The Eventers Club

Chapter 27:

Evelyn's POV:

One month

That was how much more time of summer was left.

One month

And everything seemed to be spiralling downhill.

After our reserve at PREP, my parents had basically told me that Hugo was openly for sale.

My heart had broken in pieces at those words.

I felt sad and angry at the world

I let myself grow cold with people and barely hung around the barn for more than I had to.

And unfortunately it had cost me dearly.

It had all started after a particularly bad lesson in the morning. I had been riding Navarre and had lost my balance over a jump, ending up on the ground. It was my first fall over a jump in years.

Ashleigh had confronted me after the lesson.

" Are you okay? You seem off today "

" I'm fine... " I muttered.

My tone must've given her a big enough hint as she dropped the subject right away, starting to talk about her plans for the end of summer.

" ...My parents agreed to have my grandma take me in for the school year...in Calgary! Can you believe it! I was looking forward to getting to ride Venus again! Now I may never see her! What if my parents decide to have me live with my grandma until I go to college!? "

I had tried to listen to her...I really did. She was dealing with a lot, but my mind just hadn't been in it that day...

I had ended up staying silent, creating an awkwardness between us that hadn't happened since the beginning of summer, before we had become friends.

She stayed quiet as well, not speaking up until Darla had come around with the list of horses each worker had to exercise that day.

Once Ash had the list in her hands, she had turned to me with a funny look on her face as she shook her head. " I think there's been a mistake...it says I have to ride Hugo today... "

Hearing his name only brought through emotions of anger and sadness that I was tired of feeling for the past month.

I looked down at Navarre's new saddle as I scrubbed it clean.

" Ya...and? " My tone was snippy and clipped and I could see from the corner of my eye that she had been taken aback by it.

" ...Oh, well I just thought that he was a pasture ornament since his 'loving' owner doesn't want to ride him anymore...she's rather move on to the next shiny expensive horse that her parents got her... "

I was taken back by her tone as well, my grip on the cloth I was using to scrub the life out of the saddle tightened until my knuckles turned white. My head shot up and I stared at her.

" Is that what you think is happening here!? " I had snapped at her. " You have no idea how hard it is for me to hear my parents talking to potential buyers for the horse I've grown up riding!? That started my competitive career! "

" You talk a big game, but you haven't even made an effort to fight for Hugo! " For the past month it's been Navarre this and Navarre that! You don't even say hi to Hugo when you pass by his stall anymore! He's miserable without you in his life! "

I bit my lip, trying my best to keep the tears from flowing out of my eyes. Hugo was miserable, but so was I. I had been thinking for the past month, that it was me instead of him, that I wasn't the rider he deserved. That he needed a better rider, a better owner, to make him feel confident and bring him to the potential he was missing out on with me.