Page 10 of Skye's Fall

You can say that again.

“I don’t know if I’m ready.” Skye fidgets with her shirt, looking defeated.

It finally has dawned on me that she’s been asking these questions because she’s doing the show.

Wait! Skye is doing the show?

“It will be good for you. You need to show the world you’re not that stuck-up bitch you came across as last season,” Ever replies.

“Okay.” How do you know she’s changed, Ever? Okay, that’s not fair. Maybe she has.

“We’ll get you up to speed so you can shine.”

“Linc is doing the show, too,” Memphis adds.

“What?” Skye sounds shocked and miffed at the same time.

“Come on, Skye, he needs this just as much as you do,” Ever says softly.

“He hates me. He will try to do whatever it takes to make me look bad.” She sounds sad. I’m not like that. There might be bad blood, but I wouldn’t do that. Would I?

“Just give him a chance,” London replies.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I hear her say as she pushes her chair back.

I hear her footsteps coming toward the kitchen, so I act like I wasn’t eavesdropping.

“Oh, sorry.” Her hand brushes up against mine as she puts her dish in the sink, not even looking at me.

“It’s okay,” I say softly. She rushes out the door like I burned her with fire. Her touch was electric to me. I felt the spark.

My heart can’t decide how I feel about Skye, but my head always has a place for her. Why did she agree to do the show? Hell, why did I agree?

Oh yeah, because my parents are conniving assholes.

Chapter Seven

Skye

“Isaddled Sammy for you. He’s a good horse and fast.” Ever leads the beautiful dapple-gray horse into the arena. London and Memphis are sitting on the fence, watching, which makes me nervous. Shane is setting up the barrels. Linc is not with them, which settles my stomach a little bit. A part of me wishes he was here just to show him that I’ve changed, to prove to him I’m not the worthless piece of trash he thinks I am.

“Skye? Are you ready?” I snap back to the present. I need to stop thinking about Lincoln.

“I’m ready.” I think I’m ready. I’m going to fake it like I am.

“Just take it at a trot to get used to Sammy,” Ever instructs me, climbing onto the fence beside Memphis.

I head to the gate where Shane is.

“You’ll do fine. You’ve done this before, and last season you did very well at this event. Get out of your head,” Shane says.

“Okay, thank you.” I nod and the gate drops. I decide to see how fast Sammy can go and spur him on. I take the first barrel, then the second, and nail the third. I’m crossing the line as Shane yells out, “sixteen seconds,” which is a good time and would get me a place in the top at a rodeo. Ever and Memphis are whooping and clapping for me.

“See, you will do just fine.” Shane smiles.

“Thank you.” I smile as I get off Sammy, patting his shoulder. “Good horse.”

“Skye, I think you’re ready.” Ever smiles at me.