Sign of the Times (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

Chapter Seventeen

My heart pounded against the inside of my chest until it was almost painful. I kept reading the final sentence, over and over as though I couldn't believe what I had just read.

I'm in love with Arthur Morgan.

I swallowed hard, adjusting my hat, and carefully closing the book. My mind was set. I placed the book back where it belonged, and walked out of the room, and back down the stairs in search of Dutch.

"All settled in?" He asked as I approached him, and I nodded.

"Let's ride." I said. He followed me over to the horses, and we mounted up.

"Dutch?" Molly O'Shea called out as we started to pull out.

"Yes?" Dutch asked, glancing back at her momentarily.

"Could I have a word with ya?" She asked, still trying to follow on foot. Dutch cleared his throat before speaking.

"Not now. C'mon, Arthur." Dutch said as we led our horses into a brisk trot.

"Can you believe that girl? All I've got going on, and she wants to talk." Dutch scoffed. I had noticed things between them had been on edge lately.

"Everything okay with you two?" I asked.

"I got far more important things to worry about right now than Molly O'Shea." Dutch sighed.

"So, where are we going?" I asked and noticed as Dutch's posture straightened at my question.

"To take a look at this 'Eighth wonder of the civilized world' Saint Denis, I keep hearing about." He said.

"According to the map, the road up this way should lead us right in there." Dutch explained.

"Alright, I guess this day ain't over yet." I said.

"Not quite... good work back there, Arthur, everything went okay?" He asked, referring to cleaning out the house of its previous occupants.

"Few loose ends, nothing major..." I said.

"And you...? How are you holdin' up...?" He asked, and I laughed half-heartedly.

"About what you'd expect...I uh...well, I found a journal a while ago. She's been writin' in it for awhile now..." I mumbled.

"And...?" Dutch questioned, urging me to go on.

"Well... as usual, I've been a damn fool... she said... she's in love with me." I said, not really knowing exactly why I was imparting this information to Dutch.

"And... why exactly does that make you a 'damn fool'?" Dutch asked, lifting an eyebrow in question.

"You know me... I've never been so great when it comes to relationships and such..." I mumbled.

"Listen to me, son. When a woman like (F/N) says that she loves you, you can be sure she ain't lyin'." Dutch said. He had that shit eatin' grin on his face that made me roll my eyes.

"We're going to get her back, whatever it takes." Dutch assured, and it seemed like I had already heard that same sentence a million times. Her smile flashed through my mind as my eyes slid closed for a moment. I felt myself nod.

"Yeah, we are." I confirmed.

We had crossed out of the swamps and onto paved roads. Dutch and I stopped the horses just on the other side of the bridge.