Little Brothers Are Stupid
PAIGE
When I woke up, my body felt heavy. I started the coffee maker while Cash slept in my bed. The sun was barely cresting above the mountains, but I knew I wasn’t going to fall back asleep. My mind was racing at the thought of the state of my family.
Lottie was furious.
The boys drank through it with Cash, but hadn’t spoken to me about the situation.
My mother was acting like she was over the moon.
My father had been locked in his office since our first interaction.
I only knew of one place on the property I was safe, and that was where I planned to spend my peaceful morning. I got changed quietly so Cash didn’t wake up and snuck out of the apartment.
When I walked out of Taylor’s last night, I had no idea of where I was going. I started toward the ranch, but then the sky opened and the rain poured down. I was upset and too far from home to make the walk so I went to the place that always made me happy.
A place that held happy memories before everything got complicated.
I didn’t expect Cash to show up looking for me, and I sure as hell didn’t think he would carry me inside and wash away my horrible night before holding me as I slept.
He kept surprising me, and I feared that I liked it too much.
I approached the stables and inhaled the smell of fresh hay and horses. The familiarity of it settled the buzz under my skin. This place always calmed me when I was feeling extra emotional. I approached Shadow’s stall and nearly broke into tears as I spotted her shiny black coat.
I opened the gate and slipped inside. Shadow immediately let out a whinny and nuzzled into me.
“Hi, sweet girl,” I whispered, running my palm up her nose. “I missed you.”
Shadow whinnied again, as if she was responding to me. I took a minute to just lean against her and breathe. A sense of calmness rushed over me like it always did when I was close to her.
“So much is happening so fast and I need advice,” I whispered so only she could hear me.
Shadow flicked her tail, signaling to me she was ready for me to unload my thoughts onto her.
“Little early for you to be out here.”
I jumped and spun around to see Reid leaning against the stall door with a shitty smirk on his face.
“I thought I was alone.” I rolled my eyes and turned back to Shadow.
“Like you need to be alone to talk to that horse like a person.” Reid laughed.
“Fair, but some things need to stay between girlfriends and aren’t meant for prying ears.”
Reid was silent for a moment, but I could sense he was still behind me. When I faced him, the look in his eyes told me he had something to say.
“Stop looking at me like that.” I crossed my arms and popped my hip out.
“I’m worried about you, P.”
I let out a small scream, throwing my hands to my face, and stalked out of Shadow’s stall.
My peaceful morning was quickly going up in flames. This was not a conversation that needed to stress out my horse.
Reid took a step back so I could walk into the aisle but stayed close enough that told me he really wanted to have this talk.
“You know what? I’m so sick of everyone suddenly being worried about me,” I spat at him.
“What do you mean, suddenly?” Reid looked genuinely confused.
“For years, I have done whatever I wanted and no one batted an eye. No one cared. No one questioned me. I could have been sleeping with a hundred men and had six STDs by now and no one would know the difference. I bring home one meaningful relationship that people don’t approve of, and now everyone gives a shit? ”
Reid winced. “For the record, you didn’t go around sleeping with a hundred guys, right?”
I raised a brow at him.
“Not the point. Got it,” he said with a nod. “Paige, we all care about you and always have.”
“Did you talk to Lottie?” I asked, trying to pinpoint how biased this conversation was about to be.
He nodded again. “She came to find us this morning.”
“Cool, so then why even talk to me about it? Lottie is perfect and always right, while I am clearly manic and being stupid. Great conversation. So glad we cleared the air.” I turned to walk away, but Reid jogged to step in front of me.
“Don’t play that shit with me, P. I’m not taking Lo’s side, okay? I just don’t like to see you fighting.”
I avoided eye contact as the pressure started building behind my eyes. I was so sick of crying and causing a scene. It really wasn’t helping my argument that I wasn’t in the middle of a mental crisis.
“Lottie and my fighting is between Lottie and me. The rest of the family doesn’t need to be involved,” I said harshly. I knew I was being cold, but I was fed up with my siblings tiptoeing around Lottie’s feelings and not caring about mine.
“It is, but it also hurts to hear you say we all don’t care about you.”
“Ugh, it’s not that I think no one loves me, okay? It’s just that for years I have existed in Lottie’s shadow. Now that I’m in the spotlight, everyone is mad at me. I didn’t think it would be such a huge deal.” I shrugged.
That wasn’t exactly true. I knew everyone would get mad, but that was only because the guy I spontaneously married was Cash. If it was some other random man, the reaction wouldn’t be the same.
“Lottie also said hurtful things about Cash, and I’m going to defend him. He’s my husband,” I added, not masking my hurt.
Reid perked up at that. “What did she say?”
I looked at my feet, embarrassed to repeat the words that cut through me.
“She said he was a manwhore who didn’t deserve me.”
Reid let out a slow whistle. “She was wrong about that.”
“She was?” I risked a glance at his face.
“Look, Cash has made some decisions I don’t agree with, but that doesn’t make him a bad man who doesn’t deserve you.
For years he watched out for you. He took care of you in silence, and now it’s clear why.
Sure, y’all tortured each other with words, but his actions? That is what makes him a good man.”
“Then why did Walker punch him?”
“Because he should have told us about you guys before it got to this point. Were we upset when we found out? Yes. But it’s starting to sink in that this is real. If he’s who makes you happy, then who are we to stand in your way?”
I ran into Reid’s chest and wrapped my arms around him.
“I really needed to hear that,” I whispered.
“We just want you to be happy. We aren’t going to stop that if this is what you choose.”
“Lottie doesn’t share those same feelings,” I said into his chest.
“She’ll come around.”
But what if she never did?
I didn’t know if I could exist in a world where Lottie wasn’t my best friend.
She was starting a new life so I guess the idea was more of a reality than I wanted to admit.
People naturally drift apart as they aged which was a hard pill to swallow.
You grew up and got married and started new families.
It was a concept I knew was coming one day, but it felt incredibly sudden.
“Okay, enough tears and girly drama. I actually came over here to ask if you wanted in on this new arrival we’re about to release into the ring.”
I jumped off his chest with the biggest smile on my face. “What’s the bet?”
Reid swung an arm around my shoulders and started guiding me to the training paddock where I could already hear the cheering.
“I was hoping you’d ask.”