Wayne was making his rounds around Westown enjoying the cool breeze, with the sun hidden behind the dark clouds.
Was it going to rain?
The forecast said cloudy skies, nothing about a chance of showers.
He headed down the three way road towards Scarlett's farm, wondering if the farmer was still working or strolling around town.
As he entered the farmland he jumped in surprise as her dog, Duke ran through his legs almost knocking him over.
"What the?!" He barely has time to assess the situation when Scarlett rushed pass him calling out to Duke.
"Duke! Come!" She called, but the dog paid her no mind.
He spun around and jogged after her trying his best to keep up with her, yet she got ahead of him.
"Scarlett, wait!" He shouted.
She glanced behind her, but didn't stop.
He followed her across the bridge leading to town and towards the waterfall. It was then he saw what had her dog so excited.
A wild hare. It must've been on her farm when her dog spotted it.
As Duke cornered the poor animal, barking excessively, it did something he least expected to happen.
It hopped into the water.
The dog leaped in after the hare, paddling around the water. He stopped beside Scarlett noticing she was breathing heavily.
He watched her strip off her jean jacket, then jump into the pool of water.
"What are you doin'?!" He called.
"The Hare!" Scarlett yelled over the roar of the waterfall.
Wayne held his breath as she dived under the water to retrieve the animal and was about to jump in himself when she resurfaced with the terrified hare wrapped in her arms.
He extended a hand to her, pulling her out the water and slipped on the wet grass near the water's edge.
They both tumbled to the ground with Scarlett laying on his chest. Their eyes connected for a brief moment before she pushed herself off of him.
"I-I'm so sorry!" She blushed a deep red.
"No, it was my fault I wasn't watching where I was going!" He said, blushing.
Scarlett picked up her discarded jacket and wrapped it around the soaked hare. "You have mail for me?"
"Yes! Let me grab it." He reached into his bag and handed over her mail.
"Thank you..." She told him and glanced up at the sky.
"Need a place to stay?" She said without looking at him. "It's going to rain soon."
"With you...?" He asked as if needing conformation.
Scarlett frowned. "If you don't want to..."
"NO!" He replied quickly, glancing at the ground. "Thank you for offering."
They traveled back to her farm. When it began to downpour they ran the rest of the way and eventually reached the door.
Scarlett threw open the door and they went inside with her dog right behind them.
"We...made it..." He grinned.
She glanced down at his chest. He followed her gaze and noticed his shirt was drenched and see through.
"I'll get you a towel!"
As she ran off to the bathroom in search of a towel. He began to think that perhaps this wasn't a good idea.
She returned a few minutes later, handed him two towels, and tucked the hare into a warm blanket and set it near the fire to get warmed up.
She had a towel wrapped around her small shoulders. He stared at her damp, long hair cascading down her back.
It was the first time he'd seen her with her hair not done up.
"What?" Scarlett smiled shyly, noticing his stare.
"Your hair..." He mumbled, unable to look away.
"Oh! I thought it dry better if I took out my braids." She chuckled. "Why don't you take a seat near the fire I'll get us some hot tea."
Wayne sat on the sofa near the fireplace as he waited for her. He knew they would still be nervous around each other, but this felt...different.
"Here you go." Scarlett handed him a hot cup of tea, before settling down beside him.
The storm outside raged on, thunder rattled the house and filled the silence.
"Do you know Allen?"
He turned to her. "Allen?"
"Yes, Allen he recently came to town..."
"I know a Allen, are we talking about the same one?" He asked.
Her whole demeanor changed.
"I'm sure." She looked down at her lap. "Lisette told me you meet him at Garden Grill a few days ago."
She then described Allen in her own words.
"Wayne, Listen to me. Promise me you'll keep your distance, he's not the guy you think he is?"
Her words confused him. Did she know him personally?
"I can't ignore him Scarlett, Why are you so lenient about this?" He questioned, he could see talking about him was wearing her out.
"He's the man who broke my heart..." She told him, wiping away a stray tear. "We used to be engaged to each other, we were in love...at least I thought so."
Engaged? She was engaged to Allen?
It was all too much for him to process.
"What happened?"
Scarlett sighed, her voice wavering. "He left me for someone else."
"He's married to the woman he cheated on me with!"
As she started to cry he pulled her into his arms just like he used to. He didn't know she was keeping so much bottled up inside.
"Shhhhh....please don't cry..."
He hated seeing her cry, and now he knew the source of her pain. Her father's disdain about her becoming a farmer was one thing, however Allen's action was unforgivable.
...
After the storm let up he made sure she was alright before he left her farm. His mind raced with thoughts.
Particularly about Allen. He believed he was generally a good man, now not so much.
Scarlett didn't deserve the pain he put her through.
He knew it wasn't any of his business to learn about her past relationships and yet he couldn't help the way his heart ached to comfort her, to take the pain away.
YOU ARE READING
The Wall Between Us
FanfictionIt all started with rejection. Scarlett can't seem to get over the loss of her best friend since she rejected his confession of love. Already dealing with her own self-worth and feelings while keeping up with daily life, things soon become difficult...
