These Violent Ends

Chapter 23

My hands hold onto Jason tightly as the horse skips faster down the path of trees. "Ah!" I yell, giggling. Jason ditched his jacket and put on his signature cowboy hat again. He stole one for me too, which looks weird in my ripped jeans and band tee shirt. But he gave me his red flannel so it evens out. Jason laughs, looking over his shoulder at me. The horse takes us down a steep hill and I cheer as I close my eyes.

"You scared?" Jason calls over to me.

I shake my head even though it is obvious I am terrified. "Fine!" I call, holding onto his sides tighter. He then pulls the reigns forward and the horse makes a sudden stop in the middle of the grassy path. Jason hopes off the horse and then places a hand on my ass and the other on my cooch as he pushes me gently forward. I laugh. Then I realize he is behind me. And I am the one in front. Fuck.

"Uhhh Jason I don't know how to ride a horse," I say.

"Well, you are gonna learn," Jason says, into my ear. He loops his arms around me and takes the reigns. "Hold onto them." He says. I look over at him. "Really?" I say, raising an eyebrow.

He then slaps my ass and I gasp into a fit of laughter. "I said hold them." He says with a stern voice, even though I know he's fighting a smile. I grab ahold of the leather.

"Okay, I am going to kick him softly in the butt. You just need to hold onto the reigns, got it?" He says. I nod, even though I am terrified.

"Yaw!" Jason yells behind me as I hear him kick the horse slightly. The horse neighs and he starts running forward. I yell and fall forward, Jason grabs the back of my jeans and pulls me forward. "Pull them!" Jason yells.

I look up and I see a river ahead. "Pull up!" Jason yells again.

I tug at the reigns like Jason said but the horse still charges for the water. "No! Tess harder-"

Jason's words are swallowed up as we hit the water. I fall off the horse and stand up in the waist-deep water. I look over at Jason as he rises from the water, pulling his hat out and putting it back on. 

"Told you!" I say, laughing. Jason laughs, wiping down on his now see-through white t-shirt.

"I charge for dry cleaning." He says. I laugh and walk over to him. "How much for your wet clothes?" I ask, laughing.

Jason smiles down at me, pulling me closer to him. What is this? It feels so.... pure.

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Jason POV

I pull away to look down at Tess. And... I see her. Her. Caley. I remember when we did this, at a different lake. We fell in. Caley taught me how to ride a horse and I threw us off. We laughed and giggled like children. All before we made love for the first time in the undergrowth on the shore. I'll never forget those perfect soft lips of hers. How her eyes somehow smiled when she did. The way our lips perfectly met.

"You aren't so bad, cowboy," Caley said. I smiled down at her, caressing her wet shirt curls. "How'd I do?" I asked as she set my hat back on my head.

"I think you are almost ready for the rodeo but not quite ready for bull riding." She said. I laughed as I cupped her face and gently kissed her in the shallow water. I quickly scooped her up, her squealing and kicking her legs into the air. Her white sundress with yellow flowers stuck to her small body. Her cowgirl boots leaked water with every kick. I walked us over to the grass, the undergrowth. I laid her down on the blanket of flowers and grass.

"I love you," I told her. For the first time, I finally told her. It's been a few months out of school, and we haven't had a chance to get to the 'I love you's.'

Caley smiled at me, caressing the stubble growing on my chin that I swear I just shaved off. "I love you too," Caley said.

My hands wrapped behind her to the small of her back. "Should... should we?" Caley says, stumbling on every syllable. I smile, nodding at her. She cautiously raised her mouth to mine, kissing me softly. I reached down to take off my belt, fumbling with it. I know how to take off my own goddamn belt.

"Lemme help," Caley said, helping me undo it and pull it off. Caley slowly reached under herself and pulled out her white-laced panties. God... I loved those things. The horse would later eat them so I gave her my boxers to wear.

Our first time was awkward. I mean, I was not a virgin but she was. There was some blood that scared the living crap out of me. I all of a sudden forgot what a clit was. Which did not matter as Caley did not like it. Her breasts were small but perfect. Even though she was self-conscious, she couldn't have been more beautiful to me. She was sweet, and kind. And she did not laugh at me when I only lasted 15 seconds inside her on the first attempt. And then 30 seconds. We didn't quite get past a minute until try ten. She was sweet about it and never questioned me. Yes, I like the rougher side of things. But Caley, she was not about that. She did not like being bossed around - and by god, I would never have done that to her. I worshiped the ground she walked on. After all, the very air around her was blessed because she was there.

I look at Tess's chocolate brown eyes now. Her soft wavy but wet brown hair. Her smile is radiant. Intoxicating. She loved Caley just as much as I did. And she has avenged her. She stuck with me. Maybe I can do things right. Do right by Caley. Be the best man for Tess.

But it's different. With Caley I wanted to swallow her up and protect her. With Tess I know she doesn't need me to do that. Not like Caley did, but I felt the urge to protect her. The need to protect her at all costs and devote all I had to her. With Tess I could probably just leave her here and I would be fine. Tess is bossy, edgy, and can be so very cruel. Caley was warmth. She was sunshine, daisies, lilies - all the beauty of this world. She was the sun. Tess is like the moon. She's like winter. She embodies rain, snow, clouds, adventure. It's different,

Caley was the deer in the woods that is this world. And Tess is a mountain lion that would never hurt or hunt that deer. And, God, do I miss my deer.

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Tess POV

Jason then tilts his head and kisses me, sweetly. His wet hand comes up to my cheek, caressing it. "I- Caley and I did it the first time in a place like this," Jason says. My heart jumps to my throat. I feel like I just lost oxygen for a moment.

Jason looks into my eyes. "You are not Caley. And I am not the Jason you knew before." He says.

The Jason I knew didn't ride horses. Or get dirty. He wasn't passionate. He was sweet, strong, handsome, and desirable. It was hard to resist. But my back is against the wall now. The tides are changing. "What are you saying?" I ask.

Jason smiles and puts his forehead to mine. "We take out the last fuckers. But before that... marry me." He says.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Marry you?" I ask.

"I really disgust you that much?" Jason asks.

"Hardly." I say, wrapping my hand to the back of his head and pulling him into me. We sink in deeper to the water. I feel him struggle with my pants before they eventually drop into the abyss below.

I take his shirt off his body, which is practically glued on to him. My shirt is next and he tosses it into the muck on the shore.

"Fucker." I say.