Small town gossip is rarely just that. But when your cousin and best friend catches the culprit in the act, you can no longer ignore it. Small towns rarely let you move on, so instead you move away, and to Boston where you can either wallow in your...
Warnings: explicit language, mentions of sexual assault, gaslighting, manipulation, threatening with a gun (go Poppy), cheating, gossip, 18+ ONLY
Word Count: 4.2K
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"Here," Poppy hands you a bottle of beer and you shake your head. "You're not going to drink here either?"
You're not sure why, but there was something in her tone that really irritated you. If she knew you at all, she would know that you didn't drink that often. You had a beer at Woody's, and now you were home. Mamaw and Papaw didn't keep beer in the fridge.
"No, I'm not," you answer shortly, twisting your body around until your back is to her. You didn't want to look at her. Didn't want to do anything. You wanted to sleep, and forget about the rotten evening you had.
"For someone engaged, you're acting like a child."
"And for someone who never comes to visit, you're acting like a bitch," Poppy's neck drops, and she starts cackling. "Not everyone wants to go out to a bar to party. I don't get drunk. I didn't want to go to Woody's. I didn't want to wear this dress, and...Cole didn't even like it."
"Cole didn't...what didn't he like you sweet little innocent Peach Blossom? He didn't like your cleavage showing? Didn't like how short your dress was? Didn't like you didn't wear a bra? Let me guess, he didn't want other people looking at what was his. He wanted to keep your sweet little untouched ass to himself. You're over here saving yourself for some disgusting pig."
"I'm saving myself for my husband! I can't help it that you'll spread your legs for any man, and I am engaged to a good one."
"Would you two stop it," Anna Kate stands in the middle of you. "What were you and Cole arguing about?"
"Nothing," you answer softly, and she turns to look at you confused.
"I wasn't talking to you. Pops, when we came out of Woody's, we could hear you and Cole arguing what was going on?" She shakes her head, refusing to meet your eyesight. There was something. But this wasn't a bash Cole night. Even if you were refusing to respond to his nonstop texts. Letting his call go straight to voicemail.
"Fine," Anna Kate sits down beside you, grabbing your phone off the couch, and doesn't flinch when you try and grab it back. "Ten missed phone calls, and twenty-six text messages. Is there a reason you aren't saying anything back to your fiance?" You don't look at either one of them. Your gaze is only on your lap, but Anna Kate sees your lip start to tremble.
She pulls you over on her shoulder, when you can't hold back your tears anymore. Even Poppy sits on the coffee table in front of you. "Honey, what's wrong?" Anna Kate asks softly.
