I nodded. "Yeah, because I think coming back from that kind of rumor is harder than most of y'all realize."
"Mhm," Ty said. "But I miss my friends." Then he grabbed his rope and tossed it over his shoulder. "Jake, keep an eye on her today? Austin's pissed. Even with the rides we threw, he still didn't win yesterday."
"Can do," Jake assured him. "Don't do anything stupid?"
"No promises," Ty said before wandering away, leaving me there alone with Jake.
I pulled out my helmet, glove, and tape. Those were put together, just in case I needed them, but for a moment, silence hung between us. Beside me, Jake was doing the same. I wanted to look over and check. I wanted to ask him about Ty, because those two hadn't been friends a few weeks ago. Instead, I focused on organizing my shit.
"He misses you," Jake said softly.
"Good."
"And he's fighting for you, Cody." Jake dropped his own shit down on the top of his bag, then sat beside it. "All three of you, if I'm honest. And since I'm being honest, I'll admit I'm not completely sure how he fits in things."
"He doesn't."
Jake's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a pissed off ex."
Shoving my bag over, I dropped down beside him so I wouldn't need to raise my voice. "Jake, Ty was a sweetie my first weekend. The second, he was sexy. In Cheyenne, he decided he owned me, and I'm not ok with that. Helping me, he said. Since Tanner wasn't around, he tried to tell me."
"Because he was trying to win the girl."
"I'm not here to get ridden," I hissed, wanting to scream that to the world. "How many fucking times do I have to say it? I came here to ride bulls and win money. To earn the prize, not be one! If that means I stay single, then I'm ok with it. I reallyam! But most importantly, I'm not going to be handing out pussy like it's a reward for the bare minimum, ok? That's not how it works!"
"Then how does it work?" His grey eyes watched me knowingly.
"Relationships and bull riding are not related at all. I pick who I fuck because I like them, not because of how they score." That was the safest answer I could give.
Jake just nodded. "I see. And how does Tanner feel about that?"
"He's the one who got picked."
Pressing his lips together, Jake nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. I also just proved something."
"What's that?"
"You, Cody Jennings, areverygood at this." He leaned a bit to bump my shoulder with his. "I know enough to read between the lines. I don't know enough to be sure if I'm reading it right. Either way, one thing keeps coming across loud and clear. You have the media savvy of a veteran rider, the balls of a pro, and the ability to go all the way."
I found myself wanting to smile at that. "Yeah?" And I looked up, meeting his eyes.
His warm, pretty, slate-colored eyes. They should've been the color of a storm, but everything about Jake was much too controlled for that. Instead, concrete was the thing that fit best. This shade was solid, stable, and unflinching - and I liked how it felt to look into those eyes.
But he pulled them away even as a smile took over his lips. "But you're wrong about one thing."
"Do tell."
His eyes found mine again. "You are a prize. Maybe not the kind that can be won, but rather the sort that should be earned.The type of prize a man would hate to let slip through his fingers."
Chapter 23
Not riding felt weird.I'd been doing it long enough I should be used to it, but when Cody left to sign in, I started getting twitchy. Usually, Tanner convinced me to take a hit or two off my vape, saying he'd do the driving, but I'd screwed that shit up yesterday.
I'd been so stoned I was all but useless because I kept hitting that thing. Today, I was leaving it at home. Today, I wanted to have my wits about me. Mostly that was because today, I had a feeling things were either going to be real fucking boring, or way too exciting.
The last thing I needed was to get caught on camera, taking a nap. On the other hand, if shit went down, I would not leave my girl out there to deal with it on her own. Sure, a few of those boys would jump in for her. I knew that. Fuck, Ty would be the first, just because that boy thought with his muscles first, his dick second, and his brains had a way of coming in last. Then there was Jackson, and he idolized Cody for some reason. Not that I was complaining, but it was pretty fucking hard to miss.
But when we finally left the hotel, I realized there was one more reason I needed to not be high as a damned kite today. That reason was crowded up around the entrances with cameras and microphones. Yeah, I was a big fucking celebrity in thesecircles, and Tanner was the whole point of this mess. The moment I saw all the press, I decided they needed to know that, because Donald Merrill didn't have the balls to come after me like he did everyone else.
