Talia watched the sun dance on the ceiling of the bedroom while laying on her bed. Her thoughts wandered back to Shannon, Chrissy and Jennifer. Pain radiated in her chest as she replayed the heinous words. She couldn't help but wonder if she told the truth when she said her and Zeke would talk about her back then. It shouldn't matter. It's been ten years. The tears that escaped said it still mattered.

A knock sounded on her door jamb.

"Hey." Zeke's deep voice made her close her eyes.

"Hey."

"Are you ok?"

"Just Peachy." Talia flashed him a thumbs up without opening her eyes.

"You really are a shitty liar."

"Uh huh. Why don't you tell me why you are in my room right now?"

The end of the bed dipped. "Addie told me what happened."

Talia sighed but continued to lay still with her eyes closed.

"Rex texted me too."

"I hate this town."

"Me too."

She opened her eyes and leaned up looking at him. "What for?"

"You aren't the only one who had a terrible time in this town."

"I know that but you aren't one of those people." She sat up criss crossing her legs.

"How would you know? You were too busy hating everyone in high school."

"Oh. Poor you. You were popular. You were the star athlete. You were even king of dance."

He laughed. "You mean prom king?"

"Whatever. What exactly was hard on you? Your life was pretty damn perfect."

He squinted at her. "Rex never told you why I was always at your house or why I always went to my grandpa's in the summer?"

"No. If he ever did, I probably ignored it."

"You would remember."

"Ok. So, what was so bad?"

Zeke ran his hands through his hair. "Do you remember when the food processing plant closed? I think we were in seventh grade." Talia nodded. "Well, my dad was the plant manager until it closed. In the beginning nothing much changed. My brother was a sophomore and working part time at the Gas 'N Go. Mama was mending clothes as a side job. She never had to have a job because dad made enough money to support us."

Zeke took a deep breath. "At first dad was optimistic. He thought that since he was so qualified he'd get a job in an instant. A month turned into six months then a year. By the time we started high school, dad could only get part time jobs as a handyman. He started drinking pretty heavily. Ben graduated high school early and got that full scholarship at MIT. It was just me, mom and dad. Dad's frustration with Ben leaving and him not being able to find a job found him deeper in the bottle. When he got really drunk he got mean."

Talia sucked in a breath. Zeke just stared at his hands. "He'd get black out drunk then get out his belt."

"You don't have to tell me this." Zeke blinked at her. He surprised someone was there with him.

He nodded. "Let's just say he may not have remembered what he did but the scars on my body say otherwise."

Talia stared at Zeke. Words escaped her. She thought about all those times he was over at her house in high school. The nights he'd spend the night because he didn't want to go home. At the time, Talia thought he was just being a pain. Now she knew differently.

"I don't know what to say. I wish you'd never had to go through that." She sat closer to him and put her arm around him. He leaned into her comfort wrapping his arms around her to keep her close to him.

"Can I just sit like this for a while?" Talia nodded as he squeezed her tighter.

Minutes ticked by and one question nagged at her. "Do you still talk to your parents?"

"I do now. When I left for California, dad got arrested for drunk and disorderly at a bar in Fulton County. He was put in jail for ninety days then had mandatory rehab. Mom said if he didn't get his act together he'd lose her like he lost Ben and I."

"It's good he is sober now, but it's a shame it took that to do it."

"He's been sober for seven years now. He also got a job as a manager of a shipping warehouse right over the county line."

Talia absently rubbed his back. She felt his muscles flexing in his back every time her hand passed over them.

"So, you see, Lia, high school wasn't great for all of us. I needed what I got through high school to just survive."

She understood what he was saying. It was difficult for her to reconcile his pain and hers. He didn't have to face the torment anymore. She faced it again that day.

"Look, I get your point, Zeke. It's still different. I can literally go through town and tell you a bad memory associated with almost every corner. I get an anxiety attack driving into that town."

Zeke pulled away from her. "Who?"

"Who what?"

"Who gave you so many bad memories?"

Talia huffed out a sad laugh. "Too many to count. You need to understand that being the fat girl all your life paints a target on your back. It didn't matter how good at school I was or how nice or how talented. It mattered that I was plain and fat."

Zeke grimaced. "You've never been plain and fat."

"I'm honest with myself, Zeke. You don't have to pretend when it's just you and I."

Zeke huffed in frustration and stood. "You are the most blind person I know." He stood then walked over to the door.

Heat flooded through Talia. Anger that she hadn't felt in years rushed through her. "Stop!"

"What?" He snapped.

"You have some fucking nerve. Saying sweet things to me and trying to make me believe you think I'm more than I am. You were just as guilty as all the other popular assholes. Laughing behind my back with Shannon and her cronies. So, just stop. I know how the world works and this-" She gestured between them. "This is never real. Fairytales don't exist for people like me."

He face flushed. "Who the fuck told you I said shit about you in high school?"

"Shannon rubbed it in my face this afternoon while her gang of bitches nodded and laughed."

A disgusted laugh escaped him. "You believe that?"

"Why wouldn't I? I've seen you do it recently." She shot back at him.

"You don't know shit, Talia." Zeke stormed out of her room slamming the door behind him.

All will power to stand left her when he left. Flopping onto the bed she went back to staring at the ceiling. Talia replayed their time together. Zeke shared something with her that he never shared with anyone. What did she do? Shit all over it. It was getting to close. Too emotional. She wasn't wrong stating that fairy tales didn't happen to women like her. Her traitorous heart was telling her different.

***

Two hours after their blow up, Talia wandered down to the stables. The fresh hay and horse smell emanated throughout the barn. Ranch hands were busy with a horse in the ring making the barn the quietest part of the ranch.

Hera and Zeus stuck their heads out to see who dared walk into their barn. They nickered then banged against their door. Talia reached into the pocket of her jacket and held the apple out to Zeus. He daintily took it. While he ate she did the same with Hera.

Zeus nudged her while she rubbed Hera. "Aren't you an attention whore?"

"It comes with the job?"

"What?" Talia looked around but didn't see anyone. "Is someone there?"

"Yes." A disembodied voice seemed to come from Zeus' stable.

Talia looked into his stable. No one was there.

"Zeus?" If he answered back, she was getting the hell out of there.

"No. Zeke." He pushed open the door to an open stall next to Zeus. A crooked smile on his face.

"You're a prick."

"I've been called worse. Why are you in here?"

"Am I not allowed to be in here?"

"It's fine."

There was a lot of tension between them now. Talia continued to pet Hera while Zeus attempted to divert her attention. She couldn't bring her eyes to meet the man in the barn with her. So, she said the only thing she could.

"Mama expects us at dinner on Saturday."

"I know. Rex texted me about it when he told me about the market."

"You're good to go?"

"Of course."

"Daddy is going to be tough to convince." Talia turned to Zeus and began rubbing him.

"It will be fine. Your mom and dad love me. Probably more than you." He tried to joke.

"That is probably true. If this was real they'd be over the moon."

Zeke nodded.

Talia couldn't stand the tension any longer. "Ok. Well, see you tomorrow then." She walked past Zeke who stood still as a statue.

"I never said that." Zeke said softly.

"What?"

"Whatever Shannon said to you I would have never said."

"It's fine, Zeke."

"Why is it easier for you to believe the worst in me?"

"It's not just you, Zeke. I believe the worst in everyone. Good night."

Talia left the barn heading back to the sanctuary of her room.