Beneath the Willow Tree

Chapter 22 Our Lovely Little Hiding Places

(Melody's POV)

When we finally woke up completely and got dressed, Oliver drug me out of the house and down to the barn. it was freezing cold and even with a jacket on my body felt the need to shiver every minute and a half.

Snow covered everything making the pasture and barn an encasement of endless white--which would have been beautiful if I wasn't freezing my ass off.

Oliver looked down at me,(he had grown in the past two and a half months which was crazy) "It's not that cold." He teased.

I ignored him and huffed out a cloud of steam that fogged my vision for a moment, "So," I said, "how much do you even weigh?"

He looked at me skeptically for a moment, "115 pounds, why?"

"Holy shit, you weight less than me. And because I thought that you had to be less than 110 to race." Great, even my boyfriend weighs less than me.

"I faked my weight for the last one, I am just going to exercise horses for other people to ride. I also got a text yesterday saying that they want me to train horses?" His last sentence was a question more than a statement.

"Why? I thought that race was to find jockeys, riders, moneymakers." I rubbed my fingers together for emphasis on the word "moneymakers".

"Jackson said it was because he knew my mother that he even took a second look at my name before the race, but since he knew that I lied about my weight, he would give me a job as a trainer. The only catch being that for college I go to Kentucky--which was already in my plans--and work for him." Oliver said, "He said that I was the youngest one there and had the most potential." He shrugged at the last statement and grabbed my hand.

I tried to look everywhere but at him, "Oh, well, you said that they were going to send you horses to train, right? That means you're going to be making pretty good money." I tried to sound hopeful, but failed miserably.

"Yeah, to be honest I was actually thinking about starting my own little equestrian centre after I had enough money." For a few seconds he was quiet, "It was just a thought though..."

"Sounds like a great idea to me." I squeezed his hand and tried not to think about the fact that in a little over a year he would be gone.

But, of course, a lot can change in a year. I found that out quick, in many, many different scenarios.

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(Chase's POV)
For the most part I had spent all morning with Lilith, and, no, we weren't dating. At least, I didn't think we were.

Nothing had happened since I had made the stupid choice of kissing her on New Years, and when I tried to bring it up she tried to change the subject. I guess it made her uncomfortable. That mixed with the fact that every time I turned around, she was eye-fucking that Mathew guy that Melody hates.

My phone pinged and I looked down. Pretty much the only way for us to communicate was for me to talk and her to text me her reply or just type it out and show it to me.

You've been spacing out for a while now, are you okay?

"Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking." I said. I hadn't realised that I had been spacing out.

About what?

"Oh, you know, stuff..."

What kind of stuff?

Oh, I don't know, like why you rejected me? "Stuff stuff." I said, shoving my hands into my hoodie pocket.

She glared at me, but sighed in the quiet, cute way she did when she was frustrated, and backed up slightly.