Renegade

Just Friends

"Did he really have to bring her along?" Taylor asked very annoyed as Brantley pulled up next to them in the church parking lot. 

"She needs to repent after what they did last night." Hailey sneered, getting out of her Jetta. Her black dress pants clingy to her toned legs, flaring out below her knees. The light pink flowy top matching the rosiness of her cheeks. She walked around the front of the vehicle to meet Taylor. Brantley had gotten out of his truck and nodded in acknowledgement toward the girls. He took a hold of Amber's left hand and walked in to church. 

"Good Lord, if her pants got any tighter you'd be able to see her religion." Taylor practically yelled across the crowded parking lot. 

Hailey elbowed Taylor and gave her a look to watch herself. Taylor shrugged and followed close by as they made their way in to the oldest church in town. Hailey's mama was in the third aisle from the back. There were a couple spaces between her and Mrs. Vaughn, the principal of the elementary school. Taylor and Hailey filed in and sat down on the hard dark wood pew. Mama Becky, Brantley, and Amber seated directly behind them. Hailey turned in her seat to greet Becky. 

Brantley leaned forward, looking in to Hailey's blue eyes. "Ya'll aren't very quiet." He sat back up, adjusting his posture, smirking at what was said a few minutes earlier by Taylor. Hailey looked at him as if she had no idea what he may be talking about. She swiveled back around, letting her head hang low to stifle a laugh. 

"It was meant to be heard." Taylor loudly whispered. Hailey's mama reached across and swatted Taylor with the program she had in hand. Hailey bit her lip softly as the preacher walked up to the pedestal. 

After the service, Hailey's mother accompanied Becky to the bakery for some coffee. Brantley brought Amber back home. Hailey and Taylor decided to walk around town to get some fresh air. 

"So, what's the deal with Jason? You never got a chance to tell me what was going on." Hailey questioned Taylor, looking through the big store front windows of a new boutique that just opened. 

"Oh you mean when I went to talk to him before Brantley's bonfire? Yeah, I got to his apartment and he was hard core making out with some skank." Taylor said, disgust evident on her face. 

"Tay, I love you and want nothing but the best for you. I'm telling you. Jason is a good for nothing snake. He is the scum of the Earth. You can do so much better." Hailey replied, her eyes sincere as she looked at her friend. She knew Taylor really liked him, but she wasn't sure how much hurt one person could take before they realized they needed to move on. 

"Thanks, Hails. Now about you and Brantley..." She began, but was cut off abruptly. 

"Stop right there. Brantley is just a really good friend." Hailey pointed a finger at her, turning a corner. Just as she finished up her sentence, her phone pinged. She pulled it from the only back pocket of her dress pants. 

'Come hang out? Amber's at her house.'

'Be over in a little bit.' 

"Just a good friend my tush." Taylor peeked at Hailey's conversation she was having with Brantley. She gave Hailey a quick hug and shooed her off to go see Brantley. She was going to go home and do some housework herself. 

Hailey drove to Brantley's, still in her church clothes. She turned in to his driveway that was about a mile long off the back roads. She pulled up and cut the engine. He was standing under the deck by the large garage, toying around with something. He had changed in to a pair of old blue jeans and a white t-shirt that clung to every muscle in his back. His tattoos peeking through. He had on his old black boots and the usual black baseball cap he wore all the time. It was actually a present from Hailey when she went away last year. She knew he collected them. Amber was not a fan of it, but he wore it anyway. 

"Hey," Hailey startled him, making him nearly jump out of his own skin. 

"Lord, Hails. Don't do me like that." Brantley looked at her, his hand to his chest. Hailey nearly fell over in a fit of laughs. 

"Sorry, B." She said when she caught her breath. He walked over to her and gave her a hug, squeezing a little tighter than normal. 

"How's the hand? Doing okay now?" He asked, gently reaching for her left hand. The bandages were gone. Only a scar remained as a memory of that night. 

"Thanks to you for coming to my rescue, I didn't need to get it amputated." 

"So dramatic." Brantley rolled his eyes, pushing her jokingly. 

"Amber didn't want to stick around?" Hailey asked, scuffing her black flats on the patio. 

"Said she had stuff to do." He turned back around to pick up what he was working on. Hailey followed behind, walking in to the garage. His bike off to the side, numerous tools along the far wall. 

"You bring extra clothes?" Brantley turned to her as he shuffled some boxes around. 

"Nah, I came straight over." 

"Go up and get something out of my closet." He leaned his head to the right, gesturing toward the four wheeler sitting just outside the garage door. "She's begging to be ridden." 

Hailey squealed, "Really? You never take me on the four wheeler as much as I beg you every time I'm here."

"Yeah, well if you don't get your little butt up there I may change my mind. Now go." He laughed a big belly laugh that was contagious. 

Hailey walked over to the garage door that connected it with the laundry room and headed on inside to go find something to wear. Brantley followed her with his green eyes, shaking head to himself. 

A/N: Thank you for loving this story as much as I do! Leave kind comments, vote, add to your library! I greatly appreciate you all.