''Move.''
Lost in a tired daze, Jeffery Atkins hooded eyes darted for Devin's physique that snaked her way on top of him while laying on the couch and in his arms.
''But,'' He groans as she wiggles on top of him at an attempt to get comfortable in the right position. ''You said-''
''I know what I said,'' She cuts him off shortly. ''But I changed my mind.''
''Oh, yeah?'' She hums softly in response. ''How so?''
She snuggles into his chest and spoke in a small voice, you could barely hear. ''I rolled over and I didn't feel you there.'' She lifts up her head and rest her chin on his chest. ''I thought of the worse until I remembered you were down here.''
A corner of his lips quirk into a sly smirk. ''What do you mean by the worst?''
It wasn't like she could of exactly told him what first came to mind. Ever since the night of Kate's going away party, there was a small part of her subconscious that clouds her judgment and thoughts when it comes down to her relationship with Jeff.
She knows he was lying, and she knows that he's still hiding. But how do you get out the truth if it doesn't wanna be found?
She simply shrugs off the idea and shakes her head. ''Doesn't matter.''
He furrows his brows, wanting to ask her the sudden repression. If anything, she wanted for him to ask. It would only show that he's just as concerning, caring and in depth about her as she is of him.
If he were to ask her to elaborate, she wouldn't feel like the annoying hag cowering over him, constantly nagging about that one night over an instinct.
But, instead, he runs a hand up and down her back soothingly and mumbles, ''Okay.''
She could feel her heart drop into the endless pit of her stomach. ''Okay.''
She lays her head back on his to avoid eye contact. To be preferably honest, Devin didn't even want to lay with him at the moment. She wasn't sure if it was her period that's heightened her emotion and got her overthinking the smallest details, she couldn't help but wonder if this cabin trip was pushing them further apart?
The lights turned on, alarming the couple on the couch. That and their eyesight.
''Haha! Oh my god, did you see Clay around BoBo the Clown?'' Hannah Baker laughed right along side with Matthew Greene as they soon as they entered through the door.
''That wasn't funny,'' Clay chimed in before Matthew could respond, causing the two brunettes in front of him to erupt in another roar of laughter. ''He saw that I didn't like him and he- he kept coming closer- Why do you keep laughing?!''
Devin climbs off of Jeff, allowing him to sit up on the couch, leaving more space for people to sit on.
Hannah was carrying a colorful teddy bear that was about the size of Matthew while Matthew himself held bags of popcorn and other goodies.
Devin tugs a strand of hair behind her ear and smiles meekly. ''Sounds like you guys had fun.''
''No,'' Clay barks. He points an accusing finger at the two he accompanied tonight. ''They, had fun. We did the tea cups right after eating dinner and I threw everything up, so we had to go back to Steak N' Shake and order myself another meal. Then, while I decided to eat my burger outside, this clown get's all up in my face-''
''He wanted Clay's burger!'' Matthew exclaims in laughter.
Jeff chuckles softly. ''Did he get the burger?''
Clay furrows his brows. ''No.'' He reaches into his doggy bag and reveals the small bite of the burger he had hidden from the clown. ''I was not going to lose my food the second time around.''
''What about you guys?'' Matthew jumped over the couch and plopped himself next to Devin while Hannah and Clay sat in the solo recliners. ''Was it as boring as I pictured?''
Devin flattens her lips into a straight line. ''Pretty much.''
''Well we brought dinner,'' Hannah perks up. ''Sorry we took so long.''
''No, it's fine,'' Jeff waves her off as he reaches over towards one of the bags on the coffee table that was labeled as Steak N' Shake. ''As long as you guys had fun.''
''What's that noise?'' Clay looks around the room with furrowed brows.
It was silent for a brief moment, the group listening in to see if anyone else could intake the noise Clay Jensen was hearing.
Devin's features contorted as she jumps onto her feet, heading towards the staircase as Hannah questions aloud, ''What is that?''
Devin's pace up the stairs grew as the sound became louder, the closer she got. She ran inside her room and grabbed her phone from the bed.
Catching a quick glimpse on the caller id, she answers the call, ''Yeah, mom?''
''Hey,'' You could hear her smiling on the other line. ''How's the trip so far?''
''Uh,'' She rests a hand on her hip. ''So far so good. Everyone's having fun.''
''And you?''
''Ugh,'' She throws her head back. ''I got my period today.''
''Ooh,'' She cooed. ''That must suck.''
''It does,'' The brunette pouts.
''Listen, I need you and Matt to come home early tomorrow.''
She furrows her brows. ''How early?''
''In the morning.''
Her features fell as drastically as her had did from her hip. ''Mom-''
''Tessa Foley invited me to this cookout tomorrow. There'll be kids around yours and Matthews age over there. Like Justin Foley?''
She sighs. ''Alright. I'll see you tomorrow.''
''Thank you, baby. I love you.''
Devin was so tired, so exhausted, she could barely form a smile as she mumbles a small, ''I love you too. Bye.''
Devin removes her device from her ear and ends the call from there. A puff of air fell from her lips as her free hand ran through the roots of her hair. She turns around and sits on top of her bed, now realizing Jeff Atkins presence.
He was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed against his clothed chest.
''What happened?''
''Matthew and I have to leave early tomorrow,'' She simply informs him. ''I mean, you guys can stay here if you want-''
''No,'' He shakes his head. ''We'll leave with you. I'm sure Hannah and Clay won't mind.'' He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his sweats before slowly approaching her towards the bed. He sits down next to her and questions softly, ''Can I ask why you have to leave early?''
''Justin's mom invited us to a cook out.''
''Oh.''
She furrows her brows at him. ''I hope you know you're coming, right?''
He shakes his head again, pursing his lips. ''No, I'm not.''
Devin perks up in her seat. ''And why not?''
''Because I'm just not, Devin,'' He snaps. He turns to look at her in the eye's, her dull and entirely dazed brown eyes. It wasn't until now she realized how serious he was. ''Okay, and do you even have to go? You could've just told your mom no, you do have a voice, don't you?''
''Why are you yelling at me, Atkins? It's just a fucking cook out.''
''Sounded like you really wanted to go, Devs.'' He sounded tempting, as if he was trying to figure out her trigger all because he was triggered.
''Oh, yeah, Jeff, because it's going to be such a blast!'' She exclaims, standing up on her two feet. She turns back to him with flared nostrils, ''I clearly told you that you're coming and you want to toss it aside like it's the worst idea I ever suggested. Now you want to get mad because I'm going, all by myself, by the way?''
''You know what, Devin,'' He stands up with wide eyes and forces a feign smile. ''Go, have fun.''
''I'll do you better Jeff,'' She marches over to the dresser and opens her drawer full of her belongings and spoon them all into one pile in her grasp. ''How about I leave now? Sounds like you really want me to go!''
''I never said that-''
She throws her clothes on the bed and yells, ''And I never said I wanted to go to that damn cook out! But since we're putting words in people's mouths-''
''Okay,'' He reaches out for her arm. ''Let's just relax-''
She sucks her teeth, ripping her arm away before he could dare graze a single touch on her skin. She goes into the closet and grabs her duffel bag.
''You tell me to calm down after you rile me up,'' She chuckles darkly. ''I don't know what's crawled up your ass, Atkins, but either you tell me or I head out that door? Figuratively and literally.''
He shrugs his shoulders, his blue eyes that sometimes shift green in certain lightnings blew wide. ''What are you talking about?''
She laughs again and swings her bag onto the bed, unzipping it to stuff all of her clothes inside. ''So now we're playing pretend. Okay.''
''Devin,'' He took small steps forward until he stood close behind her. ''I don't know what's going on with you, maybe it's your period talking-''
She swiftly turns to him and points an accusing finger into his toned chest. ''Don't you dare pull that on me, Jeff. Don't make me feel like I'm going crazy.''
He seemed to soften at her words. ''Devs,'' He cuts himself off with a sigh. ''You're not-''
''Then what's wrong?'' She whispers breathlessly. She could feel the tears building up, but she constantly was blinking them away. Her menstrual cycle made her too vulnerable for her liking. ''What is going on between us?''
He studies her features. He could tell something was eating her out from the insides, she just didn't have the guts to say it out loud.
He could tell because that's exactly how he's been feeling.
Maybe that's why they're so similar. Both were too stubborn to open up on serious emotions that could either make or break them. If they couldn't handle the feeling, what made them think they were ready to confide?
''I don't know, mi reina,'' He mumbles, tugging a strand behind her ear.
Devin let's out a puff of air, more deflated than ever. Just when she thought he was finally going tell her, open her eyes to something bigger and move forward, she, instead, clashes face first into this brick wall he has built up.
Only this time, he's using her pet name to make her feel calm, better about the ordeal. But it didn't. It didn't make her heart flutter as it should. It only made her stomach churn.
''Maybe this trip was a bad idea,'' She mumbles.
He furrows his brows. ''What do you mean?''
She shrugs her shoulder and turns away just as the tears came falling down. The thought of even saying this pained her more than it should. ''Maybe Monty was right, maybe we're too close for our own good.''
''No,'' He shakes his head vigorously. ''It's not, you should know it's not.''
''Give me a reason why,'' She swallows deeply. ''Because that's the only one that makes sense, Jeff.''
''Devin,-''
''You know why,'' She cries out. ''Why won't you just tell me? I want to be able to fix us, I want us to make it in the long run.'' She cups his face in her small hands. ''I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we're both happy together. I am that devoted to you, Jeff Atkins. And it's so scary because I'm giving you my all and it could be so easy to ruin me.''
He bit down on his trembling bottom lip.
''So all I'm asking you, is to not ruin me. Either we make it work, or we don't waste each other's time?''
He remained silent, but the salty liquid streaming down his tan features screamed out his heartbreak.
She raises a brow. ''Jeff?''
''Have fun at that cook out, Devin.''
It was as if she couldn't feel her heart at all. What did she do that caused him to turn away? She literally stood there and begged for him to trust her.
Her skin burned the second he wrapped his calloused hands around her wrist, pulling her hands away from his face. He was going to place them back at her sides, but she clings her hands to her chest.
It was like she was staring at a whole different person. The Jeff she started off with, would've never treated her this cold. Maybe they just weren't mean to be in a relationship.
''I'll, um,'' He clears his throat. ''I'll sleep on the couch tonight.''
''Don't bother,'' Her lip twitched. ''Matthew and I are leaving tonight.''
She walked past him, making sure to roughly shove her shoulder into him on his way out. When she returns downstairs, Clay Jensen, Hannah Baker and Matthew Greene sat around with wondering expressions.
''Hey,'' Hannah softly greets. ''Everything alright?''
Of course they heard the yelling. But what they didn't hear was the small voice that were cutting the couple like knives.
Devin roughly wipes her tears away and nods.
''Uh, Matthew, start packing up your stuff. We're heading out in a few.''
His eyes bored into hers. ''For what?''
''Just, please,'' Her voice cracked. ''For me? Please?''
''Well,'' Clay perks up. ''Do you want us to go with you?''
''No,'' She waves him off. ''Mom wants Matthew and I home. I left the keys on the counter, Hannah. When you guys leave, you can hand them back to me when you can, alright?''
''Yeah,'' Hannah eagerly agrees. She glances at Clay who was just as worried as she was. ''Yeah, of course.''