him. He handed each of us a warm cup of hot chocolate. "The owner gave it to us as treats, on the house." He finds a seat next to me, smacking me lightly on the back. I wince in pain, even the smallest impact hurted.

"Cameron!" I hissed, and he just smiled evilly. Klarise laughed at the both of us as she finished her hot chocolate in a few big gulps, then looking at mine in a hopeful way. I give it to her gladly, not wanting anything so hot and chocolaty in my system.

"Well, it's official we're staying over here tonight. But Juno isn't giving up yet, he's having some talk with the local right up close to the rain." Mason came over, he has changed into a t-shirt and sweats instead of going back to his suit after the horseback riding outfits. He grinned and half shook his head when his eyes landed on me and Cameron, my arm half in his face and him doing the same. "Are you two fighting again?

"We're not fighting. Are we?" Cameron looked at me, his handsome smile devilish. People all called us the sweetheart couple. But before we even met, people were long since calling him the original sweetheart boy all daughters would want to marry and all fathers would give his blessing for. If only they saw how he really was without all that glamor.

"No." I crossed my arms, nudging him away with my foot. He scrunches up his nose when I stick my foot in his face. "Yep, we're definitely not fighting."

Mason and Klarise both laughed, Klarise pulling me away from Cameron and Mason doing the same with his lover. "Remember, we need to keep these two six feet apart or else they'll bite off each other's faces." Klarise says, Mason nodding in agreement.

When Cameron's at least a good distance away from me, Mason going through his phone while a child-looking Cameron fits his head in the crook of the gap between his upper arms, letting the rest of his back lay into Mason's warm embrace; I use this as a chance to snuggle up closer to Klarise. I end up causing Jackson to stir, possibly almost waking him up.

"Can you move him over so I can lay there?" Klarise chuckles at my immature suggestion, maybe because seeing Cameron turning into a child on Mason, I wanted to do the same with Klarise.

Gently, the two of us moved Jackson more to the side, covering him up with the blankets and sleeping bags we were offered. When that's all done, Klarise pats at herself like she was a pillow, ready to let me fall into. "Okay, now you can come lay down."