I put the truck in park before opening my door and hopping out, ignoring Sierra’s, “What are you doing?” to run over to her side.
Flinging open the door to a wide-eyed look, I murmured, “Come here,” and opened my arms for her.
She unbuckled her seatbelt, wrapping her arms around me after turning so her legs were hanging out of the pickup. I stepped closer to her, nudging her legs apart so I was standing between her knees.
Sierra rested her head on my shoulder as I reached up to pet her hair. Hot tears dripped from her cheeks onto my shirt as I stroked my fingers through her dark strands, doing my best to soothe the ache I knew she was feeling in her heart.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you.”
“I’m sorry.” Her chest heaved as she choked out another sob. “I didn’t want you to decide to leave.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I still did my best to reassure her. “I’m not going anywhere, Skip. I promise you. I’m right here.”
She shook her head wildly, mumbling, “No. No. No,” over and over again.
I cradled her head as I whispered into her hair. “I’m not going to leave you, Skip.”
No one was around at this hour, so it was just us sitting on the side of an empty, dark highway with only the light of the cab and the moon and stars overhead. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but by the time she let go of me and pulled away, my shirt was soaked with teardrops.
“W-we should go back,” she whispered. “It’s getting late.”
“Are you sure?” I dropped my hands to the sides of her thighs, splaying my fingers out in a gentle hold. “We don’t have to go back yet if you’re not ready. We can stay here longer.”
She turned away, forcing my hands to fall off her legs as she swung them into the cab. “Yeah, I’m sure. We should go.”
A small hint of rejection settled in my bones, and I wondered if I did something wrong, said the wrong thing, but I pushed it away.
It’s not because of you. It’s just late.
We drove back to the house in silence. It wasn’t until I pulled into the driveway, and the porch light on the house illuminated the inside of the pickup, that I realized she’d fallen asleep. Soft snores rose into the cab after I killed the ignition. After walking over to her side of the truck, I gently removed her seatbelt and lifted her into my arms, being as careful as I could not to wake her.
“Mmmm,” she moaned as she snuggled her head into the gap between my neck and shoulder.
I managed to get inside the house without waking her up and padded down the hall to her bedroom. Pancho was asleep on the floor, and I stepped around him, laying Sierra under the white sheets and lilac comforter, pulling the covers up to her shoulders.
My body moved on its own accord, and before I could stop myself, my lips pressed against her cool forehead. She shifted a little but didn’t wake up, her lips twitching up into a soft smile.
“Sweet dreams, Skip,” I whispered as I backed away from the bed, out of the room, and closed her door with a quiet click before retiring to my own bed alone.
The next morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Sierra said in the car. What did she mean by it was all her fault?
I didn’t think anyone—least of all me—faulted her for what happened to her as a kid. She was just that,a kid.
She was still sleeping when I got up around nine o’clock, having not gotten much sleep after we returned to the house.
I made a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon, and a toasted bagel before scribbling out a note and leaving it on the counter for Sierra when she woke up.
Heading to Jake’s for a bit. There’s breakfast in the fridge if you want it.
-Hayes
It was a peaceful morning—a stark contrast to only a few hours ago. The sun beamed down on the earth through the clouds, creating dapples of light on the prairie. Birds sang, despite it being October, and the weather starting to cool down. Part of me wished I’d woken Sierra up so she could see this. So she could know that even after the darkest nights, the sun still rose.
I pulled into Jake’s driveway, taking in the guest house he’d been working on. They’d made a lot of progress already. He had contractors come in and work on the house while we were on the road, so the roofing and siding were already finished. I assumed the next step was electrical and plumbing, then insulation and drywall. But Jake was right. I thought by the time spring rolled around, he’d have a nice little house here.
A tapping on my window got my attention.
“What’s up, Hayden?” Jake’s brows furrowed. “Everything all right?”
