Sterling's Daughter

Laya didn't stop running until she reached the paddock that the horses were dozing in. She leaned against the top rail, letting it dig into her ribs as she took huge gulps of air and tried to calm her breathing. Tears trailed down her cheeks and she slapped them away angrily.
Brilliant. She'd given everyone a great scene of her blubbering like an idiot.
She thought she heard the front door open and close, but she didn't move an inch. People could just learn to leave her alone, she thought, digging her fingernails into the wood of the rails beneath her palms.
Laya became aware of quiet footsteps behind her before they stopped completely a few metres away. There was a short silence. Laya felt her frustration building up.
"Go away," she managed to spit out. Another silence was drawn out. Laya heard no movement from behind her and could tell whoever it was there clearly wasn't going to move in a hurry.
"I said, go away," Laya said through gritted teeth. "Now."
"Let's talk about it," the voice started. So it was Dad.
"Please, just go away. I need to be alone."
"Laya..."
"No."
"If that's how you feel..."
"It is."
Footsteps faded. Laya let out a long breath, feeling her lips tremble slightly. She let her shoulders sag and her body slump against the fence.
"You need to talk about it," a voice said in her ear. Laya let out a shriek at the unexpected noise and leapt sideways, and almost tripped over her own feet at the same time. She staggered awkwardly. A warm hand reached out and gripped her good arm, keeping her on her feet. Before she'd even recovered her balance and yanked her hand back, she'd got over her initial shock.
"You have no idea about what I should and shouldn't do," she glared at Will. She had no idea where he'd come from - she hadn't seen or heard him approach. "And don't sneak up on me like that! It's creepy."
"Sorry," Will ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not trying to make a move on you or anything. Don't you believe me?"
There was something in his voice that caught Laya's attention. Instantly she had a flashback to last night...the creep Will had rescued her from and the kiss she'd given him. She felt her cheeks heat with a hot blush.
"Nothing that happened yesterday gives you a basis to tell me what i should and shouldn't do, like I just said," Laya replied, keeping her voice even.
"Never said you should do anything," Will was looking at her closely, but Laya looked straight past his shoulder towards the horses. "I was simply saying that you need to. But I can't force you to do anything. What you choose to do is your choice. Nothing to do with me, or anyone else. But if you talk to someone about your problems then they become easier to bear."
"Well, well, don't you have the solution to everything?" Laya tried to sound horrible, but it sounded weak, even to her own two ears. Will just looked at her, unmoving.
Laya clammed her mouth shut and refused to speak. She studied the horse closest to her as though it had a cut that was badly infected. She studied every inch of the front fore leg with more intensity than she'd ever studied anything before. All the time, she waited for Will to say something, or even better, walk away.
He didn't.
And Laya could feel herself caving in.
"Say something!" she cried out suddenly. "Anything! Just talk!"
Will gave her a funny look.
"What's your problem?" he asked.
"Everything," and to Laya's intense shame, she burst into a fresh flood of tears.
"Well," Will said as he propped one foot up on the bottom rail of the fence and leaned his elbows on the top rail, "I've got the time to listen."
"Listen to what?" Laya sniffed, miserably.
"Everything?" Will suggested.
Laya glanced around at him, and as their gazes locked she could tell that he was serious. Before she could stop it, Laya felt a smile touch her face.