He pulled away, standing a good three inches away from her.
"Oh right," He replied sarcastically. "Like you didn't hit me across the cheek like a slave the last time I tried talking to you. Did you expect me to suddenly start talking to you again. Only goddess knows what next you'd do to me. Maybe drag me into a mud pit and beat me up."
She gritted her teeth.
"She pushed me in first and what did you expect me to do when I see you leaving a room with a maid who you obviously spent the night with."
"I don't know..maybe mind your business," He spat out and she turned away from him with narrowed eyes, fake tears pooling in them as she put on the jacket.
Daniel sighed and held the bridge of his nose when he realized she was about crying. He still had a soft spot for Dora and definitely didn't like to see her in tears.
He stepped forward to hold her but she backed away and made to leave. He grabbed her from behind and hugged her to himself, not letting go of her even when she struggled, the scent of shampoo and strawberry filling his nostrils as he buried it in her hair.
"I know it's barely been a week but I missed you," Dora quietly said, turning to wrap her arms around his neck while pulling him in Into a tight hug.
Daniel pulled away to look at her and reassure her that they were cool but Dora had other plans. She hurriedly planted her lips on his, drawing him closer to deepen it.
When she was done, she leaned back and pretended to be sorry.
"I…I'm sorry. It's just that I thought…"
Daniel still recovering from the shock of what just happened, suddenly drew her close and placed his finger on her lips. She raised her eyes up to meet his, light shining in her eyes, thinking he was going to kiss her but he only said curtly.
"Don't…do that."
With that, he grabbed her arm and she reluctantly followed him while Daniel chipped in topics they discussed, with her being unenthusiastic especially when he brought up Barton.
"It's obvious he likes you," Daniel, the second person to say this pointed out and she rolled her eyes. "...and I don't like the way you treat him"
Her eyes however perked up at that last sentence. So what if she was nice to Barton, would Daniel notice her? He did seem to care for his cousin alot so she decided there and then that she had to put up with the facade of playing along with Barton to be in Daniel's good books.
She kind of liked the way Daniel held her hand by the way and smugly walked back to fields to join the others, not noticing the hurt look in Barton's eyes at her smile when she was around Daniel and not him.
Her eyes instead moved to Nancy, trying to use eye contact and tell her to back off from her man.
However, Nancy did otherwise and latched onto Daniel's other arm so tightly that Daniel left Dora standing alone again.
"Now we're all here, we can finally play tug-of-war. The guys refilled the mud pit while you're away," Nancy brightly said while Daniel stared at her amusingly. She talked so loud.
Dora stood there fuming.
"What took you guys so long?" John asked, waggling his brows which made everyone roll their eyes at his perverted thoughts.
"We were making out," Dora shamelessly blurted and Barton's head whipped up like he had been electrocuted.
Jephthah looked away, resembling a tomatoe.
Though no one really minded. They knew about Dora and Daniel anyways. Even Nancy didn't mind. Barton however did mind but what more could he do than look hurt for some reason.
He was stupid to have thought every girl he came across would actually be interested in him.
Daniel silently turned and met her eyes with a frown which Dora returned coolly.
"Where's Talia?" Daniel asked and Dora rolled her eyes.
Nancy pursed her lips, about to talk when the bush rustled and everyone looked at someone climbing down the hill to come meet them.
It was Talia!!!
What was more shocking was that she was smiling brightly at everyone of them, even waving.
"Talia!!" Brittany and Nancy ran over and pulled her in a big hug, not minding the dried up mud on her clothes.
"You sent her into the woods?" Daniel turned to Royce in horror.
Royce glared at her.
"She left on her own. I don't know why she's here."
"Oh shutup Royce. I don't know why you're so mad at her. It's not like she didn't realize her mistake," Brittany cautioned while Nancy fussed over Talia's messy appearance.
"Mistake? You call what happened earlier a mistake?"
"Let it rest," Brittany pressed further and Royce rolled his eyes.
"What'd I miss?" Talia said with a cheerful tone. She was so happy, genuine smile in her eyes so bright that everyone was surprised at her change of mood, especially her brother who knew her all too well.
Talia never smiles after a fight. By now, she'd be fuming or blowing a fuse. What the hell was happening? Had Talia been replaced so suddenly or something.
Nancy however didn't notice the change and only said,
"Nothing at all!! You're just in time for the game."
"Found this in the forest," John said, bring up a long green vines tied together with another to form a rope.
"Are you okay..Talia?" Daniel asked.
"Sure!!! I've never been better," She replied with a twinkling smile. Suddenly she and Daniel locked eyes and he swore he saw something like a red glint in her eyes.