NaNoWriMo - I can haz sad scenes.

[nouveau_monday]

I'm trying out this different way of writing where I write the scene that has the strongest pull in my head, and not necessarily the one that logically follows the rest. It seems to be working, which, huh. Kinda cool. I'm pretty sure I owe that to writing fanfic, and more specifically writing with ithilien22. I wrote 'missing scenes' for my magnets'verse. Then because I was passing stories back and forth with ithilien, I would write bits and pieces not connected to words I had written last. Part of me struggles against this because my writing idols are the ones that primarily fly by the seats of their pants and write sequentially. I want to emulate them. However, if this works, then this works. And I'm going with it.

That was the preface to the fact that what I'm not writing at the moment is the big black moment. It's going well as far as the dialogue goes. Ben (who used to be Jake, and could still go back to Jake) came back to the farm prepared to ask Gabe to stay. Especially now that it won't matter because the marriage can't go through in time, so there's no way to mistake what Ben is doing for sneaking through his dad's will. But he gets home, and there's a little yellow coupe in the driveway and he loses his shit.

The good: I know I have to finish this part before I go back to work tomorrow. I can't leave it like this or I'll be a big ol' mess. This means that I need to push forward, and while I still have brackets in which i have notes like 'must write sexy horseback lesson' and 'need to shift my timeline forward three days', I will have ostensibly finished the fucker.

The bad: IT'S SAD.


Ben stared at the little yellow coupe in the driveway. Acid churned in his stomach. She couldn't wait the forty-eight hours before she gloated. Most of the men had found other jobs. The cattle were sold. It was supposed to be Toby, Gabe and himself for the next two days, and even Toby was splitting for the next twenty-four.

"I don't want to hear you screaming down the walls. You do what you should have done from the beginning. Doesn't mean I want to be present and accountable for it."

"Didn't think you'd want to be. What with the whole multiple dicks involved bit."

"Just cause I don't like them, doesn't mean I can't admire. You're not ugly, Ben. And Gabe? He's something else."

"Yeah. He is. Thanks Toby. See you in time for court?"

"And miss a ride in the limo? Never! I'll be back in time." She kissed his cheek. "Flowers never hurt, if you're aiming to convince someone to give up everything they've ever known. Flowers, oh, and Ben, spring for some good beer."

His heart beat an ugly tattoo behind his ribs. The chain in his pocket burned a hole through his hip. The nightmare playing out caught him off guard in a way that nothing had since his father's death, not even the will. Five times Heather had placed men in front of him. Five time she had sent these beautiful, talented, cold heart men willing to seduce him enough to break his heart so he wouldn't get married All for the wealth and opportunity Heather promised them. None of them had hesitated. None had paused. They took the bait, went to the ranch. The guys had been too easy, too perfectly crafted from the dreams he used to whisper to Heather when she was his babysitter years ago.

"Not him. Not Gabe. Son of a bitch, not Gabe." Ben fell to a crouch next to his truck, balanced his weight on the door and used the burn of sun-baked metal to ground him in the moment. Twelve days of irrational hope singed his flesh and drew tears to his eyes. He dashed at the hint of salt stinging his eyes. "Fuck that. This ends now."
Ben reached for his cell in his back pocket. One ring, then two before voicemail picked up. "Toby, you might want to get back here sooner than later. Plans are irrelevant. Heather's here. And shit, fuck, shit. Toby, I'm gonna be real drunk by the time you make it back from San Antonio. Drive fast."

Each step up the porch echoed a death knell. Every dramatic moment stuffed away because he was from Texas and Texans didn't act like queens, even if they were fags, seethed in his skin, up and down his spine. He wrapped his hand around the screen door's handle. The main door opened to let in the evening air. Behind that he heard voices. Calm and comfortable, not angry and screaming. Gabe sounded like he was getting ready to prepare dinner. Heather's laugh shrilled across his lungs.

His fingernails bit into his palms. He couldn't do it. Ben's stomach heaved. He covered his mouth, afraid of the sound, the emotion, the bile that would spew from inside him. One foot in front of the other, through the open door, until he leaned against the door frame where the hardwood became tile.

"You're home!" Gabe's smile stole whatever sunshine remained in the evening sky to light the room. "And look, you've got company. She said she wanted to see you in your place one last time. I'll go upstairs to give you time to catch up."

"I don't think that's gonna be necessary." His throat clogged, but he managed the words. "I think you should go upstairs, Gabe. Go upstairs and pack your bags. I can't believe that I," Ben pressed his hand to his stomach. "Damn, I'm an idiot."

"What's going on?"

"Gabe, don't be silly. Ben didn't like to see the two of us together is all." Heather stood up an inch at a time. Her high heels clacked against the floor as she strut toward Ben. "He thought he knew what was going on."

"Thought I knew the score. Man. What's that stupid expression? Fool me once, shame on you."

"Fool me twice, shame on me." She nodded, reached a cool hand to Ben's flushed cheek. "Shame on you, Ben. Shame on you."

Gabe coughed. "I don't know what's going on here, so I'm going to go upstairs. Ben, will you, that is, come find me once you two are done?"

"That won't be necessary. Go and pack. I'm sure that Heather won't mind seeing you to the airport." Gabe's eyes widened. God, Ben wanted to believe but the rest had been actors. Apparently, Gabe had been the best. "Hello, Heather. I'd ask you to make yourself at home, but that's not necessary. You already did, didn't you? What's the matter? You couldn't risk it? Couldn't risk I might hogtie him and run off to Massachusetts in the next two days? Or did you just need to see your handiwork for yourself?"

"Maybe a little bit of both. Hello Ben. I've received several offers on the farm already. But it won't go up for auction until Tuesday of next week. The bids have started. As for those other things you mentioned? Side benefits, actually. Never really thought I'd live to see the day."

"What is going on?" Gabe took a hesitant step to stand near Ben. "I'm missing something, aren't I?"

"You are. But that's over now." Ben exhaled a sour taste from his mouth. "The bitch did her job. Goodbye Gabe. I can't. We can't." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You have to go. Now. I'll have a car pick you up."

Gabe clutched for the counter top. His face flashed between white and red rapidly. "What are you saying?"

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter."

"The fuck it doesn't! What are you saying, Ben? I don't understand."

"And now you don't have to understand." His fingers touched the jewelry box through his pocket. "Chalk this up to a mistake on our parts and go." His eyes stayed fixed on the floor. His voice hurt, but he had to keep speaking. "I hope you learned enough that it'll help, Gabe. I'm going to get in my truck and pick up something." Ben's words gave out in a strangled sound he tried to mask with a cough. His hands balled back into fists. "Something at the barn. You need to be gone when I get back."

"No."

"It's too late, Gabe."

"What the fuck is it too late for? Your evil stepmother shows up. I have no idea who she is, she lies to me, and somehow I'm getting punished. No, even more, we're getting punished. How's that supposed to work?"

"Please," he whispered. "Just go." Instead of arguing again, Gabe shoved past him and up the stairs.

Heather's coo reverberated in his skull. "Isn't that the cutest thing ever." She kissed Ben's cheek, even as he flinched. "My work here is done. You're nothing like the man your dad was. He went for what he wanted and got it. You could have learned a few things from him."

"Trust me, Heather. I learned plenty. Now get the fuck out of here. I'm about to get so drunk I forget the next week. Have all the papers couriered over. I'll sign them on the spot."

"Can't wait to witness it. Beers in the fridge, or so Gabe said. I'll call the car service to bring him to the airport. It should be here in five or so minutes. That doesn't give you a lot of time to change your mind."

"I won't. Get out of my sight."

She blew him a last kiss. "Be out of here by 8am Monday morning when I come to take possession of this place."

"Yes ma'am."

"There are those manners your family always talked about. Glad to know they're in there somewhere."

"Heather? In a very short amount of time, I'm going to do something bad, and I'll need to strike out at something. If you're here, I guarantee that will be you."

She nodded. The cell phone pressed to here ear as if she wore it. "Car will be here ASAP. You'll have a great time, alone, wherever you go."

"I don't need your pity. I need you to stay the hell away from me."

"Like you never even knew I existed."

"Promises, promises."