Page 25 of Rough
Another shrug from her and I want to pound my fist into the dirt. Shoving to her feet, she smacks the dirt from her legs and ass, then turns around to gather Frank’s reins. He’s been standing near us without a care to take off on his own. That horse would follow her to the ends of the earth. There’s no doubt about it.
“If you got nothin’ else, I’m gonna head back,” she bites out, getting ready to climb up to his back.
Fuck, the video.
Scratching the back of my head, I take a step closer and shove my hands in my back pockets. “I got somethin’ else you need to know.” I wait for her to ask, but she says nothing. With a sigh, I drop my shoulders. “You know how we’ve got that shit on social media? Videos and the like, followin’ us around when we’re ranchin’?”
Her blank stare tells me everything I need to know. She hasnoidea what I’m talking about.
“Well,” I continue. “We do. Anyway, that woman with us yesterday was filmin’ and got that altercation into a video. Posted it for everyone.”
“Okay, so?” she asks, still not understanding what I’m getting at.
“So, she didn’t keep Rem’s last name out of it. The video says ‘Landry’s farm’. People are smart and are gonna figure out where we are. Whoyouare. Video wasn’t supposed to go the way it did.”
Her eyebrow rises. “How was it supposed to go, Billy?”
“You gotta know it wasn’t our idea. It was Trina’s. She did it without checkin’ in first.” I know I’m stalling and she does, too.
“How was it supposed to go,Clyde?”
My jaw hurts with how hard I’m grinding my teeth. “It was supposed to make people feel bad for Rem and make you look bad.”
She’s silent as she thinks over what I’ve said. My irritation is pricked when another one of those damn shrugs is all I get as a response. Spinning, she fits her foot in the stirrup and slips into the saddle.
Growing frustrated, I need her to understand. “We have a pretty massive followin’. People might start showin’ up on the farm.” She has to know that this will most likely become a problem.
Baring her teeth at me, she leans over Frank’s neck to stare down at me. “You tell them boys to keep your followin’ off my property.”
“They’re pretty pissed. Everyone is. This whole thing is fucked up.”
“Yeah, well, I’m pretty pissed too.”
With a click, she nudges Frank forward, and takes off in the opposite direction of the trail. She knows I can’t follow her with the SUV.
Fuck! This is gonna be bad.
Chapter Ten
Flashback
~ 10 years ago ~ Clyde
Heaving myself through the trees, I don’t stop running until I make it to the edge of my safe place.Ourplace. I lost my dad’s hat on my run here, but I don’t care right now. He’s too drunk to notice it missing, anyway.
As soon as the moonlight glints off the smooth surface of the pond, I drop to my knees at the water’s edge. Betsy and I broke down a little space in the fence on the far end of her Pap’s property, so I didn’t have to climb anything if I needed to come here. I don’t know if he ever noticed, but it’s not been fixed for a bit.
Leaning forward, I stretch my fingers toward the water and tilt forward to see my reflection in the glassy surface. My lip is busted, but I didn’t realize how bad it looked until I see my face peering back at me. Sticking out my tongue, I run it over the split and wince at the sting.
There’s a cracking of twigs, more than just from the wind, and I know I’m about to have company. Looking around, I try tofind something to hide my fat lip and bruise building across my cheek. It’s why I like my dad’s hats.
I know it’s not my fault he’s an asshole, but I’m almost fifteen. I should be able to stand up to him by now. Panic surges forward when I hear Betsy curse and stumble through the grass until she’s right on me.
“There you are, Billy. I rang your house ‘cuz I had a question about my homework, but your momma said you’d gone.”
She drops her lanky body next to mine on the shore and crosses her legs. All I can do is turn my head and look away in hopes that she won’t see in the dark.
“Why you always callin’ me Billy? Don’t it get old?” I grumble, still keeping my face turned from her.
