Page 14 of Live, Ranch, Love

“Who is?” I perch on the edge of the couch.

Cherry twists around, her long black hair falling over her shoulders. She holds out her phone to me, where a picture of Aurora mid-yoga pose takes up the screen. She’s got that little green set on with the mesh panels, showing off her sternum tattoo again.

“Your new boss—there’s loads more, look.” She continues scrolling through what appears to be Aurora’s Instagram, showing me countless pictures of smoothies, gym outfits, selfies of Aurora, and the cringiest positive quotes, all posted by the username roryjwellness for one hundred thousand followers. Her whole feed is so bright and cheery, it makes me uncomfortable.

“How the hell did you find that?” I ask Cherry.

She sits up and shrugs. “I just Googled her name and wellness influencer and voilà! The internet is quite handy, you should try it sometime, caveman.”

I roll my eyes and give her a shove. “Whatever. I should probably let her know I’m gonna be out late tonight, anyway—in case she breaks a nail and can’t find anyone to help.”

“Wyatt!” Cherry tsks and raises her brows, looking scarily like Mom when she used to scold me. When I wave off her look and stand, she gets up too, hands on her hips. “I hope you’re being nice to her.”

I avoid her eyes, making a long groan to signal that I really don’t want to get into this. I just want to jump in the car, head down to Duke’s bar, and get nice and drunk with my best friends and sister. I’ve been looking forward to wrapping my hand around a cold beer all day.

“I haven’t been not nice,” I grumble, grabbing my denim jacket off the back of the door.

“There’s a surprise,” Cherry says sarcastically, using her phone screen as a mirror to top up her dark red lipstick. “You should go easy on her you know—she did just lose a family member. Plus, her Instagram had loads of pictures of her and this really fit guy for a while, and then he disappeared, so I’m guessing she’s also had a breakup. The last thing she probably needs right now is you being your grumpy self.”

I cross my arms, staring at Cherry, not wanting to admit she’s probably right. Perhaps I have been a little short-sighted and not considered how big of an impact Grace’s death might have had on Aurora. I was too wrapped up in what it all meant for me.

Damn, when did my little sister get so wise? Sometimes I think she’s still eight years old, begging me to play with her and her unreasonable amount of My Little Ponies, as opposed to the twenty-year-old, grown up, beautiful woman who’s probably breaking hearts left, right, and centre at college.

“Now, hurry up and go tell her, so we can get on the road.” Cherry waves her hand, ushering me towards and out the door.

Walking along the road, as I get closer to the main house, music starts to hit my ears. It’s not overly loud, but I soon realise it’s How to Save a Life by The Fray, a gut-wrenching song if I ever heard one.

Then I spot Aurora—curled up on the swing in a blanket, knees to her chest, staring out ahead with tears rolling endlessly down her red, freckled cheeks. The sight of her stops me in my tracks.

Fuck, I’ve never seen her like this before. She looks so… small.

I’ve always thought of her as the overly sunny, well-spoken princess, who doesn’t care what happens with the ranch. But right now, she looks like she’d break into a thousand pieces if anyone touched her.

Maybe Cherry was right after all. Maybe things have been pretty overwhelming for Aurora.

I have a scary urge to wrap her in my arms and hold her until she falls asleep. An urge I did not expect to feel towards her. But, having a little sister has always left me with this weird soft spot, despite what I do to conceal it. If this was Cherry crying, I’d do everything I could to make her feel better. And Aurora could be someone else’s younger sister, but they’re not here to help her.

Aurora obviously hasn’t noticed me yet as she doesn’t turn, she just lets out another loud sob which kicks me into action and I race up the stairs. Not that I have any clue what I can do to help.

“Hey, are you alright?” I ask. But of course she’s not alright, Wyatt, she’s bawling her fucking eyes out.

Aurora jumps at my voice and immediately wipes her face and nose with the sleeves of her pink sweatshirt. “Shit, sorry.”

She brushes her hair behind her ears an unnecessary number of times and struggles off the swing. I grab the edge of it to hold it still.

“Why are you apologising?”

“Because you had to see me crying.”

“I’m a grown man.” I shrug, laughing a little, which does actually prise the corners of her mouth up slightly. “I mean, I might find any signs of emotion deeply uncomfortable, but I can deal with it.”

Now she properly laughs, rolling her eyes playfully.

The shot of dopamine that making her smile gives me is a little alarming. I thought I liked dulling her sunshine, I didn’t expect to enjoy igniting it too.

I should really ask her if she wants to talk about it—that’s what Cherry would tell me to do—but I’m not sure that’s what she’d want. Especially not to me. I haven’t exactly been the friendliest to her since she got here, proven by Cherry. Plus, she’s just looking at me right now, rubbing a hand up and down her arm, the silence a little awkward.

Maybe she wants me to go.

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