▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 I woke up again to the sound of rain—still pouring, steady and relentless like the weight pressing down on my chest. Being sick just isn’t for me. I feel like I’ve been run over by a damn truck. Everything hurts. My head, my limbs, even the inside of my eyes when I blink too fast. I’m exhausted just existing. Just being. Laying here and doing nothing is supposed to be restful, right? But it’s not. Not when I’m used to motion. Not when I’m used to moving until my muscles scream for me to stop.The dull throb in my temple pulses with the storm, and when I sit up, I hear it more clearly—the rain smacking the windows, the occasional gust of wind rattling the old wooden frames, and voices. Not loud. Just enough for my brain to register that I wasn’t alone.I scanned the room slowly, and there she was—Vanessa—sitting on the floor with her back pressed against the couch I’d been knocked out on. Her legs stretched in front of her, one bent lazily at the knee. She was w
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 Vanessa was absolutely determined to keep me here. She guarded me like a hawk, like she had been assigned the role of my personal bodyguard and took it way too seriously. Every time I so much as shifted in my seat or tried to act like I wasn’t completely wrecked from this illness, her eyes would snap to me like twin laser beams.And when the power finally shut off—just a soft click and hum followed by an eerie silence—I let out a groan loud enough to shake the windows. Okay, maybe not that loud, but loud enough to get her attention.She looked over her shoulder at me and lifted her hand... flipping me off.Charming.At this point, she’d checked my temperature twice, handed me three different types of water (tap, filtered, and one from her own bag that she swore “had vitamins”), and followed me upstairs just to make sure I wasn’t sneaking off to do something suspicious—like, oh, I don’t know, use my phone without her noticing. She didn’t say anything about it di
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I was disappointed by the news I’d gotten. Frustrated. Drained. It was like every lead we chased only circled us right back to the starting line, like some cruel loop we couldn’t escape. The more we uncovered, the more tangled everything became. And now, with Oliver’s call settling heavily on my chest and Abel still silent, I couldn’t stop thinking about Darcy’s blood staining the floor, about the message she died trying to deliver.It was all too much.I glanced over at Colton. He was lying back, his head tilted toward the ceiling, one arm draped lazily over his stomach. His eyes were half-closed, fever still riding him, but he looked better—less pale than this morning. There was a softness to his expression now, a certain peace he only seemed to wear when he wasn’t trying to carry the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.Maybe I could give him something else to focus on. Maybe I could give myself a break from everything, too. Just for a few minu
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I stayed on Colton’s lap, his hands still resting on my thighs, grounding me while my world tilted dangerously out of balance. The screen of my phone glowed in the dim room, his father’s name taking up the whole display. My heart stuttered. This was it. The call we’d been waiting for all day.I took a breath, one that felt like it had to fill more than just my lungs—it had to brace my soul. Then I hit answer.“Abel, give it to me straight.”The sound that met me was heavy. Abel’s sigh carried so much weight, I felt it settle in my bones before he even spoke.“Reeves is dead too. Him and Darcy.” His voice was low, grim. “We’ll need a coroner to confirm, but my instincts are screaming they died at the same time. Whoever called you wasn’t Reeves.”My stomach sank violently. Like someone had just cut a rope and I was plummeting down a dark well. Cold crept over my skin.“You can’t be serious?” My voice cracked. A whisper, hoarse and too small to match the sto
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★The engine sputtered, letting out a high-pitched whine before descending into a series of jarring clunks, each one louder and more ominous than the last. A metallic scraping sound joined the cacophony, like nails on a chalkboard, before the car gave one final, wheezing groan. The momentum ebbed, and with a reluctant shudder, it jerked to a halt, silence settling like a heavy curtain in the aftermath of the mechanical chaos.“HOLY FUCKING SHIT! WHY NOW? WHY THE FUCK NOW?!” I yelled, banging my head on the steering wheel over and over again. The honking sound didn’t even stop me from freaking out. I’m not even near this stupid godforsaken town. And this piece of crap has given up on me. I hate THIS!Okay, you might need some backstory to understand why I’m freaking out. This is all the fault of my estranged mother. Two days ago she sent me a letter. In these modern times, she sent me a fucking letter. After twenty years of pure silence, after running out on
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★“What is this?” Lionel asked as he picked up the piece of paper I’d thrown away. Shit. He looked at me after unruffling it up, and reading through it. “why is she writing to you? From dusty creek?”Yeah, creek. Right. Is that even a place? Is it like a small venue in New York? Hmm.“I don’t know. I just got the letter. I don’t know why she hasn’t reached out in twenty years. Okay, what am I supposed to do?”Ezra growled, “Do what you always do when you don’t want to entertain bullshit. She doesn’t get to see you. She never called, never even bothered to check in to see how Dad was doing. no. You can’t go.”normally, this would be a given. I hate my mother. But I have to admit that what she did reroute my brain. Our family was perfect, and she ruined it. However, I can’t seem to feel that bubbling hate right now. I truly want to know. My therapist- yes, I have one. When you key an old lady’s car at sixteen, call her a dying floozy, punch her grandson, and
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 She’s beautiful. No, I’m sorry, beautiful doesn’t even cover it. This woman is the most stunning female I have ever come across. Dark skin that practically glows under the sunlight, smooth and rich like the earth itself. Her black hair falls in waves, catching the light like silk, and every inch of her body tells a story. She’s curvy, with just enough softness to make me want to reach out and hold her, and there's a confidence in the way she carries herself that makes my chest tighten.Her red strapless shirt hugs her like it was made for her, showing off the natural swell of her chest, and that brown flurry skirt… damn, it moves just right when she shifts, teasing me with every single movement. Her brown boots with heels make her legs go on for days, and I can already imagine how perfect they’d look tangled up with mine.She’s not just pretty, she’s got that raw kind of beauty, the kind that makes everything else around her fade into the background. I can’t lo
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a bed more comfortable than this. I wore Colton’s shirt to sleep, his bar soap smelt like actual daises, and the house reeked of hand made, I built it myself nonsense. God, I feel like throwing a tantrum. This stranger gave me a ride when I was stranded, and a place in his home, I could have been a serial killer. I sat up straight and exhaled.I could try to be less of a bitch. Hopefully, I’m not here for long, and I can meet with my mother and then head home. To where life truly is. Not on a farm, in a place that shouldn’t be on the map.Getting out of bed, I walked towards the window in time to see the sunrise. My god.... it’s beautiful. Wow. I can get the same view, from my penthouse. Only with less grass. Still pretty though.I’m just not a connect-with-nature kind of girl. Which reminds me, my charger is also in one of those bags that I left. God, my brothers must be losing their minds. I have to hurry. Get a bath, get
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I stayed on Colton’s lap, his hands still resting on my thighs, grounding me while my world tilted dangerously out of balance. The screen of my phone glowed in the dim room, his father’s name taking up the whole display. My heart stuttered. This was it. The call we’d been waiting for all day.I took a breath, one that felt like it had to fill more than just my lungs—it had to brace my soul. Then I hit answer.“Abel, give it to me straight.”The sound that met me was heavy. Abel’s sigh carried so much weight, I felt it settle in my bones before he even spoke.“Reeves is dead too. Him and Darcy.” His voice was low, grim. “We’ll need a coroner to confirm, but my instincts are screaming they died at the same time. Whoever called you wasn’t Reeves.”My stomach sank violently. Like someone had just cut a rope and I was plummeting down a dark well. Cold crept over my skin.“You can’t be serious?” My voice cracked. A whisper, hoarse and too small to match the sto
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★I was disappointed by the news I’d gotten. Frustrated. Drained. It was like every lead we chased only circled us right back to the starting line, like some cruel loop we couldn’t escape. The more we uncovered, the more tangled everything became. And now, with Oliver’s call settling heavily on my chest and Abel still silent, I couldn’t stop thinking about Darcy’s blood staining the floor, about the message she died trying to deliver.It was all too much.I glanced over at Colton. He was lying back, his head tilted toward the ceiling, one arm draped lazily over his stomach. His eyes were half-closed, fever still riding him, but he looked better—less pale than this morning. There was a softness to his expression now, a certain peace he only seemed to wear when he wasn’t trying to carry the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.Maybe I could give him something else to focus on. Maybe I could give myself a break from everything, too. Just for a few minu
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 Vanessa was absolutely determined to keep me here. She guarded me like a hawk, like she had been assigned the role of my personal bodyguard and took it way too seriously. Every time I so much as shifted in my seat or tried to act like I wasn’t completely wrecked from this illness, her eyes would snap to me like twin laser beams.And when the power finally shut off—just a soft click and hum followed by an eerie silence—I let out a groan loud enough to shake the windows. Okay, maybe not that loud, but loud enough to get her attention.She looked over her shoulder at me and lifted her hand... flipping me off.Charming.At this point, she’d checked my temperature twice, handed me three different types of water (tap, filtered, and one from her own bag that she swore “had vitamins”), and followed me upstairs just to make sure I wasn’t sneaking off to do something suspicious—like, oh, I don’t know, use my phone without her noticing. She didn’t say anything about it di
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 I woke up again to the sound of rain—still pouring, steady and relentless like the weight pressing down on my chest. Being sick just isn’t for me. I feel like I’ve been run over by a damn truck. Everything hurts. My head, my limbs, even the inside of my eyes when I blink too fast. I’m exhausted just existing. Just being. Laying here and doing nothing is supposed to be restful, right? But it’s not. Not when I’m used to motion. Not when I’m used to moving until my muscles scream for me to stop.The dull throb in my temple pulses with the storm, and when I sit up, I hear it more clearly—the rain smacking the windows, the occasional gust of wind rattling the old wooden frames, and voices. Not loud. Just enough for my brain to register that I wasn’t alone.I scanned the room slowly, and there she was—Vanessa—sitting on the floor with her back pressed against the couch I’d been knocked out on. Her legs stretched in front of her, one bent lazily at the knee. She was w
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★Abel arrived fifteen minutes later, his clothes soaked through from the relentless rain, and a large bag slung over his shoulder. His drenched appearance made me think of my father, how he would look when something serious had him worried—shaky hands, furrowed brow, and an anxious, hurried step. I barely had time to open the door before he stepped inside, water dripping from his hair and the edges of his jacket.“Where is he?” Abel asked, his voice low but urgent, scanning the interior.I nodded toward the living room. “He’s sleeping, thank God. I told you not to rush. It’s dangerous.”Abel followed me into the living room, eyes immediately falling on Colton, who was still asleep on the couch. He let out a heavy sigh as he looked at him, the concern clear in his expression. “My poor son. He works too hard. And after all the issues with Samson... I worry I may have given him too much responsibility.”His words gave me pause. I hadn’t heard much about Samso
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★Colton’s arm around me was warm, his body heavy with exhaustion as he breathed evenly against my shoulder. I had spent last night, and this morning taking care of him, making sure he ate, took his medicine, and actually rested for once in his life. He was always the one looking after everyone else, but I could tell this time had hit him hard.He was sick, drained, and barely hanging on before I forced him to let go and rest.I was just beginning to feel like things had settled, like I could relax for a moment, when my phone rang.I tensed, glancing toward the coffee table where my phone buzzed. I carefully reached over, making sure not to wake Colton as I picked it up.The name on the screen made my stomach drop.Dr. Reeves.Something about the sight of it, about the late hour and the still-pouring rain outside, sent a shiver down my spine.I swallowed hard before carefully untangling myself from Colton’s hold, slipping out from beneath his arm. His brows
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 The rain hadn’t let up.I lay still, listening to the rhythmic drumming against the roof, the occasional gust of wind rattling the windows. It was that steady kind of downpour that blanketed everything in a quiet hum, making the world feel smaller, cozier.I turned my head slightly, eyes landing on the clock glowing on the nightstand. 5:58 AM.Normally, I’d already be out of bed, pulling on my boots, shrugging into a jacket, plopping my hat on, and heading outside before the sun had even fully risen. There was always something that needed doing on the ranch—animals to feed, fences to check, tasks that didn’t care if I was sick or exhausted.But today was different.Because for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t the first one up.And I wasn’t alone.Or at least, I hadn’t been.The bed beside me was empty, the sheets cool where Vanessa had been curled up against me just hours ago. A small crease in the pillow was the only evidence that she’d been there at al
▄︻デ══━一 COLTON HAYES💥 There's pain, lightness, there are things I can't describe about myself in this moment. Because I was sinking. Not into sleep—sleep was something I welcomed. This was different. A deep, aching exhaustion that ran through my bones, making my limbs feel heavy and useless. My skin burned with fever, my head a foggy mess, and yet, my thoughts wouldn’t stop running.How the hell did I get to this point?I’d worked hard before. Harder than this, even. I’d gone days without proper rest, waking before the sun and collapsing into bed long after it had set. It wasn’t new. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t done before.So why did it feel like my body was giving up on me now?I let out a slow, shuddering breath, my throat dry and tight. My muscles still ached from the day’s work, and I could feel the heat radiating off my own skin. My head pounded, my stomach twisted, but it was the exhaustion that weighed me down the most.I knew when it started.The moment I saw the storm ro
★。\|/。★VANESSA DAVIS★。/|\。★Balancing the tray carefully, making sure I didn't spill anything.. The broth smelled rich, the steam curling into the air, and I was grateful that my dad had walked me through making something decent.When I reached the knob to Colton's room, I nudged the door open with my hip, stepping inside. The storm outside made the room dim, the only light coming from the bedside lamp I had turned on earlier. The rain drummed softly against the window, the occasional rumble of thunder in the distance.Colton was still out cold. Well, not exactly. He seems like he's unconscious, but I can tell a part of him is still fighting off that sleep. What a dumbass. I say that sweetly though. I think a guy like him needs a stubborn girl to tell him what to do. He was lying on his back, his breathing deep and steady, his face slack with exhaustion. His damp hair clung slightly to his forehead, and even in sleep, I could see the tension in his shoulders—like his body had forg