𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝟗

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗

Maeve sat with her knees to her chest, her back against the headboard of the bed. The house was completely silent, the only noise being the creaks of the floorboards downstairs as Polly cleaned up.

She jumped when there was banging on the door and muffled talking.

"What do you want?" Polly answered the door, staring hard at Cameron Montgomery who had clearly been drinking. Cameron looked behind the older woman, his hands in his pockets. "Maeve in?" He asked.

"She's upstairs. Why?" Polly asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow. "Wanted to check on her..could I come in. I won't be long?" He blinked hard, his vision going blurry every now and again.

Polly let out a breath and stepped aside. "The door stays open," she pointed a finger at him.

"Thank you, Miss Gray." He smiled politely and climbed the stairs, gently knocking on Maeve's door which was slightly open. "Come in.." she mumbled.

Cameron made his presence known and she looked up from her bed, frowning. "Why're you here? If someone would come over i'd have expected Thea or Max. Not you."

"What d'ya mean? I used to always come round." He hung his jacket on the back of the door and sat at the end of her bed, leaning against the wall. Maeve hummed, "key word..used. Not anymore, now you just go out drinking without us and shag whores."

Cameron raised an eyebrow, "what does that mean?"

"It means you've changed, Cameron. And we don't like it." She admitted. "Who's we." Cameron questioned. Maeve used her hands to push herself up and sighed, "me..Theadosia..Max."

"Don't start that bullshit, Maeve. I'll just go home." He hissed, avoiding her eyes. Maeve crossed her arms, "go home then. It's not like I asked you to come over. I'd have much preferred Max."

"What, so because I didn't want you, you're tryna shag my brother is that it?" He spat, an angered expression painted across his features. Maeve's mouth fell open and she didn't know what to say. "So what if that was true, eh? What's it to you. Not like you ever saw me as anything but protection. I've heard what you said to them boys in school."

"What boys?"

"Months ago, when you were smoking on the field with the lads in the year above, they asked you if we were fucking and you said, 'as if..Maeve Shelby is just someone good to have around, a good name.' That's exactly what you said, i remember."

Maeve remembered that day like it was yesterday. The day her image of Cameron Montgomery changed for the worst. It was right before her birthday too, he'd been hanging about with Maeve a lot more without anyone else. People started asking questions. She heard him telling the boys she was just someone who'd guarantee him protection. The Shelby name and all.

But she never said a word. She'd heard but kept her mouth closed. Not even Max or Thea knew, just her.

She was so annoyed she forced herself to forget about it. He's just trying to look cool in front of the olders, she told herself.

"You know what- Maeve..just fuck off. Fuck your self, you're a bastard. Never happy are you? You just always have to find an excuse to piss people off," Cameron shook his head, reaching for the door handle and giving her a dirty look, "I wouldn't he surprised if you were fucking both Thea and Max to be honest. Whore. You're a whore, just like ya mum."