Breaking the Reins

by Juliana Haygert

  “Absolutely.”

  “Careful, Eric,” Megan said, leaning into Leo. “Soon, Leonardo is going to steal your spotlight.”

  Eric’s hand tightened on my waist. “We’ll see about that.”

  “Hmm, we should get together some time,” Megan said. “Like a double date.”

  Something like surprise flashed in Leo’s eyes.

  “I didn’t know you two were dating,” Eric said.

  “Me neither,” Leo muttered.

  I pressed my lips together to suppress the laugh bubbling up.

  Apparently, Eric hadn’t heard him either. “With the games the next couple of weeks, it’ll be hard to find a free spot on the calendar. Perhaps after the tournament.”

  “I guess that would be all right.” Megan turned her face to Leo and pouted. If she had been sober, it would have been sort of sexy. Right now, it looked like she was ready to slobber all over. “I guess the two of us will be busy too.”

  A knot adorned Leo’s forehead. He was dancing with her of his own free will. If it bothered him, he wouldn’t have asked her to dance, or accepted it. So why the hell was he frowning?

  The next song began, and it was another pop beat.

  I turned to Eric. “How about we go home now?”

  He kissed my cheek and whispered, “As you wish.” Then he straightened and nodded to Megan and Leo. “Good seeing you both. Together. Leonardo, good luck on the games. Good night.”

  “Good night,” Megan and I said together.

  “Boa noite,” Leo said, his eyes on mine, a gleam I didn’t quite understand in them.

  With his hand still firm on my waist, Eric steered me off the dance floor. We stopped by our table, and I drank the rest of the champagne. It went down smooth, and the soft buzz in the back of my mind spiked for a few moments, instantly calming my nerves.

  On our way out, we bid goodnight to everyone we knew, which accounted for ninety-five percent of the two hundred guests.

  In the end, Eric hadn’t drunk that much and he ended up calling Pete and canceling the ride. As he drove us out of the club and toward his house, my mind went back to the ball.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about Leo and Megan. Dancing. Touching. Kissing? Oh damn. They would sleep together, and next time I went to the club, she would want to tell me all about it. I bet she would even mention their upcoming wedding.

  Leo was right. I was jealous. Insanely so. And that was completely crazy. Like I’d told him, I had no right to be jealous.

  Shutting those thoughts out of my head, I brought one leg under me and turned my body to Eric. He was staring at the road intently.

  I took a deep breath and drank him in. I observed how charming his profile looked in the dark, how his skin was smooth, his face freshly shaved, and his cologne just strong enough that I could get a faint sniff from here. Hmm, it smelled good. It smelled familiar. He looked dashing and strong in his tuxedo, and if he posed beside his super car, he would look like an international model or a famous actor girls swoon over. Then why wasn’t I swooning anymore?

  I closed my eyes, ignoring the buzzing inside my head, and remembered many of our good times. I was twelve and Eric was seventeen when we were first introduced to each other. To him I was a baby, but to me, he was the guy of my dreams. What twelve-year-old wouldn’t be crazy in love with a hot polo player who had the most charming smile in the entire world?

  Then I grew up, and he started doing business with my father. By then, he was talking to me, bumping into me, and I waited for those moments with bated breath. Soon after, he asked me out. He was my first kiss, my first time, and my only on both accounts. I was crazy about him, even more because he was crazy about me. My father was thrilled when we told him we were dating. It felt like Christmas, and I was so proud for choosing someone he liked. We traveled together to Paris, Milan, Venice, Rome, London, Cancun, Vancouver, and so many other places. We went riding together. We talked business, and he was adamant I shouldn’t worry about it. At the time, I’d thought it was flattering, that he wanted to take care of me. It still was, in some way. He took good care of me, gave me gifts every now and then, even when there was no special occasion. He stole kisses and squeezed my hand, and was at my side whenever I needed him.

  Of course, like every relationship there were the not-so-good times. Like when I’d told Eric I was going to live on campus, or the time I’d told him I was moving from campus to the ranch after my grandma died. Or when I insisted in keeping the ranch. But that was normal. No relationship was perfect. We were too different people. Having disagreements was a given. Having disagreements and working them out was what made a relationship strong. I was sure we could do it.

  I opened my eyes as Eric glanced to me. “Why are you smiling?”

  “I’m smiling?”

  “Yes.”

  I leaned my head on the headrest. “I’m thinking about us.”

  He reached out to me and rested his hand on my leg. “Good things, I hope.”

  “Uh-huh,” I mumbled, sleepy and wanting to surrender to the lull of the car.

  He squeezed my leg, and the next thing I knew I was being carried into his house.

  “Go back to sleep,” he whispered, shutting the front door behind us with his foot. “I’ll take care of you.”

  I didn’t fall back to sleep right away, but I felt too heavy to try and help him as he took off my shoes and dress, put on my nightgown, slipped the covers over me, and tucked me into his bed.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, eyes still closed.

  The mattress dipped as he lay beside me. He kissed my temple. “I love you, baby.”

  I wanted to answer him, to tell him I loved him too, but sleep had already taken me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Eric let me sleep until eleven the next morning. I wanted to go home and change before going back to the club, but he insisted that I stay, since I had everything I needed here.

  “I’m going to visit my father at the hospital,” I protested.

  “Baby, he’s probably still under an induced coma. You won’t be able to talk to him. I know you want to be there, but it won’t make much difference right now. Why don’t you call your mother? She’ll let you know how he is.”

  So I called her, and she said exactly what Eric had predicted. There hadn’t been any progress, and my mother sounded exhausted, yawning every two words. She probably stayed there all day and night, staring at the walls and waiting for something to happen. But nothing would happen. Not today at least. Still, guilt filled me for not being there with her. I promised I would spend most of the next day at the hospital, even if all we did was stare at the walls.

  Afterward, Eric went to talk to his mother, and I took a shower and dove into Eric’s closet. Lucky for me, I had a good amount of outfits in here. I chose a red and white dress with a tight waist and slightly flared skirt that went just below my knees. It matched my red pumps and white hat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a cowboy hat, but it was game day and everyone was required to dress their best.

  It was nearly two in the afternoon when Eric pulled the car into the club parking lot. The opening game was at three, and it was the Knight House against a team from South Carolina. Their best player was ranked eleventh in the world. According to Eric, it would be an easy win for his team.

  Inside the club, Eric met with his teammates while I made my way outside. The chairs and bleachers around the field were filling up quickly, especially the spots with shade and umbrellas. I entered the reserved VIP area, a fenced square right next to the field, with cushioned armchairs, side tables, a retractable shade, and waiters.

  Sandra and a couple of other elite members were already there. We greeted each other, and I endured a few minutes of boring conversation before I was able to retreat and sit in an armchair as far away from them as I could.

  It was only when I saw Megan coming from the main house that I realized my insides were a tight bundle of nerves. Oh crap. I so didn’t want to hear wh
at she had to say, because I knew she would want to tell me all about her night with Leo. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but want to know.

  Megan was stopped by Mr. Owens and one of his not-so-direct friends, Mr. Smith. I smirked as she tried to withdraw gracefully from their conversation, which clearly steered into not-so-comfortable zones. Not safe to talk with old perv men, at least.

  I was still grinning when something caught the corner of my eye. Squinting, I turned toward it. Leo and Bia walked past the VIP area, their eyes never wavering from mine. She wore a pretty but not too formal blue dress, and—I held my breath—he was dressed in jeans and a fitted white shirt with long sleeves rolled up to his elbows. How the hell did they let him in dressed like that? Not that it was bad.

  Not at all. Not by a long shot.

  In fact, it looked utterly sexy on him. But there were rules and one of them was clear: no jeans on the premises.

  Bia waved and Leo just stared, his blue-green eyes blank, his expression neutral. Even so, it was as if he was overcrowding me, overwhelming me. Still holding my breath, I nodded in acknowledgment. Instantly, I imagined Leo and Megan together, and I almost gagged.

  They sat with their family on chairs right beside the VIP area. The game had not even started yet, and I was already wishing for its end.

  To distract myself, I called Jimmy.

  “How’s everything going?”

  “Fine,” he said. “Paul is getting ready for his next class. I set a few horses out to exercise, and Dr. Bohm dropped by a couple of hours ago.”

  “Did he check on Argus?”

  “He did.” Jimmy sighed. “It’s like you said. On the outside, the horse is healing, though a few of those scars won’t ever disappear. The inside is the problem, and Dr. Bohm can’t help with that.”

  “I know,” I whispered.

  “Argus was more frightened this morning than I’ve seen him since his first days here.”

  “What else is new? That horse is moodier than a one-year-old without a nap.”

  Jimmy laughed. “Well, I agree, but Dr. Bohm is worried. He’ll have to report Argus’s progress to animal control soon … and it isn’t looking good for him.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “That they might come and take him since there has been no real progress.”

  I gasped. “That again! Where will they take him? I mean, there’s no one around that would welcome him.”

  A slow panic crawled up to my chest. They couldn’t take him. Not yet.

  “Well, if the horse can’t be cured, then he’ll be put to sleep.”

  I took a deep breath. “This isn’t the time and place to be discussing it.” My attention had to be here, on the forthcoming game, otherwise I knew I would bolt and disappoint Eric. “Tomorrow morning. We’ll talk about Argus and his situation, then come up with a plan.”

  “That’s more like it,” Jimmy said, not disguising his smiley tone.

  Megan began walking to the VIP area.

  “Jimmy, I gotta go.” We said goodbye and I put my phone away.

  Megan waved to me as she approached her mother, and I sat on my hands before I bit my nails in anticipation. And nervousness. And jealousy. And guilt.

  I glanced over my shoulder at her. She was engrossed in a conversation with her mother and friends. She would come over to sit with me at some point, wouldn’t she?

  As I whipped my head back to the field, my eyes gazed over where the Fernandes family sat and met with green-blue eyes. My heart skipped a beat. He was staring at me. A slow lopsided grin stole over his perfect lips as he pulled his gaze from mine. For the first time, he was the one to break the stare. His smirk angered me to no end.

  Megan plopped down by my side, and I jumped in my seat, my heart racing.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said, smoothing the skirt of her teal dress over her knees. “I forgot how jumpy you are.” She looked at me with something like regret glinting in her eyes. “I guess that’s what happens when two friends become distant, huh? They forget about silly things like that.” She paused and I remained quiet, unsure what to say. “So, the ball was great, right?”

  “Right,” I said, hiding all the sarcasm that wanted to slip out with my words.

  “You and Eric left early, though. The fun really began later,” she said, smiling.

  Control yourself, Hannah. Control yourself.

  If I tilted my head an inch to the side while turned to Megan, I could see Leo, watching me. Or was he watching Megan?

  “Oh, really?”

  “Really.” She leaned back in her chair, allowing me full view of Leo. And he was watching me. Or her. Or the both of us. Oh damn! “All right. Not even Blaire and Andrea know about this yet, because I didn’t talk to them since we got separated near the end of the ball,” she dragged on, and I was about to explode. “And they will kill me for telling you first, but ohmygosh, I can’t—”

  “Just tell me,” I said, surlier than I wanted to.

  “Okay, okay.” She giggled. “So, Leonardo asked me to dance and, after you and Eric left, we went to the bar and talked a lot. Have you ever talked to him?” I opened my mouth, unsure how to answer, but she didn’t give me time to answer as she kept on. “He has the sexiest accent. And his eyes? Have you seen his eyes up close? Of course not.” She giggled again, and I clasped my hands before I strangled her. “He has the most incredible pair of eyes I have ever seen.”

  “What happened next?”

  “Oh yeah, sorry. I get caught up in his goodness too easily.” She laughed, putting her hand over her mouth for a second. “Okay, so he asked if I wanted to walk around the club with him. I told him it probably wasn’t allowed because it was too late, but he insisted, and well, you know about my plan, right? He was falling right into it. Then, when we were walking around the tennis courts, he—”

  “Hannah.” Eric’s voice made me jump and I shot up, alarmed and ashamed for all that brewed inside of me.

  He leaned against the VIP fence, clad in his uniform, helmet and goggles in his hand. I walked to him, focusing on the moment, on him, his game, his confident smile, and his loving eyes on me.

  “Hi,” I whispered.

  “I want my good luck kiss,” he said, reaching for me over the fence.

  I let him pull me to him. I let him snake his hand around my neck. I let him kiss me. Concentrating, I shut my mind to all else and really kissed him back, like I hadn’t done since the early stages of our relationship, when the hunger for each other was still something we had no control over. My tongue teased his, and I ended the kiss, sucking on his lower lip. I wanted to drown in him. I wanted to forget everything else, anyone else.

  “For Pete’s sake, baby,” he whispered, still holding me close and breathing hard. “That was sexy as hell. Damn, this game.” He glanced over his shoulder. His team was waiting for him. “We’re going to pick this up tonight.”

  I nodded and he smiled.

  I didn’t move as he dashed to where his teammates stood with their horse on the side of the field. When I did, I whirled on my heels, and my eyes, acting on their own, swept over Leo. Once more, he was watching me, but this time he was frowning, his arms crossed and his jaw ticking.

  Catching my breath, I sat beside Megan once more.

  “Ohmygosh, I thought you two were going to eat each other’s face right in front of everyone,” Megan said. “You’re one lucky girl.”

  Was I? My intention had been to kiss Eric as if there were no tomorrow, to drown in him, to forgot everything else. I wanted it to ignite our dying flame once again. The kiss had ended and he seemed worked up and excited. But I wasn’t. I hadn’t felt that kiss as deeply as he had, as deeply as I’d once felt. Shouldn’t I love him blindly as I once did? I wanted to say I did, to pretend I did, but deep down I knew. I didn’t.

  ***

  My eyes were on the game, but my mind was far away. Well, not that far away, actually. It was right outside the VIP area, where a certain Brazilian was s
eated.

  A bomb had fallen on me, exploding realization around me.

  I loved Eric, but I wasn’t in love with him anymore. I hadn’t been for the longest time. Our relationship started when I was still a starstruck girl who had just scored the hottest guy around.

  However, looking back at the two plus years, I saw myself changing. I spent less time with Megan, I became more distant from Hilary, I didn’t go to the ranch as much, I didn’t get close to any of my classmates in college, I spent less time learning the family business, I jumped less, I rode Hercules less. Without meaning to, without realizing, I had been living life according to Eric’s wants and needs.

  Everything changed when grandma started calling me more, insisting on me spending a couple of weekends with her on the ranch, which led to me enjoying more of Hercules. It was like she knew she didn’t have much time left and wanted to spend it with me. Then she was gone, Hercules was gone, and the ranch was handed to me. Because of grandma, I’d begun thinking for myself again, wanting things for myself once more. Eric disagreed with all of it, and with that came his jealousy, which had always been an issue, but now it felt asphyxiating.

  To top it all, Argus was brought into my life. And then Leo.

  I took a deep breath, but it wasn’t enough. There wasn’t enough air to calm me down. This realization was too big, too nerve-racking. It was like I forgot to sweep one single strand of hay from the ground two years ago, and now I was buried under a huge haystack, suffocating, being squashed, with no strength or idea on how to get out.

  “Are you all right?” Megan asked as the game started.

  “Of course,” I said. “Never better.”

  She grinned. “Good, because I need to finish telling you about last night.”

  I raised my index finger to her. “Give me a minute.”

  I closed my eyes for a moment. Freaking out here wouldn’t do any good. I had to calm down and wait. Once Eric took me home, I would tell him I wasn’t feeling good or something, and hope he took the hint and left. After all, he was winning this game and had others coming. He wouldn’t want to risk getting sick from me right now. So, he would leave me alone and I would think. Just … think. All night and during the entire next day if that was what it took for me to figure out …