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Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 32
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1.7k words

(Y/n)'s POV
Anakin arrived at my house, parking his bike and shutting off the engine. "I've got to work for a few hours," he said, "I promised Rex I'd finish this Chevy by the end of the day." He gently removed my helmet and planted a soft kiss on the tip of my nose, making my heart skip a beat. "But don't worry, Piett and I will swing by at six to take you and Josie to the festival," he added as he stowed the helmet away.

I intertwined my fingers with his, pulling him a bit closer. "Are you really sure you have to work?" I asked, gazing up into his sparkling eyes with a hint of sadness. "I really don't want you to go."

He smiled warmly, squeezing my hand tighter while his other hand caressed my cheek, his thumb softly brushing against my skin. "I don't want to go either, but I promise tonight will be unforgettable. We'll dance, sneak kisses on the Ferris wheel, enjoy a few beers if you're up for it, play some games, and I'll treat you to all the food you can eat."

I couldn't help but smile back, already buzzing with excitement for the evening ahead. I had been looking forward to attending one of these festivals, and the thought of experiencing it with him felt incredible. I just knew it was going to be one of the best nights ever.

"But you have to let me buy you something tonight," I insisted. "You can't always be the one footing the bill." I felt a twinge of guilt for him covering my breakfast, which hadn't been cheap at all.

He quickly shook his head, "No way, my mom always taught me that a gentleman never lets a woman pay."

That's really sweet; she sounds like a wonderful person, and it makes me a bit sad that I never had the chance to meet her. "Not even for a small popcorn or a corn dog?" I raised an eyebrow, but he shook his head once more.

"Alright, gorgeous, I have to head out, but I promise I'll be back for you soon," He gently released my hand, cupping my cheeks before leaning in for a slow kiss.

My heart raced the moment our lips met, moving together in a tender kiss. Honestly, the word love doesn't even begin to capture what I feel for him.

After what felt like an eternity, he pulled away, taking a deep breath to regain his breath, and I did the same. "I love you (y/n)," he said softly, tracing my jawline with his finger.

I looked into his eyes, filled with unwavering affection, "I love you too."

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Anakin's POV
Fueled by anger, I flung the garage door open and stormed inside, zeroing in on the suspected traitor.

Maul was in the corner, completely absorbed in his sandwich and doodling on a piece of paper, seemingly unfazed by my dramatic entrance. The others present—Savage, Fives, and Echo—jumped at the sound of the door slamming against the wall, their expressions shifting to puzzled looks as they turned to face me.

"I'm going to kill you," I growled, swatting the sandwich from Maul's hand, finally drawing his attention with a mix of disbelief and irritation.

He glanced down at the mess on the floor, then back at me, "First off, you owe me breakfast now, and second, what did I do this time?"

I slammed my hand on the table, leaning in closer to his level, "How does he know, huh?" I nearly shouted, but I kept my voice low to avoid alerting Rex. He's known (y/n) since she was little, so I was sure he'd feel loyal enough to spill the beans to her or Josie if he caught wind of this, "You really have that loose of a tongue?"

Maul looked more bewildered than I had ever seen him, "Dude, what are you even talking about?"

"Andres," I hissed through gritted teeth, "He knows what we discussed at the bakery that night. He's aware of the bet we made about (y/n), and he practically threatened to spill everything to her."

He blinked, clearly taken aback, and I could almost see a flicker of pain in his eyes. "And you really think I'm the one who told him?"

I straightened up and shrugged, "Who else could it be? You spilled the secret about Josie and Piett's relationship to Rex, so why wouldn't you do the same here?"

He stood up as well, scoffing, "That was a mistake. I thought he was already in the loop," he argued, his voice rising slightly. "I didn't say anything to Andres. Why would you think I'd betray you like that?"

"Well, you used to be the best of friends, remember?" I scrutinized him, fighting the urge to push him against the wall. After all, he was the one who first introduced me to Andres.

He paused for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I never spoke to him again after he did that to you," he said, his voice calmer but still laced with anger. "Now, tell me, who came to see you whenever they could, huh?" He tilted his head slightly. "Who deposited money into your account with every paycheck they got?" He stepped closer, and I instinctively took a step back. "Who bought your little sister gifts for her birthday and Christmas, claiming they were from you so she wouldn't feel forgotten because you couldn't get her anything? Who was it?" His voice rose with each question.

As he recounted all the things he had done for me while I was away, I started to feel a pang of guilt for doubting his loyalty. After Piett, he had been the most steadfast. In fact, he was the one who informed me about Padmé's betrayal before she had the chance to - he had seen her kissing another girl at a party.

"You did," I replied softly.

He nodded while placing his hand on his chest, "That's right, I did. I felt terrible for dragging you into this with Andres, so I did my best to make things right. So, why would I go to him or say anything about you?"

I clenched my jaw, breathing heavily through my nose, "Well, someone told him, and there weren't many of us around." I spoke quietly. I knew he deserved an apology, but my anger lingered because someone in our group had told him, and we had no clue who it was or where their loyalties lay.

"Clearly, but it wasn't me." Maul sat back down, still glaring at me, then shifted his gaze to the other three behind me, his brows knitting together, "Where's Savage?"

"I have no idea; he just got up and left when you two started arguing," I heard Fives say.

I turned around and noticed that only two of the three were still in the room, and the spot where Savage had been was now empty. I pressed my tongue against the inside of my cheek, "Looks like we have our answer."

"Savage? No way, he wouldn't do that." Maul quickly jumped to defend his best friend, who I think might also be a second cousin—though we never really sorted that out, and none of us ever bothered to ask.

I shifted my gaze back to Maul, narrowing my eyes. "He was just here a moment ago, Maul, and he bolted as soon as he heard what we were talking about. If that doesn't scream guilt, I don't know what does."

"I'll track him down and have a word with him, alright?" He sighed, rubbing his temples and nudging the sandwich on the floor away from the walkway, "It might just be a coincidence; he's not a fan of confrontation and tends to be sensitive," he continued to defend him. "But hey, if you're so worried about your girlfriend finding out the truth, why not just tell her yourself? That way, you might have a shot at winning her forgiveness."

"I'm planning to tell her tonight," I admitted, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over me as I imagined her possible reactions. She could hit me, walk away, yell—anything, and I wasn't ready for any of it. "I'm really sorry for blaming you; I should have trusted you more. I'm just terrified of losing her, and Andres got into my head—like always." I took a seat in the chair next to him.

He extended his hand toward me, saying, "I don't hold it against you; I can be a bit of a loudmouth sometimes. But remember, I'm your brother, and I'll always support you."

I grinned as I took his hand, and we shared a brief hug that was more of a quick pat on the back. "So, does that mean I can rely on you to keep an eye out for me at the festival tonight? I have a feeling Andres will be there," I speculated, though deep down, I was pretty sure of it.

Maul nodded in agreement. "Absolutely! But first, I need to track down Savage and get some answers from him. He's a good kid, Kin, and I doubt he'd share anything with Andres on his own."

I wasn't entirely convinced. Maul seemed to overlook Savage's guilt, but the kid definitely looked uneasy right now. This might seem like a minor issue, but if he's willing to talk to Andres about it, what else could he be revealing to the enemy?

It was just the three of us there—Piett included. I trusted Piett completely, so that really only left Savage, Fives, and Echo. But Savage was the one who looked the most guilty.

"I really hope you're right. Now, let's go," I said as I got to my feet and gestured for him to follow. "There's a food truck down the street, and I owe you a breakfast sandwich."

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Sorry for taking so long to post 🥺❤️ I know this one was boring but it was just a short little filler that's meant to set up the next chapter which is the festival and shit is about to go down.
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