Runaway by Delaney Knight (i read book .TXT) 📕

losing her. "Thank you so much.” Clay nodded and left the room for her to dress. When she emerged, he helped her down the stairs.

"When are you going to propose to her?" His mother asked as she sat down at the kitchen table. He wiped a smile off of his mouth.

"I can't afford a ring."

"Give her mine; I don't have any use for it anymore." She slipped the diamond ring off of her finger and handed it to Clay.

"I can't take this from you Mom. Dad gave this to you."

"Ah, phooey, I don't need it. Your dad would’ve wanted you to take it anyway.” Clay looked to his mother skeptically. “Take it, she deserves it." She patted Clay's hand and motioned to the kitchen sink. "Your father's ring is in that little box in the window sill."

"Mom you don't know what this means to me."

"I know you'll take good care of her Clay." She patted his hand in her matronly way, and a wave of nostalgia swept her off of her train of thought.

Clay couldn't think of anything better than Beth in a wedding dress.

October 29, 2011

"Beth?" Beth was sitting in the kitchen, hunched over a book. Her eyes lifted to his just in time for him to drop to his knee. She gasped. "I'm in love with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've never known anybody as beautiful as you. Will you marry me?" Her eyes shifted between his eyes and the ring that glittered in the little box. Slowly, her head fell to look at her lap.

"Clay, I can't...I..." Clay closed the box, but did not rise off of his knee. "I can't get married. I have to go." Clay became extremely confused.

"Beth, we don't have to get married, it's fine-"

"No, it's not... I'm not. I need to think." She scrambled for her coat and shoes while he stood dumbfounded.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Go ahead."

"I think we need to take a break." Clay stopped short. Beth had made her way to the door and stopped.

"Beth, what are you saying?"

"I’m sorry." Clay shook his head.

"Whatever you want Beth." She frowned sympathetically and stepped out into the frozen air. Clay closed the door and turned around, leaning against it. His mother loomed at the top of the stairs.

"Oh Honey..." She whispered.

"It's fine, I'm... fine." He ran his fingers through his hair.

November 3, 2011

"She said she wanted to take a break." Colette and Clay were seated at his kitchen table, letting whiskey warm their bellies.

"She's scared of commitment."

"Always was." The two quieted. Clay held his head in his hands.

"Clay, look at me." He did as he was told. He'd never noticed that she had hazel eyes before.

He was unaware of why he chose his actions in the hours that followed, but they continued to burden him for years afterward. Colette kissed him, and he'd kissed her back. The biggest mistake of the drunken evening was leading her up to his bedroom.

September 15, 2011

"Clay I'm pregnant." Colette managed through her tears. The sudden urge to vomit overthrew Clay’s cluttered mind.

"Oh god... are you sure?" Colette nodded grimly. Clay’s mother loomed at the top of the stairs, listening in closely. Clay ignored her presence, as she would have found out either way.

"What are we going to do?" He hugged her as she sobbed into his shirt.

"Well, we have plenty of time to figure this out. Have you told your parents?" Colette began to sob again, increasing Clay’s guilt tenfold.

"Yeah, they kicked me out." Clay rubbed his forehead. Of course they did.

"Alright. You can stay in the guest room.” Clay’s mother shook her head wordlessly. She had raised him better than to make mistakes like this.

"Clay?"

"What?"

"Thank you." He nodded wordlessly and held the shaking girl.

December 16, 2011

 

Clay stood before the aged, overrun tree house.  He hadn't been out there for almost four years.

"Clay?" He turned around. Beth was wrapped in one of his flannels.

"Hi, Beth..."

"I'm sorry I've been so distant, I've just been really busy working..."

"It's fine, I uh...I need to tell you something." She inched forward, now only a few feet from him.

"Anything." He winced, knowing he was about to break everything he'd gathered over the years.

"Colette's pregnant." She gasped.

"Who's baby is it?" Clay was so ashamed that he looked at his feet and cleared his throat. "No." He nodded, still refraining from eye contact. "Clay you didn't!" She punched his chest. Rubbing it, he watched her anger grow to sadness through his own tears. "I can't believe you!" She wept. He licked his lips, trying to find the right words.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"No you don't know! She's pregnant with your child, Clay! Just two months ago you wanted to marry me!" Her face was a crimson tint.

"I'm staying with Colette, Beth." She stopped to process it.

"Excuse me?" Clay swallowed the words he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to tell her it was the biggest mistake of his life and he couldn't sleep without knowing where she was. He never wanted to be with anyone else but her. But then again, she wasn't the one pregnant with his child.

"I'm staying with her. I can’t just abandon her. You were right, you're better off without me anyway." She grew angry.

"So you tried so hard to get me with you, but now you expect me to believe that you've changed your mind?" He bowed his head and glimpsed into the eyes of his love. She chuckled sarcastically and stormed off, leaving Clay with regrets.

August 8, 2012

Clay sat on the top step in front of the tree house, smoking a cigarette. He shut his eyes and tried to force the pain away, to no avail. Colette was due within the month and he hadn't seen Beth since that afternoon in the forest. 

"You don't smoke." Beth's voice rang out.

"Beth you scared me! Do you stay out here and wait for me?" She folded her arms across her chest and tipped her head.

"I haven't seen you in eight months, and that's all you have to say to me?" He scratched his head. 

"I know. I'm sorry. How have you been?"

 "Fine." She did not release her guard. Clay slid off of the steps smoothly and eased towards her, urging to hold her but held back by Colette's chains.

"How have you actually been?" 

"Well, eight months ago the guy who asked me to marry him knocked up my best friend and chose her over me. Why don't you guess?"

"Beth I'm sorry. I can't tell you that enough." Beth huffed unhappily.

"Just tell me now. Do you have any feelings left for me?" Clay shoved past her and strode towards the house. About five steps past her, he stopped short.

"Of course. But-" 

“She’s pregnant. I’m aware.” She walked off, leaving him to swallow his words.

August 20, 2012

 

"Would