Page 42 of Entwined

It was the longest day.

So much happened that my brain can’t slow down.

After class, just like he offered, Ben showed up at the barn. Cressida’s face lit up with a practiced smile. She thought he was there to see her. When he instead picked me up, “the lowly American barn girl who doesn’t even own her own horse” why yes, her feathers were ruffled. Where she looked down her aristocratic nose at me before, by the look in her eyes when he greeted me with a hug—I knew she is going to make my life hell at the barn. But I’m not some young, naïve girl. I pulled Sally aside before Ben and I left and told her my situation.

“Hey Sally, do you have a minute?”

“Sure. You may enter the ring,” she had called out keeping both eyes on her pupil who was cantering over a few poles.

“Thank you again for taking a chance on me. I-I slept in the tack room last night because my roommate was entertaining a man on my desk chair… this morning they had moved to my actual bed… I’m new, just transferred from California. I only just made my first friend, Ben. And… he’s kind of Jecca’s ex and… he’s offered to let me stay at his family’s house until I can find a new living situation.”

Sally didn’t miss a beat, never turned to look at me but kept her eyes on the horse and rider moving around the ring. “Thanks for the head’s up. I’ll keep Jecca in line. I don’t put up with poor behavior at my barn. If she retaliates or tries anything with you let me know.”

“Thank you, I will.”

“Good work today, Jessie. You’ve impressed me and that is hard to do.”

I smiled with pride, wincing at the glare Cressida is giving me from where she stood next to Ben. I didn’t even realize they were both standing behind me. “You’re living with him?”

“Just temporarily.” I had answered.

“Stay away from my horse.”

“Excuse me? You asked me to tack her.”

She didn’t reply as she turned hard on her heel; her boots clapping on the floor as she took her riding gloves off slapping them against her thigh.

“That went well.”

“At least she didn’t offer to go down on you in an empty stall.”

“She didn’t?”

“I’m afraid she did.”

“What did you see in her?”

“She wore a mask. Tried to trap me once she found out my title.”

“Titles are a real thing here, huh?”

“It’s everything amongst the set.”

“The set?”

“The social scene. The elite social scene… “the set,” or “the ton.”

“I can’t even imagine. I’m happy just being a nobody.”

“You’re blind. You are absolutely somebody Ms. Montgomery and it’s a breath of fresh air that you don’t seem to realize it yet.”

“I’m trying to be somebody. Myself. And you know what Ben? I feel like I’m getting there.”

“Good for you. Let’s get you moved out of the dreaded 403.”

Thankfully, Gretchen was gone. The dried cum was still on my comforter. I left it behind. I packed up my books, my telescope, all my clothes and luckily the boxes I shipped myself finally arrived. I paid the cheapest shipping rate, so it took a few weeks. But I took them straight to the back of Ben’s car from the mail room. I even took a peak into her closet, moved a pile of unfolded clothes and found my missing pair of boots and my books.

I’m sure the money she took from me is gone. But I just wanted to leave her and her toxicity behind… in the past. I shut the door behind me, never looking back.

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