Page 4 of Unbearable

Once upon a time, Trent and I were inseparable, even after Dorian left for college. After the three of us graduated from high school, Dorian left to start his path to veterinarian school. He knew exactly what he wanted to do since he was a little kid, while Trent and I both took a gap year to figure our shit out.

During that year, we saw each other every day, not needing the excuse of Dorian around like we did before.

Until our year ran up and we both left Woodstone.

Years had passed since I last laid eyes on him. His chiseled jawline cut a sharp silhouette against his tousled, dark hair. He exuded a maddening, unmistakably masculine charm that just pissed me off.

Despite the almost unrecognizable man that stood before me, I could spot glimpses of the boy I once knew. The faint scar on his left eyebrow from our reckless adventures running around the ranch. The slight crook in his smile, a subtle charm he developed after being teased for his lopsided dimple. The way his fingers drummed against his thigh, a habit he developed to disguise his impatience. The intensity of his gaze, the way he carried himself with quiet confidence—it all came rushing back. I selfishly wished that time had been less kind to him, that the years would have dulled his good looks, granting me some small respite from his overwhelming presence. But reality proved crueler than my wishes. If anything, he had only grown more charming with age.

The truth was, everything shifted that day between us,creating a tidal wave of emotions neither of us had the maturity to navigate. So, we simplydidn’t. It was easier to walk away and pretend nothing had happened than to face the tumultuous feelings we’d harbored.

He sighed, his hand running through his brown hair. “I wasn’t trying to be an asshole, Dot. I’m just surprised to see you.” His tone was genuine, which took me by surprise. He rubbed a hand over his stubbed jawline, looking me up and down. “You… you look great. It’s been a long time.” His voice was soft, a familiar melody, stirring memories that I had long since buried.

“Yes, it has,” I said, not hiding the snark in my voice. “I’d say we are good for another, what”—I checked my watch for dramatics—“ten years before we are due to talk again, don’t you think?” I paused, looking for Dorian’s car in the distance. “I have to go. I don’t have the emotional capacity for anything else today,Trent.” My tone was short. The sound of his name leaving my mouth brought a rush of anger to the surface.

Trent nodded. “I know it’s been a rough day for you…” He paused. “I’d love to see you soon while you are in town, if you are willing.” Neither of us said anything for a moment before he continued. “But I’ll leave you to it for now. See you around, Dot,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets, his gaze briefly flicking away before returning to mine. His face, rugged yet handsome, showed signs of the years that had passed.

My lips went into a flat line.

As I walked away, he called out, “I’m sorry about your grandpa. He was a good man. I know we don’t talk anymore, but I’m always here for you.” Then his tall, broad frame disappeared back into the church.

As I reflected on the funeral and my brief exchange with Trent, my thoughts wandered to the maze of memories that were woven into this small town. Us playing in the fields, riding horses, and getting into trouble. Those days seemed like a lifetime ago, and yet, here we were, standing on the same soil, but worlds apart.

TWO

Dotty

RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME - TAYLOR SWIFT

“He left it tome?”I asked, grabbing the paper from Colt’s hands and scanning it quickly.

“Yup,” he replied, his voice steady. With his long dark hair pulled back, the worry lines on his forehead were stark. Despite his efforts to conceal his emotions, it was clear that my grandpa’s passing had deeply affected him, but he always was the levelheaded one of the four of us, rarely letting others see his emotions.

As we sat at Dorian’s small kitchen table, I struggled to make sense of it all. The glass table felt cold on my arms as I laid my head down and sighed.

He left it tome.Grandpa was a funny man. Everyone always said I was his favorite, but I think he only liked me because I was the only one willing to put up with his bullshit and spend time with him. My brothers were cordial with him but never cared to sit with him and let him talk for hours about all his stories of Gram and the war. I never minded the old grump.

I pinched my fingers to the bridge of my nose, thinking about how this just threw a wrench into my life. Standingup, I threw the paper down on the table and started pacing the small area back and forth.

Sawyer’s hand rubbed through his short brown hair. He sighed and picked up the paper. “It says here,I left you all something special. While not equal in financial value, they are all equal in meaning, at least to me. Sawyer gets my old truck. He doesn’t need much since he throws a ball around for a living, and I want someone who will take care of it to have it.” He paused, dragging his hand down his face. “Dorian gets a college fund for Gracie. I wish I could predict how many great grandkids I get, but he beat y’all to the punch. Colt gets the horses. They have been his, essentially, anyway. And Dorothea gets the cabin.”

I cringed at the use of my full name. Sawyer handed the paper to Colt, stifling a laugh.

Colt continued reading the will. “I put a lot of thought into each thing. Y’all can question me all you want, but I’m dead, therefore you can’t argue. Love you all. Smiley face.He literally put a fucking smiley face,” he said, throwing his hands up in the air.

“Well, I mean, that does sound like him. Are you guys upset?” I asked, pushing my hair out of my face.

“No,” was all Colt said, but I wasn’t surprised, knowing he was a man of few words.

“I could have done without the blow about my career, but he was always a blunt man. He never held anything back,” Sawyer said. “I’m just happy I could be here.” A small smirk crawled up his cheeks.

Dorian shrugged. “I’m good. I don’t have to stress about saving the next thirteen years for college for Gracie.”

“Oh, shut up, Doctor James.” Colt said.

“College is expensive. Small-town vets don’t make asmuch as you may think, especially with years of student debt,” Dorian replied, giving Colt a playful shove.

While I wasn’t upset at the turn of events, it definitely changed my plans for going back to Seattle sooner rather than later. I pursed my lips and sighed.

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