“I’ll make you a deal,” he pauses before smirking at me. I listen, almost promising anything he asks for. Colter, swift as anything, then turns on his heels and begins to walk away. My brows frowning at his actions his echo sounds around the barn.
“I’ll forgive you, as long as she does,” I throw my head back in frustration but also amusement.
“And how am I meant to get her to forgive me?” I half shout through my hands and Colter laughs shaking his head.
“You’re a smart man, figure it out.” And with that, herounds the large barn door and disappears.
Switching my eyeline back to Stallion and most importantly, my hat, I see the fucker has it in his mouth.
“Fucking brilliant.” I mutter, braving myself to have a wrestling match with the horse who’s decided to hate me but yet love the woman whose heartI smashed into pieces.
And then, it clicks.
Forty
Mabel
Returning back into my house, it’s just the same as I left it on Saturday, almost a week ago.
The flowers Maverick brought me, and Ellie have wilted and died in their vases; another shitty reminder of my suffering.
Having a week of my own thoughts, hidden up in my parents’ house forced me into thinking about what could have been or what could be now. Mavericks face still continues tohaunt me at any given opportunity.
I miss him.
My chest is constantly feeling like my heart is trying to rip out of my cage; it’s becoming painful and hard to bare.
Looking around my home, the place that Maverick’s scent is now all over, I see the places where my memories of him over the last few weeks wander; him starting to open up to me on my porch to carrying me into my bedroom, confused at which room was mine, and how he was so careful with me, gentle and warm.
I really miss him.
Spotting my trusted comfort blanket, I wrap it around my arms tightly against my stomach and hold onto it, smothered in its comfort, half imagining it being Maverick as he walks up behind me, I almost feel his breath along my neck.
Holding my eyes tightly shut, my breathing shallow as I pretend, he’s standing behind me, holding me, I feel the tears once again come.
The heartbreak no longer filled with anger, however grief at the loss of what should have been.
Could still be?
A loud bang on my door pulls me from my trance and back into the firm reality I still find myself in. My eyeline locks firmly on the door as I etch forward towards it, cautious at what might be behind it.
Could Jimmy come back? Yes.
Do I want him to be on the other side of that door? I hope for his sake and his balls that he isn’t.
Opening the front door, I peek outside to see who’d caused the bang moments before. Still wrapped in my comfort blanket, I hold it tighter around my shoulders as I let out a sigh of relief to see no one there.
Breathing through my nose, I open my eyes with my chin still firmly placed on my chest and I notice a note left under a small stone which is keeping it there so the wind couldn’t blow it away.
I lean down and pick up the note, automatically noticing the handwriting on the folded-up piece of paper.
Maverick.
I take another glance around, but seeing he isn’t there I take a step back and close the door, bringing the note with me.
Letting go of the blanket so it falls to my feet, I lock the dead bolt, still staring at the note held in my other hand.
I decide to leave the blanket where it fell and walk towards my kitchen island as I start to unwrap thenote which I’m now discovering is a letter.
