Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Brooklyn

"Good, Brooklyn! Good!" Lucas says, his voice eager and encouraging.

Aden's trainer couldn't come on short notice, so after watching me from the fence, Lucas is putting me through some exercises.

"You hold onto the reins," Lucas says, smirking at me, "like the handlebars on a bike. Like they're going to keep you from falling off."

I tilt my head at him. "Well..." I hesitate. "Aren't they?"

Lucas laughs, looking up at me from his place on the ground next to Heathcliff.

"No," he says gently. "The best riders barely even use the reins. You've got to learn how to communicate from here.

He shocks me, embarrassing me even, when he smacks his thigh.

Lucas doesn't notice my discomfort, instead moving to Heathcliff's head and unbuckling his bridle,

replacing it with a halter-a head harness that has no reins at all.

Then, he attaches a long, long lead rope.

"Well, some of us aren't as invincible as you are," I say. "Nor do we have your experience."

"You don't, but you will," Lucas says with a smile.

I bounce up and down as Heathcliff trots in circles around Lucas, who stands at the center, the end of the long lead in his hand.

I'm scared at first, not having anything to hold onto.

Lucas even makes me put my arms out to the side like a bird, to make me avoid clinging to Heathcliff's mane for safety.

But then, as I get the hang of it, I start to understand what he meant.

I really had been holding on to the reins for dear life.

all about balance and holding on with my thighs and

takes to it, listening to how the horse is responding, and reacting

a happy look and he laughs, pleased to see me catching on. "Well done, Brooklyn!" he shouts to

if

seeing my hesitation, laughs at me

call me a

teeth and screw my courage together, giving Heathcliff a little nudge

immediately, picking up the pace

my weight into the balls of my feet and my heels, standing in the stirrups, and feeling a

Aden could see you now, a voice inside me thinks. And I try and squash

with joy and I can't help myself as I laugh a little along with

down, put your weight at the back of the saddle

as Heathcliff

to us, gathering up the length

up at me. "You're riding like a

the hair out of my face, tucking it

"You going to teach me

you anything you want," Lucas says, coming close to Heathcliff's shoulder and smiling

like you,

his eyebrow.

how to

what all

do

BUMS

me blush.

admit, though...I didn't hate

than me only by a few years,

like most of

think I'm pretty? Or was he just

realizes that I'm not paying attention to

"Um, can

worry about it," he says, holding up a hand to

hand, swinging my right leg over Heathcliff's withers

elegant a dismount, I think, then the time Aden had helped me

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