Page 114 of Sunday Morning

“What are you doing?”

I held my breath. It was Matt’s voice.

“Whatever I want. Why?” Isaac said.

“Dude, you have a girl in there?”

My bra.

“I do. Would you mind getting out of here and shutting the door behind you?”

“That’s …” Matt’s voice paused. “Sarah has that shirt.”

I closed my eyes, fighting the tears.

“Good for her. What’s your point?”

Isaac didn’t know it was over. The lie was out. Matt got me that shirt at the State Fair the previous year. He won it by playing a carnival game.

“Sarah?” Matt said with a tight voice.

“Dude, get the fuck out of here,” Isaac said.

The tack room door rattled.

“Sarah!”

“Getthe fuckout of here!”

“She’s in there! Get out of my way. Sarah!”

There was a clanging noise, and one of the horses neighed.

“I swear to God, if she’s in there, I’m going to kill you,” Matt said.

“Get your hands off me,” Isaac said. “Or you’ll regret it.”

I didn’t even try to wipe my tears before I opened thedoor, grabbing a horse blanket to wrap around my torso. Both men turned toward me. Isaac deflated as tears streamed down my face while I kept my gaze locked on Matt’s.

He slowly shook his head, jaw set, eyes red. “What have you done?” he whispered.

I sobbed. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

Matt swallowed hard as the muscles in his face twitched; his whole body shook. “Virgin to a whore.”

I winced, turning my head like he’d slapped me.

“Matty,” Isaac grabbed his neck, and Matt clawed at his hand.

“Isaac!” I yelled.

He ignored me as he walked Matt backward toward the door. “You don’t get to talk to her that way. I won’t allow it. Not today. Not ever. I love you, but I love her more. You and everyone else are done sucking the life out of her. You’re done taking. Your privileges have been revoked. So go back to the house. Be the coddled child you’ve always been because you don’t deserve someone you don’t really see. Are we clear?” He released him.

Matt gasped, rubbing his throat. When he looked at me, I averted my gaze to the ground.

“When he knocks you up and leaves you for six years, and your parents kick you out, don’t come crying to me,” Matt said through gritted teeth before slamming the barn door behind him.

I continued to stare at the floor.