Page 103 of Hung Up
She rolls her eyes but obliges, closing the space between us and gingerly pressing her lips against my own. It’s slow and sensual, one that almost has all the blood in my body rushing to a place it shouldn’t, but she pulls back before it can. Giving me a sheepish smile, she presses a kiss to my nose before nodding.
“Go get ‘em, Pretty Boy.”
Faith walks away, heading back to join my family and Kai. I have about thirty seconds before I need to climb onto the bull, the announcer running over my stats and stating how this is the most important ride of my life. Instead of allowing that thought to consume me in a negative way, instead of allowing it to make me nervous, I let it fuel me. He’s right, this is the single most important ride of my life, and I’ll be damned if I lose all I’ve worked for now. If I let my last ride go to waste.
I have worked so hard for this. I’ve sacrificed more than I thought I’d ever have to and even lost myself in the process somewhere along the way. I’ve struggled with my self-worth and self-doubt, have worried there was nothing for me except bull-riding—that I was nothing without it. But this season is the one that really shaped me, the one where I grew and overcame all those doubts, fears, and worries.
And now I have to make sure that wasn’t all for nothing.
Once I hear my name again, I start my climb up to the top of the chute, swinging a leg over before lowering myself down on Titan. The second I’m seated, he starts to sway, jamming my leg against the metal, but I fight past the uncomfortableness of it. With my gloved hand, I grip the rope, making sure it’s almost painfully tight in the palm of my hand. I take a couple seconds to close my eyes, taking a few deep breaths.
I’m doing this for Kai.
I’m doing this for my family.
I’m doing this for Faith.
I’m doing this forme.
I snap my eyes open and nod, the door flying open and Titan tearing out of the chute. My thighs begin to burn almost immediately as he spins and bucks at the same time, my abdomen clenching as I twist and turn with him, my free arm up. Each time his hooves hit the dirt, I feel a sharp jolt through my body but ignore it, focusing on the top of his head to anticipate his spins.
Four seconds.
He turns to the left, getting increasingly closer to the barrier and I have to lean away instead of with him, my grip tightening on the rope.
Five seconds.
He bucks, his hooves hitting the rail, and my thighs lose their grip for a moment, causing me to slide a little bit closer to his head.
Six seconds.
Titan spins again, which allows me to slide back, leaning into the aggressive movement and trying to push past the ache in my fingers.
Seven seconds.
He leaps fully into the air rather than kicking his back legs, and the feeling has my arm that was in the air dropping in instinct to grab it with the rope and hang on, but muscle memory has me stopping.
Eight seconds.
The buzzer sounds and I yank my hand free, getting tossed into the dirt. I roll away and leap to my feet. It takes a few seconds for the adrenaline to subside and for my body to come back to the present, but when it does? The sound in the arena is deafening.
I grab my hat and wave it toward the crowd, turning in a full circle. My perusal stops as I catch sight of Stevie, Addie,Nash, and Faith leaning over the top railing where I left them, screaming along with the rest of the crowd.
It’s a sight that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
The static of the announcer coming over the loudspeaker draws my attention, and I risk a glance up at the jumbotron in the middle of the arena. But it’s not until I hear the announcement that I’m able to believe what I’m looking at.
“Let’s hear it for this year’s PBR Champion, Jesse Hayes!”
I can’t believe it.
I won.
Turning back toward my biggest supporters, I laugh as I see them already in the arena and running toward me, all my friends and fellow bull riders running out behind them, a few camera crews not far behind. Stevie reaches me first, slamming into me so forcefully that I almost lose my footing and fall into the dirt. Addie and Nash join us in a group hug a few seconds later, verbalizing their excitement and congratulations.
Mom pushes her way through the crowd and pulls my siblings off me, kissing both my cheeks before wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
