A/N: Hey guys, hope you're all okay and staying safe!x Sorry for disappearing but my laptop stopped working 6 times over the last month. To the extent that I bought a new laptop, which also stopped working. So I haven't had a lot of opportunity to write plus I'm going through the worst case of writer's block. I'm trying to figure out where to take the story, that's not to say I'm ending it, just that updates might take some time but I'm working on it. To anyone who has read, voted on or reviewed this story, thank you! I appreciate the support so much and I hope you like the direction the story takes xx
Otis snuck out of Maeve's bed and began to get dressed. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that him and Maeve had sex. He had always been awkward when came to his feelings, especially when it came to expressing them to other people. He was afraid of saying the wrong thing, which is why he decided to cook Maeve breakfast, just to show her how much last night meant to him.
Just as he was about to walk out of the room, he turned to make sure Maeve was still sleeping. He couldn't help but stand there and stare at her for a few moments. She was sleeping on her stomach, her mouth slightly open with her hair untidily covering her face. She was a complete mess but Otis had never loved her more. She was beginning to turn around a little, almost as if she was on the verge of waking up. Otis decided to rush out of the room, not wanting to miss the opportunity of giving Maeve breakfast in bed.
He entered the kitchen as quietly as possible, shutting the bedroom door behind him. He began opening random cabinets, hoping to find some ingredients for pancakes but all Maeve had was cereal and barely passable milk. Otis was somehow not surprised at that. So he decided to make them both a cup of coffee and cereal. Just as he was about to take their breakfast to Maeve, she walked out of the room. She was wearing one of her band t-shirts that was way too big for her and seeing her almost made Otis drop the bowl in his hand. It was crazy how beautiful she looked even when it was super early in the morning.
"Morning." Maeve said, walking up to Otis and kissing him as if her life depended on it.
"Morning." Otis said, as a blush crept up the back of his neck.
"What's all this?" Maeve asked, looking around.
"I wanted to give you pancakes in bed but you didn't have any ingredients so I decided on cereal in bed." Otis said.
"That's really sweet, but you didn't have to do that." Maeve said with her signature Otis smile.
"Yeah but I always fuck up when it comes to saying things so I wanted to do something to show you how much last night meant to me." Otis said.
"Last night meant a lot to me too." Maeve said, leaning in to kiss Otis again.
Just as they were about to kiss, Otis' phone buzzed.
"Who is it?" Maeve asked, her arms wrapped around Otis' neck.
"I don't know, I'll check later." Otis said, wrapping his arms around Maeve's waist.
Just as he was about to lean in again, Otis' phone buzzed a couple of more times.
"Oh for fuck's sake!" Otis said, pulling out his phone.
"Who is it?" Maeve asked.
"Ruby, she's asking when we're going to meet to discuss our assignment." Otis said.
Maeve had no idea what happened but hearing Ruby's name set off an alarm in her head. Since getting together with Otis, Maeve had gotten a lot better at handling her often-irrational fears but this was not one of those times.
"You should go for your meeting. " Maeve said.
"Oh it isn't for a while." Otis said, leaning in again.
"Oh I just remembered, I'm supposed to meet Aimee before school. I'm going to get ready." Maeve said, pulling away.
"Is everything okay?" Otis asked, confusion etched on his face.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Maeve asked, walking towards the bathroom.
"I don't know, you just suddenly seem to have gotten upset. Is it something I did?" Otis asked.
"No, I'll see you later." Maeve said.
Otis just stood there, staring at the closed bathroom door. He had no idea what had just happened but he couldn't help but wonder if this was Maeve starting to regret last night. He was nervous something like this would happen, that once they'd take this last step in their relationship, Maeve would realise she didn't really want him. All he wanted was to pound on her door and ask her what the fuck was going on in that head of hers but he decided against it. He knew it was never a good idea to push Maeve when she got like this. She needed space and even though Otis hated it, he knew he had to give her that. So he grabbed his stuff and reluctantly left Maeve's trailer, not knowing where he was headed.
"So you just left him?" Aimee asked, as she walked towards school with Maeve.
"I panicked!" Maeve said.
"Why?" Aimee asked.
"Because seeing Ruby's name triggered something in my head. It brought back everything I felt when I found out they'd slept together. All I could think about was how at this point in the relationship, one of us usually loses interest and what if that's what happens with Otis and I? What if he's just not into this anymore?" Maeve asked, looking panicked.
"Because Otis is unlike anyone you have ever been with. He's in love you and you're crazy about him. I know you've dated some dickheads but Otis isn't one of them." Aimee said.
"I know, you're right. But I've never been good at this relationship thing, I mean look at Jackson and I." Maeve said.
"What about you two?" Aimee asked.
"He's a great guy and after awhile I was just over the whole relationship thing." Maeve said.
"Are you worried Otis will lose interest or that you will?" Aimee asked.
"I don't know." Maeve said.
"And besides, you didn't leave Jackson because you were over being in a relationship, it was because you were so clearly in love with Otis that seeing you and Jackson together was just awkward at that point. He's a great guy, I agree but that's not why you left." Aimee said.
"You're right." Maeve said.
"Don't let the voice in your head wreck a good thing, Maeve." Aimee said, seriously.
"You're right, I'm just driving myself crazy. I'm letting my past get in the way of the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't keep doing this." Maeve said.
"Yeah, you can't. Go find him." Aimee said.
"Thanks, Aimes." Maeve said.
Maeve pulled out her phone to text Otis. "Can we talk?" She typed out quickly and began looking for him.
"Sure. See you in the field in 5?" Otis texted back with shaking hands. He wanted to seem normal but he was shit scared she was going to break up with him.
Maeve rushed to the field; she wanted to clear things up as fast as possible. She hated being in this weird place with Otis. She found him sitting in the bleachers and took a seat next to him.
"Hey." Maeve said.
"Hey." Otis said, the nervousness evident in his voice.
"About this morning.." Maeve began but was interrupted by Otis.
"Look if you regret what happened last night, I think we should talk about. I don't, not even a little bit; it was one of the best nights of my life. But if it wasn't for you, I promise, I'll try and talk through it with you." Otis said.
Maeve just stared at Otis, in awe of how understanding he was trying to be.
"Last night meant everything to me." Maeve said, quickly pecking Otis on his lips.
"Then what happened?" Otis asked.
"I just kind of panicked." Maeve said.
"Why?" Otis asked.
"Because usually at this point in the relationship, one of us loses interest and when I saw that text from Ruby, alarm bells started ringing in my head." Maeve said.
"You know there's nothing going on between Ruby and I, right?" Otis asked.
"Yeah, I do." Maeve said.
"Then what's wrong?" Otis asked.
"I don't know." Maeve said.
"I love you, Maeve. You know that right?" Otis asked.
"Yeah." Maeve said.
"I don't have any doubts about wanting to be with you. But I think you do." Otis said.
"I don't." Maeve said, not knowing what else to say.
"I don't know what kind of guys you dated before me but I'm not in this with you for the sex. I want to be with you, I have since the day we met. But I feel like you never really trust me." Otis said.
"I do trust you, I do! This isn't about you, I swear! This is just because of the kind of relationships I've had in the past and because of my experiences with abandonment, I push people away before they do it to me." Maeve said.
"Maeve, I want nothing more than to be with you and support you while you work through whatever you need to. But I need to know that you want me too. I'm insecure too; all I do is wonder why someone like you is with someone like me. And while I deal with that because I know that's a me thing, if you really are having doubts, maybe you should take some time to figure out what you want." Otis said.
"Otis.. It's not that.. I…" Maeve struggled to come with an explanation.
"I'm not going anywhere, Maeve. I just think maybe you need some time to figure it out. And once you do, whatever it is, we'll deal with it together." Otis said.
"I love you." Maeve said, not knowing what else to say.
"I love you too." Otis said.
Maeve began to sob; she didn't know how they'd reached this point. She put her head on Otis' chest and he wrapped his arms around her as she cried. He meant it when he said he'd be there for her but this back and forth was killing him. He didn't want to live his life waiting for the day Maeve would wake up and realise she didn't want him anymore.
