46 "splint"

Gently I peeled the tape off my forehead to reveal my fresh sewn up forehead. It was about 31/2 inches long. It gave me chills to look at. It was just a new scar to remain along my face, only this time it wasn't caused by my sister. Slowly I pulled my towel off to be sure not to injure my arm. I also peeled the sticky bandage off my skin to stare at. This one was smaller.. just deeper than the first one. Every time my arm moved the pain shot down to my fingers. The doctor said it's muscular tissue I'd have to build strength up again. I was still shaken up... sickened by what happened.. I stood in my bra and pj shorts. My body had bruising all along my torso. I may be 24 years old but I was so god damn tired of being in pain. I was tired of being too weak to handle anything. "You're lookin mean" walker snicked as he entered the bathroom. I didn't speak. I just gently dabbed my wounds. "Lookin tough. Almost like a sexy pirate. ARRG!" He teased. Sadly I looked down at the sink. I was ashamed on how I looked. I always had been. "...blondie?" He questioned me as he kissed my neck with his beefy hands rubbing my soft thin shoulders. "Hm?" I mumbled. "Not even a giggle? Nothin?" He bowed his head past my shoulder to look at me "You okay?" He asked. "I'm.. okay" I said in my usual soft tone. Walkers fingers pulled my hair back so he could see me better in the mirror "what's a matter?" He asked again. "...walk I look like a teenage boys back...All scarred up from back-acne" I huffed. Walker chuckled but then stopped. "Ohhhh pretty girl.. how ugly girls wish to have your problems" he grinned against my skin as He smooched my neck some more.  "walker" I scoffed. "You're delusional baby. So what you're gonna have a bad ass scar on your forehead. Who gives a shit. You're roping cattle and shoving your hand in a cows ass everyday. You ain't on a run way show" darn. He made perfect sense. I hate that. "Should I show you how perfect you are?" He asked as he pushed my bra strap down my shoulder. I watched him with the slightest smirk. "No..but you can help me by putting on a clean bandage on my arm. "Okay okay. Let me see" Walker sat on top of the sink counter and he began to patch up my arm. "Thank you" I whispered. "Welcome pretty girl" he replied as I glanced up from my arm. "...thank you for the other day" I said softly with a frown. He glanced back up at me again but this time with his thumb grazing my cheek. "Why do you keep thanking me for that night huh?" His hands held my bare hips as he waited for my answer. I stood between his legs as he sat upon the counter. "No one has ever liked me in that way" I say. "No one has ever done anything like that before" I bowed my head to watch his thumbs rub my hip bones in circles. "Never? Ever? No one has done something nice for you?" He asked. I looked at the ceiling thinking real hard. "Two times" I said. "Alright. What were those times?" He gently tucked my hair back in a loving manner as he listened to me willingly. "This one time I had a science fair at school in the ninth grade..I had this huge project and demonstration for a splint that I invented. The splint was for horses that were down. Instead of killing the horses I created an almost prosthetic like leg for them to heal correctly. It was great too. It totally could've worked if I found the funding for it..." I waved my arm "besides the point.  So I won this huge award. So huge the state took acknowledgement in it! I was so proud of myself. I told my daddy about it. Lord I sat in his office going on and on and on about it.. he said he would be there first thing in the morning to see me win my award.. so I sat at my little booth, with my cute little ribbon, wearing my sister old cowboy boots and red polka dot dress... I sat for hours.. waiting for him.. Walker I sat and waited for my father to come see me for seven hours.. I sat all by myself waiting to make my daddy proud.." walker leaned in interest "what did he say when he showed up?" Walker asked. I frowned. "He didn't.. he never showed up. No one did...only one person did... rip did. He brought me roses to watch me win my award. I remember because the roses matched my dress. Now that was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me..." my fingers plucked the threads of his torn jeans as I spoke. Walker tilted his head as he listened with curiosity.  his fingers played with the ends of my long blonde locks. "Wait hold on. You invented a splint for a horse?" He questioned. "Kinda. An inexpensive fix to keep a horse from being killed. Yeah. It was a flop. I never made it to vet school to prove it works blah blah it was a whole thing in the past" I waved my hand for him to forget about it. "Why didn't you go?" His thick corse fingers pushed my freshly washed hair behind my ear as I bowed my head. "Too expensive... it was a dream of mine. But I've had many dreams. They call them dreams for a reason..." I looked up at his green eyes as he smiled softly "dreams can come true blondie.. they can if you'd let them" his finger rubbed along my ivory skin to push my bra strap gently off my shoulder again. "I don't need dreams anymore. I have all I need" I whispered towards him with a smile being bitten along my lips. "You don't have a damn thing baby. Other than a few bumps and bruises. And the hottest body" he snickered. "I've got you too don't I?" I asked him. I was curious if I had him... or if he was just a fling.. if he was just using me to distract himself. "Ain't that the truth" his hands gently pulled my face by my cheeks. He smiled into my eyes before kissing me deeply for a fair moment. I held his wrists as he pulled me against his body. God his body. His body is all I could ever think of. Every time I looked at him I wanted him. I needed him "Ooops! Sorry to interrupt!" Lloyd whistled. I was quick to pull my straps back up then slip on an old tshirt that grew past my thighs. "No need to break up over me. I'm just pissin" Lloyd snickered. I stepped back from walker to avoid any attention to us.. although it's become pretty clear to the world what was going on between us. "You don't wanna say hello to your guests out there?" Lloyd questioned. Walker looked at me with his brows furrowed and his mind confused. "Watcha mean?" He asked. "Go on and look" he said from the toilet. Walker and I walked out after I grabbed my toiletries and towel. "Wooo wee what's all this?" Walker whistled as he held his hand on my lower back following me out. The music was on as people were singing and dancing as if there was a party of some sort. "What's this about?" Walker chuckled as Ryan handed him a beer. I laid my things on my bed as I noticed a book bag laying against my pillow. I looked around the room to questioned whose it may have been... and then I saw him.. his hat on the wall with his neck and back in a brace. Jimmy stood a few feet from me with a look of guilt and disparity. I looked up at him slowly.. shocked that I was even seeing him at all. "Hey" he said simply. I didn't respond. I just looked down at his boots as if I was seeing a ghost. "That's his bed" said the barrel racer Mia. I glanced back up from the floor with my wet hair in my eyes. "This is my bunk" I said. Jimmy looked shocked, confused even. "Your bunk?" He questioned I nodded "y.. yeah.. I live here now".. I responded quietly. "Not no more twig. You're Being replaced" swiftly Mia shoved another one of his bags on the bed, knocking down my entire bucket of shower products. I bit my lip as I was holding back any anger I could possibly have. "Go on. Get" mia growled. I stepped back from the bed letting them take what was mine. I was weak. Last thing I needed was to start any sort of fights. Painfully I went to bend down to pick up my things, but walker was way ahead of me. "Is there a problem?" Walker asked as he placed my things back into my broken basket. I shook my head "no.. no problem" I said as I took my bucket from him. I stepped back to look around the room not seeing another open bed. "Looks like you gotta sleep on the floor skinny bitch" Mia snickered under her breath. Walkers eyes shifted at jimmy who didn't want to acknowledge Mia's evil words. Jimmy ignored the situation by unpacking his things. I hugged my bucket as I had goose bumps down my bare legs. "Blondie. Baby. Here" he cocked his handsome finger in my direction. I stepped to him with my head still bows out of embarrassment. Sleep in my bed" he said. I shook my head "where will you sleep?" I asked. He laughed softly "in my bed" he replied.  I thought for a moment. I wasn't sure if I was comfortable to do that Infront of everyone. "Okay.." walker gently took my bucket then tucked underneath his bed. "You okay?" He asked once again. I nodded. I wasn't. I was so uncomfortable. My heart still hurt for him.  My heart still cared about him. But I knew he didn't care about me. "You being a fibber?" He smiled softly as he held my cheeks to kiss me oh so tenderly. I batted my eyes up at him "no fibbing. I'm just tired" I sighed. "I Bet you are. Here" he opened his sheets for me. I climbed in to make myself comfortable before peeling open a book I've been reading for a month. I shimmied back into the bed to stay to myself. I couldn't believe he had returned... he returned with her... even though he destroyed me by choosing her... I glanced up from my pages to see everyone dancing and singing to loud music played from the radio. They whistled and laughed like the extroverts they were. "Wow. You call this a party!?" A voice called out from over the music. The music was turned down as my nightmare came in. "Not sure if you'd call it a party" Lloyd spoke with his lips against his can of beer. Beth stepped in holding a large bottle of vodka. "Hey! Welcome back jimmy! Guess this is your welcome home party!" She said drunkenly. I sunk into the mattress. My blanket covered knees that held against my chest as my book laid on my thighs. I tried to hide my face a bit as she passed around her liquor bottle. "I guess it is a welcome party isn't it" jimmy chuckled with a shake of his humble head. "All for you baby!" Mia smooched him along his lips as they sang. I nuzzled my body down as I listened to the room. Mia stood jimmy up as him and others began to dance, jimmy danced cautiously, Walker tapped his foot as he sat on the kitchen table across the room, Lloyd swayed with the hot blonde barrel racer Laramie, Ryan swayed with his beer in hand as Colby and tater swung around the kitchen floor. I watched from my book quietly. I watched them have fun as I normally did. "Wanna dance?" Beth called out to walker. Walker shook his head with a smile "I'll have to pass on that" he nodded. "Oh come on! Why not!" She slurred. "Your old man ain't my biggest fan" he hinted about rip. She shook her head "who gives a shit. It's just a dance. Come on hot shot" she flirted. Walker looked back at me as if I needed to give him permission. Maybe he thought that highly of me. I frowned at him before flipping my page to act like I didn't care and that I wasn't just watching him like a hawk. "Oh what? You gotta girlfriend or somthin?" She asked as she noticed his hesitation. "I ain't a dancer" he said simply to avoid her question. Beth looked behind his shoulder to see me curled up in the corner with a book against my cowering knees. "Oh shit!" She shouted as everyone around the room held up their heads to look at what is causing her reaction. Instantly my heart began to pound. I kept my head down trying to ignore her the best I could . "William!! This is where you have been!?" She scoffed with a bright evil laugh. "I havnt seen you in months! I was hoping you died!" She placed her hands on the rails of the bed frame. I watched her with no words at all, just a frown and a large will to die. "I heard you were caught fuckin in the creek then got your head bashed in. Was it an ex girlfriend or somthin!?" She snickered. I looked down at my book with no comments. Once again I was much too scared to speak. "What's wrong with you? Cat got your tongue?" Her grin was wide and excited. Mine was sad and tearful. "God. Look at you! You're all beaten up n shit. What could you possibly like in this walker? There's no meat! No tits! No ass! Just bones and.. well scars" she cackled while taking a long sip from her vodka bottle. My welling up eyes stared at Walker whom sat on the kitchen table with his guitar between his legs. He didn't acknowledge her or I. I felt pinned in a corner with no way out. "I missed this little shitter. It's been awhile" her smile was drunk and devious. Beth then stepped back to bathe herself in music and alcohol. Her hands flew in the air full of joy and spirt. Joyfully she spun teeter around like a princess in a ball gown, only to be in tight denim jeans and a tank top.  She cheered with loud whoopees to fill the room. I gently ran my fingers through the long wet ends of my hair as I watched them. I sat quiet and still just to keep eyes away from me and my gentle innocents. "Come dance with me blondie" walker spoke quietly down to me as he sat on the edge of the bed. I shook my head. "Go on.. have some fun" I said softly as I could feel some sort of evil eyes glued to me. "..what are you focused on jimmy now?"

"What? N.. no..."

"Willie if you want him just say so" he said. I shook my head "I would never want him again" I was terrified of him thinking lowly of me. "Then why does he keep looking at you" he asked. I glanced over at him where I found he WAS staring at me. Hardcore. "You think maybe it's because I look like a bruised up bean bag?" Walker seemed stubborn. Almost like he was bothered by the way I was acting. "So get up and dance with me" he said. I shook my head again. "No walk.." "Willie. Dance with me now if you give a shit" he repeated but more demanding. "Give a crap about what?" I questioned. "Me. If you give a shit about me" i frowned. His words reminded me of Fred.. I would do anything to make him happy...so I got up. I stood up while yanking my tshirt down in the back to hide my bare legs and butt. I wore short shorts that rode up easily, meant for sleeping...not dancing. His hands held around my tiny waist as he spun me around at a fast pace. He spun and dipped me like a line dancer. My hands held his neck as I smiled up at him with lust. His hands held my small butt as we swayed gently. He leaned down to kiss along my neck and ear like the gentle sweet man he was.  His hands cupped the cheeks peeking out from underneath the oversized tshirt and shorts. He loved to touch me any way he could. "It ain't so bad huh?" HeGrinned. I shook my head "not bad..-"

. "Do YOU GUYS HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS!?" rips loud voice shouted across the bunkhouse. Everyone stopped in their foot steps to listen to rips complaints. I bowed my head against walkers chest as they groaned like a stubborn child being told to go to bed. "Is this a fucking frat house!?" He walked through the bunk to see Beth dancing to the music by herself. His scowled face softened when seeing her swirling around like a stirring coffee stick. "I should've known it was you. You know these guys have a curfew" rip glided his way into Beth's arm to dance just like we all were moments before. I didn't get it. I didn't understand his devotion to her. I don't think I'd ever understand.  Walker gently smacked my ass like he owned me. He smiled down at me giving me a large long smooch "I think I'll let you settle down now" he kissed. "Ohhh giving up on me that soon huh?" Gently I kissed the back of his palm as I crawled back into bed. His hands swatted my ass harder than before I yelped as I teasingly smacked him "hey!! Watch it!!" Jimmy shouted from afar. Everyone looked back at him with confusion. Mostly walker, Mia and I. "Uh.. uh watch it! Your.. your hat fell on the floor" jimmy stuttered. Walker picked his hat off that he knocked down moments ago. "Thanks bud" he responded still a bit weirded out. I couldn't look at jimmy without feeling angry. We made strong eye contact that made me sick. He still loved me I could see it. He still thinks of me.. I know it.. I watched him closley as he did to me too. He couldn't stand to see me with walker.. he ran his hands over his freshly cleaned boots as he watched me. His lip curled into his mouth like he was deep in thought. Mia's eyes squinted at me as if I did somthing wrong. She should be mad at him not me.  Walkers hands rubbed along my thigh in a loving way as I got into bed. "Cover them legs up before I get between em' blondie" he snickered. I smiled at him as walker leaned back onto the bed to rest his head against the wall. I comfortably laid my legs around his. His hands rubbed my bare skin underneath the blanket soothingly. "Is that gonna be a problem?" Walker asked me with a cock of his head towards jimmys bunk. I shook my head in disagreement. "No.. but that one might be" walkers eyes gazed Mia as she hadn't stopped imagine me dead. "She's going to be a problem" ....