Forever

"Mm, thanks." Eric was grateful Chad was there, and didn't resist the help. He shakes his head at Chad's question though. "No, I-"

He stops mid-sentence as Stacy approaches, and keeps himself from rolling his eyes. Not because she cared, but because he didn't particularly like much attention when it came to things like this. "Yeah, I'm alright." He pauses, letting half his weight lean on Chad. "Static just decided he'd rather go to the barn than stick around and listen to an argument. So now..." 

He starts forward again, gritting his teeth as his leg protests more than he thought it would. "Since nothing's broken and I ain't bleeding to death, I'm going to the barn to retrieve that ornery brute, and I'm gonna get back in the saddle."


Air. Room to breathe. That's all Rosalyn wanted. Heading at a fast pace back behind the barns and out to the back pasture, she keeps going. Her vision blurred through her tears but she didn't stop. She just wanted to get away. To get away from all the tension. 

Finding herself in the small orchard, she easily finds the tree that had become "hers and Chad's." Sliding down to the ground as she cries, she leans back against the rough bark, covering her face with her hands. How could such a peaceful night be so quickly torn away as she was yanked into another horrible scene? Why couldn't she have just remained in bliss a little while longer? What was happening? Whose fault was it really? 

She wasn't sure how long she remained under the tree, but she didn't want to move. It felt like every muscle in her body hurt and her eyes burned so badly that her head pounded. With her tears finally subsiding, she just closes her eyes and stays seated in the long grass, feeling the morning sun pouring down on her. So many questions ran through her mind. So many concerns. She didn't know what was right anymore. She didn't know what to do. 

Though missing breakfast entirely, she didn't care. She was supposed to have helped in the kitchen, but she lets it slide. She wasn't going to reappear in this shape anyway. She wasn't sure if she wanted to reappear at all. She just wanted to stay out here forever.


Listening quietly, Justin studies Hope's face as she spoke, taking note to her body language and eyes. Sliding one foot up on the chair, he wraps his arms around his knee and takes a moment to think. "Well, I'll try to figure out what's going on with him, but from what you just told me, it sounds like a classic case of someone caring enough that they don't want to hurt somebody else, so they push them away." He pauses, just letting his eyes roam hers. 

"Love isn't easily hidden, and Scott's a smart man." It was so obvious to Justin that Hope still loved Scott deeply. Whether her suggestion of taking Scott to the park was just a friendly gesture or not, Justin could only guess that Scott knew good and well Hope loved him. "And knowing him, he's already thought of the big picture. A picture of you and him. Together for the long haul. And he sees himself having violent nightmares almost every night. He sees himself barely able to keep his eating disorder under control. Constantly battling depression. Being angry and not knowing why. And when a man envisions that next to a woman he cares about, well..." Justin gives her a wry grin. "Maybe it's a guy thing, but we'd rather sacrifice our own happiness than put a woman through all that with us - regardless of whether or not the woman is willing."

Sighing, he nods slowly. "And... all those things, added together with his fears as well, probably make him feel pretty weak. And most guys I know don't particularly like it when a woman is stronger than they are."

He pauses again, thinking through the whole situation. "Unfortunately, you're Scott's best friend next to Dalton, and he needs all the support he can get. For a guy like him, retreating like this can get him in trouble again, and none of us want him to go back down the path to Brookshire. That said, I see he's not at work today so I might just slip on over to his house and check on him." 

What on Earth

Continuing to walk twords the dinning hall Chad didn't bother turning around while Jim was yelling at him. He new it was better if he just went, had something to eat and cooled down letting Jim cool down as well. Standing there and just yelling back and forth would do nothing except cause more of a scene and cause words to be thrown around.

It wasn't till he heard the shout of Eric's voice that Chad stopped and turned around only to see Eric being thrown from his horse. All Chad can do is stand there wide eyes and move a few steps closer to Eric but stops seeing Jim trying to help him up. He wished Jim hadn't been so loud so Eric wouldn't have come over at all.

Once Jim was gone Chad looked to Rosalyn the look on his face more sad and hurt than angry. There was so many things he wanted to say to her but before he could she was gone. Letting out a sigh he glances back to Eric. Seeing him limping and wincing a little bit Chad comes up along side him and slings his arm over his neck.

   "Here let me help you. Want to go see Angel?"

Having heard a commotion outside Stacy exited her bunk house. Just in time to see Eric take his fall and for a moment all she could do was stand there. What on earth was happening or going on? Moving off the pouch and coming over to Chad and Eric She looking at Eric with consern.

   "What on earth happened? Eric are you ok?"

Hearing the knock on he door and seeing Justin Hope was a little surprised to see him here but she didn't mind. Hearing his reason too didn't bother at all. Maybe talking in person was a little better than talking over the phone anyways.

   "I don't mind you stopped by at all. Come on in and have a seat."

Having Justin sit down and hearing that he noticed something different with Scott too made Hope feel a little bit better than she wasn't just imagining things. Though in a way she kind of wished she was and Scott was ok, but no such luck. At least Scott had Justin to talk to so he wasn't completely alone.

   "Well yesterday he asked me if I could drive him home and have coffee with him. I was more than happy too. We ended up talking, he broke a glass, than I asked about his photography. Told him if one day he wanted me to take him some where so he could take more pics I would be more than happy too."

Hope gives a small sigh as she remembers the conversation. Even now a day later it made her very sad thinking about it. She didn't want to lost her friend.

   "He ended the conversation with telling me we should not spend so much time together even if we were friends. As quickly as the door opened it closed again. It was just a friendly gesture to take him to the park or something because I know he didn't have a car and he took it as something more."