Caramel | Rip Wheeler

Caramel - Chapter Five

The afternoon was warm and dry, the flowers around the field were vibrant and in full bloom. Spring was Maria's favorite season. She was freshly eighteen, wondering what life had to offer her.

She sat with Kayce on a blanket at the top of a hill that they named theirs. He handed her a grape from the small basket he had brought along with the plaid blanket. "You would think there'd be more bugs, huh?" He popped a grape into his mouth. "Like they're defrosting or somethin'?"

She tried to force a laugh but the item in her back pocket would more than define her future, and she was terrified of what Kayce would say to her. He noticed her demeanor and he furrowed his eyebrows. "What's up, baby?"

She began to think, forming words into sentences in her head. There was no easy way to say it, but as careless as they had been it was only a matter of time. She pulled the stick from her back pocket and with a sigh she handed it to him. "Um.." she mumbled. "Ive been trying to come up with something but I just don't know what to say. Here."

He grabbed it from her hand, studying it. "Wait." He shook his head, confused. "What?"

"I..." She trailed off, waiting for him to say anything. When he didn't, she spoke. "I'm pregnant."

She was so nervous she felt she could throw up. Her stomach did twists and turned. He stared and stared at the test for what felt like eternity. She had no idea what he was thinking, but she assumed he was waiting for it to change or speak or something.

Nonetheless, he looked at her, a smile forming on his face. "I love you, Maria." She was taken aback, after months of them sneaking around for dates and sneaking into her room and visa versa, he had finally said it. "I want this." He nodded, beginning to stand up. "I want it with you."

He reached for her hands, helping her to her feet. "God, I love you so bad." He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up in his excited state. "Oh my god, I'm gonna be a dad!"

"I love you, Kayce." She giggled uncontrollably as he picked her up again. "Put me down!"

"I want to tell everyone." He said, "I want everybody to know right now."

"What? I-" He took her hand and pulled them toward their horses. "Up." He stated as he helped her up onto her horse. She watched he jumped onto his and took off running, she followed behind trying to keep up.

To his luck, John, Rip and a couple of cowboys were working on one of the trucks right in front of the barn. She continued pleading him to slow down and think about what he was about to do. But his intentions were set, she couldn't stop him.

"Kayce, wait." She shook her head. "I think we should do this more calmly and thought out, we don't know how they're gonna react."

Kayce jumped off of his horse, pulling the test from his back pocket. "I'm gonna be a dad."

She face palmed, her heart dropping to her stomach as everybody whipped their heads around, wondering who the hell just said. When John noticed it was Kayce, he looked at Maria. When Rip noticed John looking at Maria, he looked at Kayce.

"What?" John asked, taking the test from his hand. Maria groaned, folding over to hide her face behind the head of her horse. Then she slipped off, dreading this conversation. "Who's pregnant?" She stood quiet, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who's having your baby Kayce?"

She slowly raised her hand, her face hot and red from embarrassment. "That would be me."

John sighed, shaking his head as he looked down to the ground. "I-what?" He then looked up, opening his palm to further portray his confusion.

"I told him we should have waited." She shyly looked down, hiding her face with her long black hair.

Kayce still had that shit-eating grin on his face, waiting for everybody to congratulate the two. "Who cares? I'm gonna be a fucking dad!"

The cowboys had no choice but to cheer, hugging him and such, but John and Rip stayed quiet. "Well." John spoke, walking over to Kayce to guide him out of the group of people, that left Rip and Maria looking at each other.

"You mad?" She shuffled her feet, scared to look at him.

"Why would I be?" He sniffed, looking away so she could lift her head. When she did; he forced eye contact with her. "Me and you ain't ever been nothin'." He licked his dry lips. "I knew you would eventually end up with pretty boy."

"No, I know. I thought we were friends though." She pouted with a nod of her head. "Thank you for clearing it up though."

She began to walk toward Kayce and John's conversation but he grabbed her wrist, Kayce noticed. "Hey," Rip said. "I'm happy for you." He nodded softly. "I am."

She pulled her wrist from the grip of his hand, no words needing be said. When she walked up to John and Kayce, John gave her a one armed hug. "Are you okay, Maria?"

She nodded. "I'm okay, John."

"Are you healthy, Maria?"

She sighed. "Yes, John."

He gave her a small kiss on the forehead, nodding. "Okay, honey. That's all that matters." They could both sense the disappointment and the betrayal he felt as he walked away. It was shameful. He continued until he was in the house, he didn't turn to look back not once.

Kayce wrapped his arms around her, eyeing Rip as he embraced her. Rip watched, feeling the same feelings John did. In that moment, Kayce realized he wasn't the only one with feelings for Maria. It seemed Kayce's gloating was a way to hurt Rip. He did a good job at it. Rip's heart was shattered all over the hay covered ground.

In the last few months, he had kept his distance, hoping that the day Beth returned everything would be back to normal and he could forget Maria existed. Honestly, you'd have to be a different kind of stupid not to notice something was going on between Maria and Kayce. He could tell they loved each other and having a baby on top of it all was just the cherry it needed to be prettier. He was hurt, yet he had not a single right to be.

He watched them walk inside the house, his heart ached as he watched that beautiful smile belong to somebody else. She was gone. He was too late.