They Don't Know About Us (Casey Moreta)

Chapter 3

"Rena..." I said cautiously, my eyes darting from her to Casey and back.

"It's not what it looks like," Casey said, and I rolled my eyes.

"It's exactly what it looks like, don't listen to him," I said.

"How long has this..." she trailed off.

"Awhile," we said simultaneously. 

"Three years on Tuesday," he said then silently. 

"Why didn't you tell us?" she asked then. "I mean, I always knew you liked her, Case, but I didn't know the feelings were reciprocated."

"How'd you know?" he asked.

"I just see your body language around her and the way you look at her," she said with a shrug. "but I just thought it was a crush. Now why didn't you tell us?"

"We didn't tell anyone." I explained. "We were about to take it to management, but they shut us down before we could. They didn't want Casey in a relationship, and so we thought it'd be best to just keep it a secret. That way, nothing would slip out in public, and if you guys didn't know it was just easier to pretend like we weren't dating."

"We never meant to hurt you," Casey said, and I nodded in agreement. "And we are so, so sorry Rena."

"I understand," she said. "I mean, it sucks that you've kept it from everyone so long, because we could help you hide it. But I get why you did it, and I know it wasn't to hurt us."

"That wasn't our intention at all," I promised.

"But I will help you guys keep your secret the best that I can," she said then.

"Thank you," we both said, and she nodded, sitting down next to us.

"So now I want details." she said. "How'd it happen?"

"It was the day we moved in," I said. "He confessed, and I felt the same way. So we just kinda saw how things went, and here we are."

"Halen was an anniversary gift," Casey told her, reaching over and lacing his fingers with mine.

"Awwww," she said with a smile. "okay, so I've always kinda been hoping that you two would end up together. When Casey showed up to our first band practice with him and you tagged along, I wondered if you two were already dating. I had shortly after figured out that you weren't, but I guess not long after that you guys actually were dating."

"We should get back inside before they wonder where we are," I said, quickly standing up from the seat.

"Are you telling them?" Rena asked then.

I shrugged. "Not just yet. I need to figure out how I'm going to do it still. But I promise, we'll do it soon. We've already talked over how much we hate keeping it from everyone."

She nodded. "Well, until you do, it's safe with me."

When we went back in, there was a movie playing that occupied Iain, Nia, Crystal, Michael, and Luke, whereas Ashton, Calum, and Miranda were sitting playing a game of cards. I followed them in, not risking sitting too close to Casey so I instead sat between Rena and Luke.

It was a bit of a surprise that we weren't sitting next to each other, since we usually did, and I could see Luke and Rena meeting eyes briefly as he gave her a confused look, but all she did was shrug with a small smile, as if trying to let him know that everything was okay. I reached over towards the popcorn bowl in Luke's lap and grabbed a handful, popping it in my mouth.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. The movie ended, and then one by one, we bid our farewells. I followed Casey out to his car and climbed in the passenger seat as he climbed in the driver's side.

"Wow," I breathed, staring straight ahead.

"It was bound to happen sometime, Val," he said. "I'm surprised it went on this long."

"Me too," I agreed. "but we have to be more careful if we're going to keep hiding it from everyone."

"I hate that we have to do this," he said, pulling out of Ashton's driveway.

"So let's not do it," I said. "would it really be that bad? I mean, we wouldn't tell the world. Modest! won't let us anyways. But, the people we care about... I wouldn't mind if they knew."

"So we'll make a plan," he said. "and then we'll tell them. And hey, maybe at some point we can convince Modest! too, and then everyone can know." he pulled up in the driveway then. "Because I just really wanna shout it from the rooftops that I'm in love with you."

"You're such a cheeseball," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and looking over at Casey before reaching for the door. 

I stopped short when I noticed Casey lean over and cup my face in his hands, pressing his lips against mine. I kissed back with a smile, reaching my hands up to tangle in his hair as he deepened the kiss.

"Yanno," I sighed as he started trailing kisses down to my neck. "Luke and the others thought we were fighting."

"Well, fights come with make up sex, right?" he asked with a smirk, and I hit him on the shoulder, giggling.

"We've never had make up sex," I reminded him with a giggle.

"Doesn't mean we can't start now," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Casey, I am not having sex with you in the uncomfortable backseat of this car when there is a perfectly good bed right inside."

"Well, I didn't say it had to be in here," he said with a giggle. "c'monnnnnnnn." I sighed with a smile, getting out of the car and following him inside.

It was only then, laying in bed in Casey's arms afterwards, both breathing heavily and just staring at each other that I realized we couldn't keep doing this forever. Not in secret, anyways. Rena reacting the way she did when she found us was one thing, but it wouldn't always be that way. If someone else found us, they were bound to be hurt, especially now that Rena also knew.

Going on in secret would only end up hurting everyone worse.

"What's up?" he asked, looking down at me.

I shrugged. "Just still thinking about everything."

"It's going to be okay, I promise." he said.

"How do you know?" I asked then.

"Because," he said, pushing a stray strand of hair away from my face and kissing me on the cheek. "as long as we're together, everything will turn out alright."