Beth Dutton x Fem College!Reader
Warnings: angst, slightly toxic relationship, mean Beth, breaking up, partying, implied and attempted rape (but nothing happens), reconciling, hospitals, hurt/comfort, gentle sex, good gf Beth, revenge, kidnapping, Russian roulette, murder-suicide, past hysterectomy, mention of pregnancy/having babies, breeding kink if you squint, shower sex, happy ending
Glimpses of life with Beth Dutton
A continuation to Casual pt 1
Things with Beth are going better than you couldâve ever imagined. Youâre still keeping your.. relationship on a low profile, but youâre both content with it. No one has to know what happens behind closed doors. Only you and Beth have that luxury.
Your relationship takes a turn for both the better and the worst when she arrives at your door with a freshly battered face and a bloody mouth.
âYou should see the other guyâ Was what she said when you pressed a bag of frozen chicken to her bruised right eye. You couldnât even be bothered to crack a small smile because of your concern.
She reluctantly decided to stay with you while she healed. You didnât let it show how much of a surprise it was that she didnât fight you on it too much when you first brought up the idea.
âDonât look at me like thatâ Beth said, moments after she agreed to stay with you.
Okay so maybe you did let it show. âLike what?â
âThatâ She said before stabbing into a piece of sweet and sour chicken with a fork.
Beth was hungry so you heated up some leftover Chinese food for her. You watched her struggle and fail to chew before she spit her bite back out onto the plate. You saw the way her jaw clenched.
You dragged the plate towards yourself.
âDonât have much of a fucking choiceâ
Despite her tone, you got up and opened the fridge. You made a poor excuse for a strawberry banana orange smoothie with yogurt. You poured two glasses, one tall and one small, then put what was left in the blender in the fridge.
You put the tall glass in front of her and the other opposite her where youâll be sitting.
You pulled out a slim bottle of vodka.
A smile made its way onto the older womanâs face as you poured some into her glass. Beth stirred it in with her smoothie, her eyes on the thick pink liquid.
âYou know me so well, babyâ
You both ate (in Bethâs case, drank) dinner in comfortable silence. Afterwards, you took turns in the shower. You tried to take one together, but Beth was so handsy and you werenât in the mood so you told her to get out. Lovingly of course.
You lend her a sweatshirt that was a bit big on you, but fit her like a damn glove. You put on a tank top and your plaid pajama pants before joining her in bed. You snuggled up against her.
âDid you take off your sweatshirt?â
âSo youâre mostly nude right now?â
You snorted a laugh and held her tighter. Beth was lying on her back while you laid on your side. You had your arm draped over her waist and your leg hooked around her legs. Her hand stroked your head as she stared up at the ceiling in the dark.
âWhatâs the oldest movie you've ever watched?â
You thought about it for a moment. âMmh.. Probably 10 things I hate about youâ
âThat came out in 1999. I was in High Schoolâ
âCoolâ You nuzzled your nose against her throat. You didnât know why sheâs asking this question, but with Beth, itâs best to just humor her. âWait no. Heathers. That came out in 1984 I thinkâ
â88â Beth corrected, moving her hand out of your hair to trace up and down your arm. âOkay. What movie came out close to your birthdate?â
âUhm.. Pride and Prejudice. I donât even like period dramas but I had to do an assignment for my English class in High School and I didnât have time to read the bookâ You shrugged.
âWhy not watch the show? Itâs more accurateâ
Beth exhaled through her nose. âJesus Christâ
âYouâre so fucking youngâ
âIâm sorry I couldnât control when to grace this earth with my presence, Bethâ You say sarcastically.
âDonât use sarcasm with me, you little-â
âI dare you to finish that fucking sentenceâ
Beth pursed her lips. She sighed and pulled you back towards her when you tried to untangle from her. âHey, hey. Forget I said anything, okay?â
You huffed, but stopped fighting her. Your shoulders relaxed when she pressed a kiss to your forehead.
âLetâs just go to bedâ
Beth waited for you to respond, but you never did.
âOr would you rather I make it up to you?â
Now that piqued your interest. âHow?â
Beth smirked. âI have my waysâ She said before kissing your cheek and going under the covers.
Needless to say you werenât upset for long.
On another night, as you were getting into bed, you turned to look at her. You were both laying on your sides, facing one another. You put your hand on the side of her face that was visible, the side that was wounded. The pad of your thumb caressed just below her bruised eye. You pulled your hand back when she sucked a breath through her teeth.
âSorryâ You murmured.
You couldnât see each other in the dark of your bedroom, but you could still feel her gaze on you. âItâs okayâ She reached for your hand to put it back on her cheek. âYou couldnât hurt me if you triedâ
You smiled a little. âYou know,â You let out a soft sigh, âitâs unfair how you got beat up and still look like the most beautiful woman on the planetâ
Beth chuckles softly. âYou canât even see meâ
You reached around to turn on the lamp on your nightstand. Then you straddled the older womanâs waist. You waited for her to let out a long sigh before she sat up, your faces now inches apart.
Her arms wrapped around your waist naturally. âStill think Iâm the most beautiful woman in the world, darling?â She asked with a smile, a hint of mockery and unusual self deprecation in her tone.
âAbso-fucking-lutelyâ You said without missing a beat. You stared into her eyes. One is narrowed from the swelling. You leaned your forehead against Bethâs. You let out a shaky breath. âI hope whoever did this to you gets what they fucking deserve. I hope they die an excruciating deathâ
You let your eyes fall shut.
Beth gently wipes away the angry tears that rolled down your cheeks, her touch light as a feather. You let out a shaky breath when you felt her soft lips kiss along the lines of your tears. You sniffled.
âDonât cry, babyâ She whispered softly against your warm skin. âYou know I hate it when you cryâ
You nodded, screwing your eyes shut before opening them to look at her. You held her face in your hands. âYou still wonât tell me what happened. Does it have something to do with the ranch?â
Beth briefly narrowed her eyes, the barest hint of irritation swimming in those light greens of hers. âWhy would it have something to do with the ranch?â She asked, her voice serious now.
âForget it. It was a stupid question..â
It wasnât so far-fetched. You knew good and well about the Duttons, parts anyway. All of Montana did. They always seemed to get their way. A mere mention of them was enough to make the hairs on your arm stand on end. You donât gain a reputation like that without having a few enemies and god knew they had them. Youâve heard the stories.
You forced a smile, hoping she wouldnât see through it, but you knew she could. You could tell by the way her gaze hardened. âLetâs go outâ You wrap your arms around her neck. âRight nowâ
Beth didnât seem fully opposed to the idea. âOut?â
âOutâ You repeated. âYou could use a drink and since I donât have any alcohol here.. I figured we could go to a bar. I reckon you know a fewâ
Beth huffed a laugh. âYou know you just indirectly called me an alcoholic, right?â
âDonât you fucking dareâ Beth chuckled playfully, her face coming to rest near the crook of your neck. Her nose brushed against your throat. âA Martini does sound good right about now..â
You hummed in agreement then turned your head so your lips brushed against her hairline. You were silent. You waited for her to have the final say.
âAlright. Get dressedâ
You both got dressed in something casual, but hot then headed down to her car after locking your apartment. The drive to the bar was spent in silence. Bethâs hand rested coolly on your thigh, but you couldnât shake the feeling that she was still upset over your question about the ranch.
Whatever the Duttons do, whatever theyâve done, itâs clear that Beth didnât want you to know about it. She didnât want you sticking your nose where it didnât belong, something you had a habit of doing.
You turned to face her, your hand covering hers on your thigh. âThink we could get some food after the bar? I was thinking buffalo wings and curly friesâ
The corner of the older womanâs mouth tugged upwards in a small smile. âWhatever you want, babyâ She took her eyes off the road for a second to look at you. âYour wish is my commandâ
You arrived at a bar on the outskirts of town. You went in and Beth ordered drinks for the both of you. You didnât like the way Beth used her cleavage as a distraction to allow the bartender to let you stay despite being just under the drinking age.
âWhatâd I do know, Y/N?â Beth asked, her tone laced with frustration. She takes a sip of her drink before setting it back down, her fingers lingering in the spine. âGo ahead. Lay it on meâ
âYou couldâve just paid him off, Beth. God knows you can afford itâ You said before taking a sip of the pornstar martini she ordered for you. She said youâd like it. You hated how she wasnât wrong.
âThey didnât card last time I was here and Iâm not wasting a couple hundreds on this shitshowâ
âPlease, you have earrings that cost more than what you wouldâve given that guyâ
âWhy are you being such a bitch right now? I thought this was a chance for us to destressâ The older woman grabbed her drink, but not before letting out a sigh. âClearly I was wrongâ
You pursed your lips. âYouâre being meanâ
Beth set her glass back down, allowing the liquid to burn her throat as she swallowed. âOh, am I?â
You watched her stand up. You held your breath when she leaned in towards you, her own breath hot against your lips. The stench of alcohol filled your nostrils despite her having had only one drink. It dawned on you that she mightâve had something before you left the apartment. Your heart clenched.
Beth smiled wryly. âBe right backâ
Your eyes followed her as she left for the bathroom. You took a deep breath before sipping your drink.
Five minutes later, you heard a commotion from behind you. You turned around to see Beth fighting some redneck woman in a bandana.
You got out of your seat to intervene. You tried to grab Bethâs shoulder, but she nudged you away before headbutting the redneck. Fuck.
With no other choice left, you put yourself between the fighting women in hopes of breaking them up, but it was no use because Bethâs fist connected with the side of your face almost immediately, knocking you out cold.
When you became conscious, everything was white and bright. You looked around you and realized you were in the hospital.
And Beth was nowhere to be found.
The second you got discharged, you left the hospital and got a taxi home. All her stuff was gone. Your heart sank. Did she go back to her own apartment? No. She got rid of it and it would be impossible to just get it back at this hour.
You took a breath. It was late.
You decided to change and go to bed, the events of the night finally taking their toll on you.
The next morning, you woke up bright and early. You showered, brushed your teeth then put on some clothes before leaving your apartment and going into the uber youâd ordered beforehand.
Within half an hour, you were at the Yellowstone.
You walked the long road to what you assumed was the main house. You opened the door, not even having the chance to be surprised it wasnât locked, and took in your surroundings. Eventually you reached the dining room and saw her.
âWhat the actual fuck, Beth?â
Three people sat at the table; John Dutton at the head, Beth to his right and a teenage boy to his left.
Beth took a bite of her breakfast without looking at you. You balled your fists at your sides watching her chew and swallow. She turned to her father.
âDaddy, could you give us the room, please?â She asked in that sickly sweet tone of hers.
John threw down his napkin tapping the boy on his shoulder. âLetâs go check on the horses, sonâ
The boy grabbed two strips of crispy bacon and a big sip of orange juice before standing up and following the older man out of the dining room.
Beth dusts off her fingers before looking at you.
Your heart clenched at her cold demeanor. âYou left me alone in the hospital. What the fuck, Beth?â
Beth buttered a bagel. âI wouldnât have left you if I didnât think youâd be taken care ofâ
âThatâs not a fucking excuse! A-And why did you take away all your stuff? Are we..?â
âOverâ She finished your sentence, her tone laced with nothing but venom. âThis was a mistakeâ
You shake your head. âYou donât mean thatâ
âI doâ Beth said, taking a bite out of her bagel. You hated how she was so relaxed and nonchalant about this. âDonât take it personally. You were just a set of holes for me to fuck and use as I pleasedâ
Your eyes watered. âFuck youâ
Beth smiled darkly. âYou already did. Multiple timesâ
Tears fell down your cheeks when you blinked. You turned around to leave. You stood there for a while before turning back around to look at her. âI knew you were evil. I just didnât think youâd be cruelâ
With that, you left the Dutton house. You stopped to take a breather outside on the porch. You sniffled and wiped away your tears when John walked over, his hands resting coolly in his front pockets.
He stood on the final step of the stoop.
His silence spoke volume.
You looked at him. âShe has your eyes, sirâ You said with a sad smile before walking past him.
He watched you walk down the road.
After that you decided to just focus on your studies.
And drink. A lot. Within the safe space of your cosy little apartment of course and never on the days before you had an exam or presentation.
Afterwards, though, was a different story. If there was a party, on or off campus, you were there. Always with a group of friends. Never alone.
Your eyes flutter open as you wake up early in the morning. Your head is pounding. You look around yourself. You donât know where you are. It looks like youâre sitting in some sort of alley. It reeks.
Your heart skips a beat as an unsettling realization dawns on you. You search frantically for your phone while praying that what you think happened to you didnât happen at all. You canât find it.
You swallow the lump in your throat as you force yourself to stand up on shaky legs. Your clothes are still intact, but the way youâre wearing them doesnât feel right. Not after what might have happened.
You hug yourself while leaving the alley. Youâre in nothing but a thin-strapped dress and itâs fucking cold. The hairs on your arms stand on end.
Youâre scared and donât know what to do.
Beth is driving at 80 MPH when she gets a call from an unknown number. She glances at the console screen before answering the call.
âI charge $500 a minute for unsolicited conversations. Clockâs tickingâ
Bethâs response is met with silence.
âSpeak or hang the fuck upâ
Bethâs brows furrow, her frustration dissipating as quickly as it had come. âY/N? Why are you calling me from an unknown number? Are you okay?â
Beth keeps her cool despite the anxious concern that gnaws at her chest. âWhere are you?â
Youâre uncertain when you give her the address so you start describing the numerous shops and restaurants you passed by and where you are now.
âIâll be there in fiveâ
Beth does a smooth but incredibly illegal U-turn in the middle of the road before driving at over a 100 MPH to the area you described to her.
Youâre sitting at the counter of a closed restaurant.
The ownerâs thirty year old daughter saw you wandering alone and when you asked her if you could call someone on her phone, she immediately obliged and told you that you could wait inside.
The woman also made you a house specialty which was the chicken marinara sandwich and gave you a cold glass of water too. She said you looked a bit pale for her liking. And maybe you did.
You eat quietly when she goes to the back to check on something. You're chewing the last bite of your sandwich when you hear the closed front door rattle wildly. You see Beth fighting with the door knob outside. She smashes her elbow through the window, shards of glass splattering on the floor. She reaches through the hole to open the door from the inside. She pushes it open and looks around until her eyes land on you.
Beth crosses the distance between you in confident, broad strides. It looks like sheâs about to embrace you when sheâs close, but she hesitates at the last second, like it suddenly dawned on her how things ended between the two of you.
Beth wordlessly takes off her pitch black coat and puts it over your shoulders. You lean into her touch. Eventually both of you just decide to not be stubborn for once and give in to one another. Her arms wrap around your shoulders while yours wrap around her waist. You close your eyes, breathing her in. She holds you tighter than you hold her. Itâs like sheâs afraid that if she loosens her hold on you, youâll cease to exist. Her lips press against the top of your head in a kiss that lingers.
âIâm right here, baby. Iâm not going anywhereâ
Beth pulls back, her hands coming up to cradle your face as her eyes roam over your features then body for any signs of distress. The bruise you had around your left eye, the one she accidentally gave you, has faded away since she last saw you. There seems to be nothing physically wrong with you. No scars, no bruises, no struggle marks. The fact that youâre barefoot makes her tilt her head though.
âWhat happened to your shoes?â
You look down at your bare feet, flexing your toes absentmindedly. âI donât.. I donât know..â
Beth inhales and exhales deeply. Sheâs overwhelmed with barely contained rage. Not at you. At the situation youâve unfortunately found yourself in. Itâs not your fault. Doesnât matter what you tell her, she knows itâs not your fault. When she does find out what happened to you, sheâll stop at nothing to make sure it never happens again. She takes out a pen and checkbook from her purse to write a check. She briefly glances up when she hears the sound of approaching footsteps.
The woman who helped you looks at the broken glass by the door. âUhm..â
âWhatâs your name?â
The woman turns her head to look at the two of you when Beth asks her a question. âCaroline Reedâ
Beth writes her name on the check before tearing it off and putting it on the counter by your empty plate. âThank you for helping her out. This should cover the damage I caused to the doorâ She puts an arm over your shoulder and tucks you into her side as you make your way towards the door.
âThank youâ You tell Caroline before exiting the small, family-owned restaurant.
Caroline locks up after you leave. She walks over to the counter and looks at the check that was left behind for her. âHoly fucking shitâ She exclaims, her eyes wide as she looks at the $10.000 check.
The car ride is spent in silence.
Beth glances at you occasionally, her grip on the steering wheel tight. âY/N-â
You cut her off. âI need to go to the hospitalâ
âI donât think thatâs such a good idea, babyâ
âI need to know if I was..â You donât finish your sentence. You canât even bring yourself to speak the word. Luckily, you donât have to.
âOkayâ Beth says softly. âWeâll go the hospitalâ
Beth holds your hand as you enter the hospital. She does everything. The two of you follow a nurse to a room. Itâs sterile and white. You donât like it.
The nurse advises Beth to leave the room, but you want her to stay. So she stays.
The nurse collects DNA from your body. You feel self conscious when youâre asked to remove all your clothes so they can be collected as evidence. Beth had her assistant get you some new clothes and a pair of shoes so you put those on once she handed them to you. Afterwards you fill out documentation forms. Youâre emotionally drained by the time the SANE nurse concludes the examination and gives you the okay to go home. She informs you that sheâll have the results in two to four weeks. Beth basically threatens her to get them faster. The nurse meekly apologizes and says that youâll have the results within a week or two.
âThe faster we get the results,â Beth looks at the nurseâs name on her identification card, âAnna, the more extra cash youâll have in your pocketâ
Bethâs fingers are interlocked with yours as you leave the room and eventually the hospital.
Once youâre in the car, she goes on her phone. After a few seconds, she turns to look at you. âBaby, Iâm gonna ask you a question, but you donât have to answer if you donât want to, okay?â
âWhatâs the last thing you remember about yesterday?â
âI was.. at a frat party last nightâ
Flashbacks of you playing several drinking games and having drunk make outs with numerous pretty girls assault your vision. You take a breath.
Beth doesnât press about details of the party. âThat checks out. Your phone is near your collegeâ She says before putting the shift in drive.
âReally? How do you know?â
Beth holds out her phone to you.
You take it and look at the screen. Itâs some sort of Find My app. âAre you serious? You knew where I was the entire time we were together?â
âYepâ Beth says as she starts driving forward. âGuess my controlling tendencies are finally paying off, huh?â She teases with a cheeky smile.
You canât fight the smile that makes its way onto your face too. Goddamn this woman.
When you arrive at the frat house, a dozen memories of last night come flooding back. Some good, some bad. You look down when you feel Bethâs hand on yours. Your eyes meet hers.
âYou donât have to go inâ
âI knowâ You squeeze her hand. âI want toâ
Beth respects your decision. âOkayâ
You both get out of the car.
Beth kicks open the double doors to the frat house. You follow behind as she walks in like she owns the place. She points at the first guy she sees.
âCall all your frat buddies down here right the fuck now if you know whatâs good for youâ
The dumbfuck dares to question her. âYou canât just storm in here. Who the fuck even are you?â
His friend taps him on his chest. âDude. Thatâs Beth Dutton.. the governorâs daughter..â
âAnd the current Chief of Staff. Know your state politicsâ Beth eyes the young men coming into the room once theyâre called down. She turns to the guy who knows who she is. âThis everyone?â
Beth looks at you. âGo get your phoneâ
You follow the directions to where your phone is using the app on Bethâs phone. While you do that, Beth asks all the men present for their names.
You find your phone under one of two twin-sized beds in the room. It looks suspiciously clean for a frat guyâs room. You unlock your phone and notice how itâs been voice recording for over fifteen hours.
You let out a relieved breath. Even drunk, youâre still aware when some bad shit is about to happen.
You stop the recording and put your phone in your front pocket. You donât look at the guys in the living room when you descend the staircase. You head straight for Beth who is standing by the door.
âDrunk me isnât so incompetent after allâ You tell her. âMy phone recorded something from last nightâ
The older woman smiles at you. âI never doubted you for a second, Y/N. You could be drunk as a sailor and youâd still be a whole lot smarter than half the people in this damn stateâ
You smile wistfully. âGet me out of here?â
Beth brings you to the ranch. You let her walk you through the same house you stormed into a few weeks ago. Now you have time to admire the architecture. As you do that, it dawns on you just how wealthy she and her family actually are.
Youâre halfway up the stairs when you notice her father standing below, his demeanor stoic and his expression unreadable. âGood afternoon, sirâ
Mr Dutton nods. âMorning, Missâ
When youâre at the top of the stairs, Beth leans against the railing to look down at her father. âY/N will be staying with us for a while, daddyâ
Itâs not a question. Itâs a statement.
Mr Dutton walks away. âOkay, honeyâ
Beth leads you to her bedroom.
Itâs large, but simple. Impersonal. Thereâs not a single frame in the room or anything of sentimental value. It feels hollow in a way you canât describe.
Beth points to her bathroom. She tells you that you can use her toothbrush and that sheâll get another one later before giving you some privacy.
After a thorough brush of your teeth and a much-needed, hot shower, you step back into the bedroom. Beth sits next to some clothes you same sheâs laid out for you; boyshorts, regular cotton shorts and a faded Stevie Nicks shirt.
You put them on. The shirt is just a little bit big on your frame, but you like it that way.
You sit beside Beth on the edge of the bed. âHiâ
âHiâ She says with a warm smile that reaches her eyes. The pad of her thumb brushes against the back of your hand. âWhat do you want to do now?â
Bethâs taken aback by that and it shows. âYou still want me?â Her voice is soft, uncertain and vulnerable. âAfter everything Iâve put you through?â
You nod. âBut if you donât want me..â
Bethâs lips press against yours before you even have a chance to finish that sentence. Her hands hold your face. She pours all the love she has for you, all the apologies that have yet to be said, into the kiss. You straddle her lap and wrap your arms around her neck, arching into her.
Beth pulls away, breaking the kiss. Her pupils are blown wide as she looks up at you. âAre you sure you wanna do this, angel? I donât want you to feel like.. like Iâm taking advantage of youâ
âI want thisâ You say confidently, your eyes trained on her lips as you lean in. âMore than you could possibly imagineâ You whisper against her mouth before capturing her lips in another kiss.
The sex that takes place moments after is different from all the sex youâve had before. Itâs soft. More gentle. Beth worships your body like a sinner at an altar, her lips pressing soft kisses all over you.
You let her pleasure you, knowing this is one of her ways of apologizing. You want to absolve her of her guilt. So if that means gripping the sheets for dear life, your knuckles on the verge of whitening, as she eats you out like thereâs no tomorrow, so be it.
Youâre beyond spent when Beth comes to lay down beside you. You let out a soft yawn as she brushes a few strands of hair from your damp forehead.
âFucked you straight into exhaustion, huh?â
You donât even have it in you to humble her (despite what she said being true). You just lazily nod your head as you get comfy under the covers.
Beth chuckles lightly before cuddling you from behind. The last thing you feel before succumbing to sleep is her arm draping around your waist and her lips pressing a soft kiss to your shoulder.
Once Beth is certain that youâre fully asleep, she sneaks out of bed. She wraps a robe around her nude frame before grabbing her EarPods and both your phones and quietly leaving the bedroom.
She gives Jason, the only thing she kept from her old job, a call to tell him to get the security footage of the last 24h from the area you were in this morning. She goes out onto the porch and crosses her legs as she sits down on the sitting wall. She couples her EarPods to your phone after unlocking it in one try. Sheâs told you time and time again to change your pin from 2580, but none of that matters right now. She opens Voice Memos.
You see, thereâs a reason Beth asked those frat guys for their names. She needed to identify their voices. But back then Beth didnât know that you recorded something. What she did know was that sheâs been secretly voice recording your surroundings for the past few months. There was no way for you to have known that. Itâs not her proudest moment, but if it makes it less shitty, sheâs never had a reason to listen to the recordings.
She deletes the hidden military app from your phone, but not before making a silent promise to herself and to you to be less.. paranoid.
She steels herself before pressing play on the message you recorded.
Thereâs an overlap of male voices followed by the sound of a door locking. You canât make out what theyâre saying. It just sounds like mumbling to you in your drunken state. Strong hands help you sit down on the bed. Your body feels weird. Like youâre an intruder in your own skin. You throw your arm over your eyes before lying on your back.
Asshole one speaks up. âDoorâs locked?â
âYeahâ Asshole two answers with a grin.
Asshole one looks at asshole three who stares at you, his brows furrowed. âWhatâs wrong with you? Donât tell me youâre gonna pussy out on us againâ
âIâve seen her somewhereâ Asshole three says.
âNo shit, dude, she goes to school with usâ Asshole four says, his voice laced with irritation.
Asshole threeâs eyes widen when it suddenly clicks where he knows you from. âShit. We canât do this. Not to her. Fuck, I knew she looked familiar, man!!â
The other assholes look confused when asshole three paces up and down the room.
âShe knows Beth Dutton. I think sheâs her part time assistant or something. Iâve seen them togetherâ
âYellowstone Dutton ranchâ
A series of groans, âshitâ and âoh fuckâ can be heard before you pass out. The guys step away from you like youâre suddenly infected or something.
Asshole one takes a breath. âOkay. Weâll just.. get her out of here after the partyâs overâ
âDude, last time we threw a party this big, it ended around five in the fucking morningâ
âI know, dumbass, but what other choice do we have? If anyone sees us taking her out of here, weâre cooked. Iâll sober up and weâll take my truck in the morning to dump her ass somewhere that isnât our goddamn fucking frat houseâ
âEveryone clear out. Nobody, and I mean nobody, comes in this room until tomorrow morningâ
A series of disappointed âfineâ and âyeah whateverâ fills the space before itâs followed by the sound of retreating footsteps. The door locks again.
Youâre left alone in your drunken sleep, unaware of the depraved acts that would have transpired if you hadnât aligned yourself with a Dutton.
Beth takes the EarPods out of her ears.
She stares blankly ahead of her until her father walks onto the porch. He observes her.
âNo whiskey or cigarette today? Are you feeling alright, honey?â Thatâs his attempt at a joke, but it doesnât come off that way with his rough voice.
Finally, Beth stands up, her hands holding her things. âMen are awful, daddyâ She says in all seriousness before opening the front door.
Beth heads up to her room and closes the door behind her, careful as not to wake you. She takes off her robe and drapes it over the chair by her vanity before getting into bed with you. She cuddles you from behind again, holding you close as she laces her fingers with yours.
You subconsciously moan softly and scoot closer to her in your sleep. As if that were even possible.
Beth closes her eyes, breathing you in.
The last thought she has before allowing herself to succumb to sleep is of the ways sheâll make those frat boys suffer for what they put you through.
Hours later, your eyes flutter open as you begin to wake up. You stir and turn over to see Beth staring at you. âFuckâ You curse, recoiling slightly. âJesus Christ, Beth. Donât do thatâ You put a hand over your heart, feeling it pound under your touch.
âSorry, babyâ Beth says with a smile. âI canât help but stare when thereâs a pretty woman in my bedâ
âSounds like your speaking from experienceâ
âMaybe I am. That make you jealous?
You just roll your eyes before swinging your legs over the edge of the bed and just sitting there, your hands resting by your sides.
Beth sits up too, worried that she hurt your feelings. âShit. Y/N, I was just teasing. I didnât mean to-â
âItâs not thatâ You say before nudging your head towards your phone. You swallow the lump in your throat. âIâm.. scared of what I might hearâ
Beth follows your gaze before looking back at you. âLet me listen to it. Let me spare you the painâ
âPlease, Y/N. Itâs the least I can doâ
It takes a moment for you to nod.
You grab your phone and unlock it before giving it to Beth. You grab her EarPods too. Like earlier, Beth couples them to your phone and puts them in.
You watch her intently as she presses play.
Five minutes in, it looks like she skips through the audio. When she reaches the end, she takes out her EarPods and puts them away before looking at you. âYou werenât assaultedâ
You let out a breath you didnât realize you were holding. You put your hand over your mouth, your eyes closed. You remove your hand once youâve collected yourself. âWhat happened?â
âYou got too drunk and crashed in some guyâs room. They were pissed and I guess they dumped you somewhere because they didnât know where to take youâ Itâs a shitty lie, but in this case, itâs better than the truth. Beth doesnât want you to think of her as your savior just because the only reason you werenât assaulted was because you were seen with her. Plus, as shitty and manipulative as it sounds, sheâs willing to bet youâre taking her word on this.
âPut your clothes back onâ Beth says before getting out of bed. âI know how hungry you get after a great fuckingâ She says with a smug smile as she pulls a pair of jeans over her legs. âIâll have Gator make us loaded steak fries. Your favoriteâ
You put on the clothes she gave you earlier. âYour cookâs name being Gator doesnât surprise me as much as it previously would haveâ You pull the shirt down your chest and smooth it out. You look at her. âIt feels wrong that I look so comfortable in your house. Iâm a guestâ You slip your feet into the indoor slippers she puts in front of you.
âYouâre my guestâ Beth says, closing the distance between you. Her hands come to rest on both sides of your waist. âEveryone in this place may be brave enough to ride into danger, but theyâre fucking terrified of being on my bad sideâ
You chuckle. âSo in other words, Iâm safe?â
âThe safestâ Beth presses a loving kiss to your forehead. You scrunch your face. âNow come onâ She laces your fingers together before opening the door and leading you out of the bedroom. âYou can fill me in on what I missed during our breakâ
âI could say the same for you, Miss Chief of Staffâ You tease as you descend the stairs. You wrap your other hand around her arm, stepping closer to her. âWhat would the press think about you having a controversially younger girlfriend?â
The older woman comes to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. She looks at you. âGirlfriend?â
Your eyes widen when you realize what you said. âNot girlfriendâ Your cheeks heat up out of embarrassment. âI-I didnât mean that. I meant just-â
âGirlfriendâ Beth repeats again, this time while looking up at the ceiling before her gaze meets yours. âI like that. Youâre my girlfriendâ
âIâm your girlfriend?â
âYouâre my girlfriend, babyâ Beth says with a proud smile. Her hands come up to cup your jaw. âIâm done pretending youâre anything elseâ
You let her pull you into a kiss that neither of you can help but smile into till you pull away. The worst day of your life turned out to be one of the best.
You stay with her at the ranch from that point out. You didnât have a lot of stuff so it was a quick move.
You and Beth fall into a routine. Sheâd give you a ride to campus before she left for work and then sheâd pick you up whenever you were done. She had no absolutely no regard for her schedule when it came to you which you found sweet. Youâd have dinner together with her family, who was at the table anyway, and then you went to bed. Six out of seven days you tried and failed to keep quiet as Beth ravaged you like a starved woman, whether it be eating you out or fucking into you with her strap.
The family kind of got an inkling of who you are to Beth when she not so subtly made an innuendo at the dinner table that almost made you choke.
Beth made it up to you in more ways than one.
One day, around five in the afternoon, Beth looks at your sleeping form as you take a much-needed nap. Your lips are slightly parted and the covers are up to your waist. She bends over to press a gentle kiss to your brow before leaving the bedroom.
Beth detests horse riding, avoids it at all cost if she can help herself. So for her to saddle up right now, her fingers working swiftly as muscle memory kicks in, means that something or rather someone has driven her to do something she doesnât want to.
Beth swings up into the saddle with an impatient motion, settling her weight deep into the leather. She gathers the reins firmly, the mare beneath her tossing her head once before falling in line with her command. With a sharp nudge of her boots, she sends them forward, the hooves kicking up little bursts of dust as they pick up speed. She leans slightly into the ride, steering with a sure, stubborn hand toward the thick wall of forest ahead. The trees stretch tall and dense, the shadows between them deepening, but Beth doesnât flinch. She presses on, the steady rhythm of hoofbeats matching the set determination in her chest as she disappears into the woods without a glance back.
When she reaches her destination, she brings the horse to a stop and dismounts before walking the mare over to a tree and tying the reins to the trunk.
Beth tips her Stetson up as she approaches Ryan and Lloyd who stand ten feet behind a group of naked, frightened young men with their hands behind their backs. Their bodies are marred with fresh bruises. Theyâre lined up and kneeling.
The sound of their cries is music to her ears.
But itâs not enough to spare them.
âNice to see you again, boysâ Beth says with a devious smile, her voice laced with false sincerity as she slowly walks past them with her chin up high. âI donât want to be here longer than I have to, so I wonât take up much of your timeâ She comes to a stop in front of them so they can all see the storm raging in her eyes if they dared to look up at her. âYou tried to rape the woman who loves me and still chooses to be by my side despite the many, many ways Iâve wronged her. A woman who knows what a massive fuck up I am and yet still treats me like Iâve hung the fucking moon. I canât let that standâ
As expected, they apologize and beg for their lives.
Beth mocks them relentlessly until they realize their pathetic tears and mumbling wonât save them. âHereâs whatâs gonna happen. All of you will officially be pronounced missing in a few days. Maybe weeks depending on how much your parents love you. Thereâll be posters, news reports, hell maybe even a state-wide police searchâ She crouches down to their level. âBut the one place theyâll never have the balls or the jurisdiction to look is here at the Yellowstone Ranch. This place is 775.000 acres. Just to paint you a picture, thatâs bigger than Rhode Islandâ She says with a tight smile that sends a shiver down the boysâ spines. âNothing happens on our land without our knowing. Well, until today at leastâ She puts her hands on her knees before standing up. âHereâs how the story will go. First, you boys will have foolishly snuck onto the ranch without any of us knowing. Your ridiculous trucks are parked just a few miles away so you couldâve easily walked over here. Thatâs the most likely conclusion the detective on your case will draw after finding your corpses. The second conclusion will probably be the fact that you each drank enough to kill a deer. This whole area will be littered with beer cans. Last but not least,â She holds her gloved hand out to Ryan who hands her a K6XS revolver, âyour cause of deathâ
One of the boysâ eyes widen.
Beth notices. âLook familiar, Henry? It should considering it was found in your bottom drawerâ
Her phone vibrates in her pocket. She pulls it out and looks at the notification. Itâs a text from you asking where she is. She presses her phone to her ear after calling you. She lifts the gun up to her lips and holds it vertically as she makes a sinister shushing gesture to the boys before pushing the muzzle of the gun to the nearest guyâs temple.
âHi, babyâ Beth greets you sweetly. âI know, I know. Iâm sorry for leaving without telling you. I just needed to get some air that isnât polluted by Summerâs presenceâ She traces the trigger. The safety is off. âIâm close by. Just sitting by the river with my thoughtsâ Thereâs a pause on her hand as she lets you speak. âNo, you canât walk over here. Itâs too farâ Another pause. âFar enough that you wonât hear a scream from thereâ She listens to you speak. Her brows furrow slightly before she looks at Ryan and Lloyd. âOkay. Iâll be there soon, babyâ
After youâve hung up, Beth puts her phone back in her pocket. She walks towards Ryan and Lloyd.
âY/N says my father is thinking of moving up the pasture rotation because of bad weather reportsâ
Ryan glances at the kneeling men. âThat means when we ride through here..â
âWeâll discover the bodiesâ Lloyd finishes his sentence. âWhatâd you wanna do, maâam?â
âPlan stays the sameâ Beth says without missing a beat. âI donât give a fuck when their bodies get found. Just make sure you act surprised when that happens. The only ones who know about this are you, me and my father and I intend to keep it that wayâ She doesnât wait for them to nod in agreement before walking over to the boys and pointing the gun at them. âAll of you, in a circle. Nowâ
After the boys awkwardly shuffle to form a circle, Beth, Ryan and Lloyd stand behind them, each at a distance where the boys are in their line of sight.
âSince this is yours, Henry,â Beth hands the gun to the guy with brown-ish hair and intense, unwelcoming blue eyes, âyou get to do the honors of starting this game of Russian Roulette. Each one of you will take a turn until someone eventually gets their brains blown out. Thereâs one bullet every time. Youâll keep going until only one of you is still breathing. That lucky guy will be free to goâ
Henry swallows the lump in his throat before pressing the gunâs muzzle to his temple. His hand and lip tremble dangerously. No doubt out of fear.
Henry lets out a breath and puts the gun down.
âItâs like you didnât hear a word I was sayingâ
The boys flinch when two 12-packs of beer get thrown in the middle of them.
âThereâs more where that came from. Get to drinkinâ or else Iâll pour them down your throats myselfâ
The boys open the cans and start drinking.
âPleaseâ The guy begs with tears in his eyes. Itâs the same guy who identified Beth at the frat house. âWeâre sorry. Weâll never do it again. I-I promise!â
âOh, you promise? You fucking promise?â Beth raises her voice with every word she says. She tries to restrain herself from straight up attacking this guy, consequences be fucking damned. Her eyes screw shut as she forces herself to take a breath. But itâs not enough. âYou were going to violate herâ Her jaw sets as the mental image of what could have happened assaults her mind. âIf your one inch dicks went anywhere near her, I would have tortured you using methods that havenât been used since the Middle Agesâ
âThis is me being mercifulâ
Beth watches them drink and drink and drink. There are eight of them. Their fraternity currently consists of fifteen, but these are the eight voices she identified from the recording. Together all eight of them drink a total of forty-seven beer cans.
Then begins the game of Russian Roulette.
Just like before, Henry lifts the gun to his temple. Heâs shaking. Tries to mumble something, but Beth doesnât care. He raises the gun to his head.
He lets out a breath of relief, his heart pounding in his chest. He hands the gun to his friend, Alex, who mirrors him by lifting the gun to his temple too.
The cycle continues. The third guy is sobbing before the metal even touches his temple.
Blood spatters across the circle. One down.
Beth pulls the gun from his lifeless hand. Reloads. Spins. Hands it off to the next guy.
Seven bodies slump in the circle like broken dolls. The last guy still breathing feels like his heart is gonna leap out of his chest. He survived.
He doesnât speak at first. Just stares up at her. His hands are covered in blood that isnât his.
âI-Iâm done. Iâm the last. You said I could goâ
Beth kneels in front of him, close enough that he can see her eyes. Thereâs no warmth in them. Thereâs no reason for there to be. âI liedâ
He shakes his head slowly. âPlease..â
She pushes the revolver into his palm.
He lifts the gun with trembling fingers.
Beth stands as the last echo fades. The forest is still. Quiet. Satisfied, she turns and walks away, leaving Ryan and Lloyd to cover up.
She wastes no time riding back to the ranch and handing her horse to Carter after dismounting her. They make short conversation. She asks him about the girl heâs been seeing to which he smoothly deflects by asking about the girl sheâs seeing. She calls him a smartass and playfully shoves his head with a smile before walking to the lodge.
Once sheâs inside, Beth heads into the kitchen for a cool drink and maybe a light snack. Her blood runs cold when she sees you talking to Jamie.
Your back is unknowingly facing her while youâre face to face with Jamie. Youâre just talking, but you stop when he looks behind you, his eyes flashing with pure, unadulterated fear. You jump from the chair mere seconds after he does. He stumbles back, nearly tripping over his feet. You follow his gaze and see Beth storming towards him.
âYou fucking waste of oxygen and spaceâ Beth sneers as her vision turns red. âDonât talk to her. Donât you ever talk to herâ She says, pointing her finger at him. âDonât even fucking look at herâ
You put a hand on Bethâs chest, keeping her at armâs length. The only thing keeping her from killing Jamie right here and now is you. âBeth. Upstairsâ
Beth doesnât look at you.
âNowâ You stress, your voice low and stern.
Bethâs upper lip twitches as she stares her âbrotherâ down. She manages to slap him hard enough that the sound echoes through the kitchen walls. You push her away firmly enough that she decides to turn on her heels and go up to your bedroom. You donât glance back at Jamie before following her.
You slam the door behind you, not caring who hears. âWhat the hell was that, Beth?â
Beth looks at you in disbelief. âMe? Youâre the one getting all chummy with that fucking traitorous bastard!â Her voice rises towards the end. She paces up and down, her hands on her hips. âI donât want you anywhere near him, understand? Neverâ
Beth risks a glance at you. She comes to a stop when she realizes how much distance youâve put between the two of you. Her lips purse. She canât blame you for being weary of her right now.
âIâm sorryâ The older woman says, avoiding your gaze out of shame and regret. âI didnât mean to scare you like this, babyâ She knows sheâs never let you seen this side of her. The Jamie-hating side that often threatens to consume her whole.
Finally, her eyes meet yours. You steel yourself the best you can in order to ask her the following, âWhat did he do to make you hate him so much?â
Beth looks away, her jaw twitching. âHe took something from me that.. I can never get backâ
â..Is it something I can give you?â
Beth turns her head towards you so fast, itâs a miracle she doesnât get whiplash. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, but no words come out.
You take a seat on the edge of the bed and pat the space next to you. âSit down. Pleaseâ
Beth breathes out slowly before walking over to you and sitting down beside you. She doesnât look at you. Her eyes are fixated on a random spot on the floor. âYesâ Is what she says after a long stretch of silence. âThere is a way for you to give me what was taken from me. Probably more than oneâ
âThen Iâll give it to youâ You say without missing a beat. You intertwine your fingers with hers, giving her hand a firm squeeze. âJust tell me what it isâ
âItâs not an âitâ. Itâs more of a whoâ
You furrow your brows. âI donât understand..â
Beth looks at you, her eyes glossing over. âI canât have children. I was young and made the mistake of trusting Jamie of all people because I was scared. He had my womb cut out of meâ
A shiver runs down your spine as you take in her words. âIâm sorry. Shit, thatâs.. thatâs so fucked upâ
Beth blinks, letting a single tear fall down her cheek. She looks down at your interlocked fingers. She lets that ground her to the present while the past threatens to pull her into a dark place.
You look at her as she caresses your hand. âDo you.. still want kids? Causeâ Iâll give them to youâ
Beth furrows her brows before looking at you. A disbelieving half-smile pulls at her lips. âReally? Youâd fuck up your body to give me a baby?â
âIâll give you a dozen babies if you want me to, Beth. Hell, Iâll let you breed them into me. Science has evolved and it keeps on doing so. I guarantee thereâs a way for me to carry your beautiful, super feisty, blue-ish, green-eyed baby boys and girlsâ
Beth looks down at your hands again. âTheyâre hair would be strawberry blonde like mineâ She says with a small smile, deciding to humor you.
âGoodâ You grab a gentle hold of her chin and turn her face towards you so you can look at her. âBecause then I get to see you in them all the timeâ
Beth narrows her eyes at you, but not in a judgy manner. âAre you in heat, baby? You never mentioned wanting kids before and now youâre practically vibrating at the idea of themâ
âI want to make you happy in any way I can, Beth, because you constantly do the same for me. So if a baby is what you want, Iâll give him or her to youâ
Beth stands up and settles in front of you so youâre looking up at her. Her hands cup your face as she looks down at you with so much love in her eyes. âIâll never deserve you, you know? Neverâ
You smile at her. Your eyes roam over her clothes. You didnât have a chance to properly take her in beforehand. She looks like a real cowboy. Your breath hitches as your cunt throbs with want. God, the effect this woman has on you. âI think you were right about me being in heatâ You hook your fingers into her belt, looking up at her with dilated pupils. âCowboy Beth is really..â You breathe out slowly, âreally doing it for me..â You bite your lower lip.
The older woman smirks. âWell, this cowboy is gonna take a nice warm shower. And maybe,â
You squeal when she throws you over her shoulder and lifts you up like you weigh nothing. âBeth!â
âshe could use some companyâ Beth finishes her sentence before heading into the bathroom, the sound of your giggles music to her ears.
The water beats down on both of you. Steam clings to the tiles, obscuring the outline of your bodies as they intertwine under the large showerhead. You stand there with your eyes closed, the hot spray cascading over your face, as Beth's soapy hands glide over your skin, leaving trails of bubbles in their wake. Her touch is firm, yet tender, a silent promise of the pleasure she's about to unleash.
Beth's fingers trace the contours of your thighs, her fingertips grazing the sensitive skin just above your knees before delving lower. You shiver with anticipation, your breath hitching as she parts your legs, gently pushing them apart. She's in no hurry, her movements deliberate and calculated to drive you wild with desire. The pads of her fingers dance along your inner thighs, teasing you with feather-light touches that make your legs quiver.
Her hand moves to cup your mound, the heat from her palm sending a jolt through your core. You can't help but whimper. She chuckles, a dark, seductive sound that makes your stomach flutter. âYou're so wetâ She murmurs, her voice a low rumble that vibrates against your ear. âAlready so eager for meâ
Without warning, she dips a finger inside you, the sudden intrusion making you gasp. Her digit slides in and out, setting a slow, steady rhythm that has you leaning back against the cool tiles for support. Your hands grip her shoulders as she adds a second finger, then a third, stretching you open with a practiced ease that speaks of countless nights spent exploring your body. The walls of your cunt clench around her, trying to draw her deeper.
You watch through hooded eyes as Beth drops to her knees, the warm water caressing her skin as she brings her mouth closer to your core. She flicks her tongue against your clit, a gentle but insistent touch that has your hips bucking forward. You can feel her smug smile against your skin as she continues to tease you. Her fingers never still as they pump in and out of you. She's in control, dictating the pace of your pleasure. You're putty in her hands, eager to submit to her every whim.
After the first wave of your orgasm crashes over you, she doesn't let up, her tongue swirling and flicking to coax more ecstasy from your body. The sensation is overwhelming, leaving you panting and begging for mercy. But mercy isn't what Beth has in mind. She laps at you greedily, devouring your sweetness as your legs threaten to give way.
When she's satisfied with the taste of your release, she stands and lifts you up effortlessly. Your legs wrap around her waist, your arms clinging to her neck for balance. She presses you against the shower wall, the coolness of the tiles a stark contrast to the heat of your bodies. Her eyes lock onto yours, a silent challenge in their depths.
You know what's coming next and the anticipation alone is almost too much to bear.
Her mouth moves to your right breast, capturing a nipple in a fierce suckle that sends shockwaves of pleasure through your body. You gasp, arching into the sensation, as she continues to pump her fingers into you. The combination of her mouth on your sensitive peak and her fingers delving deep within you is incredible. You feel yourself building towards another orgasm, your cunt clenching around her hand in a silent plea for more.
Beth is relentless, her teeth grazing your skin as she leaves a trail of love bites from your collarbone to your neck. The slight pain only serves to heighten your arousal, each mark a brand of her ownership. You're lost in the sensations, a whirlwind of pleasure that threatens to consume you. Your breathing turns ragged as you struggle to keep up with the pace she sets, but you know you won't last much longer. Her thumb circles your clit, her tongue flicking against your nipple. Suddenly you're hurtling over the edge again, your body shuddering with the force of your release.
Beth senses your impending climax and shifts gears, her movements becoming more fervent. She slides her fingers in and out of you at a rapid pace, her thumb now pressing down firmly on your clit with each stroke. The change is like throwing gasoline on a fire, your body igniting with need. You tighten your grip on her neck, your nails digging in as you try to hold on, but it's no use.
Her eyes never leave yours, watching your every reaction, gauging your pleasure with a focus that's almost predatory. The water continues to stream down on both of you, mingling with the sweat that coats your skin. The steam in the room thickens, creating a haze that feels like a physical presence, wrapping itself around you, trapping you in this moment of pure, carnality.
The intensity builds, your moans growing louder, echoing off the walls. You're so close, so very close, your body a tightly wound coil ready to snap. And then, with one final, deep thrust of her fingers, that wonderful thing happens. Your orgasm crashes through you like a tidal wave, stealing your breath and making your vision swim near the edges.
You whimper, your nails dig into the skin on her back, drawing blood that washes away with the hot water that cascades down Bethâs back. She welcomes the pain like an old friend. Doesnât complain, doesnât hiss. You wonder if she feels it at all. Her lips whisper soft praises as you come down from your high. She gently withdraws her fingers from your cunt once youâve caught your breath.
You watch her lick your cum clean off her fingers.
You both continue to shower normally.
Afterwards, you each dry off and just lay down on the bed bare naked, staring at one another with your fronts pressed into the mattress.
You reach over to softly caress the scars on the right side of her face with the back of your index finger. âHowâd you get these scars?â
You hum. You drag your fingers to the healed, third degree burn scars on her back. âAnd these?â
You retract your hand. You stare into her eyes. âWhat was he like? Your husband?â You know youâre stepping in dangerous territory.
Beth purses her lips. âMore than I deservedâ She says, smiling a little. âI think he would've liked youâ
You grab a hold of her fingers, fidgeting with them as you take them in. âI met him one timeâ
Her eyes widen. âWhat?â
You hum affirmatively. âAt a grocery storeâ Now, you avert your gaze to her. âHe stepped in when the cashier was being a creep. Stared him down so hard I think the dude actually shit his pantsâ
Beth chuckles, a soft hearty sound. âThat sounds like my Rip. Why didnât you say anything?â
âI didnât want to upset you. The last time I mentioned him, I saw something dark flash in your eyesâ You say honestly. âAnd not in a hot wayâ
âI understandâ Beth says, her hand reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. âI wasnât good to him in the beginning eitherâ
She lets out a regretful sigh.
âHe died because of meâ
âNo, he did. I have so much blood on my hands, Y/N. My mother, assistants and my husbandâ She exhales breathily, shutting her eyes before speaking again. âI donât think itâs ever coming offâ
âThen Iâll learn to embrace itâ You bring her hand up to your mouth. You stare into her eyes as you press a kiss to the back of her hand. âLike I have embraced every other part of youâ
Bethâs heart swells as a smile pulls at her lips. âCan you promise me something, darling?â
âOutlive meâ Her voice breaks a little. The pad of her thumb gently drags across your cheekbone. âI donât have it in me to outlive both loves of my lifeâ
âI promise to outlive you, Beth Duttonâ
âCan I drive your Bentley then?â
Beth chuckles. âNot on your fucking life, babyâ
Her lips meet yours to silence you when you open your mouth. Yeah. You can get used to this.