Page 76 of Wildest Dreams

Thanks, might need you to hold onto it a bit longer. I'll be out of action for a while.

Rusty

No problem. Rest up. Look after you.

Letting my phone rest on my lap, I look up at Aspen.

“What a complete shit show.”

She scoffs a laugh, and her bottom lip trembles before she breaks down again.

“Aspen,” I sigh, she's breaking my heart.

I lift my arm up as she rests her head on my chest, and I comfort her whilst she cries.

Aspen is so much more than just my brother’s fiancée, she is family, she is my sister. We grew up together and when all the shit went down between Pacey, Riggs and Aspen, I was the only one she would talk to, until Riggs told me to back the fuck down, and annoyingly I did. Then she up and left. Broke all of our hearts in the process, just not as much as she broke Riggs’.

Riggs appears at the door, he looks pissed off. Permanent scowl on his face, heavy footsteps on his way towards the room and hands balled by his side, but as soon as he sees Aspen, everything disappears. He scoops her up, holding her to his chest as she sobs silently into his shirt.

“I am going to run her home; I'll be back soon...” and the look he gives me is not a good one. Something has happened. “Dixie is safe,” he mutters just as he walks out of my room and relief swarms me in an instant.

Time slips by and my eyes feel heavy. Letting them close for a moment, I can feel myself drifting in and out of sleep when there is a knock on my door.

“Yeah,” I say muffled, refusing to open my eyes.

The sound of the boots hitting the floor and the clink of the spur spinning has my eyes bolting open. I knew who it was before I even looked.

Sheriff Kelcie.

“Well, hello Tripp,” a lopsided smirk pulls at his lips, thumbs tucked into his belt loops and a dark brown cowboy hat covering his balding hair.

“What do I owe the pleasure?” I sigh, closing my eyes again, hands resting on my lap, fingers interlocked.

“Just thought I would pop in and check in on myfavoriteRivera brother.”

“Cut the bullshit,” I scoff.

“Fine,” he sighs, “I need to know what the fuck went down at Clay Attaway's funeral,” he pauses for a moment as he drags the chair that sits in the corner of the room along the lino floor tiles and sits right next to my bed.

His breath is rancid.

I turn my face away from him for a moment.

“You know what went down,” I roll my eyes.

“I do, but what I can't seem to understand is that whenever you and your brothers are anywhere near the Attaway’s there is violence.”

I go to open my mouth but slam it shut, before starting again.

“Sounds like you're picking sides, Kelcie.”

He scoffs, shaking his head from side to side.

“I only pick the innocent side Tripp, the side that matches the badge that sits on my belt.”

“Mybadge.”

“Technically, it'smybadge. You gave it to me.”

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