Love in the wheat field

Ch.8

It’s been a month since Caeleb started working for the company and I’ve enjoyed being out in the field as his partner. I still haven’t spoken to my brother but I knew he wouldn’t apologize for the hurtful things he said. Jenna told me she has been trying to get him to say he was sorry but he is stubborn and won’t budge. It’s ok though. One day when he finally grows up and wants something to do with me, he is going to look back and realize how bad the things he said hurt me and he will know why I don’t want to be part of his life. 2 more months until my birthday and I hope these next 8 weeks go by fast. I can’t wait to get out of here. I have been looking for a place of my own since I have a good bit of money saved up as of right now. I have also been looking at the job openings that are close to the places I’ve looked at. I’ve found 3 jobs near 2 of the houses I’ve looked at. Caeleb still hasn’t admitted he likes me but I can tell he does and I think he is close to saying something. Yesterday while we were on our first break, we went out to the old tree and sat. Caeleb told me a little more about his mom and dad and I hate that they were taken from him. He had a good childhood. He also told me a little about living with his Aunt and how he used to get into a lot of fights. I shared a few of my childhood memories with him and we went back to work. He was right. He doesn’t seem as dangerous as I thought he might be. I drag myself out of bed this morning and get dressed. I head down to the kitchen to make myself and Caeleb a fried egg sandwich. Aaron was sitting at the table but didn’t utter a word to me. After I fixed the sandwiches I grabbed the cart keys and headed out the door. Caeleb was already here. He looked mad this morning. He got on the cart and I handed him his sandwich. He thanked me but I could tell by the tone of his voice something was bothering him. When we got to work we went to our section and started moving the wheat bales. Caeleb was quiet until first break. I asked him to come to the tree with me and he looked around. He followed me out there and when we got to the tree I asked what was wrong with him.

“Nothing. I’m fine, Skyla.”

“Bullsh*t! I can tell something is bothering you, Caeleb.”

“I can’t talk to you about it.”

“Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why, Caeleb?"

"Because your brother told me not to open my mouth. That's why."

"What. Did. Aaron. Say?"

I was gritting my teeth because I was pissed and I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say.

"Fine. He told me that some of the guys in the field told him that we were a little too close and he said I had to stop hanging out with you and if I didn't, I was gong to lose my job."

"That f*cking jerk! That's why he was up this morning whe I left. I am going to clear this sh*t up right f*cking now! I am almost 18 he can't f*cking control who I am friends with!"

I started to storm off to go chew my brother a new asshole when I felt Caeleb grab my arm.

"Skyla, don't. Please! If you say anything to him, I will lose my job. I can't afford to lose my job."

"He has no right to tell you to stop hanging out with me. I am old enough to make my own choices and you and I being friends is something I choose. He doesn't even care about me so why would he care if we are friends? UGH! I can't f*cking wait until I am out of that house!"

When I turn 18 I am going to sit down with my parents lawyer and get my name off of this damn company. I don't want anything to do with Aaron anymore. I don't care if it means me losing a monthly depoist from the business to my savings account. I will find another job and bust my ass to make what I need to live on my own. F*ck him and that house! F*ck all those sexist guys who work for him!"

"Calm down, Skyla. Look, I will still be your friend and we can still talk to each other while we work but this right here, Us coming out to the tree on break has to stop and so does us driving around. I will also be parking at the field so you won't have to bring me out here or take me back to my truck."

"I don't want to stop coming out here with you. I don't want to stop driving around with you."

I say to him as I break down and start to cry. Caeleb trys to comfort me just like he did in his room when I got mascara on his shirt but what I do next shocks both of us. I stood up and grabbed Caeleb's shirt and pulled him close to me. Before he could say anything, I kissed him. I pulled back from him.

"I am so sorry, Caeleb. I don't know why I just did that."

I turned away from him and took off running. I wasn't going to go back to work after kissing him and I sure as hell wasn't going home to have to be around Aaron after trying to make my only friend turn away from me. I ran past the house and out through one of our other fields. I kept running until I came to the stream that ran behind the field. I crossed it and took off throught the woods. There was one place I could go where not even Aaron knew to look for me. I slowed down and began walking. It has been years since I came back here but from what I can see the area where I was headed hadn't grown up that much. I climbed up the first fallen tree and then over the second. Making sure the trees had gotten soft, I stepped carefully over the third and grabbed ahold of the thick branch that I used to swing from by my legs. I pulled myself up and grabbed the next branch. I climbed higher up until I came to the small platform I bulit. I slowly and carefully stepped on it to make sure it was still sturdy and found it was. I used big thick tree branches and wedged them into splits from where the tree branched off to make the platform. I sat down and brought my knees to my chest and cried.