inhale, kevin day.

x. tales of our blood

chapter ten
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"Nicky thinks I'm mean to you."

     Abby continued stirring away at her pot, unbothered as she got a head start on dinner because she'd be busy later,"Nicky doesn't have a copy of our rule book, and we've been playing the game for far too long that we've completely tossed it out ourselves, but we have a mutual understanding."

     "Basically, he doesn't know that you're mean back." Maeve deadpanned as she looked away from watching Echo swim around, Abby slammed a cutting board and knife down in front of her and gave her a stern look, but it wasn't real and Maeve could tell she was actually amused. She accepted the carrots that came next and began to chop.

     "I was going to say he doesn't know all we've— you've been through to get here, to this point now. And that's a result of you not talking to him, or anyone, but sure." She shrugged.

     Maeve rolled her eyes,"I talk to Betsy."

     "You have to talk to Betsy." Abby scoffed,"She's also twice your age before you think about saying that you talk to me."

     "Well I could eliminate at least half my issues if my friends that are my age weren't such fucking assholes—" Abby glared at her over her shoulder for her choice of language and she rose her hands in defense,"What? Sorry, but okay, they are, and that's exactly why I don't associate with them anymore."

     "They weren't very good friends to begin with." Abby sighed,"Friends don't encourage friends to fall back into bad habits, or call them buzzkill when they don't agree, or turn to the next available body when they leave, or—"

"I get it." Maeve closed her eyes, she rubbed her temple slowly,"I don't wanna talk about it— them... her... anymore."

     "Okay, next topic," Abby tried to be subtle as the following words left her mouth,"Running, with Kevin."

     Maeve rolled her eyes,"He was there when I was leaving and he asked to come along and I didn't say no, it doesn't mean anything and it probably won't happen again, he can't keep up and he has a staring problem."

     Another shrug. "Maybe he likes you."

     She thought back to all the times Kevin had yelled at her for being a shitty backliner and she shouted back that it was a result of shitty communication, the many arguments they'd had over her form of defense and his entitlement. She thought back to that very morning and kissing him... the feel of his mouth and the way it painted a vivid picture across the canvas of her heart, she had breathed his air and tasted his soul.

     All for him to reject her.

     She came back down to her senses, she was still mid conversation with Abby and she spoke before her sudden silence made her seem suspicious,"Nah, he's got a one track mind— Exy 24/7. Plus he's way too arrogant to love anyone other than himself."

     "Or maybe he just needs someone to change that." Abby suggested nicely.

     "People don't change other people." Maeve countered with a scowl,"And even if they did, it certainly wouldn't be me to change him. Besides, you know how I feel about getting involved with your teammates."