Two Months N.M

t h i r t y e i g h t

Devon Devereaux

"Uncle Hayes!" Sage shouted running up to him, Nate following behind.

I turned around and looked back at Tucker as I picked up the bottle of sunscreen just about to call Sage back over to put more on her. "Are you gonna tell me what happened in LA?" Tucker asked.

I looked at Tucker debating, Nate and all the boys get along if they found out what happened i'd ruin their blossoming friendship. I looked behind to see Sage starting to drag Hayes into the public pool. "Sage, come here please!" I shouted over all the other people here. She looked up at me and Hayes and Nate.

Sage looked up at Hayes and Nate saying something then grabbing one of each of their hands, dragging them over to us. I sighed opening the bottle of sunscreen and putting some in the palm of my hand.

"Look it, uncle Hayes and," she squinted at Nate trying to remeber his name. "Nate came!" She pointed at him after a moment causing him to laugh.

"I see." I laughed. "Let's put more on, okay?" I said holding up my hand with the sunscreen.

"Okay!" She smiled and jumped in front of me, her smile never leaving her face.

"You can get back in once you eat," I told her, Jai and Cole should be here any minute with her food.

"Okay," she said just a little less happy.

"I bet if you ask Hayes, he'll go swimming with you after you eat." I told her. Her eyes widened and she stood in front of Hayes smiling and looking up at him.

"Uncle Hayes, will you swim with me once I eat my chicken!?" She smiled big at him, giving him puppy dog eyes.

Hayes smiled and bent down picking her up. "Of course, duh." He said about to tickle her.

I looked to the right of Hayes where Nate stood, I offered him a smile but he just looked at me then back at the interaction between Hayes and Sage.

"Sage, here you go." Jai walked up plopping down next to me and opening the McDonald's happy meal for her.

"Put me down!" Sage laughed and wiggled in Hayes arm. "I-I have to eat!" She laughed nonstop.

"Oh, fine." Hayes smiled and set her down. She wiggled her way on the pool lounger between me and Jai.

Nate Maloley

Sage started to dig into her chicken nuggets humming happily as everyone talked, Devon and I being the only ones quiet.

"What time is Ree' getting here?" Hayes asked.

Devon picked up her phone and stood up, my eyes fixated on the very faded purple marks on her chest, just about a week old and fading. "I'm gonna go call him acutally." She said holding up her phone and walking away out the entrance to the pool.

I told Hayes I was gonna go to the bathroom and he nodded knowing I was most likely lying. I took the same path as Devon did and started to walk up to her when she turned around. We stood about five feet apart.

She looked at me, scanning my face. "I thought you'd be on a plane headed to the west coast." She said softly.

"I wasn't gonna leave till I tell you something." I told her and she furrowed her eyebrows.

She looked down at the ground as she crossed her arms then looking back up at me. "More insults?" She inquired softly.

I sighed. "No."

"Then what is it Nate?" She still spoke softly obviously not wanting to agrue.

"First I have a question." I said. She looked lost. "Who?" I spoke as softly as she did. She looked even more lost so I sighed looking at the ground but before I met her eyes I looked at the faded hickies for a moment.

Her eyes followed mine then she covered them up, or tried to by pulling at her bikini top.

"Who?" I asked again softly.

She sucked her lips in. "Jai." She whispered.

"When Jacob accused you of having what ever with a guy named Jai, this Jai, he was right?" I asked.

She let out a long sigh and shut her eyes, when she opened them she sat down on the wall next to her and I walked closer to her.

Her eyes stayed on the cement floor. "Jai and I, we use to be," I looked for the right word, not being able to find it. "I don't even know, we hadn't labeled what we had. So yeah Jacob was right. It ended tho then me and Jacob got togther then after that me and Jai started it back up again but it didn't feel the same. So I ended it completely."

I sat down next to her. "Then what about-?" I cut myself off.

She looked at me. "The night I got home, Reese was still in a cell and Sage and Cole were asleep so Jai and I with the boys had some drinks-"

"And since you were hurt you drank and drank and got drunk?" I asked, causing her to nod.

"We then, yeah." She finished her story.

"I'm sorry." I told her. She shrugged.

"Its whatever." She said and I could tell she was biting the inside of her cheek something she does when she's thinking. "What did you want to tell me that will make you leave?"

"I told you last night I panicked and I didn't tell you why." I looked down.

"Are you gonna tell me?" She asked curious.

I let out a deep sigh and grabbed her hands playing with them, she tensed up not expecting it. "I said those things because I panicked. I had panicked because the moments leading up to that, seeing you at the show even though I knew you were exhausted because we stayed up all night and being on the couch," I dragged on, looking at her hands still.

"Spit it out, Nate." She sighed, defeated.

"I realized I'm falling in love with you." I admitted.

"No you aren't." She said softly after a few moments of staring into my eyes and she took her hands away from me.

"Yes, I am Devon."

She stood up and stood in front of me. "You can't be, you don't know anything about me, Nate."

I just started up at her. I stood up and grabbed her hands again looking down at her, holding her hands at our sides. "I am falling in love with you Devon."