𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚋𝚎? {𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚘𝚗}

'ʜᴀʟғ ᴀ ʀᴏʟʟ,

The boys gathered around to start a fire, each more convinced that their way was better than the others. Todd and I were sitting on a large rock watching it unfold.

"You excited?"

"Nervous might be a better word." He gave a hesitant smile.

Not even five minutes after Neil had left my room, Knox knocked thrice to let me know we were leaving. That meant the two loverboys did not have a chance to talk. I doubted if they would just lay out how they felt right away, but they still needed each other. With labels or not, they were each other's greatest support.

The thought left me feeling a bit cold. I hugged myself tighter, trying to get rid of the horrible feeling of being undeniably alone. Their happiness meant the world to me, and I found myself mentally cursing for being so self-centered.

Focusing on other things, my mind chose to wander over Neil's parting words. 

You have my approval to date him.

Approval? I scoffed. I didn't need his approval. I chose to avoid questioning who "him" really was. A part of me knew already, but I intended to keep that part hidden until it eventually suffocates to death. Saying it out loud, or even thinking it would make it all too real.

I wasn't ready for that.

Smoke quickly brought me out of my thoughts, and into a coughing fit.

"God, are you trying to smoke us out of here?" Charlie asked, directing his question to nobody in particular. He was not even slightly affected by the smoke, but the agitation in his voice was clear as day.

I swallowed my coughs, my throat burning from not being allowed to release its irritation. I gritted my teeth as if holding my coughs back would somehow hold these feelings back too. 

Meeks answered, "No, no, the smoke is going right out of this opening."

Pitts looked at me and suddenly stood up, his tall frame hitting the low-hanging ceiling of the cave. "Are you okay? You're all... red."

I nodded, still holding my coughs in. The boys all turned to analyze me.

"You do look quite flushed," Knox added.

"Not in a good way." Charlie piped up.

I opened my mouth in retort and fell into a coughing fit instead. Good going, Della.

Todd shifted to his side and put his hand on my back, slightly thumping it. Cameron gave me his water bottle and rubbed my knees.

I took a sip. Then another. When my coughs finally stopped, my eyes fell on Neil who was standing back with an almost devious smile directed at the spot Cameron's hand was.

Oh.

Oh, fuck no.

I turned away pulling my legs to myself, leaving Cameron and Todd utterly flabbergasted. Returning his bottle with a quiet thank you, I sunk more into the corner hoping the eyes on me take the hint and look anywhere else.

Thankfully, they caught on and ignored my hysterics. A single pair of eyes never left my trembling figure, but I didn't dare look in his direction. God, he was insolent. How could Neil possibly derive Cameron of all people, to be the brave one who would date his sister? Especially when the one clouding my thoughts was so openly interested in me?

Was he interested? Yes. But I wasn't sure if it was real. To him, I was just a girl. Something new to toy with until he found another pretty and shiny thing. Did I want it to be real?