Don't Tell Me

I told Aaron I wanted to be back for church on Sunday morning. I really just wanted to go with my dad, but he insisted on joining us. Okay, I have no room to talk here, having premarital sex and swearing every other word in some sentences and what not, but at least I'm faithful.
I seriously don't know how he does it.
When we got there, I went to greet my father before going to the front to sing. I tried acting like I was alright, but people started to notice. I used the 'oh I'm just not feeling well' excuse.
Works every time.
On the way home, my dad stopped by the bakery for donuts. This wasn't a rare thing, but it wasn't a normal one either. He handed them to me and gave a cup of coffee to Jared.
"What's going on?"
"He's cheating." I bit into a donut, eating half of it in one try.
"Those are just rumors," my brother tried to help cheer me up but it wasn't working.
"I thought you were always joking about that." My dad said. I was, but now I'm not.
"Normally I can't tell whats going on in the crowd when I sing, but I could last night. Matt couldn't take his eyes off of me but Aaron, Aaron was talking to some girl at the bar. Then when we turned in for the night, I got ready for bed and right when he was going to join me, he got a call. I don't care that he got a call, I care that he took twenty minutes and was in the bathroom the entire time."
The tears started rolling down my cheeks and I didn't do a thing to stop them. "What's so wrong with me that he feels the need to talk to some other girl?"
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with you, Margaret." My father finally pulled into our driveway, but it seemed like it went on forever.
As soon as we got to the house, I ran inside to change clothes and went to catch Cash. He walked right up to me and I threw my arms around him and sobbed into him. I thought we were having a nice bonding moment until he grabbed the curry comb out of my back pocket and tried to eat it.
"You're such an asshole, Cash. You're not starving. " I laughed.
Usually my dad or brother come with me on a ride, but I think they got the hint that I wanted to be alone. Angie tried calling me, but I ignored it. This was going to be time for me to process what was exactly going on in my life. Then my mom called me.
"Your dad called." I could already tell she was worried. Worried moms are not something that I liked dealing with.
"What did he say?"
"That you were upset and you thought that Aaron is cheating on you."
"Matt turned down talking to a ton of girls last night, just so he could watch me sing the entire time. Aaron talked to some girl the entire time. Well, until I was talking to Gabe and Matt. Then he seemed to take an interest in me." I thought I had completely emptied my tear ducts, but I guess not.
"Well honey, what are you going to do?"
"Act like nothing is wrong."
She sighed, "You can't do that."
"Watch me." I hung up the phone and stuck it in my back pocket before kicking Cash, making him bolt across the field I was in.
We came to a pond and I tied my horse to a fence before stripping off my jeans and shirt and jumped in. The water was freezing, but something about floating in the water was so relaxing.
"Excuse me miss, but I'm going to need you to put your pants back on."
I jerked upright to see who was standing on the dock, covering up my chest, "Clint. You scared the shit out of me."
"My mom was worried someone we didn't know was in our pond. She didn't believe me when I said the bright green tack was yours." He sat down, putting his feet into the water.
"Didn't know you were home this weekend."
"Yeah, I took a little break. Needed some rest. And homecooked meals." I shook my head and pulled myself onto the dock next to him. "Do you need a towel?"
"Nahh. I was just going to lay out here until I dried off. Shouldn't take too long. Fatass over there thinks he's starving." I nodded towards the quarter horse enjoying as much grass as he possibly could.
He laughed, but didn't say anything before breaking out in song, "We were Jesus save me, blue jean baby, born in the USA."
"Sister's got a boyfriend daddy doesn't like!" I yelled, causing Cash to lift his head and move away from us. "Seriously, how is your sister?"
"She's good. She's not with the baby daddy anymore, so that's good. She's due some time soon, though." Clint's little sister, Raelynn, was sixteen and pregnant. She didn't get a show, just grounded.
"A little messed up, but we're all alright." I laughed. Ain't that the truth.
After I thought I was dry enough, I got up to fetch my jeans, leaving Clint on the dock.
"Cute panties, Maggie."
"Piss off, Clint."
--
"Maggie, get up. The cows got loose." Jared barged in my room, couldn't have been much past six. I groaned and rolled over, my eyes hurt from crying myself to sleep and I was not about to get out of bed unless I absolutely needed to. "Maggie, NOW!"
"Fine." I threw the covers off of me and tripped over my puppy when going to grab a pair of jeans. I put on a pair of socks and threw the John Deere sweatshirt I had made freshman year in home economics over my sports bra. It was still huge and still very warm.
By the time I stumbled out the front door and to the barn, my dad and Jared were already saddled up.
"Maggie get the four wheeler. Go around all the fences and see where they could have gotten out."
Oh good. I was going to be driving around our property for for hours.
"Right."
I backtracked to the garage, threw on a helmet, and started going around the property line. But not before sending a snapchat to my Avalanche boys.
The joys of living on a ranch.
After about two hours of trying to find a hole in the fence, I called my dad.
"I have to take Murphy to the vet. I haven't found anything yet so I'm heading back to the house."
"Okay Maggie. I might need your help fixing the fence later. Jared has to work."
"Yeah, of course. Let me know."
I got out of the field and onto a road before speeding back to the house. I had half an hour to get back, grab Murphy, and get to Shannon's office on time.
My hair was a mess, I had on dirty clothes, and I stepped in cow shit so I'm guessing I smelled too. Whoever said country life was simple, really had no idea what the hell they were talking about.
"You're late," Jessica taunted with a smile, "Room 1 is open."
"Cattle got out, not exactly my fault."
"It's fine. Shan is still with another client."
The two of us walked into the examination room at the same time.
"Maggie, how are you?"
"I'm alright." I lifted my puppy onto the table, trying to hold him still once he was up there.
"Long morning?"
"Yep. The cattle got out. Again."
"Tell your dad that he needs a different fencing technique." She started to look in Murphy's ears and go through the whole check up process before giving the shots.
"Yeah," I laughed, "Like that will happen."
"Is that Aaron's hat?" Shannon asked me without looking up.
"Probably. I just grabbed one off my dresser before heading here."
"I was surprised when he gave it up. He never let anyone touch it before you." She turned around to grab the vaccinations from the counter, "Hold him just like that. There you go."
Murphy squirmed a little, but not much. I was shocked.
"He really loves you." Yeah, loves me so much he's cheating on me. "Have you talked to him yet?"
"No. I texted him to see if he wanted to get breakfast today but he never replied."
"I'm sure he's just sleeping. Go ahead and head to the house. I'm sure the door is open."
"Okay, thanks Shan! I'll probably be scheduling an appointment to get him fixed in the near future."
I wasn't sure how Aaron was Shannon's son. She was the sweetest person I knew and then he pulls this shit.
I knocked on the door, hoping he was up. When I walked in, I could hear the screaming and moaning coming from his bedroom. I stopped in my tracks, trying to think of the best thing to do right now. I could:
- Cry and slam the door on my way out
- Sit in the kitchen until they were done and surprise them
- Walk in and start yelling
Or
- Fill up a pitcher of water and pour it on them before leaving.
Let's be real here, I'd get the most satisfaction from the last option.
Hoping he wouldn't notice the water turning on, I filled up a pitcher and slowly walked to his room, being careful not to spill. His door was wide open, I guess he didn't expect anyone to be home today.
Neither of them noticed me until they were both covered in water.
"What the fuck," she screamed and pushed him off of her.
"What the fuck?" I mimicked and rolled my eyes. "That thing he does that you like? Yep. Totally taught him that. Deuces."
I threw the pitcher, hitting Aaron in the forehead, before leaving.
"Maggie, Maggie wait." He chased after me, holding a blanket around his waist.
"You done fucked up A-A-Ron." I called as I walked out the door.
I got in the jeep and hauled ass out of his driveway. I turned up the Sunny Sweeney that was playing on the radio. I wasn't in a bad girl phase, but it sure sounded like fun.
My dad was in the kitchen when I got home. He was making Jared and himself a waffle so I sat across the counter from him, trying to fight back a smile.
"What are you so happy about?" He asked as he slid a plate to the male figure sitting next to me.
"I just caught Aaron cheating on me."
"And you're happy about that?" Jared looked at me like I was an idiot. I probably am, but I was pretty satisfied with myself at that point.
"What did you do?"
"I took my time and thought through my options. I totally would have pulled a Miranda Lambert and lit his house on fire, but I like his parents. So I grabbed the biggest pitcher I could find, filled it with water, and poured it on them." I shrugged, like it was no big deal.
My dad looked at me for a minute before smiling, "That's my girl."
"When he chased after me, I told him he done fucked up, A-A-Ron." My brother almost spit out the milk he was drinking.
"God, I love you. Did you see who it was?"
"Yeah. Know that girl that I'm always being compared to when it comes to barrel racing?" Or any other part of our lives. Seriously, even our looks were getting compared. I'll admit I'm pretty. But I'm that simple kind of pretty. She was a rodeo queen, which was fantastic for her. I didn't care at all. She was just so fake in every single aspect, "Yeah. Her."
"Do you think he got spray tan on his bed sheets?"
"This is why we're twins." I laughed and high fived him.
"I'm glad you're handling this so well, sweetie." He handed me the syrup and a waffle before finally making himself one.
"Oh no, I'm probably gonna break down here soon. Just give it time." I grabbed the waffle and went to my room, Murphy bounding after me. At least he still loved me.
As much as this upset me and I wanted to break up with him, I don't think I could. He's my best friend. I love him and there was no denying that.

Notes