Kayla puts an arm around me. “I am so sorry, Vivienne. You two were doing so well in this event, and—”
I smile through my tears. “I don’t care about the event. I just want to make sure she gets through this.”
“Of course. I’ll be sure and scratch you,” Kayla promises.
“Thanks.”
“Why don’t we have Martina bring you down some clothes, and maybe some food?” Holden asks. “I have a feeling you won’t be leaving her today.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “She’s going to be okay.”
I nod, but can’t say anything.
Throughout the day, I hear the loudspeaker echoing with Holden’s voice announcing horse after horse as each goes out on cross-country. Gradually, Harmony does seem to be feeling better. When Dr. Lawson comes back by late in the afternoon as promised, Harmony has begun passing the oil. I mix her up a bucket of wheat bran and warm water to help the process along.
As the evening comes on, music floats in from the park where the barbecue is taking place. Soon after, Riley shows up with a plate of food. “Hey, you,” he says.
“Hey, yourself.”
“Kayla says she’s doing better.”
“Seems to be.”
He hands me the plate.
I step out of the stall, and we go into the tack room and sit down on the trunks. I mix around the potato salad on my plate. I finally ask, “Well?”
“Lydia won.”
“Thought so.”
“I came in a respectable second.” He smiles.
I high-five him. “Right on!” Then I start eating.
“Martina?”
“Fourth.”
“Awesome!”
“Shannon was, I think, sixth; Emily was fifth.”
“Good for her.”
“You haven’t asked about Tristan.”
“Nope.”
“Third.”
“Oh.”
“I have to tell you something, Vivvie.”
“Two questions first: Will it be complicated, and will I wind up mad at you?”
“Yes, and probably.”
I laugh. “Go ahead, clear your conscience.”
Riley fidgets. “Tristan was not involved in the bet—not at all. He told Nate it was stupid and he wanted no part of it.”
I set down my pulled pork sandwich and just stare at him. “So why did you lie to me and say he was a part of it? Really, I said some truly horrible things to him.”
“I… look, you said yourself that you aren’t here to go out with anyone, and—and there’s this way he looks at you, and I know you’re hot for him, too.”
“Wait a minute, he does not and I am not—but even if he was and I was, why would you care?”
“Because, if you and Tristan were to hook up, then you and I—and I don’t mean just this farce we have going as a couple, but I mean as friends, well… I know how these things go. Before long your lunches, dinners, study hall, would be with him, and not me.”
“First off, I’m not one of those girls who just tosses away her friends when she gets a boyfriend. Okay, I’ve never had a real boyfriend. But I’m still not that girl, and you should already know that about me. Next, I also don’t lie to friends, and I don’t trust people who lie to me. You know what, Riley? I want you to go. I’m going to go spend some time alone with my horse.”
As he walks out of the tack room, he turns around and says, “I am so sorry.”
And I say, “I so wish that was enough.”
TRISTAN
CHAPTER forty
When Tristan knocks on Lydia’s door, she opens it and immediately wraps her arms around his neck. “Today was incredible, wasn’t it?”
See the incredible dead man walking.
Most guys would kill for a girl who looks like Lydia, but for him it is all about Vivienne. He knew she must be so anxious about Harmony’s colicking, and, less noble truth to tell, he can’t get those pink panties banished from his mind. Not to mention how he’d felt about her and Riley… until he’d found out…
After the barbecue, he’d taken a shower and got dressed to take Lydia out to a movie to celebrate her win. She wanted dinner, but he maneuvered her into agreeing to see a movie instead. Just as he was about to leave, Riley came in, head down and looking like he’d just lost his last friend.
When Riley told him what was going on, Tristan said, “Why are you telling me all this, Ri?”
“Because,” Riley said, “I am sick of lying to people I care about. I hurt Vivienne by lying to her, and I hope that we can still be friends, T.”
“We are, man. I don’t care if you’re gay. I don’t. You’re a good guy. I’ve always told you that.” Tristan promised not to say anything to anyone. Everyone has something they don’t want anyone to know about. God knows I am no exception.
But the information that Riley shared doesn’t free Tristan from being stuck in Lydia’s snare. Still, he is absurdly happy that Vivienne and Riley haven’t hooked up.
“We are good together, Tristan. We look good together. I am sooo happy we are together!”
Lydia rubs his back and tilts her face up. He knows she wants him to kiss her. Tristan closes his eyes, imagines Vivienne in front of him, and goes through with it.
“Mmm… I like that,” she says. “Why don’t we head into town for that movie? I just need to put some makeup on.”
“You look fine.”
“Oh, Tristan. Please. Give me a few. You know, why don’t we invite Riley and Vivienne? I really feel bad about her horse, and you’re right, I guess I have been kind of a bitch to her, but really I was just sort of, breaking her in.” She walks off toward the bathroom.
“I don’t know—how about if tonight it’s just us?” He doesn’t think he could handle being next to Vivienne at a movie and not be with her. Plus, he’s sure she wouldn’t accept an invite anyway.
“Fabulous. Whatever you want.”
He sits down at Lydia’s desk, and decides to go online to see what movies are playing. Better to placate her as much as possible. At least at the movies she won’t be blabbing her stupid head off at him.
As he clicks to connect to the web, a minimized page pops up from one of Lydia’s AOL chats. It’s a chat between Lydia and her brother Daniel from the night before.
Lydia: How much oleander does it take to make a horse sick?
Daniel: Not much. A leaf or two will cause colic. Why? Your horse eat some?
Lydia: No. I need to get rid of some competition tomorrow. Scholarship.
Daniel: You’re rotten. Be careful. It can kill the horse.
Lydia: I don’t care.
Daniel: You are bad.
Lydia: I learned from the best. Gotta go. TTYL.
“Bitch,” Tristan says under his breath. He quickly presses print, then minimizes it again. Heart pounding, he yanks the paper off the printer and shoves it in his pocket just as Lydia comes out of the bathroom. “Were you printing something?”
“Uh, yeah, some movie options, but your printer didn’t work.”
“Oh. What looks good?”
“I don’t know, let’s look together while we walk down to my car. I’ll guess we can look some up on my phone. My battery is a little low though.”
“We can use mine,” she chirps.
“Great. And what do you think about getting some ice cream at Cold Stone?”
“Ooh, yummy. That sounds even better.”
For the first time in a long time, Tristan smiles and he means it. He’s ecstatic. He will continue to fake it for one more night with Lydia. He has a plan brewing, and once he’s worked out the details, he has a feeling he will no longer be under Lydia’s thumb.
TRISTAN
CHAPTER forty-one
The next day, Tristan sends Lydia a text telling her that he can’t wait until the dance to see her, and for her to meet him at the Olympic House.
At first she teases him, telling him that he will just have to wait. And that she’ll be worth it. He
expects this from her and texts back that she will never forget the surprise he has for her, and that he really wants to give it to her now.
This hooks her.
She says that she’ll commandeer one of academy’s golf carts and be on her way.
He walks throughout the house, lighting candles. He’s even gone so far as to place bouquets of roses in the room.
He waits. He checks his watch. It’s four o’clock.
Twenty minutes later, Lydia shows up.
“Oh my God, Tristan,” she says standing in the doorway. “This is beautiful. I thought, wow… I thought that maybe you didn’t want to go through with it since, well, lately…” She walks over to him. “I know I’ve been a little ‘difficult,’ but it’s just because I love you so much and I want to be with you so badly. And this is amazing. But don’t you want to wait until after the dance?”
“No. I don’t.”
She smiles, places her fingers on the top button of her blouse, and starts to unbutton it.
“No. Wait,” he says.
She frowns at first, but then her eyes light up. “You want to undress me?”
“Remember that I said I had a surprise for you that you wouldn’t forget?”
“Yes. It’s beautiful what you’ve done here.”
“Yeah. It is. But it isn’t for you.”
Her eyes narrow into hawk-like slits. “What?”
“It’s not for you. All of this.” He motions around the room. “It’s actually for the person who should’ve won the event. It’s for Vivienne. If she shows up.”
“Are you kidding me? This isn’t funny, Tristan!”
“Oh, I’m not trying to be funny, Lydia. It’s just that paybacks are a bitch. Just like you.”
She tosses her long blond hair back behind her shoulders and spins around, heading for the door. “You are so going to regret this! I am going to every media outlet, and the police, whoever will listen to me! Your father will be ruined, and so will you!”
“No, you’re not going to do that,” he states calmly.
“The hell I’m not!”
Tristan holds up a copy of her online chat. “I know what you did to Harmony. And I will tell… whatever it costs me.”
“Excuse me?”
“I know that you’re the one who caused Harmony to colic. Jesus, Lydia, you could have killed her!”
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He hands her the printout.
“This doesn’t prove anything! You could have typed this up.”
He shakes his head. “Yeah, but I didn’t, and considering your IP address is on the printout, I think it’s pretty clear that you wrote it.”
She tears it up. “Now what?”
“I’m not stupid. I have a handful of others in a safe place, all of them in envelopes addressed to various people, including Holden, Kayla, Vivienne, and the police. What you did is a crime, Lydia.”
She looks up at him, shaking with tears and anger. “What do you want, Tristan?”
“Not much, really. I want you to leave me alone. I am sick of you, and I am sick of your blackmail and your threats. If you go to anyone regarding my father, I will expose you and everyone will know who and what you are. And the thing is, with what you know about my family, I realize my father could go to prison. But I haven’t done anything wrong. Plus, you’d have to prove he did those things. In your situation, at the very least, you will be kicked out of here, and the entire eventing community will know what you did. Not so sure that Christian Albright would want you on his team this summer when I tell him you poisoned a horse.”
Tears are streaming down her face. It’s the most real he’s ever seen her look.
“I love you. I really love you.”
“No, Lydia. You love the idea of perfect, and neither one of us is that. And I don’t love you. So, do we have a deal? I live my life here, and you live yours? We stay out of each others’ way, and we keep each others’ secrets?”
“Deal,” she finally hisses and heads to the door. As she is opening it, Vivienne is walking up the porch steps. She looks more than slightly stunned to see Lydia.
“I—I’m sorry,” Vivienne says. “Riley is supposed to meet me here. We’re working on our history project.”
“Whatever, Scholarship. This one is all yours. Good luck.”
Vivienne walks into the house, and looks at Tristan. “Looks like I interrupted something.”
“No. You didn’t interrupt anything. I want to talk to you.”
“Okay, but Riley is supposed to meet me here at five.”
“He isn’t going to meet you. Come sit down over here with me, and I’ll explain it all.”
“Explain away. But I am standing right here.”
“Okay, here goes. I talked to Riley, and he told me that you two aren’t really going out. That you really are just friends. He told me about himself, about being gay, and that you knew.”
“He did?”
“Yeah.”
“Why would he tell you that?”
“Why? Because he knows I am totally insane over you.”
She takes a step back, crosses her arms over her chest.
“Since the first day that I found you in Harmony’s stall, I haven’t stopped thinking about you, I kept asking Riley about you, I even dream about you. I just—God! I don’t what else to say.”
She doesn’t respond for several agonizingly long seconds.
“What about Lydia? How can you be so insane over me, while planning your big night.”
He knew this would come up, and he has thought it through. He hopes she will believe his explanation. Being partially truthful is his only option.
“See, I know how tough Lydia and her friends can make it, have made it, for you. I thought, maybe I could keep her in line, get her to leave you alone. And there really were several times when I got her to back off.”
Oh God, now she looks even more confused.
“I, I guess I appreciate that. But uh… I’m sorry, but I’m still baffled here.”
“I have already told you how I feel. I just need to know if you feel the same way. I see you look at me. I can feel something between us and from you—attraction, interest, and, okay, occasional disgust. Do I disgust you, Vivienne?”
A slow smile spreads across her face. “No.”
“Good.” When he takes her hand, she doesn’t pull it away. “Lydia was here because I just broke up with her. I realize that you probably don’t need a Prince Charming, or anyone to protect you. I also realize how stupid I’ve been to be with a girl that I can’t stand. Especially when I’m crazy for someone else. For you.” He looks into her eyes, trying desperately to read them. “I know I’m taking a chance here, but Vivienne, would you even consider just maybe, I don’t know. Listen, Riley suggested this, or I wouldn’t even bring it up, but would you go with me tomorrow night? Would you come with me to Homecoming?”
CHAPTER forty-two
I am stunned. There is no getting around that. I am fighting every emotion and feeling I have toward Tristan. This guy could mess up everything for me. How dare he be crazy insane for me, and tell me so, and send Lydia packing. I don’t know if I should be pissed off, elated—all of that, or none of that. Damn.
When I walked up those steps to the Olympic House and saw Lydia and then Tristan, I felt sick to my stomach, sure they had just been together.
If I were some other girl, I might tell him that I feel the same way. That I’m crazy insane over him. That other than Harmony, he’s all I think about.
But I don’t.
I know what heartbreak looks like. I know what it feels like. And I know that humans break other humans’ hearts. They just do.
So I say, “I promised Riley I would go with him.” To my own ears, my voice sounds hard and metallic—emotionless.
He laughs nervously. “But it was Riley who insisted I tell you. He insisted I ask you to Homecoming. He understands. He does. You can ask him.”
“Even so. I just don’t think you and I would be… a good thing. We’re not from the same world, and I have my goals, and they don’t include a relationship.”
“Vivienne, I totally respect your goals, and I would never get in the way of them.”
“But you will. That will just happen.”
“No. No. I swear it won’t. I’m here to support you. I have the same dreams, you know. And sharing our dreams would make them even better.” He reaches out and touches my cheek with his hand.
His hand is warm and strong; this thrumming rhythm starts to travel through my body. I’ve never had this kind of feeling before. His eyes, they are so intensely green, and I am seriously melting.
“Tell you what, Vivvie.” He smiles, his finger against my lips. “Don’t decide right now. Tomorrow night, if you show up, I’ll know. If you don’t, I’ll know that. But maybe this will help your decision.” Then he leans in and kisses my lips, ever so slowly, ever so sweetly. It’s as if I am floating. And even as my brain is screaming, “Stop! Run!”—well, there are other parts of me that are shouting, “No way, sister! You stay right there because nothing has ever felt this good!”
I kiss him back. Both of his hands are on my face now, and I allow myself to float.
Mmm… delicious.
I have not forgotten Austen’s kiss before I left for Fairmont. But as good as that was, it can’t compete with the one Tristan has just given me.
His fingers skim the outlines of my cheekbone again, and he says, “Think on that.” He stands and walks out, leaving me flushed and breathless.
CHAPTER forty-three
I am on some kind of cloud nine. Tristan waited outside for me, then drove me back from the Olympic House in one of the golf carts. We didn’t say anything on the way back to campus. When we reached the barns, I asked him to drop me off so I could check on Harmony.
“I hope to see you tomorrow night,” he said.
“We’ll see,” I tell him.
I go into Harmony’s stall, happy to see how alert she is. She nuzzles me, and I wrap my arms around her. “Next time, big girl, no getting sick.”
Silent Harmony: A Vivienne Taylor Horse Lover's Mystery (Fairmont Riding Academy Book 1) Page 16