Sign of the Times (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

Chapter Nineteen

*This chapter will contain images referencing a dress the reader will wear to the Mayor's garden party, as well as a hairstyle. If you prefer a different color of dress, and prefer to use your own hair color, I encourage you to allow your imagination to run wild. Thank you all for reading, and your lovely comments! <3*

Shit, what happened last night?

Uncle seemed to notice my slight panic, and he stopped whittling long enough to focus on what he was saying.

"Oh, but uh... it ain't no business of mine." He mumbled, but unsurprisingly, it didn't make me feel much better.

"Right... thanks, Uncle." I said. I walked towards the horse station, and up to Zephyr who was tugging at his hitching post in an attempt to get to me.

"Did ya miss me, boy?" I asked, placing my hand on his nose to keep him from flinging his head back.

"Looks like they've been takin' care of ya... could use a brushin' though." I said, reaching into my saddlebag, and pulling out the brush. I began methodically brushing Zephyr as my mind started to wander. I kept trying to remember what happened last night, but it was all such a drunken blur.

"I was wonderin' when you'd be back." I felt my skin crawl at the sound of Micah's voice, but I simply ignored him and focused on brushing Zephyr.

"Ya ain't gotta talk to me if ya don't want to. I'm just sayin' it's good to have the gang's physician back..." He said, and I continued to ignore him.

"Especially since that nasty business back in Rhodes..." He said, starting to walk away now.

"Nasty business... what nonsense are you spewing now, Micah?" I asked, stopping and resting a hand on my hip.

"Ya mean... no one's told ya yet...?" He asked turning back towards me.

"Cut the bullshit." I said, now fully turned towards him.

"You're tellin' me, ya haven't noticed anything missin'? AnyONE?" He questioned, and I turned my head to the side, shaking it slightly in thought.

"What are ya getting' at?" I asked.

"(F/N)... Sean's dead." He said, and I felt my heart ache slightly.

"You sick bastard... quit it with your bullshit!" I hissed.

"It's the truth! Me, Arthur, Bill, and Sean had gone into Rhodes to see about meetin' with some of the Grays at this saloon about a job... we got ambushed, and Sean was shot." He explained, and in that moment, I had no reason not to believe him.

"Sean's... he's...really gone...?" I mumbled.

" 'fraid so... and it all happened on the same day you disappeared." He said, and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"Fuck you, Micah." I hissed, turning and walking away from him. I couldn't help but wonder why he would tell me something like this. I suppose I would have found out eventually, but why did it have to be from Micah? Maybe he was just trying to get under my skin, but the more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

"Is everything alright over here?" Hosea asked, casually strolling over towards us with a book in hand.

"Hosea, is it true...?" I asked, stepping towards him as Micah stood nearby with his arms crossed in an arrogant way.

"That all depends on the context of the conversation..." He said, placing his book down on a nearby table.

"Sean... is he really..." I spoke his name, and Hosea's face said it all.