Page 51 of Barbed Wire Fences
I understand her completely.
Because that’s exactly how I felt about Rhett once upon a time. Even when we were bickering like brother and sister, he always made time for me. And no matter how bad things got, I knew he’d have my back no matter what.
“I hope you two can work things out while you’re here,” Molly says softly.
I wave a dismissive hand, picking at the last of my food. The warmth of the meal is finally nursing the lingering edges of my hangover.
“I’m only here for three more weeks. I doubt it. And honestly? It’s fine. You know, I don’t think youhaveto be friends with everyone from your past. Sometimes there’s a reason they’re stuck there.”
Molly and Regan exchange knowing glances before leaning forward again.
“Yeah, Jael, maybe,” Molly starts, biting her lip nervously. “But… I feel like you should know this.”
I set my fork down, my stomach suddenly heavier than before. “What?”
She shrugs, clearly debating how much to say. “This is for his good and yours. That I’m saying then. When Rhett heard fromMeredith that you were coming back to town… he was excited. He told Colt and Lawson that.”
“Excited?” The word tastes foreign on my tongue. Rhett was excited about seeing me again. He didn't seem that way when he found me in my trailer home flipping through yearbooks, but maybe that's because I'd told him I was going on a date with Owen.
Molly nods quickly. “I don’t want to tell you everything he said—I can’t betray Colt’s trust like that—but… he was really looking forward to seeing you again.”
“I… I see.” My voice trails off as I stare past her, out the large bay windows. Traffic creeps lazily through the town square, headlights blinking against the overcast sky as the sun begins to set.
Just then, my phone lights up in my hand. Lainey’s name flashes across the screen. She was supposed to join Molly and me for this late lunch, but something with one of her kids had her rushing to the hospital instead. I’d promised to check on them when I got to work tonight.
“Hey, give me a second,” I mutter, swiping to answer. “Hey, Lainey. Everything okay?”
“Not really,” she says, her voice heavy with frustration. “But I think you should go talk to Rhett.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, already exasperated. Why is his name coming up ineveryconversation now that I’m back? It’s like the universe is making it impossible for me to avoid him.
“What happened?” I sigh.
“Lark called me,” she says quickly, her words tumbling together. “Apparently, Rhett got into a fight at lunch today with Owen.”
“A… a what?” I practically shout, causing Molly and Regan to whip their heads toward me.
“Yeah. Something about Owen running his mouth about hooking up with you last week after your date,” Lainey explains. “I don’t know all the details, but Della heard it, told Lark, and… well, you can guess how that went over with Rhett.”
I groan and rub my temples furiously. The migraine I’ve been holding off all day slams into me full force. Talk about atrip down memory lane.Something very similar happened the summer I skipped town. Before I knew I was pregnant and before I moved to Virginia.
Why the hell do I feel like I'm eighteen years old again?
“I told Lark there’s no way that you would do that and Lark said that to Rhett too.” Her voice is softer now like she’s trying to reassure me, but all I can think about is the way that Rhett didn’t believe me in the past either.
???
I’m worn out after another long shift at the Whitewood Creek hospital, my body sore from hours of volunteering. But today, I got to experience a precipitous birth, and the adrenaline from that intense, chaotic moment is still buzzing through me.
It was the kind of thing that makes you feel alive, like you’re part of something bigger. The kind of thing that reaffirms for me that I’m on the right path pursuing a nursing career. And though I’m nervous about leaving my hometown, my friends, Rhett, and everything that I’ve known behind, I’m looking forward to the future and what’s in store for me in college.
I push open the door to my parents’ trailer, expecting to take a quick shower before meeting Rhett for our date night in anhour, but I freeze when I see him sitting at the kitchen counter, a red solo cup resting in front of him as he cradles his head in his hands.
His fingers tug at the loose strands of his hair, the weight of something clearly heavy on him.
“Oh, hey, Rhett. I thought we were meeting at your place in an hour. I’m a mess after the hospital,” I say, gesturing down at my scrubs, now covered in a mixture of bodily fluids that I don’t even want to think about. “I got to witness my first birth today. It was incredible.” My voice lifts with the excitement I feel, and I can’t help but smile.
Rhett’s the one person who cares about hearing these stories, the one who’s always taken an interest in what I’m doing at the hospital and my plans for the future. I’m convinced my mom and dad don’t even know that I’m leaving in August for school. I wonder how long it’ll take for them to realize that I’m not coming back.
