Page 70 of Promise You Forever

Twenty-Seven

ELI

The finality of my situation hits me as I exit out of the computer program we use at work for the last time. I just submitted all my work. Closed all my files. Transferred projects over to my co-workers. I’m not sad, but it does feel bittersweet to take this step.

I’ve never been good with the unknown, I like order and knowing what’s coming. But nothing about the past three months has been predictable. Every day is wildly different from the one before.

“Charlie, outside?” I ask as if I don’t already know she’s always ready to go out.

She follows along beside me, paws clicking on the hardwood until we get to the back door. I trained her to sit while she waits for me to put my shoes and coat on because the entryway to our apartment in LA was crowded and she nearly knocked me overa few times. Now she sits without being prompted like a sweet little angel.

After I’m all bundled up for the walk back to the stable, I give her the release command, and she takes off running into the yard. She runs and sniffs until she finds the perfect spot to do her business while keeping an eye on me. It’s so cold outside, but the sky is a brilliant blue today. Not a single cloud in the sky while piles of snow line the drive, leading back to the barns and stable.

I haven’t been too in the holiday spirit this year, but all the snow almost makes me want to drag out the holiday decor, or at least the Christmas tree. Just to add a little cheer to the house. Maybe I’ll do a little Christmas shopping while I’m in LA even. I gave myself an entire week just to be sure that all my work would be done, but I surprised myself at how quickly I got it all done.

The main door to the stable is open, so I assume I’ll find at least one of the guys in there. Charlie runs in ahead of me, announcing my arrival before I even set foot inside. I follow the sound of their voices back to the arena where they have Sky out, so she can stretch her legs and roll around.

“Hey,” I say as I join them at the fence.

“Hi, boss.” Colt gives me a grin.

“Coming to crack the whip on us?” Sam asks.

“I’ll leave that to Janey.”

“Always so quick to fire back.”

“You always set me up so nice.” I nod my head toward the mare prancing around. “How’s her hoof doing?”

“Better. If it wasn’t half frozen outside, we could let her out in the pasture, but it’s not worth the risk. Especially while she’s pregnant.”

“When is she due again?”

“End of January. You excited about your first foal?”

“Little excited, little nervous.” I’m so far beyond my comfort zone with this part of ranching.

“Luke knows what he’s doing. It’ll all be fine. Plus, the vet is just a call away.”

“Speaking of Luke, I need to go look for some paperwork on his desk. Let me know if you need help with anything.”

I leave them to it and walk down to the tack room and Luke’s makeshift office. We could probably renovate the space, make it a little nicer than the glorified closet that it is. He keeps his desk as tidy as he keeps his living space which should make finding everything easier.

I’m flipping through the alphabetized folders in his desk until I come across the one that should have the forms. A quick scan of the contents later, and I have exactly what I need. When I go to put the file back, another catches my eye.

Sunrise Scholarship Fund.

Blood roars in my ears as I pull the file out. It can’t be. This cannot be the same scholarship fund that covered everything aside from my tuition the last year and a half of my college career.

He wouldn’t have done this, right? Not without at least telling me.

My stomach drops to the floor as I open the file and see a list of all payments made to me over the eighteen-month period. There’s nothing else, no incriminating evidence of him following my movements or anything, but I feel violated, nonetheless.

All this time I thought that I had done it on my own. I struck out away from my cold, controlling parents and became an independent woman. Or so I thought. Turns out I was nothing more than what amounts to being a kept woman.

I think back to how weird I thought it was that I was given a scholarship I didn’t remember applying for, but in my excitement, I brushed it off. How could I be so dumb?

Time passes by, but I'm stuck sitting in his chair as I replay everything from the moment I was informed of the scholarship. He and I were actively sleeping together back then. He kept this from me for so long. Why would he lie?

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