Page 79 of Wildest Forever

Next is Dixie who is holding another bowl of something and follows Aspen into the kitchen.

Tripp sighs heavily and we know the heaviness that Morgan will be feeling because we still feel it now, deep in the crevices of our broken hearts.

My mom ushers her into the kitchen and I follow them, leaning against the door frame.

“Can you just keep an eye... I need to find Dusty.” I swallow down the bile and Morgan's lip trembles at my words.

“Sure,” my ma smiles at me as she rubs Morgan's back, Aspen pulling a chair out for Morgan to sit.

I give a nod, turning on my heel and walking outside the house, the warm summer breeze knocking the air out of my lungs as I give my heart a moment to settle down.

It's racing beneath my skin.

My legs begin to move but I have no control, I feel numb. My boots crunch heavily as I head for the stables, praying he is in there, so I don't have far to go whilst feeling like I am going to throw up the contents of my lunch.

Time moves slow as I push the heavy doors and step into the large space.

“Dusty?” my voice is loud as it echoes around the large space.

I hear the sound of metal hitting the concrete floor and my heart thumps.

“Yeah?” his voice floats towards me before I see him.

His face instantly drops when he sees mine.

“I'm really sorry...” I stammer out as I lift my hat from my head and let it drop to my side.

“No,” he shakes his head as his feet move a little quicker beneath him as he runs out of the stables.

I stand for a moment, grounded.

He is going to remember this moment for the rest of his life and it's my face and words that will scar his skin.

Blinking away a tear that lines my bottom lid, I turn and move back towards the house, heart a little heavier than five minutes ago.

Stepping back into the hallway, I drop my hat to the floor and move into the kitchen where my family are all gathered.

“You doing okay?” Riggs asks, stepping towards me and I half nod, half shrug.

He pulls me into him, patting me softly on the back and I didn't realise how much I needed this hug.

I almost feel guilty for feeling some form of grief, but at the same time, I think it hurts more because I know how she feels, I know just how much pain she is in at the loss of the man in her life.

I lost my dad.

I know how it feels to lose a huge piece of you.

Until you have lost a parent, I don’t think you can comprehend the feelings.

He holds onto me, my eyes scrunching shut.

It has just been such a rollercoaster over the last few months and this I feel, was just the final blow.

I need closure, I needed to fix what had been broken.

But Morgan being broken is not something I can fix by myself.

He lets me go and I give him a small smile.

---