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."

"Don't call me that shit-" she paused, running after him and following him down the stairs. "Because you and I both know if you do you won't leave this house with all them fingers." She grabbed the back of his collar and ragged him backward, pushing him against the wall. "Apologise, Cameron. Apologise."

Cameron stared at her. "What the fuck is going on in 'ere." Arthur stormed through, his eyes wide at the scene he'd walked in on. Maeve didn't move, not in the slightest. "I said fucking apologise!" She shouted, causing everyone in the house to wince.

"You won't do a thing, Maeve." He taunted. "You broke my nose, what more can you do?"

"Take your fucking eyes, that's what I can do." Maeve hissed, feeling the lump in her throat grow. Arthur scoffed, "Maeve enough, no more violence. I've already heard what you've done to that Blake lad." Arthur warned. She ignored him. "Maeve i said enough."

Maeve hesitantly let go of him. "And you, you fuck off. Now, before I take your eyes myself." Arthur threatened, pointing a finger at him.

The moment Cameron left, Arthur gave Maeve a look of disappointment. "You've got to stop doing this, Maeve. This has happened so many times."

"You're one to talk, shall we have a conversation about that boy you almost killed last month?" Maeve retorted. Arthur took a deep breath, trying his best not to get angry with her.

"Maeve, all i'm saying is-"

"I know exactly what you're saying and I don't want to hear it. I'm sick on nobody understanding me!" Maeve shouted, "i can't control any of this- it just happens and then I can't stop. It's like someone's knocked over domino's and they won't stop falling."

Arthur felt sorry for her, he really did. Maeve Shelby was too much like her father and it pained him to see.

"You're fragile Maeve," he began, "not like a flower but like a bomb. And i understand that, you're my daughter-" Arthur stuttered slightly, having a tight grip on the sides of her arms, "but this has got to stop."

"Yes. Okay, you've said. Now let go of me," Maeve huffed, shrugging him off her and grabbing her jacket. "I'm going out."

"Be back by five." He shouted, hoping she heard him but she'd already closed the door.

"It's all right Arthur, it's not your fault." Polly said from the kitchen, looking at him with sympathetic eyes. He sniffed, "yeah..yeah i know. Not my fault," he said as if he was trying to convince himself. "Not my fault.." he repeated, staring at the door.

Maeve was walking down Garrison lane, hugging her coat to her chest and keeping her head down. The cold had already rushed to her face, the tip of her nose going a light pink colour. It was only four in the evening and it was already going ever so dark. Winter was coming and she loved that.

But what she didn't love was feeling like she was going utterly insane.

Maeve felt like she'd frozen on the spot when she spotted Theadosia making conversation with the blonde barmaid from the Garrison. The same barmaid that had something off about her. Something Maeve couldn't shake off.

Theadosia had looked over Grace's shoulder and seen Maeve, suddenly struggling to get her words out.

"Is everything okay?" Grace asked, a frown appearing on her face. Theadosia ripped her eyes away from Maeve and hummed, "yes, everything's fine. I'll speak to you soon, Grace. Update me when you can."

Maeve didn't know what to do when the pair separated, Thea clearly avoiding Maeve's eyes. "Thea.." Maeve approached her slowly in hopes she'd stop walking. "Theadosia please."

"I've got somewhere to be."

"Thea, i just want to talk. Why have you been ignoring me?" She asked calmly. Theadosia finally stopped but still avoided her gaze. "Maeve please don't make me answer that."

"Why not? We need to talk about..what happened." Maeve lowered her voice. Thea looked up, panic arising in her. "No we don't."

"Yes. Yes we do. You can't just do that to me. You can't do what you did then refuse to give me an explanation- it's just..not okay!"

"Maeve there is no explanation! I did what I did and i can't take that back. Surely it's self explanatory." Thea snapped, wanting to just go home. Maeve bit her tongue and thought for a moment. "Come to the stables with me, please? We can talk. You've always loved coming the stables with me, Thea." Maeve pleaded.

Thea's breath was shaky and she looked away for a moment. "Fine." She gave in.

The walk over to the stables was extremely quiet and slightly awkward. Neither of them knew what to say. But once they arrived, they both sat on the small piles of hay, beside each other.

"Go on then, talk." Maeve huffed. Thea frowned at her. "Sorry," Maeve quickly apologised, pulling her knees up to her chest. Theadosia took a deep breath and looked at the wooden fences. "Maeve you've put me in an awkward position..i've got no idea what to tell you. I hoped you'd have gotten the message-"

"Thea..you know i can't even count to ten." Maeve cut in, hoping to make her laugh. And she did, Thea laughed slightly, her laugh echoing. "It's just..lately i've realised that i don't look at boys the same way i look at you. Cameron and Max, they just aren't the same." She played with her fingers as if she were ashamed. "And it's making me feel so..disgusting because i'm supposed to like boys, right? But i've had nobody to talk to about it and when you were constantly going on about Cameron i suppose it annoyed me."

She paused. "So i kissed you. I shouldn't have, i know that. It was totally wrong of me to do that especially because i didn't even ask and i've probably ruined everything-"

Maeve began drowning out her next few words whilst she admired who she thought was her best friend. A strange feeling washed over her and she, without thinking, gently grabbed Thea's face and kissed her the same way Thea kissed her only days before.

The brunette girl stopped talking and relaxed slightly, taking a few seconds before she kissed Maeve back. Maeve hadn't even realised what she'd just done until they both pulled away.

But this time neither of them ran off, they didn't argue or ignore each other. They just say there, looking at each other. Theadosia filled with happiness and relief, Maeve filled with confusion and doubt. Deep down she knew that she did like boys. But there was something about Thea in that moment that switched something in her mind.

Maeve's feelings were soon replaced with worry when she once again realised what happened. And what would happen if anyone were to find out about it.

"Thea," she whispered, not realising that their pinky fingers had interlocked on the wooden floor, "please don't tell anyone." Maeve asked, pure panic in her eyes. A small smile tugged at the corners of Theadosia's lips. "Maeve my mum would murder me if she ever found out. And your dad..well i don't think he'd care but i know how some of your family can be."

She let out a breath of relief and nodded. "Thank you."

Maeve wasn't 100% sure how she felt toward the Roberts girl, all she knew was that in that moment, she didn't care. As long as nobody found out.

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