Amarillo Moxie [Complete]

Man Down

Saturday morning Rhian awoke to the sounds of someone rustling outside. She peeked out her window but saw no one. Climbing out of her bed, she followed the stairs down to the front door, unlocked it and stuck her head out to survey the premises. Since the coast was clear, she headed to where the sounds were coming from. There she saw the stable door ajar with the glow of light spilling out. Slipping through the opening in the door she saw Trevor feeding the horses hay mixed with carrots and apples.

"Why are you here so early?" she inquired.

He turned and looked at her but kept silent. "Every time I ask you a question you never answer. Why?"

His reply was sitting on a bale of hay and continuing to stare at her with his arms folded across his chest.

"What's wrong with you? You're clearly not a mute. Why don't you talk to me? You talk to everyone else but me. What did I do wrong?" she demanded with her fists planted firmly on her hips. He smiled back at her and shook his head.

"What do you think you're doing out here Rhian? It's still dark out."

She turned at the sound of her pa's voice and gave him the truth. "I heard noises outside and found him here." she pointed to Trevor as if her pa couldn't see another body in the stable.

"It still doesn't give you the okay to leave the safety of this house. You should have come got me."

"It's my fault, I apologize. I just wanted to get a head start on my work."

Brian nodded then turned his attention back to his daughter. "Rhian, go on back to bed. Just so you know I won't let this slide."

"Get on my nerves..." she mumbled under her breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothin'." Once again her pa messed things up and she had to be the one to shove off. It wasn't fair that Temperance and Tamera could date, although her dad didn't know it, but their mom did. They got to do anything they wanted. When it came to her, her father treated her like a baby, as if she could make decisions for herself. Rhian knew her feelings better than her pa did, so why was he so intent on setting a tombstone on her heart?

Life continued to be this way for her right up until the day she left home. Her pa kept secrets from her, and the only way she'd known about anything was when she overheard him talking to her mother. The day before she left home for college, she wondered why everyone looked so grievous. A whole day had passed before she heard the news, from her parent's bedroom no less. Her pa said it was a shame Trevor lost both of his parents in a car accident. When she heard that her heart sunk and began sobbing over the loss of Trevor's parents, and more so for him.

Anything that hurt him hurt her. There wasn't even time to pay her respects, her pa made sure of that. Even though she was eighteen years old, her father did a fantastic job of keeping she and Trevor separated. She had to leave knowing he had no one left to care for him when he needed, no parents to talk to when he needed help. She almost couldn't believe her father keeping her away from the funeral, and what's more, her mother and sisters went along with it, by force no less.

Rhian remembered the past all too well as she stared out of her New York apartment window, looking at nothing in particular. It was another rainy day in the Big Apple, as she was in luck she didn't have to go out there in that mess because today was her off day. Her plans of doing nothing was going rather well. The only thing she didn't like about New York was that it was so fast paced. How could anyone think a complete thought without another one rushing through? She loved her hometown of Amarillo, Texas.

No one rushed to do anything unless it was an emergency. She missed all the golden fields and the dirt and the open road. Used to be you could get a cup of coffee for an affordable price and enjoy sipping it at your leisure as you slowly made your way to another shop. Not here in New York, even people drink coffee fast, gulp rather. She'd never seen so many foamy drinks in her life. What's with all the lattes and mocha frappuccinos? Whatever happened to a good old-fashioned cup of black coffee? Dad never had all these knick knacks added to his cup of Joe.