Page 223 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

Briar glares at me, and I laugh as Prince Charming gains a little.

But then Briar looks ahead, and his face goes blank in shock.

“Indi, stop!” he yells, his reins tightening instantly.

I’m a little slower to react, because I think he’s pulling my fucking leg. So when I do face forward and realize Prince Charming is galloping straight for the fence that surrounds the massive stretch of grassy knolls we’ve been riding around on, jerking back on my reins isn’t good enough.

I dig my knees into his ribs, but even that only seems to encourage him. When I pull on the reins, but he pulls right back.

Fuck! He’s got the bit in his teeth!

How the fuck did I manage to piss off this Prince too?

“Indi, stop!”

“Can’t!” I yell back. “He’s got the fucking bit.”

And just like that, Briar’s not in my line of sight anymore. It’s just me racing for a very high, very intimidating fence.

Fuck, fuck,fuck!

I hunker down, throw my arms around Prince Charming’s neck and cling to him with aching thighs as I wait for impact.

Briar

Slowing down is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. In a second, Indi is yards away, her chestnut gelding galloping straight for the fence.

I shouldn’t have made such a pretend fuss when she’d chosen that horse. Then she wouldn’t have been so stubborn and stuck with her choice.

All because of his name?

Prince Charming is a show horse. He’s been teaching the kids at Lavish how to show jump for the past two years, if not longer.

And he’s a competitive prick. You know all that shit about short dick syndrome? Well, they cut his dick off. Imagine how that shit messes with your personality?

But if I don’t stop, if I keep pace, he’ll keep accelerating. As it is, he seems to be slowing down a little, but I can sense he has no notion of missing that jump.

It’s a fucking high jump. Not so much for Prince fucking Charming, but for a little thing like Indi, who’s never jumped before…?

Fuck this. I can’t just sit here.

“Ha!” I urge my mare into another gallop, despite her whinny of complaint. She’s one of Lavish’s best racers, but even she has her limits. She needs a cool down right now, not more galloping. But if Indi doesn’t make that jump…if she does something to unbalance Prince Charming…

“Ha!”

Faster.

Faster!

Chapter Twelve

Indi

I’m holding onto my gelding so tight I can barely breathe. I wish I could close my eyes but they just keep popping open, fixating on the hooves flashing under me.

I guess I fucked with the universe’s plan for me; I should have been home that night Mom was killed. Karma’s decided to right a wrong, and tax me for my stolen days on this earth. I get that. I understand. But it can’t expect me to like it, for fuck’s sake.

Everyone fights in their last moment of clarity. Even those that decide they’ve been dealt a shit hand and fold. Goes to show how much of the animal is still left in us.

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