Chapter 5 - "The truth comes out at night"

Maeve felt confused by what he said. But she remembered it, how could she not? 

It was magical, it was sweet. He told her stories as she drifted to sleep, but unfortunately, she didn't hear them all.

It made her wonder: Was she supposed to hear something she missed because she fell asleep? And, was it an embarrassing thing?

"Of course I did, silly!" Maeve teased, though beneath the jest, her suspicion lingered.

And William's reaction only fueled it. Maybe he really said something embarrassing while she was sleeping.

His surprise tone was palpable. Oh, how she wished she could see his face in that moment, she tried to contain her laughter.

"What?" William's voice sounded surprised. Maeve wanted to see his face to know how he looked at that exact moment. "You, you did?!"

Maeve enjoyed teasing him, but she also wanted to know what he had actually said. His surprised and embarrassed tone suggested he might have said something embarrassing. People often reveal their true feelings at night, by impulse. Fortunately, Maeve was half asleep, so she didn't have the energy to say much, just to listen. But William seemed full of energy and could have said a million things. And Maeve wanted to know what.

"Yup, I was listening to your stories," she said with a smirk. She heard him sigh in relief, but she kept teasing him. "Wasn't I supposed to be listening until I fell asleep?"

"YES," William replied quickly. "I mean, yes," he added softly. Maeve almost couldn't contain her laughter.

Still, she wanted to know what he said.

"Did you... maybe, say something embarrassing?" She pressed on, hoping to get him to admit what he said.

But before he could answer, she stopped him. She didn't want him to deny saying anything, so she decided to wait.

"Wait," Maeve said. "Let's talk tomorrow."

William collapsed onto his bed, the soft mattress enveloping him as he clutched the walkie-talkie tightly in his hand. 

The dim light from the bedside lamp cast a gentle glow across the room, creating a soothing atmosphere. His parents always said "I love you" at the end of phone calls, a simple yet meaningful gesture that had become a habit over the years. 

So, when he had spoken those words to Maeve moments ago, it had felt like the natural thing to do.

But as he lay there in the quiet of his room, his mind began to wander. Why did it feel so different when he said those three little words to Maeve? 

It wasn't just the familiarity of the phrase; it was something more, something he couldn't quite put into words. The way his heart had raced as he spoke, the slight tremor in his voice – it all hinted at a depth of feeling he hadn't anticipated.

He tried to push the thoughts aside, telling himself it was just a friendly gesture. 

After all, people say 'I love you'  to their friends all the time, don't they? But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to it, something he wasn't quite ready to confront.

As he lay there, staring up at the ceiling, he realized that sleep eluded him. His heart continued to beat erratically, a persistent reminder of the emotions swirling inside him. Try as he might, he couldn't quiet the thoughts that raced through his mind.

Eventually, exhaustion began to weigh heavily on him, pulling at his eyelids and coaxing him towards sleep. But even as he drifted off, the question lingered in his mind, tugging at the edges of his consciousness like a persistent whisper in the darkness.

As the morning sun peeked through her window, Maeve sprang out of bed and made her way to the park. Once again, she found only Sophie waiting there.

"Hey, Sophie," Maeve greeted warmly.

"Hi, Maeve," Sophie replied with a smile.

Maeve's eyes scanned the park, looking for William. "Where's William?" she inquired.

Sophie's response came with a hint of mischief. "Oh, he's under the weather. Woke up with a cough and hasn't budged from his bed," she teased.

Concern flashed across Maeve's face. "Is he okay?" she asked anxiously.

Sophie reassured her. "He's fine, just a pesky cold. But if you're so worried, why not pay him a visit?"

Maeve recognized Sophie's playful tone and shot her a knowing glance. "Enough with the teasing," she chided, half-annoyed, half-amused.

The two friends spent the day enjoying each other's company, but Maeve's thoughts kept drifting back to William. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, she made up her mind.

"I think I'll go check on William now," Maeve declared to Sophie.

Sophie nodded, with that teasing look of 'I know very well how you look at my brother' again. Even though that it sent shivers down Maeve's spine every time she had that look, Maeve was grateful for her friend's understanding as she headed off to see William, cherishing the privacy she would have with him.

Sophie always seemed to know just what she needed.

William's house, much like Maeve's, boasted two floors, with his bedroom tucked away on the second. Despite the countless times they had visited each other's homes, Maeve could only recall a handful of instances when she had ventured into William's room.

It wasn't that they lacked trust in each other's spaces—well, maybe Maeve didn't trust William to go to her room because when she did invite him, her room was transformed into a scene resembling a hurricane's aftermath —but rather, they preferred to play outdoors, something that would have surprised a younger Maeve.

Upon stepping into William's room, however, Maeve was taken aback, so much that she had to double check. His room was clean, spotless —a contrast to her expectations.

"Are you coming in or just admiring the view?" William quipped from beneath his bedcovers. "I cleaned up, you know. Don't give me that look."

Maeve couldn't help but tease him in return. "Sure, sure, I totally believe you," she replied, dripping with sarcasm.

William persisted, undeterred. "Believe it or not, it's true," he insisted. "Sophie mentioned you were dropping by, so I figured I'd make a bit of an effort."

Cursing Sophie under her breath, Maeve couldn't help but wonder if her actions had become too predictable.

"I'm not falling for this again!" Maeve said to William.

The first time she walked into his room, it was surprisingly neat, much like it appears now. Maeve couldn't help but be astonished that someone who willingly jumped in mud puddles to catch her attention could keep his space so tidy.

Instead of voicing her surprise, she decided to investigate, making sure William remained oblivious.

She checked under the bed—clean. Behind the curtains—nothing. But when she opened his closet, an avalanche of trash came out, prompting a startled yelp from Maeve who got buried under the mess.

A panicked "No!" escaped William, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment, as he desperately tried to conceal the clutter from her prying eyes.

A memorable moment, Maeve mused, but she wouldn't be fooled again.

She swung open the closet door, fully expecting a similar deluge, but to her surprise, nothing fell out. William smirked knowingly.

She eyed him suspiciously, searching every corner for evidence of clutter. Yet, much to her disbelief, she found none.

"I told you, I'm a clean person," he smirked, enjoying teasing her.

"I still don't believe you," she replied.

"You can believe whatever you want," he teased back, but she felt a little upset.

"So, can I trust you to be honest and tell me what you said the other day on the walkie-talkie?" Maeve inquired, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration. The air around them grew heavy with anticipation as she awaited William's response.

"That..." William hesitated, his gaze drifting momentarily before returning to meet Maeve's eyes.

"What? You're not going to tell me?" Maeve's eyebrows furrowed in disappointment, her tone betraying her annoyance. "You'll share everything else but not that!?"

"I'll tell you... eventually," William murmured, his words trailing off as uncertainty lingered in the space between them.

Sensing Maeve's frustration, William reached out and gently placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "Do you trust me?" he asked, his voice soft and earnest.

Maeve's breath caught in her throat for a moment before she whispered, "Yes..." Her response was barely audible, but it carried with it a sense of vulnerability and hope.

They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their unspoken words hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Then, as if breaking through the tension, William suggested, "Close your eyes, Maeve."

As Maeve obediently closed her eyes, she felt a soft touch against her cheek, warm and fleeting. 

A kiss.

 Her heart skipped a beat, but she resisted the urge to open her eyes, savoring the moment of mystery and anticipation.

"Open your eyes, Maeve," William's voice broke through the silence, gentle yet firm.

Slowly, she complied, blinking her eyes open to find William with an olive on his hand.

"Olive peace?" William repeated, his eyes searching hers for a response.

They had this tradition where, after a fight, they exchanged an olive as a gesture of peace, even though Maeve was the one who truly enjoyed olives.

She smiled at his offer.

"Yeah," she replied softly, her voice filled with sincerity and gratitude. "Thank you."

What Maeve didn't know, was that, with that kiss he had already answered her question.

5 years later... 


A/N: Now we're gonna jump 5 years, and Maeve and William will be almost thirteen! But this is only the first jump, there will be one more soon. Did you guys like this chapter? What do you think will happen? 

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