Live for Me (Hallow Ranch)

by Brittany Ann

“You haven’t gone to Denver in a while,” he noted. I looked down at my feet, jaw tight. “Haven’t needed to.” “Haven’t needed to or haven’t wanted to?” God fucking dammit. I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to talk about it, trying to stall this conversation for as long as I could. If I was a smart man, I would just get up and fucking leave. I wasn’t being held here against my will, and I didn’t have to tell Mags anything. We both knew that, and yet? My ass was still planted in his fucking rocking chair. A few more minutes passed before I answered his question. “I haven’t needed to,” I repeated, swirling my glass slowly. Every other weekend or so, the boys and I would head into Denver to let off some steam. The twins did it to get laid, fucking whoever they could and leaving the next morning. I always started off the nights with them, going to a bar or two but not drinking much. Then, halfway through the night, we would part ways and I’d go to Brandy’s Coffeehouse. I’d stay there until two am when it closed, sitting in her favorite spot and sipping her favorite latte. Over the last six years, it was the only way I could be close to her without invading her life. Then, when the coffeehouse closed, I would drive across the city to the neighborhood where we’d talked about starting a life and park in front of the house I wanted to buy her. It was vacant, had been for year. It needed a ton of renovations to make it livable again, but I would’ve done it. I would’ve busted my ass t...