These days, that sentiment is becoming a more common thread in my thoughts. Life was good, filled with Kenzie and new experiences and the fun of falling in love and learning different things about someone I’ve known my entire life. Then Savannah Ward had to butt her pointy little nose in.
I can’t keep my head on straight lately. Especially after telling Kenzie everything; my mind just won’t stop spinning.
Sleep is hard to come by, and I can hardly get food down. I stare off at nothing for half the day that Dad has to remind me to get the basics done around the ranch. Today was the worst of it so far, and I wound up being flung around by an unruly heifer who was not at all interested in the branding iron.
I don’t blame her, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about being flung into a foot of mud and cow shit.
Dad didn’t help, either, and laughed his ass off at my predicament. It’s the first time in years that a cow has gotten the better of me, but I can’t focus on anything, no matter how hard I try.
I just got out of the shower, and can hardly even remember going through the motions of cleaning myself. The stink is gone so I must have washed my hair, but the only thing in my mind is Kenzie and fear. I roughly dry myself off with a threadbare old towel, scowling down at the floor.
Time fades in and out of focus as I yank boxers and sweatpants up my legs. I’m in the middle of pulling a random tee over my head when my bedroom door slams open.
Oakley bursts through the doorway in a flurry of long brown hair and storming footsteps, glaring viciously at me. I grit my teeth as I meet her eyes, already certain this will go badly. I’m in no shape to have a real conversation with anyone, and Oakley is the last person I want finding out about Savannah. She’d be gutted.
“Talk,” she demands.
I swallow harshly, nerves and guilt joining the ever present frustration in my gut to bubble unpleasantly.
“What am I, a dog?” My shirt sticks to my still dampbb skin as I tug the hem of it into place, which only serves to heighten my annoyance. “Sit, speak, roll over. Want me to give paw next?”
Oakley looks just as annoyed as I do, but I have no idea what crawled up her ass. To be honest, I don't have the energy to worry about it right now, no matter how much I want to take care of my sister. There's just too much going on in my own head for me to worry about someone else right now.
I tousle my towel through my hair, hoping Oakley will get the message and leave me alone for now.
“You don't want to play that game right now,” she warns. “Savannah Ward is pregnant. Start talking.”
My towel falls to the floor in shock, and I meet Oakley’s fiery gaze through the still-wet strands of my hair. The shock quickly melts away into bone-chilling terror, and my mind races as I drop her gaze.
How does she know? Has Savannah given up any sense of tact and started telling people? She said I had a week, and it's barely been two days.
God, I'm an idiot for trusting her.
“What does Savannah Ward have to do with me?”
It’s a shitty deflection, and I hate lying to my family, but I'm not ready for this. Not in the slightest. I bend down to pick my towel up off the ground, avoiding Oakley’s eyes.
“What does getting blackout drunk and waking up naked next to Savannah have to do with her being pregnant?” Oakley shoots back.
I can't hide my disgust about the situation. Oakley’s always been good at getting whatever information she wants out of someone. I'm no different.
“How do you know about that?” I keep my voice steady, but my shoulders slump in defeat. It doesn't matter if I'm ready to talk about this yet, Oakley is going to make me. “Is she telling people?”
“Kenzie told me.”
Oakley’s voice is more frigid than the Arctic itself, and my heart aches in my chest at the mention of Kenzie. She didn't give me a chance to explain anything, but I don't blame her for that. What she must be thinking right now?
“How is she?”
“How do you think? One minute she's falling in love with you, and the next you're telling her you got another girl pregnant. She looks like shit, and it's your fault.” Oakley rarely turns this kind of attitude on me, but when she does, I know better than to try to talk my way out of it. Better to take the tongue-lashing like a man than be a coward about it. “Tell me what happened, Bo, because Icannotbelieve that you would be stupid enough tofuck Savannah Ward!”
Oakley vibrates with the force of her rage, but she keeps her voice down to a furious hiss. I can tell just how much she wants to scream at me, but Mom and Dad are downstairs, so she keeps her fists balled at her sides and fights to keep her temper at bay.
At least that means she hasn't told them yet. I need to be the one to say it.
I have to be a man about it.
“She's lying,” Oakley says, her tone pleading as her gaze searches my face. “She's lying, right? You didn't. You wouldn't.”
