Catching Feelings

Untitled Part 23

          It has been another three days without speaking to Tyler, and I was coming to the conclusion that I did something wrong to make him mad at me; what else could it be? Brayden and everyone have been trying to get me to go out and do stuff, but I just don't want to go anywhere. It was bad enough that the thought of Kellen was in my mind still, but now Tyler as well. My mind was like a ticking time bomb and anything could set it off at any moment.

          "Brooklyn, take your dog for a walk. It had been driving me crazy all morning!" My mother says as she throws the leash at me as I lay on my bed. Next thing I know, Captain jumps up on my bed, because he was now big enough to do so, and licks my face. I laugh a little before getting up. Hooking his leash on his collar we make our way toward the door.

          "Take Amber too," Brayden says as he hands me her leash with her attached already as he rushes out the door.

          "Why can't you?" I say annoyed as I follow him.

          "I am late for my race," he says before jumping in his car and racing off toward the tracks. I roll my eyes and begin walking down the street, dogs pulling me of course. I had my music playing, so I wasn't really listening to the things around me, but I did notice Lexi outside at the house when I got to that part of the road. She was playing with the other puppies that were still left. I smiled and let my two dogs go to run after their siblings. Lexi seen them and me, and offered me a smile as I walked up.

          "You're home," I say as I sit in the grass with her as the puppies and older dogs run around.

          "Yeah, we just got home late last night," she says as she mentions Tyler must be home as well.

          "Where's Tyler?" I asked. I couldn't stay long tho, I had to go work at the barn today. I told Z I would be back since Tyler was gone and they were short handed.

          "I don't know, as soon as we got home he was gone," she says looking at me with a weird look. He wasn't missing again if that is what you were thinking, he just didn't want to be home probably.

          "Well I have to get to the barn, is it okay if I leave Captain and Amber here and have Brayden pick them up later?" I asked knowing I couldn't get them home and make it to work on time.

          Of course, go have fun," Lexi says making me laugh as I make my way to the barn, which was only another half mile down the road from here. I enjoyed my walk there, I was already dressed in jeans and a tank top, so I wouldn't get to hot at work. When I arrived at the barn, kids were walking around waiting for the lesson to begin. Mikey saw me right away and ran and hugged me.

          "Brooklyn, we missed you the last few weeks," he says as another kids nodded in agreement with him. I smile, it warmed my heart to hear that coming from kids I barely knew.

          "Yeah, I needed to get some things done," I say as we walk toward the field.

          "Tyler!" Mikey shouts as I look up. Tyler was letting the horses into the field as we walked closer. When I looked at him, I seen that he had a cut above his eye, his arm had cuts and bruises still, and he was standing so he wasn't putting all his weight on his left foot.

          "Hey buddy," Tyler says as we get up to him. He doesn't even look at me, which was weird. I watch as he finished what he was doing and then finally looks at me. He looked different, something wasn't right and I could tell.

          "Good to see you back in town," I say making him laugh a little.

          "Yeah well, I couldn't stand another day at my aunts," he says before focusing back on the group that was now around us. "Alright cowboys and girls, sadly I won't be able to ride with you for another few days," he says making all the kids groan. "So my friends are going to be helping you all," he says as two guys walk over and start teaching the kids. Tyler and I walk away and over to the barn where he checks on some of the horses.

          "So what is the deal?" I say getting annoyed with the way he is acting. He doesn't stop working, and he doesn't look at me.

          "What do you mean?" he asked like there was nothing wrong.

          "Um, you totally just avoided me for almost a month straight and now you won't even look at me... What did I do?" I say making him finally stop and look at me.

          "I wasn't avoiding you Brooklyn, I was gone with family. You didn't do anything at all, it's me not you," he says making my heart break. I have heard that line so many times before and the next things said never is good.

          "What does that mean Tyler?" I say in a weak voice.

          "Brooklyn, I am not good for you... Okay, go out and find someone better," he says getting mad at himself. I could see it in his face that this was killing him just as much as It was killing me.

          "Are you breaking up with me?" I asked crossing my arms and trying not to cry. He looks back at me and he can tell how much this hurt me. He lets out a sigh and sits on a bail of hay with his face in his hands.

          "I don't want to hurt you Brook," he says in his own week voice. I bend down in front of him and wait for him to look at me. "Twilight didn't fall down the hill with me on her. She fell after I fell off her, and I fell because I just passed out," he says making me more confused than ever.

          "How do you just pass out?" I say as he looks at me.

          "I'm sick Brooklyn, really sick," he says making my heart break when I see how serious he was being. I sit on the ground in front of him and just look at him. "They ran some tests on me while I was in the hospital, I have Leukemia," he says as my heart shatters in a million pieces as the words leave his mouth.