Page 8 of Rewrite Our Story

Every time Linda called to catch up, I could tell she wanted me to come home. If I wasn’t so selfish, I would have. Deep down, I knew I’d always feel hurt, no matter how much time passed. If I would’ve pushed past it I wouldn’t be living with the deep regret I am now, knowing my time with her was cut short.

It takes everything in me to keep the tears welling up in my eyes at bay. Cade just lost his mom. He has every right to be angry with me for not coming home to see her.I’mnot the one who should be crying. I don’t deserve to feel this sad when I never made the effort to come home.

If he notices the war I’m having with my emotions, he doesn’t say anything. In fact, he turns the music up. The old song floating through the speakers takes me back to a memory many years ago.

4

MARE - AGE SIXTEEN

I groanas I try for what feels like the millionth time to wake up my best friend. The tip of my finger jabs into Pippa’s side. Any other person would wake up howling from the pressure.Not Pippa. She lets out the faintest of growls in her sleep and nuzzles even deeper into her pillowcase.

“Pippa, you promised.” Grabbing her hand, I pull with all my might. It’s no use. She sleeps like the dead.

With an aggravated sigh, I let her hand drop to the mattress with athud. When I told her how I wanted to spend the night I turned sixteen, she’d swore she’d stay awake long enough to execute said plans with me.

Pippa is aliar.

Like always, she fell asleep and now I’m left having to decide if I want to cancel how I wanted to spend tonight or if I want to spend it alone.

I stomp to her door, roughly pulling it closed behind me. It’s mostly to make myself feel better. If my pokes and prods for ten minutes didn’t wake her up, then the slam of the door won’t either.

During the entire walk to the stables I plan all the things I’m going to say to Pippa when she wakes up tomorrow morning. I should’ve known better than to trust she’d stay up, but I had hope. When the clock strikes midnight, it’ll be my birthday. My sixteenth. It’s abigdeal. And she’ll be sleeping right through it.

I’m so busy being angry with my best friend that I don’t notice the body coming out of the tack room. I barrel right into him, almost knocking the saddle in his hands to the ground.

“Woah!” Cade calls, balancing the saddle in one hand and using the other to steady me. “You talking to yourself again, Goldie?”

I look up at him, eyes wide when I notice the open button up T-shirt he wears. And what hedoesn’twear underneath it.

God, why does he have to have perfect abs? And why do I want to memorize the feel of them?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I argue, putting my arms over my chest defensively.

His lips twitch as he attempts to fight a smile. It doesn’t work for long. He shows off his perfectly white teeth as he shakes his head at me. “You talk a lot. It’s probably a talent how much you can talk when nobody is listening.”

He takes off, walking out the barn doors. Cade doesn’t leave me many options. I can stand here and go about my night alone, or I can follow him and continue our conversation. It’s really not a decision at all. I’ll take advantage of any extra second I can have with him; especially if it means we’re alone, which doesn’t happen often.

“I really don’t talk that much.” I scurry out the doors, coming to a halt when I notice the two horses tied to the hitching post. My head tilts in confusion. “Are you going for a ride?”

Music blares from the stereo in the tack room. I recognize it as one of Cade’s current favorites. He’s been playing it non-stop. It’s become one of my favorites right along with his.

Cade places the saddle on Tonka’s back.Weird. He normally rides Ranger. Reaching under Tonka’s belly, he fastens the girth before answering me. “No. But I figured you and Pip were for your birthday. I just got back from checking the trails for the night. Figured I’d get the horses ready for your birthday ride.”

My heart flutters. It’s no use fighting it. I know his action doesn’t mean anything. But to me, it meanseverything.

He remembered.

The high only lasts for a few moments before I let out a defeated sigh. “We were supposed to go for one. But she’s asleep. I figured I’d go alone.”

Cade watches me carefully from over Tonka. Normally Pippa rides Tonka and I ride Dolly, which makes sense because those are the two horses he has tied to the post. The only problem is the fact that Pippa is fast asleep in her bed.

“You aren’t riding alone,” he sternly says.

I frown. There’s no way I’m missing this ride. I’m going whether he likes it or not.

“You’re not the boss of me, Cade Jennings.”

“Who else is going to tell you when you’re doing something stupid?” he counters.

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