Page 32 of Hung Up (Shadow Ridge #1)

PALM DESERT

take whatever I can get

My phone ringing on the nightstand jolts me out of my slumber.

I frantically reach over and tap the snooze button on the screen before laying on my back.

Chancing a peek to my right, I’m disappointed to find her side of the bed empty.

Nothing on her nightstand, but her suitcase is still near my bags.

At least she didn’t completely leave.

I stare up at the ceiling as I replay last night in my head.

To say it didn’t go the way I had expected is an understatement.

I was ready for her to take the opportunity I presented her—to fight with me to make herself feel better.

But instead, she opened up to me. And truth be told, I’m not sure how to handle that.

Yes, she’s become less hostile, nicer, and extremely helpful over the weeks.

But she had never really tread into speaking about herself.

Aside from her shitty exes, that is. So last night threw me for a loop.

Not only did she share some of her inner turmoil, but she shared it with me .

It’s what I’ve been waiting for—aching for—for the last few weeks.

But now that I have it, something doesn’t feel right.

Not in the way that it happened was wrong, or that I wasn’t grateful, but I know Faith well enough to know that it’s not going to be that easy.

One night of her opening up to me doesn’t mean anything.

If I was worried about the possibility of flowers and a pair of boots sending her walls back up, last night is only going to reinforce them.

She asked me to try and be patient with her. So patient is what I’ll be—even if it costs me my own sanity.

Sitting up, I let my legs hang off the bed as I rub my hands down my face before running a hand through my bed head.

Once my eyes come back into focus, I reach for my phone only to see a folded piece of paper sitting beside it with Pretty Boy scrawled across it.

I can’t stop the smile that overtakes my face as I reach for it.

Thank you for listening to me. Some things are hard to say out loud, but you make it easier. I kind of hate you for that…but thanks.

A laugh slips out of me as I stare at her words, soaking them up and reveling in them before I fold it back up and slip it into the back of my phone case for safekeeping. After a quick shower and breakfast, I’m heading out of the hotel, that smile still plastered on my face.

The arena is bustling when I arrive. Riders and workers move throughout the hallways, their voices carrying over one another as they prepare for the night.

My eyes scan the doors, searching for a sign indicating where the media room is.

I have this unexplainable itch to see her, to look her in her eyes and see if my earlier suspicions are correct.

Am I going to need to prepare to bring her walls back down, or will she surprise me without reservations?

“Hey, kid,” Wyatt calls out, walking toward me from the other end of the hall. “What the hell did you do?”

“What do you mean?”

He doesn’t bother stopping in front of me. Instead, he grabs my forearm and pulls me with him, dragging us into one of the unoccupied rooms. My eyes blink quickly as they adjust to the brighter luminescent lights, landing on a tense, aggravated Wyatt.

“Faith texted me,” he starts, and my eyebrows raise. “Asked me when you were getting here. When I asked her why, she told me she wanted to make sure she was otherwise occupied until your ride. So, I’ll ask again, what did you do?”

Got it, they’re sky high now, apparently.

“For once, I didn’t actually do anything.” Wyatt’s eyes narrow like he doesn’t believe me, and his heated stare has me bristling. “I didn’t do anything, okay? Just leave it. Where is she?”

“Sorry, kid. Can’t tell you that.” He crosses his arms over his chest, watching me carefully. “Kai was looking for you, by the way.”

My brows furrow. “What for?”

“He pulled Titan for tonight, so he wanted some advice,” he says, turning to leave the room. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave her alone.”

I scoff, growing increasingly frustrated. He’s been making these small comments regarding her for a couple weeks now and I’m sick of it. “What’s your problem, man? What the hell do you have against Faith? I thought you liked her.”

“I do.” He doesn’t say anything else.

“Then why does it seem like there’s a stick up your ass?”

His eyes narrow. “Have you ever considered that I’m trying to look out for you?

” My expression softens slightly. “I’ve been there, Hayes.

I’ve chased a girl who didn’t want anything serious.

I thought I could be the exception, that I could break down her walls and make her fall in love with me.

And guess what? It blew up in my face. That was the season I ended up getting hurt.

The one that almost led to me never being able to ride again.

” Oh. “I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.

As your mentor and friend, it’s my responsibility to help you make the right decisions.

She’s a great girl and we all love her. But I think this is one chase you need to give up, Jesse. Don’t get hung up on her.”

“I’m not you, Wyatt,” I murmur softly, almost like I’m afraid he’ll go off on me if I say it too loud. “I can walk away if I want to.”

“Can you?” He doesn’t say it harshly; rather, there’s a sad undertone in his voice.

“If she’s not watching you ride, you panic.

If she doesn’t talk to you before your ride, you panic.

You look for her in every room you walk into.

You come to her rescue whenever she needs someone and even when she doesn’t.

You’re jealous when someone flirts with her.

You leave her flowers and notes and buy her gifts.

I’ve seen the way you look at her, Hayes.

I’m worried you’re already in too deep.”

Regardless of whether I am or not—I’m voting not, but I’m probably lying to myself—that doesn’t mean I’m going to end up in the same position he did. I hope. “I better go find Kai and pull my own bull. I’ll see you out there.”

Exiting the room, I’m torn between tracking down Faith—the stupid thing—and looking for Kai—the smart, sensible thing.

Knowing that her walls might be back up tenfold gives me an unexplainable itch to try and tear them down.

I want her to keep opening up to me, want that closeness we had last night.

I want Faith in more than just a sexual way.

I want her laughter, her smiles, her bad days and good days, and I want to be the one she turns to.

I want to be hers.

Shit, I think to myself, coming to a dead stop in the middle of the hallway. He’s right, isn’t he?

Before I have time to contemplate it, I see Kai round the corner and he waves once he notices me. He jogs over, his hat in one hand, and as he comes to a stop in front of me, he’s running his other hand nervously through his hair.

“Help me,” he pants as if he has just run a mile.

“I pulled Titan and I’m losing my shit. He’s gotten significantly harder since you rode him and it wasn’t that long ago, and if I don’t do well, I’m going to lose my top spot.

I realize now how dumb it is coming to you since if I do fall, you’ll slip into first, but I just need you, man. ”

“Okay, first off? Breathe.” Kai squares his shoulders before taking a deep breath, his eyes closed.

Once he reopens them, I see some tension leaving his expression—but not much of it.

“Second, you got this. You’ve ridden harder bulls and gotten near-perfect scores.

Why don’t you tell me why you’re really freaking out? ”

Kai stares at me with a furrow between his brows as he glances down at his feet. When he looks up again, I see a sort of resolution in his gaze. “Georgia’s here.”

“Damn, she flew all the way from Utah just to watch you?” My eyes widen. “That’s big.”

“Yes, Jesse, thank you.” His head tilts and eyes narrow as he crosses his arms. “I wasn’t aware of that.

” His arms suddenly whip out to his sides, gesturing wildly.

“Of course it’s fucking big! She’s never seen me ride before and instead of waiting for us to be closer, she bought a fucking plane ticket, booked her own hotel room, and flew out here to watch me.

I’m freaking out, man, I’m freaking out. ”

Before I can respond or attempt to calm him down, Faith appears out of nowhere, sliding up beside him. “What the hell is going on?”

“Georgia is here,” he states, spinning around to address her as if I was no longer here.

“Oh my god, that’s huge.” His eyes grow wide at her words, and I have to bite my lip to stifle my laughter as she immediately reaches for him, noting her mistake. “But it’s fine, you got this, Kai. Can I meet her? Maybe I can sneak her down here.”

He calms down a little at that. “You’d do that?”

“Of course.” She reaches for him, looping her arm through his. “Come on. Let’s go find her.”

As they walk away, she throws a glance at me over her shoulder. Her brows are furrowed slightly, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. She looks anxious, if not a little disappointed, and I can’t tell if it’s aimed at me or the situation she’s found herself in.

And I’m pretty sure my expression mimics hers as I go to draw my bull.

It’s not until I’m about to climb onto Doze You Down, an all brown bull and my challenge of the night, that I see Faith again.

She’s standing off to the side of the chute with a redhead that looks an awful lot like Maxine, their arms looped through one another as Georgia fidgets with a media lanyard that Faith must have given her.

I give her a dazzling smile as our eyes connect, chancing a wink in her direction, which only causes her to shake her head.