Page 59 of Unbroken

“—but we’ve never talked about what we are to each other, or what our future looks like. I have no idea if this is a real relationship that actually matters to him or if he’s just killing time with me until he leaves.”

“Have you ever tried having a conversation with Eli about it?”

I rubbed my nose with the back of my hand. “No.”

“Well, it’s probably about time you did, then. Neither one of you are mind readers, so maybe if you just open up and talk, you’ll get everything figured out?”

I went silent for a few moments, staring off into space, then shrugged. “The more I think about it, the more I realize that there’s no point. Weboth know what we agreed to since the beginning.” It was only ever supposed to be a fake relationship to get the gossips off his back. The fact that we had sex didn’t alter that.

“Yeah, but it sounds like things have changed. Can’t hurt to talk, right?” Josh offered.

I considered having this conversation with Eli. A tiny part of me had hoped that once I had told him I was staying in Poplar Springs, he might have said he’d be doing the same, but clearly his drive to leave had never faltered, despite my own change in plans.

Still.

Maybe it was worth it to try?

“What do you think?” Josh asked.

I stood up abruptly. “Yes. I need to talk to him.”

Josh finally smiled at me. “Atta girl. Go get your man.”

THIRTY-NINE

FIONA

Iwas standing in a quiet corner of the barn, reviewing the upcoming reservations on the tablet with such focus that I didn’t hear the footsteps coming up behind me. The season was in full swing, and the bookings were looking incredible. I had to admit that Josh restarting these trail rides was the best thing he’d ever done for Lost Valley’s finances. And the reviews and tags we were getting on social media were amazing; especially all the happy faces. At the pace reservations were coming in, we might need to hire two or three trail teams to handle all the riders.

“Hey.”

I jumped and whirled around.

“Eli! You scared me.” I held the tablet up. “I was doing some forecasting. We’re busier than ever.”

“We sure are.” He gave me a tight smile. “Speaking of that … do you have a few minutes to talk?”

This was my chance. I’d been trying to figure out the best time and place to broach the subject of a future together. Even though I’dwanted it to be in private and not in a work setting, looking at him made me realize that I couldn’t wait another second. Whether the results were good or bad, I was taking Josh’s advice and telling Eli how I felt about him.

I set the tablet down on the nearest stall wall. “I do, but if it’s okay with you I’d like to go first. I have something I want to say and if I wait much longer, I might not say it.”

His brow furrowed. “Okay, sure.”

“Listen, Eli … I know you got the job in Half Moon.”

He started to talk, but I held up my hand to quiet him.

“Please, let me keep going.” I smiled as my nerves kicked up. “I realize that it’s a great opportunity for you and Patrick, and I understand why this fresh start is so important to you. But before you pack up and leave, I wanted to be real with you—which, as you know, isn’t always something I’m very good at doing.” I took a deep breath. “I know our relationship started off as fake and that you didn’t want to do it to begin with, but … it’s become real to me, Eli. So real. I always knew we were good together. I mean, our school rivalry and competitions never would have been as epic as they were if we weren’t at least a little in sync with each other. But never in a million years did I envision that you and I would be such a great match in other ways, but weare. I care about you so much, Eli. And I hope you feel the same way, which is why I’m asking you to reconsider leaving.”

There was a moment of silence that felt as if it dragged on for too long. I wanted to fill it with something inane. Instead, I searched his face, trying to decipher the thoughts running through his head. Was he caught off guard? Was he surprised that I’d admitted how I felt? Did he not feel the same?

Eli’s posture shifted as he got ready to respond. He looked as though he wanted to reach for me but was holding himself back.

“Fi … wow. That means a lot to me that you opened up like this.” The tenderness in his face filled me with hope. “And I care about you too, more than I ever thought possible.” He chuckled. “Kinda strange, right?”

I laughed with him, feeling tentatively hopeful. “I never could’ve predicted it.”

“But Fiona … I can’t stay.”

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