Page 52 of Buck This
“There’s no way,” he repeated, standing. He paced away and back, like he was uncomfortable in his skin. “I can’t do it.”
“You can and you will.”
“You aren’t listening, Torrey. The world knows what I’ve tried so fucking hard to keep to myself—”
“Good!” she barked, standing.
“Good?”
“Yeah, good. You don’t need that fuckin’ secret poisoning your life. I never had the honor of meeting Teague, but I don’t think he would want you dragging him around like this. Now the world knows.”
“The world knows the fucked-up story Cobalt told them.”
“No.” She handed over her phone, with the screen on the video that would change the course of tonight for him. “Now they know the real stuff.” The tears were streaming, and her bottom lip was trembling, and she couldn’t stop them, but she didn’t care. She was heartbroken for him, but he was not done with life yet. It had to go on.
He watched the first few seconds of the video, and wide-eyed, he looked up at her. She smiled through her tears.
“You…” He swallowed hard, eyes back on the video. “You…”
“I told you. I fixed it for tonight.” She let him finish the video before she closed the distance and held her hand out. The two pennies were sitting on her palm, both on heads for luck. “Don’t fuck it up this time.”
He huffed a breath, and she could feel some of the tension leave him. “I can’t do it,” he whispered.
“You can and you will, do you know why?” she asked.
Eyes softening, he shook his head.
“Because your brother deserves for you to do all the things in life he wanted for you. I saw the videos of him training you. You will go out there tonight, you will look Cobalt dead in the eyes, and you will get whatever is meant for you. Too much has already been taken, Buck. Too much. Everyone knows now, it’s out there, it’s time to hold your head high and be the man Teague would’ve wanted you to be.”
He ran his hand down his facial scruff. “You were supposed to run.”
“It’s not going to happen. You gave me boots,” she teased, straightening out her leg. “I already have a cute outfit on for tonight. I brushed my hair. I got in front of cameras for you. Running won’t happen. I will, however, be right behind you when you buck the shit out of whatever rider draws you.”
“Torrey—”
“Plus, I want my half of the money,” she joked. “I now have a new boot addiction I need to finance. Your fault.”
He huffed a laugh and hung his head, held there for a few seconds, then looked back up at her. “Who has seen this?” he asked, holding up her phone.
“It’s everywhere. Quickdraw and his herd are on it.”
“Quickdraw isn’t pissed?”
“I mean, he’ll probably skin you alive for turning your phone off, but no. He’s worried.”
“About me being kicked out of the event?”
“No,” she said softly. “He’s just worried about you.”
He nodded and swallowed hard. Nodded some more and then grabbed a penny from her palm. He turned and inhaled deep, closed his eyes, then tossed it over his shoulder.
She didn’t know what he’d wished for, and she wouldn’t ask. She wanted his wishes to come true.
She turned and did the same and made the same wish she’d made yesterday…I hope he wins tonight.
When she opened her eyes, he was watching her, his too-bright eyes sparking with intensity. “Will you stay close to me tonight?”
She nodded. “Head up, chest out, Buck This. You’re going to buck as a tribute for your brother tonight. You’re going to show the world what it means to be a Storme.”
