Imagines and One-Shots (Book Two)

The Longest Ride (Marshall Traver) - Part 1

this is probably nothing like the movie but cowboy marshall got me feeling like it's christmas morning

~

Flashback

It was a familiar scene – you shouting at your boyfriend in his family's barn. Marshall had a tendency to brush off things you said or did, which led to the argument you were having right now.

He was standing in front of his horse – his baby, as he called her – brushing her mane before he took her out for a walk around the property. You entered the barn innocently enough – whenever you went to the farm, you never bothered to go to his house because he was always in the barn with the horses. You were wearing the cowboy hat you'd snatched from him the previous night when he'd planned a moonlit picnic at the lake you both met at.

But the innocence of your visit quickly went downhill when Marshall wasn't giving you anything but short answers or low hums. Your patience was wearing thinner and thinner until you just couldn't handle it anymore.

"Mar, I understand that you've got a rodeo coming up, but could you at least pretend you give a shit about anything I'm saying right now?" you snapped. Marshall froze, having never heard you so upset with him before. He put the brush in his hand away, petting his horse before turning toward you.

"You think I don't give a shit that you've been offered a job in New York?" he cocked an eyebrow at you, walking until he was in right front of you, "It's the only damn thing I've been thinking about since you told me about it two months ago."

"Well, you certainly haven't acted like it," you rolled your eyes.

"What am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to respond to that? I'm not going to act excited that you're moving across the country if that's what you were hoping for."

"And why the hell not?" you growled, "Just because my dream doesn't involve horses and rodeos doesn't mean it's not worth going after."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked, "I should just drop everything to cater to your dreams?"

"I'm not saying that you can't go after your dream, Marshall, I'm just saying it would nice if you didn't act like mine isn't just as valid!" you screamed at him.

"When did I say your dreams aren't as valid as mine?!" he said defensively.

"Every goddamn time we have this argument!" you threw your arms up, "Everything is always about your rodeos or your horses or 'I can't talk right now because I have to train'! It's never about my dream of being a journalist since I was in middle school! You're so preoccupied in this stupid game of chicken you play with animals that could kill you at any moment without even trying that none of my accomplishments matter!"

"So what, you're willing to just throw the past three years away to write for some silly newspaper?" he scoffed.

"The last three years of my life have been devoted to supporting you and making you happy," you spat, "And I'm truly sorry if it upsets you that I'm finally doing something for me, but I am going to New York whether you support that decision or not." You spun on your heels, beginning to walk out of the barn.

"Y/N, if you leave this barn-"

"Allow me to save you the trouble, Marshall!" you said, not even turning around to look at him. You took off his cowboy hat and tossed it onto the bale of hay beside the door. "We're done!" you stated, never looking back.

End flashback

~

Two years later

Everyone in town was talking about how you had just recently left your job in New York to come back to the state and work for a news station in Austin, joining the team as the lead reporter. You went to visit your family back in Arlington as often as you could, but you were excited to begin a new chapter of your life. You'd always wanted to be a reporter – out in the field covering the latest stories – and to finally reach that point in your life was a huge milestone for you.

Marshall's life, however, wasn't going as well.

The weekend after you left, Marshall came in first in that rodeo. That next week, he came in first as well. And the week after that, he came in first. Then, he won state for the fifth year in a row.

But once the anger he was feeling started to wear off and he began realizing you were actually gone and you were no longer together, that was when he started losing. They would be gradual loses – he would get thrown off the horse or bull a little bit earlier each time – but they would turn into him just not showing up to rodeos at all.

After he hadn't shown up to the previous five tournaments in Dallas and Fort Worth, Todd – Marshall's trainer – was starting to get upset. He finally found Marshall out by the lake one night at about 11:30pm, lying in the bed of his truck as he stared up at the sky. He wasn't completely lying in the middle, but you didn't need to ask to know why; That was your spot. Plain and simple.

You were his other half; You were the missing piece in the puzzle that was his life. And that piece was taken out on the day you left.

Marshall was missing a puzzle piece; The most important puzzle piece as far as he was concerned. Sure, he could go out and try to find something or someone else to fill it, but he knew there was no point. No one would ever fit with him as perfectly as you did.

"Marshall," Todd spoke, not eliciting any sort of response from the man in front of him. "Marshall, what are you doing?" he tried again, "We've got state coming up in two days."

"I'm not going," Marshall muttered, never taking his eyes off of the stars.

"Marshall, you can be stubborn some other time, okay? We can't afford to lose the title."

"We can't or you can't?" he returned harshly, sitting up, "I couldn't give less of a shit about holding onto state anymore! The only reason I ever competed in those stupid competitions was to provide for my girlfriend, but she's not here anymore!"

"Then find some other girlfriend to provide for and let's get going!"

"No, Todd!" he shouted, "I'm done! Go get yourself a new state champion!" Marshall slid out of the bed of the truck and hopped into the driver's seat, leaving Todd at the lake.

~

Your POV

"Y/N!" your boss – Cecilia – called out to you. You turned around and smiled.

"Hey!" you chirped, "What's up?"

"You're originally from Dallas, aren't you?"

"Arlington," you shrugged, "But pretty much."

"Right," she nodded, "I'm sure you know that the Texas State Rodeo Championships is going on this weekend in Dallas at the state fair." You obviously nodded – being from the area, it was one of your family trips every year, not to mention at least one of your older brothers was always in the competition. "The station wants you to cover it," she told you. Your heart skipped a beat as your mind immediately went to Marshall.

"Are you sure Jen can't do it?" you asked, clearly trying to get out of it, "I've got stories I'm supposed to cover here and I-"

"We've already got reporters on those stories," Cecilia said, "Don't you want to go back home? I'm sure everyone would love to see you." You thought for a moment before sighing, nodding again.

"I'll cover it," you accepted.

"Excellent!" she beamed, "You and Nate leave tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?" your eyes widened slightly.

"Yes! So take the rest of the day off to pack your bags!" You sighed again as she walked away, but did as you were told and went back to your office to get your things to go home.