[WATTYS 2016 WINNER!] [COSMOPOLITAN Featured!]
Trapped in her white trash hell, Layla Danner is failing at life.
Her friend Peyton? Everybody thinks he's perfect, a staggeringly rich, handsome, and well-mannered story book prince. But they don't kn...
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The weather didn't clear until three in the afternoon the next day. We spent the morning helping the house sitter with the animals. To thank us, she brought us lunch – the best chicken casserole I'd ever had in my life.
At four, Jake and I rode the stallions back to the truck. The horses were well-rested and fed, and in a much better mood than they were in yesterday. We had the time so we took on a leisurely pace; I chose to ride sidesaddle partly to show off, and partly because I had some serious chafing going on where the seams of my denim shorts had rubbed my inner thighs raw.
At five, Randy's men arrived with the spare trailer. I sat in the cab while Jake helped the men hitch and load up. My phone was down to the last five percent of battery life and I didn't have a car charger. Peyton and I had been texting back and forth since the morning, but I decided it was time to call.
The phone rang and rang. I was about to hang up when he answered. I quickly updated him on the situation and apologized again and again for not being able to make it back in time for dinner.
"It's fine." He hesitated as if he wanted to add something, but changed his mind, and a drawn out silence followed.
"Do you still want to see me tonight?" I held my breath.
Please, please say yes. I need you to get through the night.
He was agitated. "Of course I do, why would you ask that?"
My shoulders relaxed in relief. "Listen, my phone's almost dead. I won't be able to call or text you anymore."
He didn't answer immediately. In the background on his side, I heard an announcement go off on a speaker system. Try as I did, I couldn't make out the words.
Where are you?
"Peyton?"
"Yeah, I'm here. I'll wait for you. Don't worry about being late, I'll be there."
"If you're busy –"
"Layla, I'll be there."
"Okay." Another silence. "Are you at home?"
He hesitated. "No, I'm not."
I waited, but he didn't volunteer any more information. Maybe I would've pressed for more under different circumstances, but as things stood, I had no business demanding anything from him.
"Okay, so I guess I'll see you tonight." God, I sounded so insecure.
There was a long pause. "Layla – I need to tell you something, I'm- "
But my phone died. Because... of course it did.
I buried my face in my hands again and tried to rub the stress out of my temples. It was fast becoming a habit.
***
By six thirty, we were on the road home.
The GPS said we would arrive at the Ranch by 10:00, but that was assuming we didn't make any stops. And it had started raining again - nothing like the night before, but a steady shower that would definitely slow us down.
