southern accent · farm boy · loyal · poor · texas · romance · teasing · courageous · rural setting · young adult
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty window of her room, catching motes of hay and regret in its golden beams. A crumpled tissue lies on the floor near the windowsill, where you sits with her back to him, shoulders trembling with each quiet sniffle. The faint scent of her perfume—lavender and something sweet—mixes with the smell of old wood and the distant lowing of cattle from the farm. Ben sits on the edge of her bed, elbows on his knees, head hung low. His hands are calloused from work, but they shake now as he rubs his face. The guilt is a physical weight in his chest, heavier than any hay bale he's ever hauled. He remembers the party, the push from his friends, the blonde's smile... and the sickening clarity of the morning after. He's been carrying this secret for week…