5. Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Brynn
T he audacity. The motherfucking audacity of that cowboy to be ripped the way he is. That man is a powerhouse. From his broad shoulders and expansive chest to his massive thighs. The man is hardworking, and it shows. Too bad his ego is just as big as his dick.
I stomp my way back to the main house and try to calm my nerves. Not a lot shakes me, but this town has a way of making me feel like the teenager I used to be. The outcast, the weird girl who lived on a farm and was always dirty and sweat-stained. I am no longer that girl. She is long gone from my life in New York. But being here brings those feelings to the surface.
Cedar Creek has a way of hanging on to the past, and I feel like I am about to crawl out of my skin. I just needed an escape from the house I grew up in. Everything is mostly the same. When I walked into my old bedroom, it was like a shrine to my awkward teenage years .
To say I wasn't the typical teenage girl would be an understatement. I didn't have many friends, unless you count the cows and horses. I would rather hang out on the ranch than go to the movies. Boys my age didn't pay me any attention, mainly because of my brothers. Only one brave soul asked me out senior year, and the relationship turned out to be a disaster. The teenage girls, however, paid very close attention so they could belittle and humiliate me.
My brothers are protective, but they never knew the extent of what I had to go through. Even when I developed way before the other girls, they found a way to make fun of me for it. I was always labeled as a freak. My therapist said that hurt people hurt people and that had never resonated with me before. I know it was just teenagers being dumb and not knowing how to deal with all the changes their bodies were going through, but being bullied is never okay.
I have since felt that I have moved on from my not-so-fun childhood. I try to focus on the good parts instead of the bad. Being here in Cedar Creek makes that hard though. I am trying, but I just thought if I could escape my childhood bedroom where I used to cry myself to sleep every night, I would feel better.
To say going to the cottage was a bad idea wouldn't be right. But wouldn't be wrong either. I walk up the steps to my bedroom and decide to look around for another room to sleep in tonight. Hopefully, I won't be here much longer. Surely, I can tough it out for a couple of nights.
I walk down the hall and peek into my brother's old rooms. There is no way I will sleep on their teenage mattresses. I don't even want to imagine what filth is still in their beds after all these years. I open the door to what used to be dad's office but now appears renovated.
There is a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room against the wall. There are tables on either side with lamps in the shape of horses. There is a blue and white checkered chair and ottoman in the corner by the closet. The walls are painted a light gray, and there is a large plush white rug peeking out from underneath the bed. This room must have recently been updated. I wonder who the room was intended for.
I decide this is the room I am going to sleep in tonight. I head to the bathroom in the hallway and turn on the hot water in the shower. I need to cleanse all my anxiety away and maybe I will be able to sleep tonight. Blake is going to be here bright and early so we can go pick up dad.
I go through my normal everything shower, and by the time the mirror is completely fogged up and the bathroom walls are dripping with condensation, I feel a little better.
I wrap a towel around me and step out into the hallway. I know I have the house to myself, but it still feels like someone might be in the house. I walk closer to the stairs and peer down into the main living area. I don't see any lights on downstairs, so I go to the bedroom and look in the bag of clothes Whitney brought me.
Thank goodness we are about the same size, though I have a few inches of height on her. I pull out an oversized t-shirt and slip it on over my naked body. I will be completely dressed before I go downstairs in the morning, so it won't be a big deal to sleep like this tonight.
I plug in my phone charger and crawl into bed. I just need to get some sleep so I can be well rested when we go to pick up dad tomorrow. I never even asked Blake if dad knows I am in town. I am sure dad has acted like this is no big deal for him. A stroke is serious business.
I have been researching therapies and diets that are supposed to help with the aftereffects. I am not even sure if dad has any of those yet. I make a mental note to be sure to take my notebook with me tomorrow so I can write down all the info I will need after speaking with his team of doctors. The charge nurse told Blake to arrive by nine o'clock in the morning if he wanted to see the doctors during rounds.
I flip the fluffy pillow to the cooler side and lay down on my side, facing the window. I feel like my body is humming with energy, but I am also exhausted. It is an odd combination. I try a breathing technique I learned from my therapist a while back. My mind is racing with everything I need to do for my job, for dad and how being here affects my mental health.
I toss and turn until my body finally relents, and I fall asleep.
I wake to the sound of pots and pans clanging and the smell of strong coffee. I check my phone and see that it is just past four o'clock in the morning. Fuck. It is way too early.
I turn over on my stomach and bury my head under the pillow. I am definitely not a morning person. The smell of bacon permeates the air and even that is not enough to get my ass out of bed right now.
"B? You awake?"
I groan.
"Heard that!"
"Fuck off," I mumble into the mattress and pull the covers up and over the pillow resting on top of my head.
The door creaks open, and the light comes on. Before I can protest, there is a smack to my ass and my former best friend snickers.
"You are dead to me," I groan.
"Don't be so dramatic. It is time to get up, sunshine."
"No. It definitely is not," I complain, my voice muffled.
"Get up sleepyhead, or the boys will eat all the food."
"I'd rather starve than be awake right now."
"Suit yourself. I will just send Brooks up here to haul your ass out of bed. "
"Don't you fucking dare." I flip over onto my back and resemble a starfish.
"Brooks! Come haul your sister up out of this bed!" Whitney yells in the direction of downstairs.
"He is more scared of me; that won't work." I rub my eyes.
"Wanna test that theory?" She asks as we hear boots clomping up the stairs.
"I am naked!" I shout before Brooks can barge into the room.
"Fuck that!" He calls out as his steps retreat.
"Ha! Works every time." I punch the air in victory. "Now leave me alone so I can sleep for at least 2 more hours."
"That was low. You aren't naked," Whitney says as she pulls the covers off me.
"Technically, under your shirt, I am."
"Technically, that is your brother's shirt." Whitney throws shorts and a tank top on the bed.
"Do I even want to know why you have my brother's shirt?"
"I like the way they feel, so I steal them once they get worn in."
"Why don't I believe you?" I sit up in bed trying to rub the sleep from my eyes.
"Because you secretly want to be my sister and think there is more to mine and Brooks' friendship than there actually is," Whitney snaps. "Get dressed. I even brought you a new pack of undies and a bra I got from the new boutique in town. "
"Fine. But I am not happy about this. You just took the top spot on my shit list."
"Well, your brothers will be happy to know I am number one now," Whitney sasses before she exits the room and closes the door behind her.
I look at the clothes she brought me. Good god, my ass is definitely going to be hanging out.