Page 64 of Rough
Damn. I gave him one minute, and he only used about twenty seconds to pull us in. “Okay. Now you’ve got two minutes. The hell are you talkin’ about?” I stand over this guy with my arms crossed, looking down at him in an attempt to intimidate him, but he only smirks at me.
“She was just about to start cleaning the drains in the cow barn. Why don’t you all take over that task for her while I fill you in?”
I shudder at his suggestion. There’s nothing worse than pulling up those drains and clearing them free of hay and shit that have clogged them up. Remy must agree, because he pipes in. “Yeah, we’re gonna pass on that. Talk, or we’re leaving.”
David, I think he said his name was earlier, smirks again. “Oh, Ireallysuggest you do it. It’ll be worth your while.”
Clyde looks longingly over at Betsy, who’s directing one of her high school students to do something, and nods. “We’ll do it.”
Both Remy and I turn our heads slowly to stare at him.What in the world possessed him to say yes?“Clyde… it’s fuckin’ disgusting.”
“So?” That’s all he asks before he’s clomping toward the barn, David flashing an evil grin at us as he follows.
Sighing, I jerk my fingers through my hair and look at Remy. “Let’s just fuckin’ go. Get it done. At least she won’t have to do it.”
His shoulders drop as he concedes. Betsy is now watching, clearly confused by us walking away from her, but I wave anyway. Her frown deepens, gutting me. I don’t see a way to make her realize we reallyaresorry for our fuck ups.
As soon as we’re all in the barn, David tugs the door shut and pulls out his camera. “You all have a problem if I take video and photos of this?”
“Yeah, I got a problem with that.” I’m seething, but he just raises a brow.
“Okay, so maybe I should fill you in first, then. Obviously, you all fucked up pretty big with Betsy Harper. Like I said, she didn’t tell me exactly what you did, but I’m not an idiot. Whatever it was, was bad. Am I right?”
Remy’s grunt is answer enough, so he nods and continues.
“Thought so. Now, like I told her, I’m not an expert on these kinds of things, but what I do know is how to fix things I’ve fucked up as a man. That girl out there is torn up over whatever the hell you did, and she’s pissed. Beyond pissed. I may have suggested a bit of humiliating tasks the three of you can do to make her feel better. I also suggested we film you and include it on her social media platform to show other women out there that they deserve men to own their fuck ups and work for their apologies.”
We’re all speechless, considering what he’s saying, but also quickly coming to the realization that he’s so fucking right. “Go on,” I bite out, wanting to hear the rest of his plan.
“I don’t think you are bad people,” he says, and oddly enough, his statementdoesmake me feel better. “I think you made a mistake that has you in over your heads. I got someoneback home, and I fucked up big time with them, once upon a time.”
“What’d you do?” Remy asks, but David shuts him down.
Shaking his head, he leans against the door and studies us. “Doesn’t matter what I did to upset them. What matters is what I did after the fact. I fuckingworkedand groveled and earned their forgiveness. I took that experience and suggested it to her, in a sense. She’s pissed. I hope you know that. But I told her we could make it a game to make you all grovel and work your asses off for her benefit and entertainment.” He looks between us, then says more gently, “I think I was right suggesting that. She said you were her best friends, but I think you all are more than that to her, whether you know it or not.”
Remy is the one that’s most pissed, gritting out, “What do you mean by that?”
“You know what the hell I mean.” David rolls his eyes, then narrows them at Remy. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me all of you aren’t in love with that woman out there.”
Fucking. Silence.
It took me a long time to realize that I’ve compared every woman I’ve ever dated to Betsy, but it’s not something I ever admitted to my friends. Slowly, I turn my head to look at them. Remy’s jaw is working hard, clearly pissed, but refusing to deny how he feels about her. It’s Clyde that surprises me, though. He looks ashamed, his head hanging down as he stares at the ground.
“Why do you look like that?” I ask him, and his eyes find mine.
Without looking away, he admits, “I’ve been in love with her for as long as I’ve known her.”
“You never said anything.” Remy is studying him, but I can’t tell if he’s pissed or curious.
Clyde jerks his head up before glaring at him. “What was I supposed to say? Hey guys, I know ya’ll are friends with Country, but I love her and fucked her and want to fuckin’ marry her. Hope you’re cool with it?”
“You fucked Bets?” I ask, shocked. The rest of what he said, I can’t even process, but the fact he just admitted to fucking her does something to me. “When the hell did you and Bets get together?” I’m furious, taking a step toward him.
“This. This right here is why I never said anythin’. We’ve all been protective of her, but she’s always beenitfor me. Ya’ll never wondered why I never dated? It’s ‘cuz of her. It’s always been her.” His chest is heaving, and he’s ready to fight all of us if we try to give him shit for it.
My brain is working a mile a minute, and I can’t stop from saying, “I’ve kissed her. Well… it might have been more than a simple kiss.” My confession brings my best friends up, standing off with me as they stare me down. “Oh, come the fuck on,” I growl, ready to fight with them. “Clyde, you just said you fucked her, and Rem, you didn’t deny you’ve got feelin’s. Why are you all surprised that she got under my skin, too?”
“I’m not a fuckin’ player.” Remy is furious, taking a step toward me.
