The Trench

Chapter 24 - Guilt Roses

"You pig." I chuckle as I scoop grain into one of the boarders feed bins, she nickers at me and dips her head in. She's an adorable elderly grey mare who lives here in happy retirement and she's quickly become one of my favorites. Besides Titan, of course.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hallow." I pat her shoulder and exit the stall, closing the door behind me. 28 years ago she was born on Halloween night and was coal black, earning her name. Due to her being a Lipizzaner breed she was born coal black but greyed out, now in her old age she looks pure white. She had quite the dressage career in her younger days, show name was Hallows Eve. I think it suits her.

Titan had a stone bruise this morning so I gave him the day off from work, I walked down the isle and sat on the red gate and watched him and some other boarders graze. It's always so peaceful here.

I can't wait until I own a place like this.

After a few minutes I sigh and hop down and make my way towards the tack room before I leave. I'll be early, but that's fine with me. I'll just sit and read like I did yesterday morning until everyone gets there. Am I eager to go to school? Not really, however I am eager to see if Mae is in class today.

It did occur to me that I'm overreacting about this whole situation, I couldn't help that I was worried though. Okay and a tad nosey.

I guess Austin was right about my nickname. I give my reflection in the feed room mirror a lopsided grin as I double check the bins to make sure they're secured. I take a moment to French braid the top of my hair and then toss the remaining into a pony tail. I've debated actually getting up early and doing my hair and makeup everyday, but why get up early when you could sleep in longer? I suck at makeup anyways so it's pointless, and on these days the horses could care less what I look like.

I didn't look THAT bad, I threw on a blue and white plaid button up shirt and matched it with my usual attire of jeans and boots this morning before I left. I shrugged at myself and pulled the door shut behind me and headed towards the truck.

I made record time to class, with little to no traffic and no elderly ladies getting themselves into accidents this morning. This made me even earlier than I anticipated and the door to the hall wasn't even open yet.

I leaned my head against the door and sighed, the library was all the way across campus and I didn't feel like walking. Going home and coming back would be a waste; I should have just hung out at the barn a little longer.

I stood upright, turning around I saw a couple picnic tables under the trees a little to my left and I started down the stairs to them.

I slung my backpack onto the table and sat down on the seat; I pulled my book out and flipped through the pages trying to find my bookmark. I got to the end and furrowed my brows in confusion and started flipping through it again, but somehow my bookmark had fallen out and I lost my place.

"Sweet baby Jesus." I muttered in annoyance, I remembered I was a little over halfway in the book so I just had to skip page by page and see what I remembered.

"What are you reading?"

I jump about 2 feet off my bench and whip around. A guy sat at the table behind me, against the concrete wall near the stairs, with a startled yet humorous grin on his face.

"Oh, yikes. I'm sorry ma'am." He held up his hands as in an attempt to ward off my upcoming response.

He wore a heather grey baseball tee with blue sleeves and jeans, and paired it with a tattered up dark blue baseball cap that was on backwards. He had bluish-green eyes that looked sincere in his apology and I caught myself before unleashing my inner bitch.

"It's fine, I love being interrupted while I'm reading." I say sarcastically as I turn back around and pick my book back up. I scrunch my nose and curse under my breath when I realize I once again lost my place. I'm frustratingly flipping pages when I hear someone sit down in front of me and I slowly look up. The guy from the other table is sitting there, hands folded in front of him grinning at me.

"I'm not sure how you could have misinterpreted that. But that for sure wasn't an invitation to come bother me." I glare at him before returning to my book. I'm surprised when I hear a laugh and I look up again, that's when I notice he has a dozen yellow roses tied with a ribbon sitting beside him.

"Who's the lucky lady?" He stops laughing and looks confused for a moment, I nod my head towards the roses and he catches on.

"Ah, those are for my mom." He grins sheepishly at me and shrugs his shoulders.

"Yeah, right." I scoff and cross my arms in front of me. "If you're here trying to talk to me, then later going and giving roses to your girl I'm going to assume they're guilt roses."

"When a man does something in his relationship to make him feel guilty, he buys her roses to clear his conscious. It can also come in forms of other flowers, candy, or seemingly other 'romantic' gestures."

He leans back and rubs his hands over his face dramatically, when his face re-appears he does in fact look guilty.

"You're right. I'm most contrite." I raise an eyebrow at his admittance and wait for him to finish.

"You see, my mother is going through a nasty divorce from my step father. She took some time off from work and went on vacation to Florida with some of her friends. She has now been back for a week and I haven't gone to see her yet, so yes. I need to clear my conscious. I'm such a terrible person." He leans his head on his hand as he's talking to me, staring at me awaiting my response.

I clear my throat and wait a few minutes before responding, pretending to try and find my place again until I can think of what to say.

"Well, I guess I owe you guilt roses." I smile at him, embarrassed and he laughs it off.

"No need, I get it though!" He waves to someone over my shoulder and I turn around. A woman about in her late forties is coming down the sidewalk and she gives him a large grin in return.

"Hey, I gotta run. I'll catch you around?" He gives me a wave before getting up and walking over to his mother, he gives her the flowers and her grin got even bigger before throwing her arms around him and giving him a hug. I couldn't help but smile at the sight and I watched them walk down the hall to the next building.

Something caught my eye to my left and I turned my head. Austin was walking towards me, a scowl on his face.