Finding Love

Chapter 5: The Bet

The following morning came a little too quickly for my liking. I checked the clock and it read 9:00, which meant that Father had already left for work. I groggily got out of bed before realizing that I had to meet the 2 boys in an hour. A small smile crept on to my face at the thought of seeing them again. I hurriedly took a shower and managed to only stomach an apple, half due to excitement and the other half due to plain nervousness. I'd already planned accompanying them to Brampton the previous night. Perhaps it was desperation to see my mother that was making me naïve enough to make such a decision or maybe I just trusted them too easily. Before I could change my mind, I took the bags I had packed the night before and attached it to my father's horse before clambering on myself. For the journey I'd chosen a white blouse tucked in to a pair of high-waisted pants. I'd fixed my hair in a braid down my back and grabbed a sandwich for eating along the way. Before leaving, I turned back one last time to look at my house. I'd left a letter explaining my disappearance to my father so hopefully he would understand. My father, I thought and swallowed the guilt before it could overcome me. I realized that I really wasn't going to miss the place. It had been my home for 18 years but ever since my mother had left, it just wasn't the same. The last 2 years had just been painful without her and I was going to find a way to fix it. With one last glance, I turned away and set off, not looking back even once.

After about 10 minutes, I came across the clearing where Jack had told me to come to the night before. I could here soft voices in the distance and I realized it was Jack and Michel.

"I don't think she's coming Michel."

"She's definitely coming."

The 2 stepped into the clearing and stopped talking when they saw me. I dismounted the horse carefully and walked towards them. Michel grinned at me before glancing at his brother with his eyebrows raised. Jack sighed and handed him

$5. Michel accepted it with a grin.

"What was that for," I asked.

"My brother and I made a bet on whether you would come or not and he lost," said Michel in a smug voice. Jack muttered something under his breath before going to mount his own horse. I laughed and faced Michel who was watching his brother go, his dark blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

"How did you know I would come," I asked. He turned to face me with an unreadable expression on his face before he leaned in closer and whispered.

"I saw the desperation and the underlying grief in your eyes yesterday. Why do you need to go to Brampton anyway," he asked in a much more serious tone. His blue eyes scanned my face and my breath hitched due to his proximity and how well he'd read my face in a matter of minutes the night before. Were my feelings that transparent? I looked up at him and unconsciously leaned in slightly closer until I could feel the warmth radiating off him. When he realized he wasn't going to get an answer, he leaned forward and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lightly grazing my cheek before turning away from me and mounting his horse. I released a breath I didn't even know I was holding before climbing onto my own.