#Dale Holt

[dreki]

Holts

[bluffmotel]

a single image to perfectly sum up the holt brothers

[xdarkestdesirex]

When Faith Meets Juvenile - Chap 2

This is a Dale Holt x reader story. There's no (y/n) insert. I'm just avoiding the use of the reader's name, and it is female-based. There are hints of physical appearance but nothing in-depth.

This writing contains highly sensitive content like violence, drugs, the use of weapons, abuse, mental illness, hostage situations, talk of suicide, religious abuse, smut, and other mature themes. Reader discretion is advised. MUST BE 18+ TO INTERACT.

I do not allow anyone to copy, alter, or repost my work as their own.

1961-word count

prev

As I slammed the door behind me, I expected the house to be empty and everyone to be at church. But there sat my brother in the living room, staring at me. His eyebrows furrowed, and he was tapping his fingers against the armrest. “Where were you?” 

“I, uh, there was an accident.” The anxiety that bubbled inside of my chest was the worst I’d ever felt before, “Are Mom and Dad home?”

“What happened?” He pointed at my leg.

“Some guy accidentally ran into me with his bike. It’s fine, though. He was very kind and helped me.” I slowly hobbled down towards the hallway, hoping to get out of this conversation. 

“You mean Dale Holt?” My brother’s voice sounded behind me. I turned and gave him a confused look, “I saw him in the truck. Do you even know who he is?”

“Why does it matter?” 

“If Dad figured out you were with him, he would lose his shit.”

“Dad won’t figure it out, right?” I know my brother usually sticks up for me with people at school, but when it comes to our parents, he’s the one who gets into trouble. Sometimes, I feel like he would love it if they thought poorly about me. 

“I don’t know. I think Dad would love to hear about his perfect daughter coming home in the truck of a juvenile.” 

“A juvenile?”

“You know, the kid who robbed the liquor store and beat someone half to death.” What my brother said took me by surprise. There was no way the person who did that was Dale. A guy who would beat someone half to death wouldn’t go out of his way to help me like he did. Is that why he said it was for the best? That I didn’t know him? I turned away from my brother and dragged myself into my bedroom. I plopped into bed and winced at the pain in my leg. How was I going to explain this to my parents? I don’t think James will immediately tell them who I was with, but I know they will have questions. Maybe I should have made him drop me off a few houses down. 

I was stirred awake by the soft voice of my mother. It seemed the evening sermon was over, and they were finally back home. The events from earlier had finally caught up with me, making my body sore and my head pound. I couldn’t fully make out what my mom was trying to say to me as I was fighting myself to wake up. Then, from my blurry vision, I could see the figure of my father walking into the room with something in his hand. Suddenly, a jolt of shock shot through my body as my dad threw ice water over me. My body jolted up; all I could do was sit there and stare at my father. For the first time in 17 years, I was witnessing what it was like for your parent to look at you with pure anger. My head hung in shame, and I waited for him to start yelling at me.

“What the hell do you think you were doing!” His voice was sharp.

“I-I-I just wanted to go to the park!” I cried out. Tears started to pour down my cheeks, and I hated myself for how easy it was to cry.

“You’ll never be allowed out on another Sunday again!”

“Daddy, I didn’t-”

“Look at you!” He gestured toward my leg and disheveled appearance. “This happens when you go against your parents and embarrass them!” He slammed his hands down onto my shoulders and pulled me off my bed. “Get her properly dressed!” My father yelled at my mother. My crying turned into wailing. My mom picked out a plain, knee-length, black dress and helped me change into it. My hair was still dripping wet from the water thrown on me. “Shh dear, your crying will only upset him further.” My mother spoke to me. Once I got dressed appropriately, my father dragged me out of the house and shoved me into the passenger seat of the car. “You better get yourself together before I pull up to the hospital. I don’t want anyone seeing you in hysterics like this.” 

The drive to the hospital took about 20 minutes, and I was able to calm myself down just enough. My eyes were red and puffy, and the salt from my tears stained my cheeks, but I wasn’t actively bawling anymore. After my dad parked the car, he got out, approached the passenger side, and opened the door for me. He helped me down and walked me to the emergency entrance. When we entered the building, I wasn’t surprised to only see two other people sitting in the waiting room. Two Rock wasn’t a busy place where people were always getting hurt. Off to the side of the entrance were wheelchairs lined up like grocery carts. My dad grabbed one and motioned for me to sit, so I did that. He wheeled me to a window where, behind the glass, an older lady sat. 

“How may I help you?” She said, staring at us with blank eyes and a monotone voice. 

My dad explained that I had injured myself badly and needed to get my leg looked at. He told the lady my brother and I had gone out and that I fell down a hill, hitting a rock and slicing my leg open. I wasn’t sure how he knew my leg was sliced open, but I guess it couldn’t be hard to guess, especially now that I’m looking at the bandaging. A bit of blood was starting to seep through. 

Once my dad gave the pepper-haired lady our information, we sat in the waiting room. A nurse opened the door a few minutes later and called my name. The other two patients groaned as I was called before them, even though they were here first. My father pushed me behind the nurse as we followed her into an exam room. She asked me a few questions about my health and what was happening as she took my basic vitals. She left the room and informed us that the doctor would arrive soon. A knock sounded on the door right before it swung open. A man in his late thirties walked in wearing a long white lab coat and glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He looked like he was trying hard to be a stereotypical doctor. We reviewed the events of what happened again, and he asked a few of the same questions the nurse had asked. 

“Alright, I’m going to undress your wound and look at what’s happening.” The doctor slid a pair of gloves onto his hands and started unwrapping the medical tape. Once all the dressing was off, he threw them into a biohazard bag. He grabbed a new piece of gauze and started dabbing around the cut. “Whoever cleaned and dressed this did a good job.” 

“It was her brother.” My father said.

I just sat there quietly, thinking about the brunette-haired boy kneeling before me as he carefully took care of my injury. I wonder what he was up to tonight? Would he tell his family about me and what happened? I doubt he would, but they probably wouldn’t crucify him the way my father did me. 

“So you got this injury falling down a hill?” The doctor asks.

“Yeah, I’m a bit clumsy,” I said, feigning stupidity.

“I’m going to clean your cut again, numb the area, and then give you a few stitches.” 

I just started at the beige wall while the doctor did his thing. Once he finished, he wrapped my leg up and handed my dad a prescription to help with any pain I might feel. My father pushed me back to the car in the wheelchair and helped me up into the passenger seat. The drive back home was completely silent. 

Dales POV 

“Dale?” Her sweet voice sounded out.

“Yeah?” My voice came out breathy and quiet. 

“I’d like to see you again someday.” The words that she said caught me entirely off guard. I wasn’t expecting her to say that. I stared at her face momentarily before a slight smirk grew on my lips. “I would like that too, Doll.” 

I watched her close the truck door and made sure she could make it to the door before I pulled out of her driveway. Driving back to the farm, I kept replaying everything that happened. I recently got released from juvie and felt cooped up. So, I decided to steal Jay’s bike and ride around town. Feel the warm breeze on my skin as I fly down the road. Not many people come out to the park near my house, so I headed that way; I wanted to be somewhere alone. Then, this girl was there, and I was slightly curious to see what kind of girl would be out here. I wasn’t trying to run into her, but wanted to get close and start a conversation. Nothing happened as I tried to stop the bike, so I yelled out to her but crashed into the poor girl anyway. 

What an idiot, I thought while thinking back to it, but I still smiled at the whole interaction. She was a cute girl, and I knew right away that she wasn’t someone from this part of town, but it did surprise me to find out that she was the priest’s daughter. At Two Rock High, a lot of the guys I hung out with before I dropped out would talk about how they wanted to ‘corrupt’ the innocent princess and would go into detail about the nasty shit they wanted to do to her. My mind might be fucked up, but if there’s one thing my Ma taught me, it was to treat a girl with respect.

I pulled up and parked the truck by the side of the house. A deep sigh escaped my lips, and I ran my fingers through my hair. She probably judged me so hard on my home compared to hers. I don’t think we’ll ever meet again. It was a fluke in the universe that our paths crossed. I slid out of the truck and made my way up the steps to the front of the house. I could hear my Ma yelling from the inside and prepared myself to walk into whatever was happening behind the door. 

“How often do I have to tell you boys not to bring animals in the house if they’re dripping blood!” 

“Quit yelling at me! We didn’t even bring any animals home today!” Pa spat back. 

“Then how do you explain this!” My Ma pointed at the blood drops on the ground. My eyes drifted to see small blood drops trailing to the bathroom. They had to have happened earlier. The blood was dripping down her leg.  “And where were you?” Ma spoke to me sternly.

“Out,” I answered.

“Damn it, Dale, you’re supposed to stay home.” 

“Don’t worry, Ma. I wasn’t getting into any fights.” I grabbed an apple from the middle of the table and headed into my shared bedroom. 

“You don’t leave this house alone, ya hear me!” She yelled from the kitchen.

My younger brother, Jay, was lying on his bed in the corner with his headphones covering his ears and flipping through one of the few comic books he owned. He didn’t notice as I flopped onto my bed opposite his and smiled at the ceiling like a dork. It’s too bad that would be the first and last time I ever saw her.

next

AN:

Hey guys! I know this chapter is shorter; there will be a few short chapters, but most will be longer! I was listening to a song earlier today that gave me better ideas for the story (hehe) so I'm excited to write them and have y'all read it! Reader and Dale's story is going to be a rollercoaster! You get to experience life with him before the robbery, and don't worry everything will lead up to that point!

[k0dster]

Let me feed the As Dusk Falls fans rq, love you guys sm

[andonutty]

some highlights of adf behind the scenes clips

[hajimehinata]

as dusk falls + text posts 

[melonart]

Dale & Taylor. I adore these two, and it hurts me to think of them because of some unspeakable reason.

[a3r1s]

Zoe going hard

[theothershin]

Timeline Prologue

It's published at last! Not as long as I'd originally intended, but really not short. I'm proud of it enough to share it now, at least!

[casualwriters]

Dating Dale Holt <3

A/n - sorry if this is all over the place I just finished this game and absolutely love the plot, and characters <3

- Dale was a love sick puppy when he met you at liquor store were you where working, you were not like any kind of person he met before in his small town, you were unique and he loved the chase, always the sarcastic or sassy remarks you gave him while ringing up his beer or Liquor.

-After a couple more visits with his brother you finally gave him your number, he was cheering and talking about you for hours, and yes Tyler did slap him a few times because he couldn't stop talking about you.

-He and you started talking for hours before he went to bed, it was relaxing for both of you, you didn't mind that his family had history it made you more interested about his Ma and his two brothers.

-Dale and you started hanging out at your house he was super cute, having his arm around you're shoulder while watching some cheeky horror film that made you jump

- of course, he had to tease you about that witch you punch him in the arm for. The night ended with you curled in his lap an empty popcorn bag and some candy wrappers, Dale kept himself closed off even when everyone saw was a jokester trouble maker, he had fears too.

- Dale was a big spoon for sure but sometimes he wanted to just cuddle into you after a long day and fall asleep to you're heart beat.

- when you Met Ma for the first time it was very intimidating beacuse you knew she was a strong woman and wanted what best for her son, but She adored you when you started fitting in messing with Jay and talking, about birds with him or hanging out around the yard cooking with her or helping with the roof. She told you she liked you and Dale together she thought you balance his chaotic nature out.

- PDA was a thing you and Dale did in public he wanted everyone to know that he was your's.

- some nights Dale would take you on the roof of the shack, after a long day of school, or you working and just sit there counting the stars with a joint in your hand than later falling asleep under the blanket.

- Let's just say this Dale is very overprotective, he was taught to treat someone with respect so when someone tries to flirt with you it does not make Dale happy, but you would normally have to calm him down, or clean up his wounds.

- some nights when Bear has been gone for weeks, and nothing has hit the fan, you and the holt family would watch movies and Sharon would kinda giggle at the horror movies and all of you would kinda look at her like she crazy.

- okay hear me out When both of you were stone you had gave Dale a stick and poke and he didn't know it was a penis witch cracked both of you up.

A

[adfaugust]

In light of the one-year anniversary of Interior Night's As Dusk Falls, here is the first-ever AS DUSK FALLS AUGUST! Throughout the month of August 2023, feel free to create fan content (fics, fanart, or anything else your heart desires) with these prompts as a guide. Please mention this blog in your works and tag your works as #adfaugust2023 if you'd like to be featured!

A text version of these prompts is under the cut.

Aug 1: motel Aug 2: safe Aug 3: secret Aug 4: shotgun Aug 5: sacrifice Aug 6: cheat Aug 7: instinct Aug 8: crossroads Aug 9: wound Aug 10: decade Aug 11: memory Aug 12: cabin Aug 13: watch Aug 14: pool Aug 15: nightfall Aug 16: breath Aug 17: blaze Aug 18: trigger Aug 19: family Aug 20: cancer Aug 21: forgive Aug 22: tree Aug 23: trailer Aug 24: burial Aug 25: escape Aug 26: joke Aug 27: bullet Aug 28: betrayal Aug 29: flight Aug 30: fight Aug 31: dream

[reyneydayy]

THEM :( JUST THEM NOTHING BUT THEM ALL OF THEM :(

[bluffmotel]

while only a minority share this view, i do find it somewhat tone deaf when people claim jay's ending is the best outcome for an abuse survivor -- either directly or indirectly implying everyone in the holt house was an abuser that jay, their sole little victim, had to get away from. for starters, none of his endings are happy ones. not even the fugitive path where he's holed up amongst nature, has a dog, and is bathed in solitude. maybe if you close your ears to what jay's saying during that scene you could see this as good for him, but his dialogue is stifled with an achingly loneliness, a sadness. this idea that he craved being alone in the wilderness is not one jay paints himself, it's only something that's said by tyler ; someone who clearly doesn't understand the younger on any level, much less grasps his desires. yes, jay wanted out, he likes nature, though no human can stew in their own space for years without this affecting them mentally. and that's not even taking into account that his entire life is over! he can't travel, he can't visit other countries or get lost in other areas of wood lands or plains, jay is infinitely stuck where he is. it's not a prison cell but it's a cage nonetheless, as the old saying goes : a golden cage is still a cage, after all. he tells zoe these beautiful sights have grown dull on him, laments about missing his family, vanessa, and is so chained by his want for connection he reaches out to a desert dream victim of all people. like, what about this muted cynicism, this barren home, seems happy? maybe he wanted this, some whimsical dream of this, before. now though? it's not what jay thought it'd be, and he lacks any power to change it. this is not some amazing ending for abuse survivors, it's still sad in a melancholy way, simply because jay is visibly unhappy with said circumstances.

but moving on to this, ah, ‘poor little victim in a lion's den’ narrative ... what? i think a lot of people fail to grasp how complex the holt household is in terms of toxicity and abuse. something that's very common nowadays due to how much people project rather than see what's in front of them. and don't get me wrong! projection is fine, you do you, we all consume and parse through media differently -- but this narrative is, by canon evidence, rather fictional. to be completely blunt, jay is not the only victim stuck in the holt house ?? the abusers have always been bear ( physical abuse, verbal degradation ) and sharon ( passive in the face of her kids' abuse, emotional manipulation ) ... and we are literally told point blank by the story itself and another character that these two favored jay immensely compared to their other children. now i'm obviously not saying that he has not faced trauma, he has! favoritism in a house like this does not shield you from the toxicity, sometimes that favor makes things worse, but he was protected to an extent, in ways tyler and dale were not. those two very clearly faced the brunt of bear's physical abuse ; for each other, for jay, and just overall caught their dad's ire more because they stood up to him. tyler takes a beating, a sight that's not at all new by his grim acceptance of this and the fact he states he's been doing this since young :

so, this is normal for tyler. getting beaten by his dad ( which isn't even mentioning the horror story bear can tell to ash, about how he literally threatened to cut tyler's ear or finger off ) and having his mom overall turn a blind eye to it, even going as far as to dismiss this fighting as childish behavior rather than what it is. and dale? we don't see much of him and bear in general, yet the second he steps up to defend tyler, with something as measly as a shove back, bear wastes zero time in hitting him so hard he's practically out of commission for the rest of the fight. he didn't even think about it, merely swung at dale as hard as possible on instinct alone before tyler hastily stepped up to defend him. what happens when jay tries stopping the fight, though?

both parties grab for him so they can toss him out of the way so he doesn't possibly get hurt. you can speculate bear was only doing this in order to finish his punishment on tyler, he'd deal with jay later whatever, although why not punch him like dale? why, out of all the moves on his belt, does he do the more merciful option? bear, who is nothing if not made of violence and has been molded to respect it? his fist that's raised in the air isn't for jay, since the next frame is jay shoved out of the way and him hitting tyler again ... hell, in dialogue where bear and jay are sitting on their porch, the youngest can even say bear beats on tyler and dale specifically. why not say “you beat on us”? like, the game is heavily implying that while jay is traumatized, there are some methods of abuse he simply did not face. one of them being the physical abuse prominent at home. and no, i'm not counting whatever pranks dale's pulled on jay ( like shooting him six times with a bb gun lmao ) because honestly? that's just older brother behavior, and we know that despite the morbid pranks, he still looked out for jay in the ways that counted. like protecting him from pa and to an extent tyler, something which, again, jay says himself!

back on topic a bit, the notion people seem to have of jay and his family seems overly simplified to me. people just looked at dale being his usual asshole self and went ‘abuser’, people looked at tyler's rather drastic and not usually like himself reactions to a high stress situation and went ‘abuser’, and that's a bit ridiculous to me. can't say i'm shocked! since so many people nowadays just see someone mean to their favorite character and decide woobifying said fave while demonizing their opposing force is exactly what canon intended. as dusk falls couldn't be a game more clear about it's main theme of family and the fact there's no purely good or bad people in this world, two statements that correspond directly to the holt family. are they bad for each other? probably! but that's a different discussion compared to, say, every single soul in that house violently abused poor jay and they should reap the consequences of that. dale and tyler, like their beloved younger brother, are also victims of abusive parents and a toxic home life. in turn, they both show signs of this abuse in ways that aren't entirely sympathetic or easy to swallow, especially when they've been dealing with it longer than jay and have never had their parents' favor the way he did. i see people get angry at tyler for the famous cabin scene, but nobody turns a critical eye to sharon ; who for all intents and purposes is watching this unfold without a care. she never physically stops tyler and her attempts to kill the fight are weak compared to her previously steely commands. and, honestly, the fact that tyler was that stressed about sharon getting on that bike so she can be protected, when she's the most capable out of the three of them, is way more strange than tyler's outburst -- when he's in a high stress situation, his baby brother's dead, and his life as he knows it is over. a life he didn't even have to begin with, since it was stolen due to his abusive upbringing.

whether this excuses what he did or not is entirely up to the player! i personally don't think it does, though i also understand where this is coming from and the game makes it clear this is not usual tyler behavior. throughout other people's views it's hammered into us that tyler has a cool head relatively, is the most sensible and smart out of his brothers. so, no, i do not think he was choking jay out all the time for his misplaced resentment -- i think his obvious disliking came from his stilted interactions with jay, and his lack of bond with him at all. we see in book one two times he reaches out to jay, demanding that he eats ( a minor, small thing to fret and worry about ) as well as panicking when he sees jay away from the rest of them during a shoot out. dale constantly looks out for jay as well, going as far as to take the heat from romero if they get caught and something as small as taking blame for jay's mistake in the barn scene. are his brothers more prone to violence and apathy? sure! yet they clearly love jay regardless. abusive households are not easy and see through. in fact in many cases the different levels of abuse the kids suffer does breed life altering resentment later on, envy that can damage these bonds permanently. honestly the holt family intrigues me deeply because of how well written they were as a unit, the effects of abuse and toxicity subtle and not overt in a ‘psa message’ kinda way. and these horrible relationships and ideals shared do not negate from the even more horrible fact that there is love in this messed up family, even bear clearly loves his sons, but that doesn't make it better. it almost makes it worse, seeing all the good intentions and care. knowing it doesn't excuse what they've done to each other nor does it make them better. they're a picture perfect family of an ugly wound! which is fascinating! i only wish more people saw that wonderfully shown depth rather than this bland and lukewarm take on the holts overall.

jay is a victim, he is traumatized, he deserved to one day spread his wings and put some distance between himself and his family ... but he was not the only one who deserved that ending, and he was not the only victim there. he was merely the only one with easy to parse trauma responses.

[xdarkestdesirex]

When Faith Meets Juvenile - Chap 1

This is a Dale Holt x reader story. There's no (y/n) insert. I'm just avoiding the use of the reader's name and it is female-based. There are hints of physical appearance, but nothing in-depth.

This writing contains highly sensitive content like violence, drugs, the use of weapons, abuse, mental illness, hostage situations, talk of suicide, religious abuse, smut, and other mature themes. Reader discretion is advised. MUST BE 18+ TO INTERACT.

I do not allow anyone to copy, alter, or repost my work as their own.

3767-word count

Growing up in Two Rock comes with a lot of nothing. The scenery is brown dirt, cactuses, and hills. The sun beats down directly on people, leaving them crisp with a bit of heat stroke. Some kids figured out how to make their childhood entertaining, but it wasn’t an option for me. My father is a well-respected pastor at the Two Rock Chapel, and my family and onlookers expected me to be well-behaved. I was, for the most part, until I met a boy. He changed my life forever, and I’ll never forget what happened.

“Jesus said, ‘I will come and heal him.’” My father’s deep and authoritative voice flooded the churchgoer’s ears as he paced the stage. I sat front and center. So my dad could keep an eye on me and for everyone to see how disciplined I was. My mother looked perfectly prim and proper to the right of me, and my older brother was to the left, wearing a suit with his hair gelled back nicely. I wore a pale blue dress that went up to my neck with a white collar and short sleeves that puffed out. The dress was cinched at my waist to show off my healthy physique (my mother says it’s good to show off without showing skin), and the dress’s bottom belled out past my knees. I wore sheer tights underneath with heels to match. My hair was pulled into a sleek pony, and I was accented with pearl earrings and a necklace. Only the lightest touch of makeup was applied to my face to accentuate my features, but not enough to be called a whore. 

My bible was open and sitting in my lap. Like always, I followed the sermon my father was teaching. I had a notebook open and was writing down thoughts and questions that popped up. As a preacher’s daughter, I was meant to lead by example, but I wasn’t doing this for them or to be a good child for my parents. I was doing this for me. My faith has always been important to me, and damn it, I am a good kid. Sometimes, I wish I had a rebellious bone in me, like my brother, who secretly sneaks out of the house to do God knows what. One night, I followed him, but he caught me within 10 minutes and dragged me back to the house. He told me I shouldn’t ruin my innocence, that once I tasted the bad things in the world, I could never get it back. 

“I ask that some of our worship members join me on the stage as I close us out this morning,” My father’s voice became soft, “You may bow your heads and close your eyes.” My back slumps over as I droop toward my lap, and my eyes flutter close. The sound of a piano starts to float around me, and a woman’s voice begins to sing quietly.

“Amazing love, how can it be? That you, my King, would die for me?” 

My father spoke above the singing, asking if anyone in the crowd didn’t know God and wanted to get to know Him, to raise their hands, and that someone would join them to pray. People were slowly leaving their seats, going to the altar, and sitting on the ground to pray. My brother slowly slid out of his seat, sat at the end of the stage, leaning the top half of his body over it, and began praying. My mother tapped my knee as if to say I needed to join the others who were kneeling. I walked up to where my brother was and sat on the ground behind him, making sure my dress was tucked neatly under my legs and bowed my head into my lap.  

When the service ended, I was greeted by people praising me for my well-behaved manners and asking what kind of things I’d done so far over the summer. I indulged in conversation and made small talk while waiting for everyone to filter out. The heat was rising in the building, and I could feel my dress sticking to my back. Once the last person left, my family was also free to leave. Usually, after church, we go out to eat for lunch and spend the day together until evening, when the second sermon of the day starts. Yes, you must think we’re crazy for having church twice on Sundays, but that’s how we do it here. But today, I didn’t feel like going out; it would be extra hot, and I wanted to go home and get out of this stuffy dress.

“Daddy, could you drop me off at the house? I promised Nelly I would return her book this afternoon.” I asked my dad as we all got into the car.

“Can’t you do that after we eat?” He looked back at me through the review mirror.

“I’m not very hungry,” I pause, “I was hoping I could stay at her place for a little so we could talk about the book together.” It wasn’t a lie; I said I could probably bring the book sometime today, but I don’t plan to stay long at her house. I just wanted time to be by myself for a while. 

“Honey, it’s family day.” My mom states. 

“I know, bu-” 

“Oh, come on, it’s not like her to ask to hang out with friends often. Why don’t you just let her go.” My brother pipes up from beside me. I was shocked for him to come to my rescue; he protects me often but doesn’t usually go out of his way to help me with our parents.

“James is right. I think it’ll be okay, just this once, to miss a family day.” My dad speaks. A bright smile appears on my face, and I thank my father for letting me have this day. I glance at my brother with a silent thank you as well. 

As we pulled up to our house in Big Oak Neighborhood, I promised my dad I’d be back in time for church tonight and wave goodbye as they set off to some restaurant. As I enter the house, my shoulders instantly relax as the cold air hits me. I unbutton the collar of my dress as I walk down the hallway toward my bedroom. Once in my room, I kick my heels into some random corner, rip the dress over my head, and toss it to the floor. I lay on my bed for a few minutes in my undergarments, letting the cold air kiss my sticky skin. When I finally get up from my bed, I pick out a pair of short overalls that hit just above my midthigh, the shortest thing I was allowed to wear, and a plain white tee to go underneath. I put on a pair of socks and sneakers and redid my hair into a slightly messy braid. I grabbed my tote bag and put Nelly’s book inside, along with my journal. 

I entered the kitchen and grabbed the necessary things to make a sandwich: bread, mayo, meat, cheese, pickles, you know, the works. Once put together, I put the sandwich into a paper bag and then stuffed it into my tote bag. I grabbed a few more snacks from the pantry, filled my water bottle, and headed out the door. It was peak sunrise in Arizona, and the heat was hitting a hundred degrees. The sun hit the sidewalk’s concrete, bouncing up and blinding me. I squinted as I walked past the houses on my street and turned down Ranger Rd. The third house on the left belonged to Nelly. I approached the front door and knocked my knuckles against the wood. A few minutes passed, and I heard a few voices exchanged back and forth before the door swung open. 

“Hey!” Nelly’s giant smile greeted me.

“Hi, sorry to intrude. I was just stopping by to drop your book off.” I reached into my bag and pulled the book out.

“You finished it already?” She looked shocked as she reached out to grab the book from my hands.

“Yeah, I just spent a whole day reading it, which wasn’t hard since it was a good book.”

“Did you want to come inside and talk about it for a while?” Nelly’s body slid to the side, revealing I was okay coming in. 

“Oh, no, sorry, I have to get back home. It’s Sunday, so I have to be with my family. I was just allowed to stop by and drop the book off.” 

“No worries! We can get together another time to discuss the book!” Nelly said as she closed the door.

I walked, about an hour, in the direction of a park, a place I’ve gone to a few times when needing space from others. Usually, I would tell my parents I was studying at the library, but with it being summer, I couldn’t use that excuse. I found a wooden bench seat in the shade and made myself comfortable. Inside my tote bag was my MP3 player, so I took my headphones out and placed them over my ears, letting my music drown out everything around me. I pulled out my journal and pen and began writing about everything I felt. This journal was my deepest and darkest thoughts, and if anyone got a hold of it, I would be in deep shit. 

After a few hours, I had eaten all my food, and my water was almost gone. I decided it was time to leave. Collecting all my things and putting them back into my bag, I headed home.

“Watch out!” A voice behind me yelled out as I was about to cross the road. The next thing I knew, something slammed into my back, sending me flying to the ground, and a heavy weight landed on top of me.

“Ah, shit.” The gruff male voice said. Then, the heavy weight that was pinning me down lifted. I turned around to look up at what had hit me to see a figure towering over me. The sun was behind the guy who ran into me, making him look like a silhouette. “Are you okay?” He asked me.

“I-I’m fine.” I tried to push myself back on my feet, but once I put weight onto my left leg, I collapsed. I expected my body to meet the asphalt again, but instead, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist. When I looked at the guy this time, I could see his features. Short brown hair that was messed up from the crash, piercing blue eyes creased with worry, and a face shaped like God had carefully pieced him together. Suddenly, I forgot I was hurt and found myself staring at this guy with my mouth agape and speechless. He was a bit rugged-looking, but that made him more attractive in my eyes. A slight smirk appeared after what felt like forever of just looking at his face.

“You like what you see?” His statement ripped me out of my daze. A cough erupted from my throat, and the heat rose to my cheeks. 

“N-no,” I stuttered, “Just confused about how you crashed into me.”

“I tried to stop, but the brakes on my bike weren’t working.” 

“Could you help me stand?” He was holding me in a dip position, like we were dancing, from catching me. His face was only inches away from mine. It was the closest I’ve ever been with a male. I’d never been embraced by one before; having his arms around me was weird, but I also didn’t want him to let go of me. I felt strange for thinking this way. I mean, I didn’t even know who this guy was! He could be a murderer for all I know. 

"Ah, fuck.” The brunette cussed, “Your leg is messed up pretty good.” His crystal eyes darted around the park, looking for something, like he was worried someone would see us. The smirk that once sat across his face turned into a hard line, and his eyebrows furrowed together. I looked down to see what he was looking at. There was a large gash from the center of my shin down to my ankle, and blood was dripping down, staining my shoelaces red.

“How far do you live?” He asked me.

“I live in Big Oak Neighborhood.” 

“Why the fuck are you over here?”

“I like this park, it’s quiet.”

“You know this part of Two Rock is the trashy side, right?” 

I rolled my eyes at the guy, “I think I’ll be fine to walk back.” I tried to pry his arms off from around me, but he was way too strong. 

“Yeah, I don’t think you can walk that far.” His grip around me tightened, “My house is around the corner. I can patch you up and then drive you home.” 

He helped me sit back on the warm ground as he picked the bike up. His blue eyes scanned the black metal and wheels. Once pleased with what he saw, he helped me situate myself on the bike. I rested my hands on the handles and set my feet on the pegs of the wheel in front of me. His muscular arms reached around my sides, and he placed his hands next to mine. Slowly, he started pushing me away from the park. It took us about ten minutes to reach a brown fence, and a small house with a porch was not too far away. It was the kind of home that seemed cozy. I always dreamed of living out in the country. My home back in Big Oak was your typical suburban house. It looked identical to the ones around; the grass was green, and we even had a white picket fence. I know I should be thankful for where I live; not many people have the life I do, but I still wish things were different for me. 

Once we got to the porch, he stopped the bike and helped me off it. I felt terrible that he was going out of his way to do all this for me. Yes, he ran into me, and I wouldn’t be injured if it wasn’t for him, but he didn’t need to help me in the way he was doing. Slowly, we made our way up the steps of the porch. His strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me tight into his side as I hopped up each step on my good leg. We entered the house, down a small hallway, and entered a tiny bathroom. Without warning, I was lifted off the ground and placed on the sink counter. A yelp escaped my lips, and I gripped the male’s shoulders in front of me. He stared back at me with the same smirk from earlier.

“I’m tempted to make you yelp like that again.” His voice was low and husky as he spoke. I wasn’t fully aware of what he meant by that, but my body still reacted anyway. Goosebumps erupted on my skin, and my face burnt with embarrassment. He stood there with his arms beside me, his face inched closer to mine, stopping a breath away from my lips. I had just met this guy, and yet I wasn’t going to stop him. But he pushed away and started rummaging through the cupboards. I watched how his face looked as he focused on grabbing whatever supplies he needed. His face relaxed into its natural state, with soft eyes, his lips pursed only slightly, and his hair fell forward onto his forehead. When he got everything, he turned the faucet on and waited for the water to warm. 

“I’m going to clean up the area around your wound. This won’t hurt too bad, but I will disinfect the wound immediately after, which stings a little.” I nodded my head and watched him as he knelt to get level with my leg. As he wiped away the blood that covered my leg, he was gentle, not to hurt me. With most of the blood gone, I could see what the gash looked like, and it seemed I would probably need some stitches. He then grabbed a bottle and took the lid off. 

“Alright, this isn’t the fun part.” He said pouring the liquid right over my wound. 

“Fuck!” I yelled and instinctively covered my mouth. It hurt a lot more than he was explaining. 

“Sorry, Doll, it needs to be cleaned.”  He waited awhile for the liquid to do its thing before pressing some soft gauze against my gash and wrapping it with medical tape. He stood back up and placed himself between my legs. “You’re all patched up now.” 

“T-thank you.” I kept my gaze on the ground because I knew if I looked up at him, I would become even more of a stuttering mess. 

“I guess it’s time I drive you home.” He gripped my hips and helped me slide off the counter. If my dad knew a male was touching me in the manner this guy is, he would lose his shit. 

“What time is it anyway?”

“Around 5 o’clock.” 

“What!? You have to get me home now!” I tried to hobble out of the bathroom, which only caused the male behind me to laugh. 

“You look like a deer trying to walk for the first time.” He said as he watched me from the bathroom as I grabbed onto things around me to stay steady. “What’s the rush anyways? You have a curfew?” 

“Yes! My parents are going to kill me. I should’ve been home an hour ago!” 

“Woah, don’t get your panties in a twist. You’re a teenager. What else are they expecting? This shit is normal.” 

“Not in my household, and not on a Sunday.” Confusedly, He looked at me, “My dad is the pastor at Two Rock Chapel. I’m expected to be perfect and well-behaved. I wasn’t even supposed to be out this way. I lied and said I was going to a friend. I’m going to be in deep shit.”

“Wait, you’re the preacher’s daughter?” His blue eyes opened wide at this information. “You’re like Two Rock’s most innocent princess.” 

“Huh?” I grabbed the chair in front of me to balance myself, “People talk about me?” 

“It’s Two Rock, Doll. Everyone talks about everyone.” He made his way over to me, “Here, let me help you.” One arm reached around my side to help support me once again. 

“Oh yeah? Then who are you?” I asked, looking up at the handsome stranger. 

“I’m Dale, Dale Holt.” 

“Holt? Dale Holt?” The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d heard it before.

“You might’ve seen me in the papers. I’m pretty famous around here.” 

“Oh really? I didn’t know I was in the presence of a celebrity.” A chuckle fell through his lips, and the feeling of warmness flooded through me.

“It’s probably for the best you don’t know who I am.” Again, his face turned serious. There was something dark and lonely hiding behind his eyes. I wanted to ask him why it was for the best that I didn’t know who he was, but I knew it wasn’t my place to pry, especially with someone I just met. 

Once in the truck, I instructed Dale on how to get to my house. He slowly drove while looking at all the homes we passed. When something was interesting or cool, he would point it out and say they should add it to their farm. I could sense the want from him to be someone living behind these walls, to live the life that I have. That was the first time my heart stopped. Watching him stare out the window and play out what could be if he were a resident here. We didn’t discuss our similarities in wanting what the other had, but I could feel it from him. And in that moment, I had never felt more connected to someone else before. It was odd to connect without any interaction, but something within me stirred. He seemed to have felt the same feeling cause his head turned slowly to look at me, and we locked eyes for what felt like an eternity. We understood each other. Finally, a person, completely different from the other, felt what we felt. 

He ripped his eyes from mine and said, “Do you want me to drop you down a few houses?”

“You can pull up to my house.” 

“Are you sure? I don’t want anyone thinking bad about you for being with me.” His eyes drifted down to the floorboard.

“Why would anyone think badly about that?”

“I’m not the type of guy your church people approve of.”

“Well, it’s none of their business. You may have been the reason I got injured, but you helped me. So thank you.” I flashed him a small smile, “If it makes you feel better, my parents are probably already at the church since my dad has to set up for the sermon.” He did as I said and pulled into my driveway, and just like I suspected, the family car was gone. 

“I’m sorry for your leg,” Dale spoke in a low tone.

“It’s okay. You helped me a lot today, and I really appreciate it. Thank you, seriously.” I went to open the door, but before I could get out, I felt his strong hand wrap around my arm again.

“Can you walk to the door?”

“I think I can manage this one.” He released my wrist, and I slowly lowered myself out of the truck. “Dale?”

“Yeah?” 

“I’d like to see you again someday.”

“I would like that too, Doll.” 

I closed the truck door and slowly limped to the door of my house. A stupid smile plastered on my face as I opened the door and walked inside. The sound of his truck driving away off in the distance. 

Dale Holt. The guy that changed my life forever.

next

AN:

Hey guys! I hope you liked this first chapter! I'm not the best writer in the world, but I hope you enjoy reading this. I will try to get chapters out fairly frequently, but I work 2 jobs and can get pretty busy. So please be patient with me! Please let me know if you see any errors so I can fix them! I do use editing software, but only some things get caught. I want everyone to know that some experiences the reader has are things I've dealt with personally (and so have others), so please be kind in the comments when talking about any of the serious situations!

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Thinking about how Dale, who pissed in somebody's soda bottle and readily waved a gun to someone's face, loved Jay so so much. Jay who is soft spoken and sweet and too gentle for his own good, the opposite of everything Dale is.

Jay was his little brother. He loved his little brother.

[andonutty]

tag yourself i'm slow as usual