Page 50 of Why We Break

Do I really shut everyone out?My first response is no, thinking about everything I’ve shared with Caroline over the years, but I pause, remembering there’s so much I haven’t told her. And despite the fun I’m having with Will, I still haven’t told him why I ended everything between us.

Pushing the thoughts aside, I try to snap myself out of it.No one can fix any of it, and there’s no use in becoming either of their charity cases. If the train wreck with your parents taught you anything, it’s that everyone leaves, and there’s no use in pretending otherwise.

“Oh my God,I can’t believe this shit,” I tell Caroline on the phone the next afternoon. “If I wanted to put up with this crap, I wouldn’t live in South Alabama.”

I’m finally headed toward the house after spending the last few hours making sure the cows have plenty of hay and checking on the horses and chickens at the back of the property. I look out, shaking my head in disbelief at the fields that are completely covered in snow. It started falling around lunch and hasn’t stopped for the last few hours.

“I know, I’ve literally only seen snow in Springside twice in my life, and it’s definitely never been this much. Theo and the rest of the fire department got called in because the town’s a disaster. Cars are all over the place, and he said he’s lost track of the number of trucks they’ve had to help pull out of the ditch,” Caroline says through the speaker just as I walk into the yard, heading to make sure Leroy and Ruby have plenty of hay to keep them warm.

“God, what a disaster. So you’re alone too?” I ask, looking around and pausing when I realize Leroy isn’t in his pen

“Yeah, he said he’d try to be back tonight but we’ll see. But Bear’s keeping me company,” she says, referring to Theo’s grumpy chocolate lab. “I hate that our farms are so far apart or I’d come keep you company. Binging reality TV and reading on my Kindle while I drink a full bottle of wine is about all I have planned for the night.”

“Ugh, I know. But I’m pretty sure your fiancé would end up pulling you out of the ditch trying to get here and we’d never hear the end of it,” I tell her, wrinkling my eyebrows when Ruby isn’t in her normal spot either. There’s a large hole in the ground, and I shake my head at the absurdity of what I’m seeing.

“Ugh, Leroy, I seriously do not want to deal with your shit this morning! Did you seriously dig a hole big enough to get Ruby out too?” I groan, looking around the snow-covered ground for a sign of my pig. “I gotta go, Caroline. Leroy’s escape artist skills strike again, and apparently, he’s decided to make Ruby his accomplice this go around.”

She lets out a laugh before saying, “Good luck with that one. Let me know when you find them.”

“Will do,” I say before hanging up and walking around the house. “Leroy, here boy! Ruby, come here sweet girl.”

I walk by Leroy’s normal spots, noticing it’s about to get dark. “Shit, you two are gonna make me lose it.”

I’m starting to get worried, but I try to push that thought down, deciding to go grab a flashlight before it’s too late so I can keep searching for them. “Leroy! Ruby! Come here sweet—” I pause as I walk up on the porch, before bursting into laughter at the sight in front of me.

My calf and my pig are both curled up on my doormat passed out and looking like they’re waiting for me to come home and let them in.

“Are you serious?” I ask, bending down to pet them both and causing them to wake with a start. “You both broke out of your pens, huh? I know it’s cold but you can’t be doing that!”

They both roll on their backs like they’re waiting for me to rub their stomachs, their tails beating the wood porch in excitement.

“I swear, you both think you’re dogs,” I tell them, shaking my head at their antics. “Come on, let’s go back to our pens,” I say, and they both just look at me, still lying on their backs and making no move to stand and follow me. “Ugh, y’all, come on. You both weigh a couple hundred pounds, angels. I can’t carry you over there.”

They still refuse to move, and I throw my hands up, before opening the door, intending to grab the flashlight so I can figure out how to get them back to their pens. Instead, the two animals dart into the house, immediately running to the living room and lying in front of the fire.

“You cannot be serious! Cows and pigs are not allowed in the freaking house!” I yell, but it’s clear neither of them is listening.

I blow out a frustrated sigh, before finally admitting defeat. “Fine, but just because it’s snowing. I’ll build you two a little pen by the fire, but if either of you shit inside my house, it’s over.”

Making quick work of using furniture to make an enclosed area for my sassy animals. When I’m done, I snap a picture and send it to my group chat with Caroline and Margaret, and before I can think any better of it, I send it in a separate message to Will.

I sit my phone down, planning to change into some pajamas and grab my Kindle, but before I can step away, my phone’s ringtone fills the room. Will’s contact shows on the screen and I answer, feeling my heart start to race before I even hear his voice.

“Han, is there really a cow and a pig in your house?” he asks, skipping any greeting and jumping straight to the point.

“Yeah, there is,” I say with a laugh. “I know, but they’re stubborn, and it’s freaking cold out.”

I hear him chuckle through the line, and the sound sends a spark through me. “Never a fucking dull moment with you, Hannah Scott. How you holding up with the snow?”

“Oh, I’m okay. I can’t believe we actually got some though,” I reply, walking to my bedroom to change clothes.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much snow,” he says, lowering his voice. “So what are your plans for tonight? I wanted to come by, but clearly the weather wasn’t on board with that.”

“I would have liked that,” I admit, putting my phone on speaker and throwing it down on my bed before whipping off the first of the multiple layers I had placed on to go outside. “No real plans. I’m about to put on some sweats and cuddle up with my Kindle and a bottle of wine. It’ll probably take me at least twenty minutes to get all these layers off though.”

I expect him to laugh at that, but instead Will murmurs, “God, I already want to be there, Han. You’re torturing me thinking about watching you strip right now.”

My breath catches in my throat and heat rushes to my core at his words. Neither of us speak for a moment, and before I can stop myself, I blurt, “Who says you can’t?”

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