“We just… had a little bit of an argument and I wouldn’t want this day to end for us in that manner,” I explained, my lips in a firm line.

“Well, she did fetch for Leo and rode away. I guess if anyone knows where she went, that would be you,” Grandpa Ben answered, smiling as he put a hand on my shoulder. Grandpa Ben is so sure that I know where Laura would be. Perhaps I’m not thinking enough. Perhaps, I’m in so much of a panic, I forgot to put myself in her shoes. “Well, I need to go back inside. Should you find Laura, make her come home,” Grandpa Ben stood up, me following suit. “If she doesn’t want to come home, let her be.”

I nodded with a smile. Grandpa Ben is amazing in his ways, approaching this kind of manner with calmness and kindness. The world would be a better place with more people like him.

Grandpa Ben proceeded back inside of the bakery. I hopped on Lady and began making my way to the hills. It’s the one place where I know she would be right now.

♔♔♔

A few moments later, I finally arrived at the hills and I started looking around in search of Laura. After a few more searching, I finally found her on one of the hills, under a tree with Leo enjoying the grass just right in front of her.

I slowly made my way to her and as I arrived behind her, I hopped off of Lady and walked towards her. She was just sitting, looking towards the big, open field in front of her. I already sat down beside her but she continued to act as if I wasn’t there.

Her cheeks were wet, clear evidence that she has been crying. Her eyes are puffy and she’s quietly sniffling to hide it from me.

“Laura,” I finally called out to her after letting out a deep breath.

She immediately turned to the side, wiping her face. “What are you doing here?”

I cleared my throat, readjusting my sitting position. “Well… I figured that you would be here after that… disaster in our stables,” I replied as she returned to staring at the view.

“Mallory might be looking for you,” she answered. “You should go back.”

“I ended everything with Mallory. It wasn’t even real, to begin with,” I explained.

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“Even if you say it isn’t real for you, she loves you and she loved you throughout that relationship,” she sniffed, running her hand under her nose after. “In some way, that relationship was real.”

“Laura, if it was real, I would’ve been in love with her, too,” I interrupted her, not wanting her to believe what she’s currently saying. She believes that I have different feelings for Mallory when this couldn’t be farther than the truth. “Mallory is like a sister to me, that will never change.”

“And yet, you kept it from me,” she said, finally turning to face me. “You lied to me,” her eyes narrowed as she said those words with silent fury.

“I didn’t lie to you, Laura. I never lied to you,” I moved closer. “I didn’t tell you anything about that because it’s not worth telling anyone. That relationship meant nothing to me.”

She shook her head as she stood up. She was about to walk away when I quickly wrapped my arms around her.

“Please, Laura, allow me to explain myself,” I begged, holding her tightly as she cried quietly in my arms.

After a few struggles, she finally broke free from my grip, turning around before giving me a push. “And you have the nerves to say such flowery words to me. You have the nerves to get mad when I don’t answer you in the way you’re expecting me to,” her teeth gritted as she tried to speak without shouting. “How could you do this to me? How could you lie to me like that? How dare you use that kind of tactic to gain my trust just so you could crush it in an instant?!”

“Laura, I meant what I said to you, every word,” I hold onto her arms, keeping her in place. “You’re the one that I want to be with all the time. What I had with Mallory was nothing but a joke, a mistake that I’ve regretted since the day I let it happen,” I explained, trying to get every single word out. “She’s my childhood friend and yes, I’ve known her for my whole life but I never saw her differently. She’s been a sister to me and no matter what happens, our relationship as friends will never go beyond that.”

And she stared at me, her nostrils still flaring as she breathed heavily. Her jaw clenched before she gave in to her emotions and began to cry as she slowly sunk to the grass, my hands still holding onto her arms.

I never wanted for her to feel this way. I never wished to see her in this situation. She doesn’t whail when she cries. Her tears are shed in silence, which breaks my heart even more because I know she’s trying to keep it all to herself.

I moved my forehead close to hers. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me,” I whispered. I pulled her into me, wrapping her in a warm embrace. I continued as I rubbed her back, “I never lied to you and I will never lie to you. I’m sorry if I hurt you. I didn’t mean to.”

As I continued to hold her in my arms, she never stopped crying onto my shoulder but not once did she hug me back. And I understand why she doesn’t want to hold me. She doesn’t even want to see me. I shouldn’t be expecting that she would reciprocate my embrace.

♔♔♔

On our way back to the bakery, Laura was riding in front of me. I was able to convince her to return to the bakery and she did stop crying before we started to make our way back home. But she hasn’t said a single word to me throughout our journey home. I didn’t try to start a conversation with her, respecting the fact that she doesn’t want to talk either.