The Paralyzed Dream (COMPLETED)

Chapter Fifteen

      "Do you want to watch another movie, or just sit here and talk?" Slade asked Lacey that night; he ran a finger up and down her arm as he smiled down at her. They were sitting in his bed with their backs against the headboard watching a movie. The only television that Slade had in his loft apartment was the one in the bedroom. His reason for that, as he told Lacey, was because he likes to watch the news and weather before going to bed, and that's easiest to do while in bed so he could watch it until he falls asleep.

     Looking at the clock, Lacey saw that it was after 11pm. As tired as she was, she wasn't ready to go to bed yet. "I'm good with just talkin', if that's okay. Although, to be honest..." Lacey had tried holding it back, but couldn't help herself as a yawn escaped her lips. "I'm pretty wiped out."

     With a chuckle, Slade pulled Lacey closer to him, placing a kiss on top of her head. "What would you like to talk about?" He asked Lacey, looking at her all curled up on his chest, using one of her hands as a pillow.

     "I don't care, as long as I get to spend time with you." Lacey smiled up at her boyfriend.

      "Okay, well, when did you start riding horses?" Slade asked his first question.

     Taking in a deep breath, Lacey said, "I started riding horses before I could walk-my parents used to take me on long rides till I would fall asleep, and I entered my first rodeo when I was only seven. Everyone said that I was a natural, and almost immediately I started winning almost every event that I entered." Lacey's voice got a little sad as she thought about her rodeo days and how she had come to realize that she really did miss it. "I was the one person that everyone wanted to beat." After she said this, She grabbed Slade's hand that was resting on his stomach and intertwined their fingers.

      Tracing a line up and down her spine, Slade asked something that he knew the answer to, but still asked. "Why'd you stop?" His voice came out quieter than he expected. He knew it wasn't helping Lacey to hold it in; she needed to talk about her accident.

      Slade could feel Lacey shift slightly, her jaw clenching against his chest. Seeing her upset made him wonder if it was the wrong time to ask the question, but they had never talked about her accident. Everything he knew he had heard from other people; now, he wanted to hear it from the source herself.

      "I had a barrel racing accident." Lacey let out a breath, running a finger over Slade's scar on his forearm. He might never know how much she didn't like talking about her accident, but feeling his scars reminded her that he understood more than she gave him credit for. Just like herself, Slade had scars that went deeper than skin.

      Nodding, Slade noticed Lacey's hesitancy to continue the story. "You don't have to explain if you don't want to, Lace, I understand."

      Pulling back from Slade, Lacey pushed herself up more so she was sitting more upright, able to see Slade better. Slade's arm remained tight around her, giving her comfort, and Lacey grabbed his hand again, not wanting him to be far from her. "No, it's fine. It would probably do me good to talk about it." Taking a deep breath, Lacey pressed on, "I had just graduated high school, and I was running in a championship rodeo that summer. If I had won, I would have moved on to Nationals, and I was the last person to run. Everything about my run was clean and perfect. I had the quickest time of anyone that night. I was about to win by a good margin, but..." Lacey swallowed and shut her eyes tight, pushing away the feeling she got whenever she thought about her accident. Feeling a hand slide around her waist, followed with a kiss on top of her head, Lacey opened her eyes, having the strength to continue. "I looked over my shoulder to see my time and when I looked back, just before I left the arena, I felt Smokey jolt between my legs. We don't know how it happened, but we think he either lost his footing or saw something that spooked him, and he tried to stop, but couldn't. His legs gave out under him, and I went down with him." Taking a deep breath, Lacey could almost feel her back hurt at the memory. "When I got thrown, my body landed at a 90 degree angle, and Smokey fell on top of me, snapping my back instantly. I don't remember the rest because I was knocked unconscious. That was 4 months ago, and the rest is history." Lacey finished the story just as she felt Slade pull her tighter against him, knowing she needed to be held.