Page 58 of Rough
“We aren’t doin’ anymore videos, Trina,” Remy informs her matter of factly.
“Wait,what?Why the hell not, Remy? And why are you standing like that?”
Ignoring her, he turns to me. “She doin’ alright in there?”
I nod sharply, not wanting to go into too much detail with Trina around. “Yep. Found the check.”
“Bet that didn’t go over the way we expected.” Wilder laughs to himself, bending over to pick up a ball for Lucy, who’s following us as we walk across the drive. Chucking it toward an open area leading to the field, she takes off after it. “She gonna accept it?”
Bouncing my head back and forth, I think about what she said. “Some of it, not all of it.”
“What check? You guys went ahead and gave her money?” Trina’s voice gets louder the longer we continue talking around her. “Would someone tell me what’s going on?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I shoot her a glare. “We told you already, but I’ll say it again. We fucked some shit up that we have to make financial reparations for, among other things.”
“I think we need to talk about this before you all start forking out money. But aside from that, weneedto talk about our plans moving forward. It’s why I came over. I haven’t seen you guys in a while, and I have some ideas that I want to go over with you.” Tugging out her phone, she starts pulling shit up, and I meet Remy’s eyes and jerk my head toward her. He needs to stop this shit because she’s clearly not listening to me. “Here, this is what I’m talking about. I want you—”
“Trina, we’re not gonna do anythin’ for a while. If at all.” She’s staring at him like he’s lost his mind, but he gives her a conciliatory smile to soften the blow. “Why don’t you head on back to the house? We’ll be there later tonight, and we’ll chat more about it, yeah?”
“Are ya’llstillhere?”
All four of us turn at the sound of Betsy’s voice, and I’m fucking sunk worse than a tire on a mudding trail after a two-day rain when my eyes find her.
“The hell are you wearin’, Bets?” Wilder shouts from next to me, and if I could drag my eyes away from her long enough to see Remy, I’m positive his teeth would be grinding down to nothing.
I can’t stand the way Trina starts chortling in a mocking way, and it’s the only thing that can unstick my feet to move between them, blocking her view from my girl. “Country…” I trail off, taking in the vision of her standing in front of us in all her glory.
Her hair is still in a thick braid hanging over her shoulder, and she’s got her hat settled low on her head, almost hiding her eyes away. But it’s her outfit that has me drooling. Tight jeans flaring just slightly at the bottom over her cleaned up boots, hugging her slim thighs, flexing right along with her leg muscles as she steps down the stairs. But her shirt.Jesus,her shirt. She’sgot a flannel, form-fitted button up, clinging to her stomach and chest, hugging her like a second skin.
My God, she’s fuckin’ perfection.
“Why the hell are you still here, Tina?” Betsy asks, walking toward us, but keeping an eye on our… guest, I suppose.
“It’sTrina.” Her voice is clipped as she crosses her arms over her chest, running her eyes over Betsy like she’s assessing a threat. “Honey, what are you doing? You look ridiculous.”
Betsy stops, looking down her body to see what she’s talking about. “Really? I kinda thought I looked hot. My tits are phenomenal in this shirt, and David said to wear somethin’ to flatter my figure.”
“Who. Thefuck. Is David?” Remy can barely control his anger, and he’s moving toward her as she gives him a sly smile.
She meets Wilder’s slack-jawed look, then mine, before her smirk falls away by whatever she’s seeing on my face. “David Jensen. He’s the gentleman I met with this mornin’. Turns out, I’m pretty popular online, and he figures I could do what ya’ll have been doin’ for the past year and capitalize on it. Among other things. Wasn’t gonna go through with it, but thanks to you fuckin’ my plans up, I found myself in a bit of a bind. This solves it.”
“But we paid you back!” Wilder cries out.
Shrugging, she looks away from all of us when a car pulls into the driveway. “Yeah, well, I didn’t know that when I told him I’d do it. It won’t be forever, but it’ll pay the bills. Now, if you’ll head on out, I’ve got some work to do.”
I can’t concentrate on what the other two are yelling at her, or what Trina is complaining about. My eyes are fixated on her as she walks away while memories of one other time she dressed up slam into me.
The last time I had Betsy alone, at the pond, I had the benefit of unbuttoning that same shirt. Only I got to push itoff her shoulders, baring her to my eyes only, her creamy skin illuminated by the moonlight.
The night I lost my virginity right alongside her, then disappeared across the state line not even a week afterward.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Flashback
~ about 5 years ago ~ Betsy
Sliding off the back of Frank, I lead him to the nearest tree and tie off his reins so he doesn’t wander. Normally he’s pretty good about not doing it, but lately he’s been a curious boy. “Stay here, Frank, or I’m gonna take away your apples tomorrow.”
