Unshaken: An RDR2 Story

Chapter 11

It was a few hours later when Arthur came to see me at the small hut behind Shady Belle. His footsteps creaked on the floorboards behind me, but I didn't turn to greet him, instead working to compose myself.

"I got you some food, figured you might need it," he said, offering a bowl to me.

"I'm not hungry," my voice was barely a whisper as I returned my eyes to the swamps in front of me.

I heard him sigh, then he sat down beside me. He put the bowl to one side, his hands were clasped together between his legs as he followed my eyes. Neither of us spoke for a minute, a comfortable silence settling between us.

"I'm worried about you," he eventually spoke, "Dutch told me to give you some space, but you've been sat here alone for four hours now. You haven't said a word to anyone really since we returned yesterday."

"I'm fine," I said quietly, not looking at him.

"No, you're not," he replied, "And nobody expects you to be. Least of all me or Dutch. You have been thrust into this unfamiliar time, living with unfamiliar people, and the last thing you need is... well, this."

"Do you wanna know the worst part?" I turned to him, "I still love him. I want to hate him, he broke my heart. It would hurt so much less if I could just say I hate him and be done with it."

"Come here," Arthur pulled me into a tight hug, resting his chin on the top of my head, "I don't know how to comfort you, but know the rest of us are beside you every step of the way."

The next few days saw everyone trying their hardest to cheer me up again. The girls took me on a shopping trip to Saint Denis, and I found myself smiling once more. We returned to camp, pockets heavier than when we had left, giggling amongst ourselves.

I was happy.

I had been given the room attached to Dutch and Miss O'Shea's to sleep in, a room with a tattered old couch that had originally housed the donation box. I was thankful for the privacy, but mostly for the separation it afforded me from the thing that caused me the most pain.

Sean and Lenny took it upon themselves to take me out on as many jobs as possible, though they frequently went wrong due to us messing around too much. Lenny and Sean were very much acting like my older brothers, and I was grateful to them.

One afternoon, Sean and I returned from a job that had been a disaster from the get go. We rode into camp, covered in mud and blood from various cuts and scrapes we had collected, laughing our heads off at how ridiculous it had been.

John shook his head at us as we approached, an eyebrow raised.

"I don't think I want to know," he laughed slightly.

"Sean here doesn't understand the meaning of distraction," I rolled my eyes, "Mainly the fact that he was meant to divert attention away from me, not towards me."

"Not my fault you tripped!" Sean argued, laughing, "It was hilarious! How could I keep my act up with them after seeing you face plant?"

"Maybe with the fact they had four armed guards with them that were very happy to shoot at us!" I countered, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, we got away, right?" he pushed me slightly, "It was only a few miles of being chased through the Heartlands!"

"You got her chased by armed guards?" I froze, my face falling immediately.

"What's it got to do with you?" Sean's tone turned frosty as I turned my back to the new arrival, my eyes locking with John's.

"Maybe the fact you are putting her in danger?" Javier growled at Sean, the atmosphere in camp dropping a few degrees.