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Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 33
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2.4k words

Anakin's POV
The moment my girlfriend swung open the door, I felt my jaw nearly hit the floor—she was absolutely stunning.

A playful smirk danced across her lips as my gaze roamed over her figure, taking in the outfit that was different from her usual style, yet it clung to her in all the right ways. Honestly, she could wear a dress made of twigs, and I would still consider her the most beautiful girl in existence.

"Do you like it?" she questioned, her eyes sparkling as they met mine.

"That's an understatement," I replied, reaching out to grasp her hand, pulling her closer until her body pressed against mine. "You look breathtaking, babe." The best part was that we matched, which explained her earlier question about what color I intended to wear tonight. Initially, I found it odd and casually mentioned red, but then I went out and bought a red shirt to honor my word. I had a hunch that her question was more than just casual curiosity.

Her smile broadened as I gently cupped her soft cheek with my free hand, my heart racing faster with every second I was lost in her gaze. "I knew you'd like it," she said, rising onto her toes to press her lips against mine. The thrill that coursed through me with each kiss was indescribable—euphoric was the only word that came close.

As I savored the moment, the sound of a throat clearing pulled us apart sooner than I wished. "Hey there," Piett waved, drawing our attention. "I'm still here; now where's my Princess?"

"Princess?" Josie emerged, her outfit echoing (y/n)'s but with subtle differences in color and shorts instead of jeans. "I am a Queen." She stood proudly before Piett, her smile radiant.

"My apologies, your highness," he said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it before bowing dramatically, which made her giggle. "Are you in search of a King, gorgeous?"

She shrugged playfully, a mischievous grin on her face. "Not every Queen needs a King to rule, but I could settle for a jester."

He let out a soft laugh as he clasped her hand, drawing her in for a kiss. That was my signal to divert my gaze and plant a gentle kiss on my girls cheek. "Are you ready to head out?"

Her face lit up with a radiant smile, excitement dancing in her eyes. "Absolutely, I want us to ride the Ferris wheel and take a picture," she exclaimed, lifting something from her side. It took me a moment to realize she had been holding a camera. She glanced down at it, her fingers fidgeting nervously. "It belongs to my dad, but he said I could use it tonight, unless you'd rather not—"

"Of course I'd love to," I replied, taking the camera from her with a reassuring smile. Her eyes sparkled with joy, and my thoughts drifted to Clovis. She always seemed hesitant to ask me for even the simplest things, and I couldn't help but blame him for her shyness. That idiot should have cherished her more. But his loss was my fortune—that is, if she didn't decide to leave me after tonight. "Come on, let's take one now." I leaned in and kissed her cheek while aiming the camera at us, capturing the moment.

"Can you take one of us too?" Piett piped up as I lowered the camera.

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "Your ugly face will break it—"

"Ani," my girlfriend chided, playfully smacking my arm before snatching the camera from my hands. I chuckled at her reaction. "Yes, Piett, I'll take it," she said, lifting the camera and peering through the small lens, stepping back to find a better angle. I watched her with admiration; she had a natural flair for this. The camera seemed to fit her perfectly. "Alright, say cheese!"

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Laughter erupted from (Y/n) as she devoured a fluffy mound of cotton candy, her joy radiating like sunlight. "Honestly, I can't believe you two are still breathing," she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with amusement. With one hand occupied by mine, she took a bite of the sugary treat, not bothering to tear off a piece. I offered to feed her, but she scrunched her nose in playful defiance, declaring, in her own words, that she was "not a child."

"Not as shocked as we are," Piett replied with a chuckle, his arm comfortably draped around Josie, the girl who had captured his heart. She was blissfully unaware of the wager that had brought us all together, and honestly, I was glad for him. Yet, beneath his carefree demeanor lay the same fear I felt about revealing the truth to (Y/n). Piett had been in on the secret from the start, and he feared it would shatter Josie's perception of him. That's why we had agreed to face to tell them together—we're each other's anchor in the storm.

For now, however, we intended to savor every moment with our girls, determined not to let anything spoil our fun—as if god was never on our side, Maul appeared. His gaze flitted between Piett and me before landing on the girls. "Hey there, ladies. Sorry to crash your little rendezvous, but I need to borrow your boyfriends for a quick second." He gestured toward me with a nod of his head. I followed his gaze, spotting Savage lurking between two food stalls, clearly up to something.

Josie glared at Maul, her frustration evident as she stepped forward, shaking off Piett's arm with a dismissive flick. "You know, I still owe you a piece of my mind for your little stunt at the garage. My brother hasn't spoken to me since." Her voice was sharp, but Maul dismissed her with an amused expression, as if she were merely a feisty little puppy trying to assert itself.

Typically, Maul was quick to defend himself, his aggression is a well-known trait. Yet, given that this was Piett's girlfriend, he seemed to abide by an unspoken code of respect for significant others, choosing to hold his tongue instead.

With a resigned sigh and a roll of his eyes, he replied, "I'm sorry about that. I assumed he was aware—after all, you were practically glued to him in the corner of his garage while he was just ten feet away."

Josie huffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "We were not glued together."

"Mm, yes, you were," Maul countered, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yeah, we were, babe," Piett chimed in, a hint of mischief in his tone.

Josie shot him a sharp look. "Whose side are you on?"

Piett shifted uncomfortably, glancing between his girlfriend and Maul. "Uh, hey An, why don't we check out what they need? We'll catch up with you girls in a minute." He gave a thumbs-up, wisely extricating himself from the brewing tension.

Turning my attention to (y/n), I reached out and plucked a stray piece of cotton from the corner of her mouth, chuckling softly. "What do you think he wants?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Not sure, but knowing Maul, it's probably nothing that important," I lied, the weight of my deception growing heavier.

Lately, I had been telling her too many lies, and it gnawed at me. The truth loomed over me like a storm cloud, and I knew that when I finally revealed it, the burden would lift. I promised myself then that I would never lie to her again.

I reached into my pocket, retrieving my wallet for her. "Here, treat yourself to that churro you've been eyeing since we arrived. I promise I'll be back before you even take a bite," I said, placing the cash in her palm. This time, she accepted it without protest, unlike when I had bought her the cotton candy.

"Alright, but make it quick! I want to ride the Ferris wheel next," she replied, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She leaned in and pressed a quick kiss on my cheek before we went our separate ways.

As I approached Savage, the lightness in my mood evaporated, replaced by a weighty seriousness. "Don't take it out on him," Maul interjected, walking beside me as we neared. "It's not his fault. Just hear him out before you unleash that legendary temper of yours."

I shot him a sidelong glance but remained silent, halting in front of Savage, who appeared utterly frightened. "So," I began, with Piett to my right and Maul to my left, "you've been in contact with Andres?" My voice was steady, betraying the tension brewing beneath the surface.

Savage shook his head vigorously. "No, I—"

"Oh, so you didn't mention that incident in the bakery to him?" I asked in a condescending tone, tilting my head slightly.

"Yes, I did," he confessed, a shadow of guilt clouding his gaze. "But please, let me explain," he implored. Despite my simmering anger, I motioned for him to go on, striving to keep my irritation in check. "Last week, I was walking home from the garage when Andres and a couple of his friends confronted me. They bombarded me with questions about you and her," he said, nodding toward (y/n). I swatted his hand down, glancing over to see if she noticed, but she was too busy laughing with Josie, waiting in line for churros. "Sorry," he muttered quickly. "Anyway, he kept bringing up the fact that she's the daughter of a cop. Then he started calling you a rat, saying that rats belong in sewers." The implication was clear—it was becoming obvious why Savage was so terrified; Andres was practically issuing a death threat for my association with her, convinced that my relationship would lead me to spill everything. "When he asked if I knew how long you two had been together or why you were with her, I mentioned the bet. I thought if he realized it was just a wager, he'd back off from you and the rest of us."

I exhaled heavily, burying my face in my hands, fingers tangling in my hair in frustration. "That's the problem, Savage. It's not just a bet anymore, and he's trying to use it against me."

"I know, and I'm really sorry," he said, his voice trembling. The poor kid was on the brink of tears; he was too young for this chaos, the youngest among us and undoubtedly the most innocent.

"It's alright," I said, stepping closer and resting my hand on his shoulder. "You meant well, and that's what counts, okay? Come here." I pulled him into a hug, letting out a soft sigh. "Thank you for trying to look out for me."

Now, guilt washed over me for having doubted him in the first place.

(Y/n)'s POV
"Thank you," I said, accepting the churro with a grin, then turned away from the stand while Josie indulged in the cotton candy I had nearly discarded.

With a satisfied sigh, she popped another fluffy piece into her mouth. "Why is it that the unhealthiest foods are always the most delicious?"

I laughed softly, savoring a bite of my churro as I glanced over at Anakin, who was wrapped in a warm embrace with his friend Savage. My brow furrowed in thought as I continued to enjoy my treat. "I wonder what's going on over there," I mused aloud. "Do you think they had a fight and are now making up?"

"Maybe someone died," Josie replied with a casual shrug, prompting me to turn my head sharply in her direction, eyes wide with disbelief.

"I seriously doubt Maul would have been as calm as he was if someone had actually died, Josie," I countered, knowing her tendency to leap to the most dramatic conclusions.

"Maul," she spat his name with disdain, tearing off a hefty chunk of cotton candy. "I still want to give him a piece of my mind for exposing me and Piett to my brother like that."

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "You can't hold a grudge against him, Jo. It was an honest mistake. Besides, you admitted you should have told Rex sooner instead of keeping it a secret."

She shifted her gaze from Maul to me, letting out a resigned sigh. "I know, but I guess I'm just looking for someone to blame. He wouldn't even meet my eyes at breakfast this morning, and it stings a bit." With that, she tossed the remaining cotton candy into the nearby trash can—her appetite always dwindled when she felt down.

As I prepared to offer her some comfort, a chillingly familiar voice slithered up from behind us, halting me in my tracks. "Wow, now that was a waste," he chuckled, the sound dripping with mockery.

Josie and I spun around in unison, our gazes locking onto the vibrant eyes of Andres. Following behind him were three of his friends, all faces I recognized too well. "She wasn't hungry anymore. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're late to meet our boyfriends," I managed to force a smile, gripping Josie's wrist and tugging her away from his presence. My mind was set on one destination—Anakin.

"Running off to little Ani? How adorable," he taunted, his voice oozing with condescension. "But you might want to reconsider after you hear what I have to say." He elongated his words, as if dangling a tempting fruit just out of reach, but I pressed on, determined to ignore his baiting. "Your boyfriend is a liar," he called out, his voice slicing through the distance I had created. "He's only dating you for a bet."

That statement struck a nerve, not just with me but with Josie as well.

We both halted, exchanging glances that spoke volumes, my heart racing like a runaway train. I desperately wanted to dismiss his claim, yet the tumultuous month I had endured had taught me to brace for the unexpected.

I turned back to face Andres, locking eyes with him. He had closed the gap during our retreat, standing no more than five feet away. "What did you just say?" I demanded, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.

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Sorry for the long wait, but thank you for the patience ❤️
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