Faithless

Chapter Thirty Five

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"Aspire to inspire, before you expire."  - Eugene Bell Jr.

Dedication: UnsteadyCreatures for the amazing cover! Thank you!

Recap:

"Thanks Jayden," I murmured.

I dialled dad's number and he answered on the second ring, much to my relief.

It kind of felt good that I got back at Xavier. I moved on.

But the worst part? After all this, I still want Xavier back.

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"Morning!" My manager chirped as I dragged my feet.

"Morning," I mumbled back.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the horse smell I had grown accustomed to. Ditching my bag in the locker room, I punched in and checked over the list. There was a lot to do, as usual. I hadn't been in for a few days and Bec had been sick. We'd been short staffed and now we all had to pick up the slack.

I'm glad that there's a lot to do. It will keep me distracted from Xavier and the absolute mess I made the other night at the party.

I set to work and tried to get through everything. I thoroughly cleaned the stables, I re-filled the water, I made up the night feed early and I prepared the hay. I leaned back on the pole, taking a swig of water, feeling quite accomplished.

"Nice job," Oliver commented. "Record time today."

I gave him a slightly breathless grin.

"Hey, do you want to go for a ride today if I need you to? I've got Dallas working with a young girl but I've just had someone else request a ride and she's my only rider in today."

I shrugged. "Sure. Just a trail?"

"Yeah, is that cool?"

I nodded. He grinned and disappeared out the back, to go get the horses prepared. I still felt breathless, so I hung back and continued to drink my water. I let my eyes close as I listened to the soft clips of the horse's shoes clunking on the cement. I took time to listen to the hurried footsteps of the other workers. I heard the birds chirping in the trees and the water pump going.

It was such a nice day. I lived in a beautiful town. I shouldn't be so down on something as petty as a boy. I should be out enjoying myself and the world around me.

Pushing off the wooden pole, I propelled myself out through the doorway. Just as I walked through, the door swung shut from a gust of wind, effectively smacking me straight in the face. With a loud yelp, I fell back painfully, landing on my butt.

I sighed as I lied there, sprawled on the hard cement. I stared up at the large, overarching roof of the barn.

I had tried to be optimistic.

The door swung open.

"Er- Faith? Are you okay?"

I blinked up at the ceiling, vaguely recognising that voice.

"Come on," the voice said.

A strong grip wrapped around my wrists and suddenly, I was pulled to my feet. Feeling slightly light headed, I stared at the person in front of me.

"Jayden..." I said slowly, scrunching up my face. "What are you doing here?"

"My sister gets riding lessons."