Heartbreak Town (COMPLETED)

Chapter Thirty

       "Well, what happened to you guys?" Papaw asked when he walked inside for breakfast the next morning. Matt was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, and Swayde was leaning against the counter with his coffee, staring at the daily newspaper. Both men, and Renne and Mamaw, all simultaneously looked up at Papaw.

       Renne momentarily stopped stirring the bowl of pancake mix to answer for the guys. "A mama cow got ticked when they were tagging the calf. Beat up the guys pretty good." She nodded, then turned back to the stove, hoping her grandfather would believe her lie.

       Papaw walked to his wife, giving her a kiss on the cheek before grabbing his favorite coffee mug, pouring himself a cup. With a chuckle, he sat down at the kitchen table, grabbing the newspaper that Swayde wasn't reading. Lifting the coffee to his lips, Papaw smiled to himself. "I've been around long enough to know you don't get shiners like that from a cow. Y'all had a good old fist fight over Reagan." Papaw sipped his coffee nonchalantly, but knew he was right.

        The air fell silent in the kitchen. Nobody said anything because everyone knew Papaw was right. Slowly, Renne turned back to the stove to finish making pancakes for everyone.

        In her whole life, Renne had never been a part of such a tense meal as it was at breakfast that morning. Nobody at the table said anything except for when they asked for the food to be passed. After the meal was finished, Renne busied herself at the sink, washing the dishes.

       Matt came beside Renne in the kitchen, kissing her temple. "Hey." He set a couple plates down in the sink. "Thanks for breakfast; it was delicious."

        "You're welcome." Renne looked down at Matt's hands, grabbing his right one. "Your knuckles are all ripped up." She grabbed his left hand to look at it, not surprised when it looked just as bad as the right. Still holding his hands, Renne led Matt over to the freezer, instructing him to sit down at the table. "That was a pretty stupid thing to do, you know?" Renne smiled slightly so Matt didn't think she was upset.

        "What? Punching that lowlife? He deserved it. It ain't the first time I have punched a guy for tryin' to make a move on you." Matt defended himself.

        "Careful what you say there. Swayde is my friend. He's not a lowlife." Renne grabbed a couple ice packs out of the freezer, setting one on Matt's right hand. He rested his hand over hers as she held the ice pack in place.

         "He made a move on you while we were still together. He said you are still in love with him. Sounds like a lowlife to me." Matt defended.

       "As I have told you a hundred times, Matt, you and I were not together when everything happened between Swayde and I. And it was just as much my fault as it was his, okay? So don't be mad at him, be mad at me." Renne sat down, freeing her hand from the ice pack to place another one on Matt's cheek. His scrapes and bruises looked much worse than they did yesterday.

        Instead of responding with a smart alec comment like he wanted to, Matt instead reached up to tuck some of Renne's hair behind her ear. "You're growin' your hair out, I see." He changed the subject.

         "Yeah, I used to keep it pretty long, but I cut it when I met you. I just haven't had time to get it cut since I was here." Renne didn't look at Matt.

        "I like it short, though." Matt responded, leaning forward to kiss his fiancé.

       Before their lips could meet, Swayde burst into the house, interrupting the moment. His face was pale and he was breathing hard. In his hand, he still held his cell phone.

       Renne shot up out of her seat. "Swayde, what's goin' on?"

       "Where's Mamaw and Papaw?" Swayde was already walking through the house, looking for Renne's grandparents.

       Following after Swayde, Renne said, "Mamaw is hanging clothes on the line, and Papaw is out in the foal barn. Why?"

        Swayde never stopped walking through the house, out to the porch, as he answered Renne. "It's Mallory. She's taken a turn for the worse. I'm headin' over there now. Tell your grandparents to meet us there."

        Renne was trying to process everything that Swayde was saying. "I'm comin' with you." She said without hesitation. Turning, she went back in the house to grab her purse, completely forgetting about Matt.

       "Rein, what's wrong?" Matt asked, worried.

        "It's my sister. I have to go." Renne said frantic, turning to go outside.

       "I'm coming with you." Matt replied, following Renne. A hand on his chest made him stop, though.

       "No, you...you just stay here. I have to go." Renne sprinted off the porch, and to Swayde's truck before Matt could try to argue his way into coming.

       "So, what's wrong?" Renne asked once she was in Swayde's truck.

       Swayde glanced in his rearview, making sure Mamaw and Papaw were still following them as Swayde sped to Mallory and Doug's house. "Doug called and said that Mallory has taken a turn for the worse. The doctors and preacher are there now." His voice was stone cold, his eyes focused.

       Renne let out a deep breath. "That's why Doug didn't want us to see her the other day? Because she must have been really bad, and he didn't want us to worry. I wish he would have let us in; it may have been the last time I saw my sister alive. I should have begged him to let us see her."

       "Reggie, don't think like that." He slowed his truck to turn into Doug's driveway, gravel sparking off the tires.

        "Swayde, I don't think I am ready for this." She said, staring at her sister's house.

       "Reagan, don't be selfish. Think of your sister, not yourself. None of us are ready for this." Swayde looked at Renne to see a tear fall to her cheek. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you selfish. I didn't mean-"

       "No, you're right. Thank you." Renne smiled weakly at Swayde before exiting his truck.

        "Hey, hey." Swayde called after Renne. "Come here." He motioned for her to come over to him.

        "I want to get inside." Renne pointed at the door.

      "Come here, first." Swayde demanded, holding out his arms.

      After a look between the door and Swayde, Renne enveloped herself around Swayde, letting him hug her. She melted into his strong arms as he whispered a prayer into her hair. "God, please be with us in this moment. Help us all to feel your presence, and give everyone peace. Lord, be with Mallory in these last moments." The last sentence caused Renne to suck in a shaky breath, but Swayde comforted her by rubbing a hand over her back. "Give her children a sense of you, father. Help us to be strong because in You, we are conquerors, even conquerors over death. In your heavenly name I pray, Father. Amen." Swayde kissed the top of Renne's head before pulling back to hold her face in his hands. "I love you like a best friend, Reggie."

     Renne grinned. "I love you, too, like a best friend, Swayde. Thank you for bein' there for me, and thank you for praying for us."

      Swayde nodded before leading Renne inside the house. Taking a deep breath, Renne said a quick prayer before entering her sister's bedroom.

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A/N: Hey y'all, my laptop still isn't fixed, but I still wanted to get a chapter out to y'all, so here it is. I'm updating via my cell phone, so if y'all notice any problems with the format or anything, please give me a holler. Thank y'all so much for your patience and understanding.
Let me know what you think. :)