No Longer Are We Free

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter twenty eight ~ edited

It had been a week since Stacy and her mother found out about me. Since we freed the herd. And since I said goodbye to my friends.

I walked over to Midnight with my head hung low. I nickered when I got to him.

"Hey," I said softly.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked. I kept my head low.

"I want to talk to you, privately" he nodded his head and we trotted away from the herd. We stopped by a river. It was calm and flowed gently. Midnight looked at me. "Um, I want to go back home. To see my family." I looked away.

"Fire-"

"I don't want to fight you on this. Please, I need to see my family."

"Look," I looked at him again. "I won't go back. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But I know how much you want to go home. So, could you tell mum and dad about Emily?"

"Yeah. Of course I will."

We shifted back and hugged. It felt like the hug went on forever.

This was our goodbye.

My chest ached. I always liked him. We went through so much. And now, it ends here. I leave and he lets me go. No, I didn't like him. It was more then that. I loved him. God. I loved him. I started crying. Seth pulled back and cupped my face, wiping away a few of my tears.

"You go that way, you should get there in about a day." He said, pointing across the river.

I didn't want to say goodbye.

No here,

Not now,

Not yet.

"Why don't you come home with me?" I asked in a small voice. "I hate goodbyes."

He gave me a small smile, looking into my eyes. "I was kicked out remember? I can't go back. Besides, it will be too hard going back without Em."

"So, you're staying here? For good?" I asked. He nodded. I choked out a sob. "Will you ever come visit?"

He frowned, "I don't know. Maybe." He said, wiping another lot of tears from under my eyes.

"I'll miss you." I sobbed. He gave me small smile.

"I'll miss you too. Summer," he paused.

"Yeah?" I asked. He leant down and kissed me. It was slow and gentle. I didn't want to stop.

"I love you." He said after he pulled back. "Be safe. Goodbye."

"G-good b-bye." I stuttered. I sniffled. He shifted back into his black horse form. "I love you too." I said tearfully.  He sputtered, shaking out his mane and he walked away, back in the direction of the herd. I listened to the thud-thud-thud of his hooves on the hard ground.

He disappeared and I wiped the tears off my face.

"I love you. I always did." I whispered. I shifted and trotted through the river, cantering when I got out of it.

~*~

It felt like I'd been trotting for ages. I knew I was close to home. My mind kept thinking about everything; going home and seeing my family, and the goodbye with Seth. I heard a growl and my heart began to beat a marathon. Alarm bells were sounded in my head. The panic rushed through my veins and the adrenaline kicked it.