Many Mistakes, No Regrets

Chapter 5: Settling in to my new life

Chapter 5: Settling in to my new life

Rikki’s POV

            I woke up the morning after Jake showed up in my room and didn’t know what to do. I knew I had to go out to the barn and take care of Trigger. So I figured that was a good place to start.          

            I didn’t take him out for a ride yesterday. It was only fair to him that I take him out today. He seemed to enjoy running across the field and jumping the logs. It seemed like nothing could go wrong. But this is my life so of course it will.

            I was going towards the house, when I saw him. At least I think it was him. Jake, I mean. It was a little hard to see him from this distance. I tried to turn away from him but Trigger wasn’t listening to me.

            He saw me and he knew I saw him. I could just take off into the woods with Trigger. But I had been working Trigger pretty hard for a while. I slowed Trigger down to a walk and made my way over to Jake.

            “What are you doing here?”

            “What? No, Hi Jake? How did those pictures work?”

            “Nope. Now what are you doing here?”

            “I wanted to know more about you. I already learned that you play the guitar and ride horses.”

            “How did you know I play guitar?”

            “Izzy. Your sister. I was talking to her at breakfast.” Izzy? Elle was going by Izzy? She use to hate when people called her Izzy. John use to do it just to tick her off.

            “So you found my sister?”

            “It wasn’t too hard. My roommate’s sister introduced us. But I didn’t get the chance to ask her your name.”

            “You’re clever. I’ll give you that. I’m Rikki. Uhh. Follow me.” I was in the middle of a field talking to a boy. My aunt could see me at any point. And I needed to put Trigger away.

            He walked beside Trigger. Jake didn’t ask any questions but I knew he was just waiting to. When we go to the barn, I told him to wait inside for me. I took Trigger’s tack off and quickly brushed him. I turned him out into his pasture.

            I walked into the barn and simply said follow me. Jake didn’t object. We went up to the hay loft.

            “So what do you want to know?”

            “Well, I want to know more about you. Anything and everything.”

            “Why do you care?” I didn’t mean to sound mean or anything. It was just that I had been hurt a lot by my family’s deaths and I didn’t want to get hurt again.  In my mind, I can't get hurt is no one is close to me.

            “I don’t know. Maybe because you helped me last night.” I was desperate for the company so I decided to talk to him but I wasn’t going to tell him much.

            “Okay. Ask away, but I won’t guarantee I’ll answer.”

            “That’s okay. Why did you help me last night?” Should I tell him? Why not?

            “Because it was nice to talk to someone other than Elle and Ms. Baker.”

            “Who is Elle? And who is Ms. Baker?”