The campfire flickered in the cool night air, casting long shadows across the group gathered around. Maya sat on the log, close to Eddie, the crackling flames providing little warmth against the churning emotions inside her. Her thoughts kept returning to Jackie's biting words, which seemed to echo louder with every passing second.
"You really think Eddie wants you?" Jackie's voice pierced through the crackling fire, and Maya's stomach flipped. Jackie stood a few feet away, her arms crossed, an unmistakable sneer tugging at her lips.
Maya stiffened, her breath catching. Not this again.
Jackie's gaze darted to Eddie, as though challenging him to refute her claims. "You think he cares about you? You're not even worth his time, Maya. He hasn't claimed you, hasn't said a word about being with you officially. What does that tell you?"
Maya's chest tightened. She glanced up at Eddie, silently hoping he'd shut Jackie down, reassure her that none of this was true. But Eddie stayed silent, his jaw clenched.
Jackie took a step forward, her voice growing louder. "You really think he's going to be there for you when it counts?" She turned to the group around the fire, eyes glinting with malice. "He won't even admit he's with you. He's just waiting for you to screw up so he can drop you."
Maya felt the words like daggers. Her chest squeezed, a mixture of frustration and hurt flooding her, but the silence between her and Eddie grew louder than Jackie's words. Why isn't he saying anything?
Jackie smirked, savoring Maya's discomfort. "Oh, you didn't know?" she continued, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "He is The Eddie Thompson ,he's not going to stick around for someone like you. You're just a phase."
Maya's heart dropped. She couldn't bring herself to look at Eddie anymore. The doubt Jackie had planted took root, and her mind raced, spinning in circles of uncertainty. Was Jackie right?
Zeke, Luna, and Sally exchanged uneasy glances from where they sat, and Maya could feel their eyes on her. But it wasn't their concern. Not when Jackie's words were crawling under her skin, turning her thoughts to ash.
Just when Maya was about to speak, hoping to deflect Jackie's cruelty with some half-hearted defense, Eddie finally stood up.
"You're wrong, Jackie," he said, his voice low but cutting.
Maya blinked, not sure if she was hearing him correctly. Eddie's gaze locked onto Jackie's, and she saw the fire in his eyes. This was it. He was finally going to defend her.
"Everything you said?" Eddie continued, his tone sharp and unforgiving. "It's nothing but garbage. You are the joke here, not Maya."
Jackie's smug smile faltered, but she didn't back down. "Oh, really? Is that so?" she scoffed. "Then why hasn't he—"
"Shut up," Eddie snapped, his voice fierce, and Maya felt a jolt of relief. This was the Eddie she knew, the one who wasn't afraid to call people out. "You think I don't know what you've been trying to do? You think I don't see how you've been trying to ruin Maya's life, turn everyone against her?" He was getting closer now, his words laced with anger, his hands clenched into fists.
Maya wanted to say something, but she felt paralyzed. Her mind still echoed with Jackie's taunts. Was Eddie just saying this to shut her down?
Eddie turned to the group, his eyes sweeping over Zeke, Luna, and Sally. They sat still, knowing what was coming, but not daring to interfere.
"You know what?" Eddie barked. "Maya's been through hell, and I'm sick of you using her like this. You're not going to turn her into your punching bag anymore. She's my girlfriend and I'm not hiding it."
The firelight flickered as Eddie's words hung in the air, and the tension in the camp seemed to snap like a taut wire. Maya's heart beat erratically, her mind racing as she tried to process what Eddie had just said. The weight of his words crashed into her chest. He wasn't backing down. He wasn't going to hide anymore.
Jackie looked like she'd just been slapped. "You're crazy, Eddie," she hissed. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"Yeah?" Eddie's voice was cold, the words like ice. "I'm getting into something real. Something you don't get. So get your little revenge fantasies out of here because you've got nothing. You can't break us, and you sure as hell can't hurt her anymore."
Jackie opened her mouth to say something, but Eddie was already on a roll. His eyes were like steel, a storm of emotions swirling behind them, but there was no hesitation in his tone. He turned back to Maya, his anger softening, replaced with something else. Something gentle. He reached for her hand, his grip firm but tender. "You're mine. And I don't give a damn who knows it."
Maya's breath hitched. Mine.
Jackie gaped, caught off-guard by Eddie's defiance, but he wasn't done. He stepped toward Jackie, closing the gap, his presence overwhelming. "You want to keep playing games? Fine. But remember this: I'm not someone who you can easily mess with and neither is Maya.I'm done letting you manipulate everyone around here."
Jackie stood there, her face flushed with fury, but she was cornered now. Eddie had stripped her of all her power in that single moment, and she had nothing left to say. With a sneer, she turned and stormed off, but not before throwing one last venomous glance at Maya.
Maya exhaled, the weight in her chest finally lifting. The doubt Jackie had sown was now unraveling. Eddie had fought for her. And now, it was clear.
Eddie stood next to her, his face softening. "Are you okay?" His voice was no longer sharp but gentle, filled with concern. "Jackie's full of crap, and you know it."
Maya smiled softly, the tension easing. "I am now."
He smiled back, his fingers brushing against hers. "Good. Because this… it's real. We're official, Maya." His voice dropped to a low whisper as he leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Maya's heart fluttered. This was real.
Zeke, Luna, and Sally watched the exchange from a distance, but none of them said anything. They didn't need to. They had witnessed what mattered most—Eddie's truth.
Maya's heart soared, the warmth of the fire paling in comparison to the warmth she felt in Eddie's arms. Everything that had been uncertain, everything that had held her back, faded away in the space of a single moment.
Eddie took her hand in his and led her to a quieter spot near the edge of the camp, where they could finally breathe. When he leaned in, his lips brushed hers, tentative at first, then more sure, more deliberate.
"Don't doubt us, Maya," he murmured against her lips, his voice thick with sincerity. "We've got this. You've got me."
Her heart raced, but this time, it wasn't from fear. It was from the thrill of finally knowing, with complete certainty, that they were in this together. And nothing was going to take that away from her.
The fire crackled in the background, and the night carried on, but in that moment, Maya had everything she needed. Eddie. His words. His protection. And his love.
And no one—certainly not Jackie—could ever take that from her.