Arabella walked through the woods, her mind racing. She wasn't paying attention to the game, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going, she just wanted to get out of there. In her nervousness, everything was making her feel claustrophobic. She was just desperate to get out of the woods and back into her cabin. Everything that had happened in the woods was making her head spin. The fact that Hunter had said what he said to her, before she knew it was him, was making her beyond confused. Why would he say that they had to stop meeting like that? It didn't really make much sense at all, really, and his excuse was just stupid.
Arabella didn't know how she was supposed to feel. When Hunter and tackled her to the ground and spoke to her, she was sure that he was Ethan. He was the guy who had saved her time and time again and it should have been Ethan. He was the guy who had been telling her all year that he saved her. It couldn't all be a lie, could it? Arabella walked out of the woods, in a bit of a haze. In her confusion and her worry, Arabella had missed the ending of the game and so she was a little bit stunned when she saw people celebrating a win. She glanced over to her side and saw Daniel walking towards her with a smile on his face. For his sake, she put a big smile on and hugged him when he got to her. "I'm guessing that we won?" She asked with a forced laugh.
"Yes! It was amazing and now we're going to have to celebrate somehow" Daniel giggled, pulling away and grinning down at her. He paused for a moment then looked off into the distance like he was thinking about something.
"No...Daniel. Just stop the thinking right there and go find your boyfriend" Arabella said with a laugh.
"Oh, you're no fun" Daniel huffed but he hugged her again then ran off to find his boyfriend. Arabella smiled softly as he walked away but it quickly faded again. She didn't know why she was so worried about all of this. Hunter was her friend and Ethan was her boyfriend. They wouldn't lie to her. But why did something feel so off? There was something going on and Arabella was afraid to find out what. She let out a sigh and brushed her hands off on her shorts and she was just about to go back to her cabin when she looked up and saw Ethan. He looked a little roughed up from fighting during the game but he mostly looked upset at the fact that he had lost the game. Ethan walked towards her with strong movements, like he had a purpose. When he reached her, his arms wrapped around her tightly and he held her close. Arabella didn't have it in her to fight back or protest, so she let him hold her. In all honesty, she was confused and scared but his arms felt warm and strong. Arabella loved him, she really did and at that moment, she needed a hug.
"I'm sorry you lost" She said softly into his chest and he pulled away a little so that he could look down at her.
"I was looking for you tonight" Ethan told her, a small smile playing on the corner of his lips. "I guess I should be happy that I didn't see you and you didn't need any saving" He added with a chuckle. Arabella looked up at him and she thought about telling him that she had a run in with Hunter. But she thought better of it. Things were already so jumbled up in her head and she just wanted to forget about it all. She just wanted to fall into Ethan's arms and forget everything. He couldn't be lying to her. He just couldn't be.
"I had a pretty boring night, to be honest. The Athena kids were on the warpath tonight" She told him with a little laugh. Ethan smiled and he bent down, kissing her softly. Arabella leaned into the kiss, pushing the events of the night to the back of her mind. She was emotional, she was vulnerable and Ethan was making her feel better.
"We should probably get to the fire soon. The Aphrodite kids will want to see their favourite sister to celebrate" Ethan teased, giving her a little squeeze.
"I don't really feel like going to the fire right away" She said softly then glanced down at her legs, which had grass stains on the knees. "Could you come up to my cabin with me? I want to get changed and stuff before I go to the fire" She said. Ethan looked at her for a moment before smiling and nodding. He took her hand and together, they creeped away from the group of campers. Technically speaking, they weren't allowed to be alone together in the cabins because he was a boy and she was a girl. Aphrodite kids seemed to have a talent for getting around this rule, however.
Together, they walked to the Aphrodite cabin. Arabella stepped ahead and she pushed open the door, looking around. Once she was sure the cabin was empty, Arabella walked inside of the cabin, Ethan following close behind her. She shut the door once he was inside and she let out a sigh, flopping down on her bed. "Are you okay?" Ethan asked her, walking over to her bed and sitting down beside her. Arabella was still for a moment before curling up and placing her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm okay." She said softly and she closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. "Things have just been a little crazy since we got back from the city. I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed"
"Is there anything that I can do?"
"Just stay here with me" Arabella sighed and she reached up, kissing him a little bit. Ethan leaned into her, kissing her back tightly. As he kissed her, as his fingers danced down her arm, Arabella felt her stomach tighten and her heart race. She was still so confused but part of her wanted to be with Ethan, no matter what. Being with him in that moment soothed her worries and made her feel better. It might only be temporary but she wanted to hold onto that peace for as long as possible. She couldn't be hurt. She couldn't deal with that pain. But in that moment, as Ethan gently laid her down on her bed and he hovered over her, placing gentle kisses on her collar bone, she felt like there was no way he could hurt her. His kisses were urgent but they were passionate and Arabella was sure that it was because he loved her. "I love you" She breathed, keeping her eyes closed and her hands on his chest.
"I love you" Ethan responded and he kissed her tightly, passionately. His fingers danced down her side and he slowly pushed his hand up her shirt, running his fingers along the soft skin of her stomach. Arabella felt so overwhelmed and as he pushed her shirt up, revealing her flat stomach, she got a horrible feeling. Dread, fear, nervousness. Ethan wasn't gentle as he placed kisses on her skin and pressed his fingers into her side. She was doing this for all of the wrong reasons. She was doing this because she needed to be reassured that Ethan loved her.
Arabella was just about to sit up, tell Ethan she was sorry, and change into a pair of yoga pants when the door opened. There was a little yelp from the door and Ethan rolled away from Arabella. "Oh, Arabella, honey...didn't I ever teach you the scrunchie system?" Daniel laughed from the door way. Arabella had never been so happy to see him in her life, even if she was embarrassed.
"I'll, uh, I'll see you at the fire" Ethan laughed it off and he bent down to give Arabella a kiss. He stood up and brushed his hands off on his jeans before pushing past Daniel and walking out. With red cheeks, Arabella fixed her shirt and looked over at Daniel, locking eyes with him. She hoped he knew how thankful she was for him, even without having to say it.
"Would you, uh...." She started, not really sure how to word what she wanted to say to Daniel.
"Tell Ethan that you're going to bed early? Anything" Daniel said with a little smile. He grabbed a sweater from his bed before heading back towards the door.
"Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you" Arabella said in a soft voice and he turned to look at her.
"I love you too, sis"