Page 7 of Labor of Love

“Go.” I giggle, waving her off. “I’ll see you in a couple hours for the Labor Day Fair anyway.”

“Stetson’s returning home at some point, but I haven’t heard from him.” My body tenses at the sound of his name, but I keep composure. I’ve listened to her updates about his championships, but as far as going out of my way to ask about him, I haven’t.

I shrug, thinking maybe I can get out of having to go to the fair if he might show up. “I took on extra projects, so I have no problem staying home if you want the whole night with Parker.”

Her eyes narrow on mine. “Not gonna fly, Layla. He left town over two years ago, and you two completely stopped talking. Did something happen?”

Distance and feeling used happened.

She’s never called this out before. Never questioned our goodbye. And I’m not about to start answering any of that now.

“We’re busy and didn’t keep in touch.”

“Mmhmm.” Why the interest now?

“I should do a bit more work before tonight.” Social crowds, especially in this small town, aren’t exactly my favorite unless I’m getting paid to be there.

“It’s Labor Day weekend. You’re taking the night off from work.”

“Go indulge in your brother’s best friend.” I have no idea how Stetson took the news, but Parker and Karli have made a perfect match for nearly eight months now. “Who knows how he’s gonna react to actually seeing you two together in person.” They told him over the phone, so he’s had time to process.

Karli’s blue eyes light up––a feature both her and her brother have with their light brown hair.

“He didn’t seem pissed. Parker is a great guy.”

“Good,” I say simply, thinking about how I had wanted to keep Stetson and I a secret to not upset Karli. I wonder if she would be as supportive of us as her brother seems to be about her and Parker.

But then I think about whose side she would have taken if I was upset about how things ended? She would’ve been the middle ground, happy for him, but unable to relate to my pain in losing him. She couldn’t be mad at her brother for leaving everything to live a dream. And neither could I. And for that, I’m glad I never shared what was going on between me and her brother.

“You’re zoning out. Have a coffee because you are going tonight, missy.” Karli stands, pulling me from my thoughts and skipping to the door. She’s always so damn cheerful. “It’ll be fun. Ever since you broke up with jerkface, you’ve enjoyed showing off your hot body.”

She looks at me seriously for a moment, and I see the sincerity there. She knows how hard things were for me for a while. What I’m most proud of over this past year is my self-worth. Leaving behind toxic generational patterns and a horrible ex was like losing a thousand-pound weight from my shoulders.

I sigh, relenting. She’s right—I could use some fun tonight. “Yeah, yeah, okay. I’ll see you there.” A few hours later, my outfit screams Fourth of July more than Labor Day weekend. Staring at my white tank, cut-offs, and red cowboy boots, I look hot. Brown curls frame my face, wispy bangs surrounding my smoky eyes. The confidence a new haircut can give you is seriously underrated. This new edgy look has doubled my social media views and following too.

Parking my car, I venture into the fairgrounds. Blueish black hues mixed with vibrant deep orange in the sky are breathtaking. A glowing patchwork of lights reflects off the rides as loud country music crackles through speakers. The Ferris wheel stands proud as laughter and chatter float around me. Dust kicked up by the crowds holds a hint of cattle. Kettle corn and sweet funnel cakes mixed with fried chicken and smoked meat filter through the air.

Scanning the crowd of people for Karli, she’ll probably see me before her. She has a creepy yet applaudable talent for lurking. It’s not a massive fair, but my phone is at home where it spends most of its time. With my hands on my hips, my eyes linger on the Ferris wheel. It’ll be quickest to hop aboard and look for her.

“Good idea!” My heart flies to my throat as Karli grabs my shoulders. “We can watch and see which food stand has the shortest line by the end of our ride.”

Giggling, I link her arm with mine and tug us to the wheel. “You and your fried fair food.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Karli begins as we settle in the cart and take to the sky, “I loved the pastries in Europe, but there’s something so comforting about greasy carbs.”

I cringe. “I’ll pass. You know I can’t stomach fried food.” I probably won't make Texas proud with that one.

“You’re introverted ass would pass on everything outside of work if it weren’t for me.” True-ish.

“What’s wrong with loving my job?” Painting has been more of an escape at times. Doing what I love and being able to make money off it has been such a blessing.

“It’s Labor Day weekend, Layla. A holy time of rest.” Holy? Karli hits record on her phone for social media. “Hey, girlies! I’m on top of the world with OUR FAVORITE painter tonight!” She’s glowing, and I give the camera a smile and wink. She posts it to her story and holds her phone in her lap.

“I’m glad I came out tonight.” Karli smiles in approval.

“Good, because we are gonna enjoy the rest of the weekend I planned.” Since turning twenty-one a few months ago, she’s made sure to get me line dancing at the local bar once a week. But being in a small town means you can’t always avoid the people who make your skin crawl.

As the thought enters my mind, the wretched parasite known as my ex comes into view. Fuck you, Clint. I stayed based on my past, knowing he wouldn’t leave me. Pathetic. But Clint continued to tear me down, disguising it as constructive criticism. When his drinking became too much, I called it quits. Plus, he was selfish in bed.