Breaking Magnolia

by M. Allen

  “Fuck off? Really?” Magnolia stumbled to the side. “I’m the only one stoppin’ you from makin’ a fool of yourself.”

  “Bitch.” Zinnia hauled back her arm and back-handed Maggie across the face. A collective gasp sounded around the room as Magnolia fell back and caught herself on the bar. Her hair fell over her face, and for a moment she hung like that.

  Adam stepped forward. “Enough is enough.”

  Dax shot his arm across Adam’s chest. “Wait for it.”

  It was in that moment he saw his Maggie shed her fragile pieces and become the girl he knew. She pushed her hair out of her face and ran her tongue over the blood at the corner of her mouth. Then, to everyone’s astonishment except his, she smiled. “Big mistake.”

  Zinnia’s eyes went wide and she stepped back. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah.” With a scream, Maggie ran at her full force. Zinnia held up her hands and threw a quick jab. Just as it looked like Maggie was about to get hit, she dodged the fist and spun to the side, grabbing Zinnia by the roots of her hair.

  Zinnia’s head snapped to the side, and Maggie threw her to the ground. At Dax’s side, Adam took a step back behind him. “Dammmnnnn, she country.”

  Dax nodded, unable to hide his pride. He’d taught her that move. “You have no idea.”

  Magnolia leapt on top of Zinnia, pinning her to the ground. “I’m sorry I left, but you can’t blame me for how you are.” Boom! She cracked the palm of her hand across Zin’s cheek.

  Underneath her, Zinnia bucked her hips, tossing Magnolia off to the side. She scrambled to get on top of her. “You were supposed to be my sister!” Crack across the cheek. “We were family.”

  Just as Dax thought Zin had the upper hand, Magnolia kicked up her legs, nearly folding herself in half to wrap her boots around Zinnia’s shoulders and yank her back. She shot to her feet while Zinnia still lay on the ground. “How many times do I have to say I’m sorry?” Magnolia kicked her in the thigh. She was pulling hits, and Dax knew it. If Magnolia really wanted to do damage, she would’ve gone for the face or stomach. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

  Zin grabbed Maggie’s boot and dragged her to the floor once more. The back of her head cracked against the hard wooden planks yet she didn’t stop. She rolled to the side, dodging a fist. Zin sat up on her elbow. “It’s not enough.”

  The barkeep and other staff members began to wade into the fight, and Dax knew they’d get hurt if anyone but him tried to break this up. Two small hands shoved into his back, forcing him forward. “Get in there before they kill each other!” Calla yelled then stormed past him.

  Adam jumped forward, trying to catch her arm. “Are you crazy?”

  Ear-splitting screams filled the room as the two women fought to take control. Calla shot Adam a hard look over her shoulder. “Grab Zin.”

  With wide eyes, he turned to Dax. “Why Zin?”

  “Because Magnolia will kill you. She’s pullin’ her hits.”

  “Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me? That’s pullin’ hits?” Adam took a step closer to them.

  “On the count of three, you and Calla grab Zin. Finn and I will take Magnolia.” They all nodded. “One… two… three.”

  Leaping forward, Dax wrapped his arm around Zinnia’s waist and pulled her up off of Magnolia. He handed her over to Calla and Adam, who struggled to control her, while he corralled Magnolia. Magnolia’s arms continued to pinwheel forward as though she was still trying to hit Zin. She kicked her legs out, bucking against him. When her nails scored his arm, he wrapped her in a bear hug. “Maggie, stop.”

  She paused for a second, only long enough for him to drag her back. Across from him, Calla held Zinnia’s legs, and Adam wrapped his arms around her stomach. The two struggled to hold her back but were having more success than Dax was with Magnolia. “Finn, grab her legs.”

  At six-foot-four, Finn should’ve had no problem holding her, but even he struggled to get her to stop kicking. Venom spewed from her lips. “Put me down! I’m gonna kill her.”

  “I know, darlin’. That’s why I’m stopping you.” He called out to the others, “Drag them outside.”

  Dax was the first to move, holding Magnolia’s torso pressed against his chest with his arms wrapped around her. Step by step, they dragged the two of them out the front door. As soon as they were outside, he let Finn put her on her feet. “Now, hold still, or I won’t let you go.”

  Her breaths heaved in and out, but he could see her begin to calm. A few feet away, Adam and Calla dropped Zin on the ground. She scrambled to her feet and pointed at them. “That’s right, Dax. Take care of your precious Magnolia.”

  “Shut up, Zin,” he called back, fearing she’d say something they’d all regret.

  Magnolia squirmed in his grip. “Why don’t you just dive into the bottom of another bottle, Zinnia? Like father, like daughter.”

  A flash of hurt drew Zin up short, like Magnolia had slapped her in the face. She stumbled back, and two tears streamed down her cheeks. “Nice! Real nice!” She shot Dax a hard look. “Did you tell her about us?”

  Like a nuclear bomb, silence dropped around them. A breath left his lips, and he locked his jaw. Magnolia had gone completely still before shoving him away. She turned on him, her green-hazel eyes blazing. “What is she talkin’ about?”

  A humorless chuckle bubbled in Zinnia’s chest. “Oh, he didn’t tell you.” Again, that cold laugh. “After you left, Dax and I… you know.”

  In that moment, he’d never regretted something so much. A new crack in Magnolia’s armor appeared. She brushed at her little nose and sniffled. Her words came out as a hurt whisper. “You slept with her?”

  What could he do? He’d never lie, not to her. Instead, he chose to stand silently and let her look of utter pain kill him from the inside out.

  From behind them, Zinnia called, “Oh, yeah, best he ever had, too.”

  “Shut up, Zinnia.” Calla grabbed her arm and began to drag her toward her truck with Adam at her side to help. “You’re a lousy drunk.”

  Still Magnolia said nothing, just looked at him with those hurt eyes of hers. Her cheeks were pink from the hits she’d taken, and her shirt was stained with liquor. Yet to him she’d never looked more beautiful and upset. He turned to Finn. “Can you go inside and get her purse and see that the truck gets back to the ranch?”

  With a single nod, Finn disappeared back into The Hole. Magnolia wrapped her arms around herself and swayed, the booze obviously taking its toll on her. “I’m not goin’ with you.”

  “You can’t drive home, Maggie. Think of Hayden.”

  She spun on her heels and stumbled forward. “Fine.” When he reached forward to grab her, she smacked his hands away. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Fuck.”

  This was going to be a long ride back.

  Chapter 10

  The truck was spinning, or tilting, or spinning and tilting at the same time. Bump, bounce, bump, bounce—it was like being on a roller coaster. Magnolia leaned her head up against the cool glass of the passenger side window. “Must you hit every bump?”

  “Maggie, me and Zinnia. It’s not what you think.” Dax’s voice was strained.

  She held up her hand, stopping him from talking. “I don’t want to know.”

  “It was after you left and we both, well, we were…”

  Each word made her stomach churn. Pictures of the two of them together flashed through her mind, and it was so much worse than picturing Eric with his secretary. Bile rose in her throat. “Pull over.”

  “What?”

  She pressed her hand to her mouth. “Pull over, now.”

  “Shit.” He jammed on the brakes and lurched the car to a stop.

  Maggie leapt from the cab, took three steps and emptied her stomach of every single shot she’d taken tonight. And it had been a lot of shots. Her throat burned as her stomach heaved, trying to get out every drop. Suddenly, two hands pulled her hair out of her face, giving her all the sp
ace she needed to really let it all go, and boy, did she ever.

  When the last wretch was pulled from her body, she shoved Dax away. “Don’t touch me, I said.”

  He threw up his hands. “For fuck’s sake, Magnolia. I’m tryin’ to help you.”

  “Help me?” She stumbled back before righting herself. Why was she so mad? Why did it hurt her so deeply to know Dax had been with Zinnia? Almost like it cut deeper than finding out about Eric. “You slept with one of my best friends.”

  “It was after you left!” He threw up his arms and turned away from her.

  “How long after? A day, a week? Tell me, was I even on the plane yet?” They stood only ten feet apart, but it might as well have been miles. Tall grass swayed around her feet, and for a moment she couldn’t tell if she was moving or if it was the grass. The only light was the headlights of his pickup truck and yet they stood in the semi-darkness, arguing.

  When he spun back around to face her, fury was etched into his chiseled features and his brow furrowed. Then he ripped something from his back pocket. A wallet? “You want to know how long after?” He opened the wallet and pulled a piece of paper from the folds. It looked as though it had been folded and unfolded a million times, the creases looking like they held on by threads. He waved it at her. “About a week after I got this!”

  He opened up and started reading. “Dear Dax, I can’t tell you how crazy things have been here, but I love college so much. I know we said we’d always be together, but—”

  “Stop.” She cut him off. “I know what it says, Dax. I wrote it.”

  Two large strides and he was half the distance closer to her. “That’s right. You wrote it. You left me, remember?”

  Magnolia threw up her hands. “No one ever marries their high school love.”

  “Maybe in your mind, but in mine you were it for me!” His voice hitched, and he cleared his throat. Crumpling the paper in his fist, he held it out in front of him. “You broke me, Magnolia.” He smacked his fist into his chest. “Maybe you didn’t picture me as your forever, but I always pictured you as mine.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “Dax, I—”

  “No, Magnolia,” he interrupted. “You broke me. You left me. Now you don’t get to decide how I put the pieces of what you did back together. Yes, I slept with Zinnia.” He calmly uncrumpled he paper and folded it. “We were both drunk, and I don’t remember it. And the only fucking thing I see when I try to be with anyone else is you.”

  When he shoved the paper back into his wallet and looked up at her, his honey eyes melted her from the inside out. All this time she’d been struggling to find a perfect life, when in reality, she’d already had it. “I’m so sorry.”

  He waved her words away. “It’s done now, but you don’t get to be mad at me.”

  She nodded. “I know I shouldn’t be mad. I’ve no right—”

  “That’s true, you don’t have no right to be angry at me. You left, not me. You ended things, not me. I was here. I was waitin’. I would’ve waited a lifetime for you. So don’t you go actin’ like I cheated. I’m not your shitty ex. I would’ve never done that to you.”

  His words hit her like a ton of bricks. Each one more accusing than the last. “I’m sorry.”

  “Too little, too late, Maggie. Now, get back in the truck, and I’ll take you home.” Lifting his legs over the tall grass, he marched forward to get back to the road.

  In her drunken state, what more could she do? Magnolia got back in the truck… looking at what had happened between the two of them in a whole new light.

  Chapter 11

  Little footsteps pattered down the hallway toward her room. The throbbing in her head matched each of those steps. With a groan, Magnolia pulled her covers high over her head. “Noooo.”

  Whack! Her door flew open, smacking into the wall behind it. “Mommmmyyyyy!” Hayden’s high-pitched scream both assailed her ears and melted her heart. One tug on the sheets, a knee to the thigh, and two little hands wrapped around her neck, and she was face-to-face with her smiling boy.

  “Mornin’, buddy.” Her voice was thick with grogginess and too much drinking.

  “Mornin’.” He burrowed in under the blankets beside her. “Grandpa says ya gotta get up.”

  “Does he now?” Magnolia rolled to her side, resting her head in her hand as she gazed down at Hayden.

  “Yep, because there’s a crazy lady at the door for you.” With a giggle, he wiggled closer.

  Magnolia wrapped her arms around him and pressed her nose to his head, taking a deep breath. “Whoa, bud, you stink. You need a bath.”

  Kicking his legs wildly, he squirmed away. “No bath.” He giggled as he ran back out the door.

  That would have to be a battle for later. Just as she was about to turn back over, she heard her father’s heavy footfalls coming down the hall. “What in the hell are you doing?”

  Fearing another trough bath, she shot to her feet, nearly toppling out of the bed. “Dad, hi. Whoa.” The room spun, and Magnolia had to reach out her hands for balance. Stumbling forward, her knees hit the mattress, and she bent over, clinging to it for dear life. It had been ages since she’d drunk as much as she did last night.

  When he crossed his arms and leaned up against the door frame, watching her, she had the urge to crawl under a rock somewhere. He made a show of looking her up and down then chuckled. “You’re a damn mess.”

  She pressed one of her hands to her head and kept the other on the bed, hoping the room would stop tilting. “I know. My life is a mess. You don’t have to point it out.”

  “No, I mean you’re a disgusting mess.” He motioned to her appearance.

  Looking down at herself, she noticed she hadn’t taken off her clothes from the night before. Her white V-neck t-shirt had a brown stain down the front of it and what looked like a spot of vomit. Had she thrown up? Thinking back on it, she definitely had, and to top it off, Dax was the one holding her hair back from her face. Flashes of their argument ran through her mind. He’d yelled at her… You broke me. You don’t get to decide how I put the pieces back together. Oh, God, he’d slept with Zinnia. The whole night came back into focus slowly. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Psh, I think you already have.”

  “I think so too.” At a snail’s pace, she turned to sit on the bed, then rested her elbows on her knees.

  “So, you got in a fight last night?” His even tone gave away nothing.

  “Yeah, Dax and I had an argument.” She turned to her father. “But you don’t have to worry. It’ll be fine. I wasn’t thinkin—”

  “I didn’t mean Dax.” He sighed and came in to sit beside her. “I meant Zinnia.”

  “Ugh, yeah.” She let her head fall in her hands. “How’d you know?”

  “That there scratch across your cheek.” He reached up, brushing the side of her face. When she flinched back, he chuckled. “Also, the boys might’ve mentioned it. Seems they were impressed with your jab and hook.”

  “You don’t have to sound so proud when you say it.” Magnolia flopped back into the pillows. The room tilted but didn’t spin this time. Maybe she was sobering up? I hope.

  When her father stood the bed shifted once more. “Anyways, you better get your ass up. It’s nearly dinner time.”

  Gazing out the window, she noted the sky beginning to darken. “Why’d you let me sleep all day?”

  Shrug. “Dax said you’d need it.” He paused at the door, peeking over his shoulder at her. “Oh, and Zinnia is downstairs. With one hell of a shiner.”

  “Shit.”

  As he stomped down the hall, he called over his shoulder, “Language, Magnolia.”

  To herself she muttered, “Fuck.”

  “Still heard that.”

  As gingerly as she could, Magnolia sat up straight, knowing she’d have to face Zinnia. The only question was, what kind of Zinnia would she have to deal with? The one from last night, or the Zinnia who Magnolia used to know?
The Zinnia she’d grown up with, who was loyal, smart, funny and tougher than anyone her age should be, that was the Zinnia Magnolia wanted to see, not that drunken loudmouth from last night. On the other hand, there was only one way to find out which one she’d get—the crazy drunk or the crazy loyal one?

  Determined to see this through, Magnolia forced herself to her feet and peeled the shirt from her body. What made her decide to smell the damn thing was beyond her, but there was no way to salvage it. On her way into her bathroom, she tossed it into the waste bucket and headed over to the sink. As she splashed cold water over her face, the foggy world started to take shape. The more she remembered from the night before, the more she wanted to stay locked in her room for the next two days. Had she really flipped out on Dax? And why did his actions sting so much more than Eric’s betrayal?

  She didn’t have time for a shower, but she really wished she had, especially after trying to run a brush through her matted, sticky hair. She had no idea what was in it. “Ugh, no.”

  At twenty-eight, nearly twenty-nine, she thought the days of her getting drunk, fighting, and blacking out were over. “Way to take a step back, Maggie.”

  Deciding she had no other options, she pulled back her long caramel locks from her face and into a messy knot. Then she slipped into her most worn out pair of jeans and a sweatshirt she’d cut back in high school when she thought the ’80s were cool. It hung loosely off her neck, exposing her shoulder. Clean-faced, no makeup, and in an outfit made for the three decades prior, Magnolia pushed back her shoulders and left her room.

  At the foot of the stairs, her father waited with a glass of water in one hand and two Advil in the other. She snagged them from his hand, chugging the water and pills down quickly. “Thank you.”

  “Y’all need to work out whatever’s goin’ on between ya.” Then he playfully whacked her across the backside.

  “Ouch.” She rubbed at the stinging slap. “What if we can’t?”

  “You will.” He nodded toward the front door. “Go on now.”

  With her heart in her throat, she pushed through the screen door and walked out into the late day sun. Sitting on the top step was Zinnia, looking just as awful as Magnolia felt. She wore ripped jeans and an oversized sweatshirt, which was rolled up to her elbows. Like Magnolia, she too had her hair pulled into a high ponytail. Why does everyone else look cute when they do it? Dark circles marred the skin beneath her eyes, and her left eye had a purple ring around it and appeared to be a little swollen. Instant regret ran through Maggie. “Did I do that?”