Twenty-two

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

I feel emotionally drained.

Going to Sophie's place last night evolved into some impromptu trip down memory lane I wasn't expecting. But it felt good to tell her, to finally come clean about everything.

And I feel good about our decision to pick back up again. Clearly, staying away from her hasn't done shit for my ability to swim properly. Besides, we're not just hooking up now.

We're dating.

Still not sure how I managed that, but I'm not complaining.

I heard her, though, loud and clear. This is temporary, while she helps me with my grades and I get the rest of my life back on track. As soon as I have Ollie, it's over.

It's a trade I can live with, to be honest.

But still, last night was a little hard. Reliving all those memories from my childhood kind of left me feeling hollow. So that explains why there's a bit of an ache in my chest when I wake this morning.

It doesn't explain why there's a pounding in my head, though.

I stare at my ceiling, wondering if I'll be able to fall back asleep and get another few hours, but it seems unlikely.

The pounding intensifies, but it sounds far away, almost removed from myself. Wait... Maybe it isn't in my head after all.

I sit up, straining my ears.

Was that the front door?

I stumble out of bed, opening my bedroom door, and the pounding or knocking becomes clearer. Who the hell shows up at his hour?

Well, the answer to that question is waiting in the hallway.

"Sophie?" I ask, yawning. "It's six in the morning."

"Yeah, but your practice isn't for another two hours, right?"

I nod, scratching my chest, which is when I realize that I'm only wearing a pair of boxers. "I usually sleep in a bit on Saturdays, though."

"But you're up now," she says, sounding ridiculously awake for this early in the morning.

"Right... What are you doing here?" I'm too tired to point out that this is way before sundown. But maybe now that we're dating, we can see each other whenever...

"I'm taking you somewhere," she answers, completely cryptic, which fits, but I'm too tired for the mind games.

"I have practice at eight." I feel the need to repeat that for some reason.

She nods. "I'll have you back before that." She takes a deep breath. "You wanted to get to know me, so I want to show you something."

Oh.

That still doesn't clear anything up, but I'm not about to say no to the chance to learn just a little bit more about Sophie Brooks.

"I'll get dressed," I say, already turning towards my bedroom.

"Dress warmly!" she yells after me.

Ten minutes later, I'm following Sophie out of the building and slipping into the passenger seat of her car.

The cool morning air finally seems to lift some of the haze on my brain, and I feel a lot more focused now, which is probably why it took me so long to realize that Sophie looks different.

I've learned that when she's working, her hair is always up in a bun, and she wears those silk shirts and black skirt things. And heels. Can't forget about the heels. Her make-up is usually also a bit more discreet, with like soft colors for her lipstick and shit.

But when she isn't working or at home, her getup tends to be a lot fancier. Her long, shiny hair hanging loose, tight and low cut clothes that test my sanity, and red lips.

Now, however, she looks quite different. First of all, her face is bare. It makes her look both younger and older at the same time. More innocent but less carefree. Like a young woman who has seen more than her fair share of what the world has to offer.

Secondly, her hair is braided down her back - silky, purple strands woven in and out of each other.

And apparently, she took her own advice and put on some warm clothes. A puffy jacket that shows no kind of figure and sturdy pants. When I look lower, I notice a pair of boots, and not the fancy, platform kind, but honest to god boots.

Sophie has already started the car and left campus as I make these observations. If she notices me side-eyeing her, she isn't letting on.

"Fie... Where are you taking me?"

Maybe we are going to rob that bank after all.

She glances over at me, and the expression on her face takes me by surprise. The mask she always wears slips slightly, and I can see it in her eyes. She's nervous.

Her eyes return to the road, and her hands tighten their grip around the wheel. "I'm taking you to meet Max."

Woah.

I had not expected that.

I'd kinda given up on ever finding out who Max is. I believed her when she said they weren't married, so part of me had just accepted that I didn't need to know.

But I don't try to argue. Sophie is voluntarily - at least mostly voluntarily - going to tell me something about herself. And if that's the mystery of Max, then fine by me.

I lean back in my seat, nodding.

Neither of us talks for the rest of the ride. We leave the city, and I wonder exactly how far she's planning for us to go since I have to be back on campus soon enough, but it's not long before we drive up a small road towards what looks an awful lot like a ranch.

Maybe Max works here?

She parks the car, sitting so still in her seat that it barely looks like she's breathing. Her eyes are trained on the building in front of us, but she doesn't seem to see anything.

I'm just about to ask her if she's okay when suddenly, her head jerks towards me, her eyes zoning in on me. She takes a deep breath. "Okay, let's go."

I don't ask questions; I just get out of the car and follow her between the big buildings, waiting for a second as she dips inside one of them and emerges with a rope in her hand. It's eerily quiet, no one else seems to be around. This doesn't seem to surprise Sophie. She walks purposefully until we reach a field.

It's prettyย pictures. Dew clinging to the grass, birds chirping in the distance, the first rays of sunshine illuminating everything in a soft golden glow.ย 

I watch as Sophie approaches the fence, bending at the waist, and in one agile movement, she's swung herself between the two wires and is standing on the other side, gesturing at the fence as if saying, 'just do that, Jay.'

I don't know how she did that, but presuming that there's electricity in those wires, I'm not about to follow her. I raise a skeptical eyebrow.

The silence between us hangs heavy in the air, and I don't feel like breaking it to tell her that I'm afraid of getting electrocuted.

Thankfully she seems to understand, a small smile playing on her lips as she goes to remove the wire at the pole, letting me pass unscathed.

I awkwardly hover at the fence while Sophie walks father into the field. Then she glances at me over her shoulder, an unfamiliar look on her face, before she turns back around and whistles.

And then I hear it. Something huge pounding against the ground. Listen, I'm not stupid. I didn't think she brought me out here to pick flowers, but still, I hadn't quite imagined the sight that meet me. From around the bend of the field, a large, brown horse comes barreling toward us. I get an urgent desire to run in the other direction, but Sophie just stands still, unaffected, as the creature of doom races towards her.

Shit.

The animal finally slows down a few feet in front of Sophie, and she walks forwards, putting her forehead against its large ass head, stroking its neck. The horse seems to enjoy it.

Or at least it doesn't trample her. So that seems like a good sign.

Sophie steps back before looking at me with something akin to a shy smile that makes those two little dimples pop out. "This is Max."

Max.

This is the guy I've been jealous of this whole time? I try to think back to the things that have been said about Max over the past few months, trying to remember if anyone ever specified that we were talking about a human male. I don't think so. All Jen said was, 'There is one guy who has Sophie's heart. And it's not you.'

I take a small step back, try to make it look like I'm admiring the big beast, and lean down a little to the side so I get a better look at it.

Yup. Definitely a guy.

Holy hell.

"Uhm... hi," I say, like an idiot, looking frightfully at the animal.

"You can pet him, you know," Sophie says with a teasing grin.

There's something different about her. From the second she touched the brute, all the tension in her shoulders disappeared. She looks more relaxed and happy than I have ever seen her. Her eyes light up, and her dimples are ever-present. Her gaze flickers back to the horse, and a soft smile spreads on her face, so much affection in her eyes that I almost feel the need to look away. I have never seen her look at anyone that way, not even Jen.

Certainly not me.

Fuck. Am I jealous of a horse now?

That's a new level of pathetic. Get it together, Jay.

Sophie coaxes me forward, and with gentle encouragement, she instructs me on how to hold my hand up to the horse's mouth or nose, I don't know, and wait while it appraises me with big, oddly expressive eyes. Eventually, after several fearful seconds, as I just wait for it to bite my fingers off, it slowly puffs my hand with its mouth.

I'm surprised by how soft it is. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that this is the first time I'm this close to a horse, let alone touching one.

Sophie smiles, showing me how to stroke the horse's neck in long, soft sweeps. Our eyes connect over the horse's back, and it's like a whole new Sophie. One I didn't even know existed, and I wonder if this version of her is more willing to open up, so as we continue our gentle petting, I take a chance.

"When did you get him?" I ask quietly, gouging her reaction, checking for signs that she's about to flee.

I mean, so far, the horse seems pretty tame, but I have no idea what I would do if she left me alone with it.

Freak out, probably.

But Sophie just takes a deep breath, getting a faraway look in her eyes as she leans her arms over its tall back. "He was a gift from my parents for my twelfth birthday."

That's the first time she's ever mentioned her parents. I nod slowly. "Oh, that was nice of them."

"Yeah, it was," she says, her tone careful like she's obstructing some emotion. "I used to be disappointed that he was a boy... I wanted a girl."

"A girl horse? Isn't there a name for that?" My terminology surrounding horses, or really any type of animal, is pretty sparse.

"A mare." Her mouth twitches in amusement, though a slight crease appears between her brows. "But no. I mean yes, but not really."

"I'm not following," I admit, more than a little confused about what she's saying. I've taken a step back to focus on her face instead of whether or not one of those giant hooves is about to break my foot.

Sophie glances over at me. "Every little girl wants a little girl, you know?"

I really, really don't.

"You're not disappointed anymore?"

She shakes her head ever so slightly. "No."

I frown, wondering what changed but also sensing that my question time might be coming to an end. "Why not?"

At this, Sophie breaks eye contact, something like sadness flashing over her face before she bends to pick up the rope at her feet. As she straightens, she wears an unreadable expression. "Things change."

๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ

With the horse - Max - in tow, Sophie leads me towards the big stable building.

"Where is everyone?" I ask her, glancing around. This place is enormous, and as we enter the barn, I see more horses in the stalls.

"Most people get here a little later on the weekends. I like being early and having the place to myself," she answers as she ties the rope through a ring on the side of one of the stalls, securing the horse.

I nod, not really surprised that Sophie would prefer the solitude.

"Who owns this place?" I ask, watching her as she gets out some brushes from a box and begins grooming the horse.

"An elderly couple," she says absentmindedly, all her focus on the horse, her movements precise. It looks like a well-rehearsed routine. Like she's done this a million times, and suddenly it feels like I'm imposing on something private.

Sophie kept Max's identity secret from me for months.

I doubt it was just for the sake of being mysterious.

And I don't think she often brings people here.

I clear my throat, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. "How often do you come here?"

"Every Saturday," she answers, bending down to coax the horse to lift its hoof, sticking some small device with a metal hook at the end into the hoof's underside.

I almost rush forward to stop her because that looks really painful. Is she aware that the creature could kill her at any second?

But the horse just stands still, seemingly unaffected, and I watch as she removes clumps of dirt from inside the hoof, revealing something that looks like a smooth bone.

She straightens up, catching me watching, and a teasing glint appears in her eyes. "Wanna try?" she asks, extending the small tool that still looks like a torture device towards me.

I put my palms up, shaking my head. "Nope." I keep shaking my head, taking a step back. "No, no, nope."

There's no way in hell I'm putting myself in such a vulnerable position besides such a large beast to do something that may or may not hurt the damn thing.

I would like to survive today, thank you very much.

Sophie laughs but doesn't prod more, just moving on to repeat the treatment on the other hooves. When she's done, she lets out a content sigh and then disappears into a side room down the hall.

The horse lifts its giant head, slowly blinking, regarding me.

I give it a nervous smile.

Sophie appears again, carrying something big and unshapely, and it's not until she slings it over the horse's back that alarms start going off in my head.

"What are you doing?" I ask, my voice rising an octave.

"I'm saddling my horse..." She looks over at me, lifting an eyebrow.

That's what I was afraid of. "Right," I say, scratching my eyebrow. "Why exactly?"

"So he's easier to ride?"

"I thought we were just gonna pet it or something."

She lets out an exasperated breath. "Horses need exercise, Jay."

"Sure, it's just, that you're so small, and it's kinda huge." I gesture at it like she doesn't know exactly how huge it is, standing right beside it. I know Sophie is tall, but she's thin and lean, and I don't doubt a fall from that height could snap her in half.

A smirk tugs at her lips as she leisurely crosses her arms over her chest, looking straight at me. "Who said anything about me being the one to ride him?"

"What?" It's a squeak. Under normal circumstances, I would be embarrassed, but right now, it's hard to feel anything but sheer panic. I glance behind me like I'm hoping some perky ranch hand will jump out, making jazz hands, but we're just as alone as we've been all morning. Slowly, I turn my head back to Sophie, lifting a hand to point at myself. "Me?"

She rolls her eyes. "Jay, you're a world-class athlete, this should be a walk in the park."

"I do water, Fie," I point out, eyeing the big beast with apprehension. "I'm barely coordinated as it is on land; now you want me clinging to a moving animal?"

"It's horseback riding, Jayden. Not rocket science."

"Might as well be."

"I will be right there." Her voice becomes more soothing, encouraging, and her face has softened slightly. When she smiles, those dimples pop out, and I'm powerless before her.

"Yeah?" I sigh, already aware that I would do anything for her when she looks at me like that.

Her smile amps up a bit, and I accept my fate. "Promise."

๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Okay, this isn't that bad. I'll be fine. Just don't look down.

Sophie tugs on the rope, causing the horse to take a step forward.

"Fucking shit, I'm gonna die."

I pull on the reins that Sophie had meticulously shown me how to hold, and the horse almost raises on its hind legs in protest.

"Relax, Jay," Sophie says, reaching up to pry my fingers apart, so she can help me loosen the reins again. "I got him, okay? You just sit there and look pretty."

I try looking offended, but I'm not sure it obstructs the fear that must be all over my face. "Just go slow, okay?"

She smiles, bringing one of my stiff hands to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to it.

Instantly I relax, becoming a freaking soft noodle, and I don't even flinch when the animal moves again, only focusing on my hand, the skin still tingling from the gentle pressure of her mouth. The casual sign of affection makes me feel warm all over.

Maybe I should be embarrassed to be led around the fenced riding arena this way, but all I can feel is relief that I'm not tasked with restraining the horse and instead can focus all my energy on not falling off as the muscular back shifts underneath me with each step.

Sophie looks up at me. "You can stop looking terrified, Jay. It's supposed to be fun."

And despite being afraid I might be thrown off and die any second, and despite never having any desire to repeat this, when I look into her eyes, wide and golden and unguarded, I can't help but smile.

I don't care what precarious positions she puts me in; being with Sophie will always be fun.

๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ

It's only ten minutes past eight when Sophie parks outside the Canham Natatorium, and honestly, I had expected to be more late.

I look over at her again. Her body is turned towards me, and all the walls and masks I'm used to are momentarily gone. She just looks content and happy.

"Thanks for coming with me," she says quietly.

"Thank you for trusting me," I answer.

Because there is no doubt in my mind. Bringing me there today was a giant declaration of trust. It would have been much easier for her to refuse my demand yesterday, to throw everything between us away instead. But she didn't.

That has to count for something.

I lean over, capturing her lips, feeling oddly giddy that I get to kiss her whenever I like, without it being foreplay for anything.

She returns the kiss, cupping my jaw with her soft hand, and god, I wish I didn't have to go swimming. But I'm already late.

So, reluctantly I sit back, pick up my jacket from the floor and exit the car. I lean down to look at her; one hand braced against the top of the door. "You got work tonight?"

She shakes her head. "Weekend off."

I nod, biting my lip. "Be ready at seven."

"What?" she asks, her head jerking in surprise.

"I'm taking you out."

"Jay-"

I hold up a hand, stopping her. "Hey, Trouble, we're dating now. I'm allowed to take you out; those are the rules." I smirk as her face scrunches.

"Where will you take me?" Her voice is smaller than normal, and she looks weirdly vulnerable. Like the whole concept of dating is new to

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net