After we sobered up a bit, we decided it was best to go and get my things from Chase's house. Ryan wanted to think of a solution of where else I could stay on the drive back to Hollis. I was okay getting out of Dramaville, Tennessee, so I agreed to leave Chase's house.

Chase granted us access back onto the base and neither Chase nor Ryan said anything to each other as we walked back into the house. Chase marched straight upstairs while Essie asked to speak with Ryan in the kitchen. I took the stairs two at a time and swirled through my room gathering my things, not wanting to leave them alone for long. That, and I was dying to know what she was saying to him. I tossed everything into my trunk not worrying about folding anything and when I bring my trunk to the top of the stairs, I hear Ryan and Essie's voices from the kitchen.

"Ryan I am sorry, okay? Chase was the only person I knew 'round here so we started hangin' out and then ya know how these things go," Essie says as I press myself against the wall so they can't see me eavesdropping.

"I told you it really doesn't matter at this point. You two do whatever the hell you want," Ryan snaps back and I wonder if I should go down and save him from the conversation that's clearly going south.

"And it looks like you've found someone, she seems...nice," Essie decides to say and I roll my eyes at the word nice but Essie keeps talking, "Even though you told me you wouldn't date while you were an agent."

Ryan scoffs and says, "Obviously things change. You also told me you found Chase an egomaniac and you hated the sight of him."

"Ryan please," Essie whines. "I would have never guessed it either okay? He's just been here for me. My record label dropped me before I could even finish recording my first song and my parents told me they couldn't support me anymore. My life went up in flames and it was nice to see a familiar face when my dreams died and I moved to this shit hole."

"Essie, I really don't care anymore," Ryan replies flatly. "I'm sorry your life didn't turn out like you thought it would, but you fucking my brother is something I'll never forgive." My mouth drops at his sudden dark tone and I feel like now is a good time to go down and break things up. I start down the first stair when I hear Essie reply, "Fine, be a dick Ryan, take your little Virgin Mary and go back to whatever hick town you found her." Ryan's voice gets a bit louder when he says, "Oh Essie, you're just jealous that you're the washed-up hick, so whatever names you want to throw at Sawyer fall flat. And when Chase gets bored with you- because he will- call me and I'll give you my cousin David's number so you can move on to the next Hart." I hear a glass smash against the wall and I sprint downstairs. I spot Essie's swollen eyes and her shaking hands. Ryan leaves the kitchen without looking at her.

"Are you ready?" He asks me and I point to my heavy trunk at the top of the landing. He walks up the stairs while Essie comes and stands behind me. When I feel her, I turn around. With teary eyes and a furious glare, she snaps, "Don't judge. You're no better than me.

A surprised laugh escapes me before I reply, "Yes I am." Her eyes widen and with a furious rage, she brings a hand up and slaps me right across the face. I have never been slapped before and I can say I would be alright if it never happens again.

Ryan comes flying back down the stairs but I've already hurled myself at her, knocking her backward. Chase's heavy footsteps sprint down after Ryan and I have a chunk of her thick hair in my hand while she swats her frantic hands toward me. My cheek is still stinging and while she swats at my face, I still have a grip on her hair. I pull her hair hard and she screams out in pain as a wad of it unexpectedly comes loose. Ryan wraps an arm around me and when he pulls me away from her, I look to the bundle of hair in my hand.

I realize I'm holding onto extensions. Essie's thick mane of brunette hair is fake. The realization startles me and I throw the clip over to her. She's breathing heavy and Chase has his arm around her torso keeping her steady.

"You're trash!" She screams at me and suddenly, I am laughing. I am laughing hard at the ridiculousness of the situation. Both her and Chase look to me completely perplexed. I reach into my pocket and pull out the couple fifty dollar bills my mother gave to me and throw them on the floor next to her.

"Your new hair is on me darlin'." I continue laughing as I move away from Ryan and he grabs my trunk before following me to the car.

When he sits next to me in the front seat, he inspects my face while rubbing this thumb over my stinging cheek.

"I can't believe she slapped you. Does your cheek hurt?" Ryan asks with his gaze lingering on my cheek.

"It stings a little," I say with a wince. "I'm shocked Ryan. I cannot believe that just happened. When I punched Whitney, that was the end of it. I hit her and ran away. I've never thrown myself at another girl before."

"I'm sorry things got out of hand in there. She should have never said anything to you," he says sympathetically but I just shake my head, "No, I'm glad she did. I would have never found out her luscious locks were fake. I was so envious of her and now I just see her as tacky." I reply with a grin. "Now, take this piece of trash back to the hick town I blew out of." Ryan looks to me as a smile spreads across his serious face. He starts laughing and he shakes his head as he starts the ignition.

*******

We roll onto the dirt road that leads up to my house in the early hours of the morning. Ryan decided to drive straight through and I fell asleep while his flowing thoughts kept him company. I knew he had a lot to process, so I let him do it in silence since I know that's what he prefers. He leaves my heavy trunk behind and we both agree he can drag it in in the morning. We both tiptoe upstairs and I pull on his hand to drag him into my room knowing I won't let him sleep in the guest room alone.

When the sun drenches my room in light the next morning, I slip out of bed and leave Ryan in a deep sleep behind me. I quickly shower in his room and after getting dressed, I meet my mother's surprised face in the kitchen.

"Sawyer? Why are you here? You weren't supposed to arrive until this evening Austin said," she says in shock with her coffee stirrer lingering above her cup. Her light blonde hair is swept nicely into a French twist, held together by tiny pearl pins and she has on a floral knee-length dress that's tailored to her thin frame. I can tell she's already dressed for the grand opening.

"We decided to leave last night. I wanted to go shopping this morning and pick out a dress to wear for the opening," I lie, knowing I won't tell anyone about Ryan's drama. Celia smiles to me as she comes in from outside and wraps her arms around me.

"Ms. Sawyer. I've missed ya! Let me get ya a nice cup of tea." I thank her as she puts the kettle on the stove. I drop into the chair next to my mother as she says, "Well I am glad you decided to come home to fulfill your duties as a Belle. That LulaBelle tried to weasel her way into managing your duties you know? That wretched girl gives this town a headache." I smile as Celia drops a ceramic cup of chamomile tea in front of me and while I drop a sugar cube into the cup, I reply, "Annabeth told me that. She's the one that reminded me of the event. I only really came back down so she wouldn't have the satisfaction of cutting the ribbon. I don't give a rats about the garden." I watch my mother dramatically frown before snapping, "That Annabeth can also be a headache. She's tried to pop by to see your brother on a few occasions while you've been gone. Bless her heart, but Austin will never give a girl like Annabeth the time of day. If Austin were to settle down, I would hope it would be with that pretty Penderghast girl or one of the Hamilton sisters." I glance to my mother who is now fiddling with her cross necklace.

"I don't see Austin settling down with a Hollis girl mother. We both know it will be me carrying on the Sweeney name." I smirk to her knowing she thinks I will drag the reputable name through the mud.

My mother frowns as she stops tugging on the cross, "Now about that Sawyer, I know you fancy Ryan and I will admit he is easy on the eyes. However, Austin tells me he's from a simple family in Nashville."

I gently put my tea down and answer, "So?" With her lips pursed she gazes at me and then says, "Well Sawyer, he's hardly the right fit for a founding daughter such as yourself. We've raised you to become a participating member of Hollis society and I hardly imagine Ryan will be able to support both of you on his income. That and I don't see him moving here and there is no way another Sweeney will be leaving this town. Your father and I won't have it. We could never bless a union between you and Ryan." I fold my arms over me and slouch down in my chair. I glare at her as I ask, "What are you getting at? You won't allow me to date Ryan?"

She clucks her tongue and replies, "You can have your fun for now Sawyer but when this Carmichael business dies down, I expect you to get serious about settling down. This town thinks you are currently with Tate Samuels and I think you should make that fib a reality."

I shake my head, "Tate lives in Philly mother. That's outside of Hollis if you hadn't realized." My mother purses her lips again at my sarcasm.

"Yes, Sawyer I am quite aware of where Philadelphia is located however, the Samuels have property here where you could live. Tate comes back when it's the off-season and you can stay here and participate in town duties while he's traveling." I try and reel in my rage. Every time I have a conversation with my mother, she manages to insult me or infuriate me. I pinch my nose trying to dispel a headache and when I look up, I notice Celia has made herself sparse. I have no one to save me from this conversation.

"Mother, have you ever considered that I don't want to be in Hollis's high society? That I don't want to plan parties and organize charity events?" I ask. "Fancy dinners bore me and I hardly have the proper manners to host teas and croquet tournaments. I'm not cut out for that. What if I want a normal job in a city? What if I don't want to stay in Hollis?" She looks back to her coffee cup and takes a small sip. I watch her swallow, lower her glass and then her eyes finally find mine as she says, "Sawyer, you are almost twenty-seven years old and you haven't held a job a day in your life. You are good at climbing down trellis's, stealing chickens and swiping one of my credit cards. How pray tell, are you going to find a job with that skill set?" I slam my teacup down with a scowl. I glare at my mother and snap, "I'm glad I've been home for two minutes and I already want to escape from here. I can find a job mother and if I want to date or marry Ryan, I have that choice. I'm not some precious breakable heirloom that you need to keep tucked away in Hollis nor am I housewife material. And I don't want to be!" Calmly, my mother holds my intense glare for a moment and then replies, "The grass isn't greener my dear Sawyer. There's a reason Annabeth is trying to claw her way into the Sweeney family and I guarantee you, you're going to come running back to your rightful place in Hollis's high society when you face the harsh realities of the real world. I know you may not care about money or titles, which is easy to do when you've never had to worry about such things, but you may think otherwise when you suddenly have to think about things like bills, mortgages and the size of your paycheck. You think you are tough darling, but you are nothing more than a breakable heirloom. Your father and I gave you the world and you want to throw it all away for what? A job and a simple guy that may or may not marry you?" I breathe deeply trying to calm myself. I give a light shake of my head before I reply, "You realize this same simple guy holds the same position as Austin does and you aren't digging your talons into Austin to settle down. You are fine with Austin having a normal job outside of Hollis but not me?"

"Austin has a brain that took him away from Hollis," she says. "And of course I'd prefer he be here, but I know his talents are being put to a higher cause. Your brother may collect a paycheck but don't think for a second that we haven't contributed to his well-being in South Carolina. He also knows that he can have his full inheritance when he moves home. And I promise you, when he's ready to start a family, he'll move back here."

I shake my head at her, "Oh, so since I don't have brains or talent I'm supposed to stay here in Hollis? Just pump kids out and be the dutiful wife, right? Is that why you married father? Because you're a brainless hoity-toit that wants nothing more for herself than knowing how to create a proper seating chart for dinner parties?" I push myself out of my seat before the tears spill over and my hands shake with frustration as I storm down the hallway. When I round the corner, I find Ryan lingering in the foyer and I know he could hear our voices echoing from the kitchen. Frowning I ask him, "How much did you hear?" He stuffs his hands into his jacket pockets and replies, "Enough." I shake my head and the tears continue to leave long streaks down my face. He finds my eyes and says, "Your mother is right though. I can't give you all of this Sawyer." He waves his hand around the foyer while his eyes look up toward our massive glass chandelier. My anger finally comes bursting out of me as I shout, "Why does everyone think this is what I want?" I pull the front door open and without running upstairs to grab shoes, I just sprint out of the door and down my driveway barefoot. I ignore the pain of the dirt road as I dash down the street towards the one house I know I can count on.