The Savage and the Gunslinger (COMPLETED)

Chapter 11

Aiyanna winced as the sunlight peered throw the window. 

Sunlight? She thought and shot up to a sitting position in the bed.

It was more than likely ten o'clock by the look of the sun. She began to panic, remembering she had to feed the animals. 

When she looked over to the other side of the bed and Ashton was gone. The sheets cold under her touch. He had left a while ago.

Did he leave her? Was last night all he wanted from her? 

Her heart felt like it was starting to break at the negative thoughts and she quickly tried to push them away, back into the furthest part of her mind. If he left her, she would surely not survive the heartache.

Getting dressed in a white cotton shirt and dark buckskin pants, she walked over to the mirror in her room and looked at her reflection. Her jaw about hitting the ground as she glanced over her features. 

Her seemed as if it was glowing, and the bags under her tired eye's were now long gone as if they had never been there. 

So this is what sleeping in does to you? She thought with a frown before heading outside to tend to her animals.

There was no sign of Ashton and his horse was gone. Her heart clenched at the realization. 

He had actually left her. He really was gone.

The tears were starting to form in her eye's as she walked towards the barn, making her vision blur. She sniffed and wiped her now running nose. 

"How could I have been so stupid?" She whispered to herself. 

Cheveyo lightly whinnied for her as she made her way over to pet him. Watching her as she climbed in between the corral fence. 

The horse must have been able to sense her sadness because as soon as she was inside the corral, he gently put his head over her shoulder, as if trying to hug her. The tears then fell freely from her eye's as she wrapped her arms around the big stallion's neck, needing all the comfort she could.

*

Ashton could her the sobs coming from the small corral as he rode out of the woods on Beauty, hauling a big buck he'd shot behind his saddle. Raven must have heard them too because as soon as he did, he ran over towards the corral. Ashton then quickly urged his mare into a gallop.

When he saw the Aiyanna hugging the stallion, he felt his heart break. 

What had caused her to cry like this?

"Aiyanna?" She jumped, turning towards him. Her face red and soaked with freshly shed tears. It killed him to see his woman like this.

"What's wrong, baby?" He asked making his way towards her, climbing in the corral, taking her in his arms.

"I thought you left me." She sobbed. Tensing against her, he looked at her with worry in his eye's. She thought he had left her. 

He was the reason she was crying.

Looking down at the ground, Aiyanna nervously played with her fingers. She suddenly felt like a fool thinking he would have actually left her but she couldn't help it. Cupping his hand under her chin, he looked into her eye's.

"I would never leave you. Don't you ever think that. I love you, Aiyanna. When I said that, I meant it. I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life. I love you." He stated and kissed her salty, tear stained lips.