Her Cowboy (Book One Of The Brave Series)

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

M.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. Every day Asher would steal my hair tie one way or another. I was starting to run out! He even wore them in his wrist like a prize. So, then I started twisting it into a bun and kept it loosely secure with a pen. But he would just walk by me and snatch it out of my hair.

Now that it was Friday I was having a minor panic attack. I couldn't believe I said yes. Was I crazy? I must be. I shook my head at myself trying to think of something else. Anything else. But that just brought up what has been going on with Asher. He just seemed to enjoy bugging and teasing the new girl. My face started to burn as I remembered how close his body had been to mine. His warmth, the spicy scent of the woods. I shook my head as I walked through my front door. It was a little too quiet.

I walked softly to the living room doorway and looked inside to find exactly what I thought I would. My father, passed out with an empty beer tipped over in his loose fingers. The disgust I held for him was beyond anything simple words could describe. I shook my head at him and continued to my room silently so as not to wake him up.

They said they'd pick me up a little bit after school, so I had time to pack, but I still had one more thing I needed to do.

I called my mom when I was safely in my room. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hey honey, is something wrong?" she asked.

"No nothing. I was just wondering if I could go to a, well basically a sleepover for the weekend, I was invited...weirdly invited but invited nonetheless and I wa-"

"Madeline." Mom cut me short.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Shut up." she said chuckling. I laughed.

"Okay." I said.

"Yes, you may go to the sleepover. Have fun kiddo." she said. I smiled.

"Are you sure Mom, it's at Anna's house and you met her, she has her twin brother Asher, and you know he's a boy. He's going to be there. He always has his friends too, so I understand if you're not comfortable with it." I said, hoping she would say no, that way I could tell Anna I just couldn't go. Then I wouldn't have to be in the same house as Asher.

"Madeline, I trust you to make the right choices, if you get uncomfortable then you can always leave, you're all grown kids." My head dropped. Jeez, Mom the one time I didn't want you to think I was a good kid. I sighed, but then a thought hit me.

"Are you going to be okay with," I lowered my voice "with Dad?" there was a pause, not too long but just long enough for me to worry.

"You know what, I don't think I really want to go, too much of a hassle. I'll just s-"

"Madeline, just go, I'll be fine. I promise." she said.

"But Mom, what if he gets out of hand?" I said, with the way Mom cringed the other day, my suspicions only rose each day that passed.

"Madeline, I am your mother, I said go to the sleep over. Have fun. Be a normal teenager for once. For me?" she asked pleadingly. She knew I would do anything for her.

I sighed "Fine, but if a single thing happens, can you please call me?" I felt like the mother but at this point I didn't care. If that was what it took to keep my mother happy or safe, then it needed to be done.

"It won't now enjoy your weekend."

"Thanks Mom, I love you." I said.

"I love you too Sweetie." She said. We hung up then.

I shook my head as I went to my room and packed a bag for the weekend. The moment I finished packing I heard a honk from outside. As I was leaving I noticed he was still passed out on the couch. One day, he would get what he deserved.

A.

"Where is sheeeeeeeee?" Anna whined as the clock ticked on. Axel and Riley had gone to pick her up twenty minutes ago and still weren't back yet. It was grating on my nerves. I should've gone with, but Anna wanted me to stay and help her clean the house spotless. Something about first impressions.

"Would you quit sighing already, jeez, you're like a love-sick puppy." Anna scoffed as we finished putting away the last of the dishes.

"Am not." I said, mentally smacking myself for the obviously childish response.

"Oh, come on Asher, we both know that the minute you saw her you liked her and the minute she sassed your ass you liked her more." I didn't respond, after all I did like sassy.

"Exactly, my point has been proven, now I would just hope that everything that happened with Chloe wi-"

"Anna, don't go there, you know as well as I do that that was in the past, and it needs to stay there." I said cutting her short. She just looked at the dish in front of her and shook her head slowly.

"No, it doesn't." she said before putting the last dish away and walking into the other room. I heard a squeal then and that's when I knew they had finally made it here. I felt my chest get tight and a nervousness I never felt before settled at the bottom of my stomach. I took in a deep breath. Chloe was in the past, and she was going to stay that way.

Shaking my head, I walked to the archway leaning against the frame as Anna ran down the hallway to the front door. Our house was decently large, having lived on this ranch my whole life I've seen it grow from a small cottage to a large ranch style home because my father kept adding more rooms and bigger spaces every few years. Though it was large, it was still homey and as I watched Madeline walking through my front door, I couldn't help the sudden feeling of completion to the home I'd lived in all my life. It was like she belonged here, almost like she was the very essence that made the house my home. And it was downright frightening to feel so much towards someone I knew so little about.

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EDITED VERSION

Badum chhhh

I don't know, I'm just in a good mood for some random reason.

J. Vas