Chapter 0093


    I gasp air back into my lungs after a moment of real fear when I couldn’t pull any in –


    It aches as it fills me, having been so roughly knocked out of me in the first ce –


    God damnit, I think, shaking a little with the shock of falling off a horse for the first time, of the sudden


    violence that caused it –


    I roll over on the ground, pulling myself to a seated position, pressing my eyes closed as I work to


    steady my breath.


    Someone is there next to me, almost instantly – I feel a hand on my shoulder, a tremulous voice asking


    if I’m okay –


    When I open my eyes, I’m shocked to see it is Kent kneeling next to me, concern written in every line of


    his face.


    “Are you serious?” I shout at him, anger mixing with the fear running through my veins. I brush his hand


    off my shoulder. “We would all be fine if you didn’t rush in here like a crazy person! What the hell –“


    Suddenly, I remember my horse and spin my torso around, looking behind me to see Heathcliff at the


    other side of the arena, looking at us with wide and frightened eyes.


    I push myself to my feet in a moment, heading towards him –


    “Fay,” Kent says behind me, grabbing for my arm. But he’s too slow, and I’m able to pull out of his


    grasp, ring at him over my shoulder as I hurry over to my poor horse.


    Behind him, I can see Jerome starting to stand up as well, a hand on his jaw, looking anxiously


    between us.


    Still, I don’t have time for that. I slow myself as I cross the ring to Heathcliff, knowing that he’ll shy again


    and be further spooked if I run at him in a rage. So, instead, I force myself to adopt a casual stroll,


    talking soft nonsense to him as I approach.


    I see the horse physically rx when he sees how calm I am – or at least, how calm I’m pretending to


    be. When I hold my hand out to him, he stretches his neck forward, pressing his nose into my palm,


    trusting me. I take a moment, then, as I take his reins in my left hand, to stroke his neck and tell him


    how pretty and wonderful he is, hoping to calm him even further.


    But the whole time I’m being nice to my horse, I’m getting angrier and angrier inside.


    Who the hell does Kent Lippert think he is?


    Well, something inside me prompts, the most dangerous man in the city, for one.


    But I quickly dismiss the thought because seriously, who the hell storms into a riding lesson and


    punches the instructor?


    I nce at the two of them, then, and see that they’re standing right where I left them, Kent staring


    worriedly at me. Jerome, though, is anxiously looking at Kent. He could very easily lose his job over


    this, we both know it – just because he put his hand on the wrong girl’s knee.


    But who the hell was Kent to decide who could put their hands on my knees?


    He’s not my fiancé, or my father. He’s just some jerk who thinks he owns me.


    God damnit, but I hate him right now.


    I try to continue keeping my body calm as I walk Heathcliff forward towards the gate at the entrance to


    the arena, which is still standing open. As I pass him, Kent puts out a hand, apology on his face. I know


    that he’s sorry – but not because he hurt me, or Jerome. No, Kent is sorry because he lost the control


    that’s so damn precious to him.


    “Fay,” Kent calls after me, shaking his head, but I ignore him, walking Heathcliff towards the stables.


    I pass Jerome in the same manner, giving him a dirty look as well. He still presses his hand to his face,


    which is expressionless as he watches me pass.


    But he knows better than that, and so do I.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I’m no cowgirl, even if I wanted to be. It’s an impossibility.


    Jerome looks worried, as he goes, and catches my eye, but he doesn’t say a word to me.