35. Thirty-Five
Thirty-Five
Kyla
Pain.
That’s all that swept through my body as I flew back, hitting a hard chest as my vision blurred. Heat seeped through my jaw, and I tasted blood. I had never been hit before—not once in the entire span of my relationship with David had he ever hit me. And now, stepping in front of the man I was in love with caused me to catch my first ever punch.
And it hurt.
Rhett’s arms flew around my waist, holding me steady as I still struggled to gain my balance. I could hear him screaming at David and heard a struggle. I’m not sure from what, but there was definitely something going on.
My hands flew to my jaw, and I moved it, still tasting the blood .
I blinked and tried to steady myself, my eyes focusing as I saw David walking to his car, his hands in a fist at his sides and his stride full of anger. Lachlan was walking behind him, more force to his demeanor than anything. And then there was Rhett, spinning me and taking my face in his hands, gently, as his eyes searched my face.
“Kyla . . . Kyla . . .” he repeated my name over and over.
“I’m okay,” I finally mumbled, not even believing my own words.
“Yeah, I don’t believe that for a second.” Rhett wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me into the main house. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as we moved. My jaw pulsed with each step, but I kept moving, my fist grabbing onto Rhett’s shirt.
“Why did you hit him?” I grumbled.
“I . . .” He sighed. “I don’t know . . . Come on, let’s get you inside, you need ice.”
Once inside the house, the AC hit me like a ton of bricks. The house was quiet except for the noises from the kitchen. I was praying it was Abi—I didn’t really need to see Charlotte right now. Not knowing exactly how she would act. I just wanted ice on my jaw, and a drink. A stiff one.
“What the hell—” I heard Abi, and my heart rate calmed.
“Well . . .” Rhett began, drawing out the word.
“David showed up.”
“You called him?” Abi turned to Rhett.
“He said he had a meeting with dad.”
“And he hit Kyla? She’s bleeding.” Abi’s voice became frantic.
“He was aiming for me.” Rhett turned my body and gently pushed me onto the stool, taking my face in his palms .
“I stepped in,” I mumbled, a pain tearing through my jaw. “I’m surprised it didn’t break my jaw. It hurts.” I winced.
“Abi, can you get me some ice?”
“On it.” Abi moved fast, a whir behind me.
“I’m sorry, Kyla,” he whispered again.
I closed my eyes, wanting to tell him it was okay, that I was okay, but my mind began to spin.
“It’s okay,” was all I managed to choke out.
“Here’s the ice.” Abi handed a towel to Rhett, who took it without even moving his gaze from me. He placed it on my face with care and leaned forward, his lips meeting my temple.
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, the pit in my stomach growing with each moment that passed. I wasn’t going to cry. I was stronger than this. I had my clarity right in front of me. I was home. I was safe.
Except I wasn’t . . . was I?
I’m not even sure if Rhett heard him out there, or if he was more focused on punching him, but David admitted to following me. He knew where I was and for how long I’d been there. I wasn’t sure how he knew, but . . . he knew. He knew every move I had made since I left him all those months ago. No amount of peace or clarity that Rhett offered would be able to change that fact.
No matter what I did—no matter where I went—David wasn’t going to give up. He wasn’t going to stop chasing and manipulating.
I looked up at Rhett, allowing the tears to fall.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, dropping my chin when I saw the look in his eyes. Worry and regret filled him, taking over the calm that normally came with him .
“Kyla.” his voice was shaking. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, it’s my fault.”
“Did you really threaten him?”
He shook his head, his forehead touching mine lightly. “I was an idiot. The day after the rodeo I went to the hotel and shoved the marriage license in his face. I told him to get the hell out of my town. I didn’t think he would memorize the dates on it.”
I rolled my eyes, “Or research you.”
He met my gaze, his eyes boring into mine. There was a sheen over the bright color as he forced himself to stay grounded. He was failing. Just as I was.
“I should have warned you he would. I should have known he would. You’re a big name. You’re Rhett Hartwell for god's sake. I’m sorry I even asked.”
“Hey.” He dropped the ice on the counter and gently kissed me. “Please stop apologizing.”
Before I could say anything else, the front door swung open and heavy boots slammed on the floor. Lachlan came bursting into the kitchen, stopping in the door frame. Rhett turned to look at his cousin, his hands still firm on me.
“We need to talk to your dad,” he stated, his voice stoic.
Rhett turned back to me and nodded. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I’m going to go home.” I shook. “Call Grace.”
“Keep ice on your chin.” He stood and kissed my forehead again. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
My lip quivered as I watched Lachlan and Rhett leave the kitchen. Grabbing the ice from the counter, I stood, not even acknowledging Abi as I left the main house .
How the hell did I get here? I was supposed to be in Washington by now, in my own apartment, starting a new job, and studying for my teaching certification. But I was here, in Idaho, married, and being stalked by my ex. Was that even what this was? Was he stalking me? How the hell else did he know where I was? Where I had been? Remembering that feeling of being watching in Arizona, believing it was all in my head. . .he was. . .he had to have been following me.
I knew it was all a ploy. He never wanted to buy the ranch, he just wanted to get under my skin—force me back to Arizona and back to where my life was miserable. He would twist it to make it my fault I left, make me feel bad about it until I would apologize for leaving him. I wouldn’t go back to teaching, I would just be his trophy wife . . . just like my mom was.
If I lived my life here, if I made Hartwell Hills my home—which if I was being honest with myself I so desperately wanted to—nothing good would come of it. It wouldn’t end with just denying David’s offer. He would take it to the next level by taking Rhett to court for falsifying a legal document. There was even proof that it was false. But he wouldn’t stop there. If there was something he could do to make him come out on top of everything, he would do it.
I knew the answer. I simply shouldn’t—couldn’t—stay here.
Tears began to fall once again as I opened the door to the cabin and sat on the couch, my back straight, trying not to clench my teeth as the pain radiated from my chin. I lifted the ice, gently placing it on my face. It was more of a dull pain now, and the taste of blood had vanished. I could feel the slit on my tongue now, but at least I knew I didn’t lose a tooth—I had just bitten my tongue. That was the worst that had happened.
If only that was true.
I stood from the couch, dropping the ice on the sofa as I went for my bag, digging in my purse for my phone. There were a few new messages from my mom, a text from Grace, and an email from . . . my new employer in Washington.
Blinking quickly to stop the tears, I opened the email first.
Kyla, thank you for reaching out to us! We are excited for your new path, but please know if you ever decide to move to Washington. Just reach out to us, the job will be yours.
I swallowed. At least something went right in the last hour.
I still had a job waiting for me. I could just . . . move on.
Closing the email, I opened Grace’s text thread, ignoring the message waiting from her.
Me
David showed up . . . shit hit the fan really fast. I can’t stay here. I have to leave. Back to the original plan. The Summer of Cowboys has officially come to an end. Update you soon. I need to pack and . . . talk to Rhett. Love you.
My phone rang instantly, but I ignored it. I placed it on the counter, face down, not wanting to acknowledge what I was doing.
It was for the better, I told myself over and over. This was for the better . If I left, so would David. He would either go back to Arizona, or follow me to Washington. He would stop the game he was playing—stop trying to buy some of the ranch. The act would end. He would win, technically, but so would Rhett. He wouldn’t have to worry about the ranch anymore. This wouldn’t be clouding his focus when he should be focused on Tie-down. He wouldn’t have to worry about where I was, or if I was happy. He didn’t have to worry about me at all.
Starting now.
Starting now, I wouldn’t be anyone’s problem.