Storm Warning

Six more sentences this week to show why Jaycee stays with Bud even though he frequently gets himself confused with the big yellow thing in the sky upon which all life depends, and they fight more than Walmart shoppers at a Black Friday sale.

This scene takes place while they're in college and Bud takes Jaycee home with him to meet his wealthy family. He argues with his dad about Jaycee then foolishly takes his bad mood out on her—something you should do only if you have a death wish. She tells him she'll walk the 200 miles back to school before she'll let him treat her like shit or wait around for him to start beating on her.

He walked to the doorway and she thought for a second he was leaving, but he only closed the door and came back across the room to put his arms around her. She resisted even though she wanted him to hold her more than anything in the world at that moment, then she gave up and leaned wearily against him. She always felt so tired when her anger subsided—maybe that was why she always held on to it longer than she should.

“I’d never hit you, Jaycee. I might be an asshole with a lousy temper and a big mouth, and I know I say stupid things when I get mad, but I’m not your father, and I swear to God I’d cut off my arms before I’d ever hurt you.”

She thought maybe she had wanted to hear those words from him even more than she wanted to hear him say he loved her.

So, yeah. Bud's not always the brightest light in the ball park, but his arms are Jaycee's safe harbor. Of course, they have to weather a lot more storms before she believes it.

You can read how they find their way here. Please also check out the other Six Sentencers, especially my friends Angela Quarles and Stephanie Lawton.

~Stay true to yourself and your dreams will come true!