Saudade

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Matt's POV

"I don't think he loves me," Georgia says suddenly in the midst of tacking up Archie.

I pause and look at her. "Who doesn't love you?"

She looks down at her feet. Feeling bad for her, I let go of the girth and go crouch at her level. "Georgia, who doesn't love you?" I ask again, more slowly.

A single tear falls onto her porcelain face. "My daddy," she sniffles.

Taken aback, I ask, "What do you mean your daddy doesn't love you?"

She continues looking at the ground as she speaks, "My daddy doesn't love me because he's never met me. I don't think he wants to meet me. Mommy says it isn't true, that daddy loves me very much, but that daddy had to go away and leave us. I think daddy left because he didn't want me." The tears finally escape her at the end of her sentence. She clings to Archie's neck and I just look at her, heartbroken.

How could her father just leave her? Surely there must be some kind of reasonable explanation. Any guy would be lucky to have her as a daughter.

Searching for the right words to say, I settle for the wise words of Georgia's mother. "I'm positive your daddy loves you. But like your mommy said, he had to go away for a little while. Now you have Nate, he seems like a good father figure."

She turns to look at me with her tear stained face. She sniffles again, "I like Nate and I think Nate likes me. But I hear him yell at mommy a lot, I don't like it. He scares me. He says a lot of mean words to her and I think he hit her once. They didn't know I was there, I was hiding under the table, and he was screaming at her, calling her a 'whore', whatever that means, and telling her she was worthless. My mommy isn't worthless. Well, anyways, she asked him to keep it down so I wouldn't hear and that's when he hit her, still screaming at her. He hit her several more times after that until she fell to the ground."

Hearing her speak, made my already broken heart, break even more. I didn't know what I could do to help. That was a bad situation for her to go home to. I knew there was something about that man that I didn't like, now I know why.

"Georgia," I say in a serious tone, catching her attention immediately, "I promise, that I will help both you and your mommy out."

She looks up at me with hopeful eyes, "You really mean that?"

I smile at her, "I really mean that."

Before I knew what was going on, she rushes towards me and wraps her little arms around me. After getting over the initial shock of what she is doing, I wrap my arms around her. This action was so unnatural to me now. I hadn't hugged anyone since Scarlett, not even my mother, since I never see her anymore. But Georgia's hug brought tears to my eyes.

Releasing me, she looks up, a smile now on display with her tear stained face. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"Now go get on. Alicia will meet you in the outdoor ring. I have an email to send." I smile at her. She just nods and leads Archie to the outdoor arena.

I tell Alicia to teach Georgia's lesson, on my way to the office. After clearing everyone out of the office, I lock the door and settle down in front of my computer.

I spend a few minutes looking for the email address, before I find it. Hurriedly, I type out the message.

Leaning back in my seat, I look over the message to make sure it sounded like something that would make her have to come out.

Ms. Hanks-

Your presence at the barn is needed immediately. Georgia had a terrible fall and we need you to come out and decide what course of action you want for her.

-Matt

Deciding it was good, I press send.

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Scarlett's POV

The minute I wake up, my gaze locks onto the engagement ring. I sigh, what have I done?

Being proposed to, it should be something sweet and romantic and the afterwards should be happy and blissful. That wasn't the case with our engagement. I said yes, it would be a death wish if I had said no. But when we got home, Nate immediately slapped me and punched me, saying I made him look like a fool because I hesitated too long in saying "yes". I had only hesitated a few seconds.

Thankfully, Nate had left for a business meeting in Miami today, so he wouldn't be getting home till early tomorrow. Hopefully it goes well, since when it doesn't I get blamed for and beaten, and when it does, I get flowers.

Pushing myself into sitting position, I reach for my phone, cringing as I do so. I look through my emails and I click on one that didn't look familiar.

The phone drops onto the bed after I read it.

Ms. Hanks-

Your presence at the barn is needed immediately. Georgia had a terrible fall and we need you to come out and decide what course of action you want for her.

-Matt

I spring out of the bed and put on jeans, a T-shirt, and Sperry's. I don't bother with makeup, but I throw my hair up into a messy bun.

Grabbing the car keys, I rush out to the car and jump in, not giving Nate's threat a second thought.

I speed to the barn, following Google Maps. Entering the gates, I slow down, to not spook any horses.

Finding an empty parking spot, I jump out and head into the barn. I speed walk down the aisle way, looking for someone.

Spotting the outdoor arena, I quicken my pace, determined on getting there. That is, until something caught my eye.

I come to a dead stop and slowly turn to face it. "Snoozer?" I gasp. I walk slowly towards the dark bay horse. His ears immediately perk up at the sound of my voice, and he puts his head over the stall door.

"Oh my god...it really is you," I say disbelieving. This was my horse from my teenage years of riding. Tears spring into my eyes.

That's when I heard the voice. "Scarlett?"

I spin around. Nothing could prepare me for the sight I saw. It was like I couldn't breathe, everything was caving in on me.

"Matt?"