Always

your gonna have to tell her

Rips pov
 
  My wound hurt like hell but I was meant to go through hell. I had to get up to work and Oakley went back into the main house. After drinking my coffee I walked to the barn.
   "Rip." Someone said and I turned are to see Beth.
    "Yes, beth?" I said confused.
     "Do you still feel the same way you did?" She asked.
     "What do you mean?"
      "Rip you know exactly what I mean, you broke things off with me and we stopped fucken around because of your feelings for Oakley, do you still have those feelings?" She explained.
      "Beth, shhh." I say looking around.
     "So yes, because if so you need to stop messing with her feelings and tell her."
      "I can't, it's just not..." Beth cuts me off and says.
      "Don't give me bullshit, I don't want to here it, rip your her fucken crush and have been since she was fucken 12, she is not going to say shit to you, you have to man up and say some to her."
      "I can't do that. There are so many reasons that won't work."
      "Let me hear it then." She says. "And if you say, our dad or age I am going to slap you."
      "No that's the exact reasons, I can't put her In the position."
      "You want to put her in some kind of position." Beth says with a dumb smirk.
      "Jesus beth, please." I say shaking my head.
      "So rip I am gonna tell you right now why your reason don't mean shit. One our dad, rip you are like the most loyal person in my dad's life, he trusts you with his life and hers, honestly I think he would be proud that your the one she goes for instead of like Lloyd. Two you age don't mean shit your both adults and can make adult decisions." I look down and my chaps. " Rip, do you love her?" She says and I shoot my look back up at her.
    "I... um....... yeah, yeah I do." I say panicked. "Wait um don't repeat that I was wait beth."
     "Rip stop fucken mumbling, I won't tell but I an going to hassle you about it." I shake my head. "YOU... NEED... TO...MAN...UP." Beth says poking me after every word. "Your gonna have to tell her."
    "I almost did when I saved her and when we were on the roof, I am just to worried she will freak out and panic."
    "She will, because she has literally always liked you and she is young."
    "But thats the thing, she is young has bearly had life experiences, what if I tell her, she feels the same and then one day she decides she Hates me."
    "Rip as long as you get her some Flowers, and keep giving her dick she will be fine."
    "Lord beth, everything about you has to be sex." I say.
    "You know it rip." She says walking away leaving me to my thoughts. I need to tell her but, fucken feelings is not on the top of my list of things I am good at. I love her. I just don't know how to say it.

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Oakleys pov
  
  Walking to the barn I see Beth walk out.
    "Thats weird she fucken Hates horses." I say laughing to rip.
     "Yeah she needed to talk to me." Rip says.
    "Oh umm about what?" I ask
    "She wanted to see how your doing."
    "Oh ok, ready to mount up?" I say and he nods.
    "How are you feeling?" He asked me. The bruising had gone down a little.
    "Um good, my lip still really hurts, how about you?" I replied.
    "Darlin I was built to go through hell." He says back.
    "Rip I don't know what the means."
    "Oakley I told you, my past is something that I don't want to burden you with."
   "And I told you, that I open to listen, rip." I say looking at him will soft eyes.
   "Oakley, I will tell you, but not right now , I mean if you really want to hear I will tell you on my porch tonight over drinks."
    "You don't have to if you don't want to."
    "No I think its time, but your going to look at me differently."
     "No I won't rip." I say. I Knew his past was bad Lee had suggested it.

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After the day I walked down to rips house. The sun was setting and I saw him on his porch beer in hand. I walked up the steps and sat next to him. He handed me a beer and it was quiet. Just us watching the sunset until.
   "I was 15." Rip says lowly. I looked over at him. " My father was a bad person. The worst. I was beaten and passed out, while he beat my brother to death. When I woke up the first thing I saw was my brother dead in front of me. I heard my mother struggling, screaming,begging. I got up and picked up a frying pan walked over to my father and beat his head in. He was laying over my mother who he also beat to death." He said. I didn't know what to say. " I ran, that's all I could do, found myself a barn to hide in I was bloody and bruised. Till your father found me. Gave me job and life. A chance, I spent 20,000 dollers on my mother headstone got the guy to etch her face into it, it's about as tall as me, My brothers I spent 30, its stands a little taller so  I could get him closer to heaven. The best money I ever spent though was to a grave digger 5,000 to dig up my fathers bones I drove to north Dakota throwing then out the fucken window, I don't have a birthday or driver's license I wasn't exactly celebrated comeing into this world."
   "Rip I....."
   "Told you, that look in your eye, I am different to you now." He said low and disappointed.
   " no rip, I see you as the man I did 10 minutes ago." He was chewing on those fucken toothpicks he always does. I lean into him and he Raps his arm around me and I lay on his shoulder. "Your the strongest man I have ever met rip." He laughed. Rip leaned his head on me and I felt his beard on my face.
   "It's beautiful." I say referring to the sunset.
   "It sure is, just like you." He said. My heart was beating faster. I rubbed his arm and stood up. I gave him a warm smile and he gave it back.
   "Goodnight cowboy." I said starting to walk down the road. 
   "Goodnight darlin." Rip said standing up and walking inside.