Stories Based On Taylor Swift Songs

FEARLESS: 19. White Horse

19. White Horse (4/7/21)

"Stop it!" Emmaline squealed, leaning across her boyfriend's chest to reach for the ace of spades. He held it in the air, just far enough away where she couldn't reach it. "That's not even my card."

"Sure it is," Hunter laughed and handed her the ace of spades. "You just confuse the spades and clubs."

"Did I say ace of clubs?" Emmaline blushed, trying to remember what she had said a few moments ago when her boyfriend, Hunter, had asked what card she had picked up during the trick. Both the club and the spade were black with little tags at the bottom, but the tops of the two designs were different. She studied the ace of spades and realized her mistake. "That was my card. But I could have sworn it was the ace of clubs."

"You mean this?" Hunter selected a fresh card, and sure enough, it was the ace of spades. Emmaline chuckled before checking her watch and saying, "I gotta get going. Twyla will be mad if I'm late."

Hunter sat up and collected the cards before sliding them back in the box. Before Emmaline could rise from the couch, he took her by the hand and kissed it like a prince in a fairytale. She felt her heart melting in her chest as she grabbed her purse and left his apartment.

As she walked down the street towards the cafe to meet her friend Twyla for lunch, Emmaline felt as if she was walking on clouds. She pictured Jack, the young boy from the fairytale, as he climbed the beanstalk and explored the land of the giants. But instead of meeting a golden goose and a harp, Emmaline was the princess in her story. She wore dresses in pastel colors and had a happy ending with a beautiful prince. Sometimes, after a particularly successful date with Hunter, she daydreamed about their wedding, or thought about running away with him, leaving their small town behind. Then she would return to reality, where her math homework and college applications were waiting for her.

She opened the door to the cafe and saw Twyla sitting at their usual table. Her friend had already ordered a hot chocolate and muffin, and Emmaline realized it was later than she thought. She had tried to stop Hunter after the second card trick, but then he was kissing her and insisting on one last game. Twyla did not look pleased.

"I'm so sorry," Emmaline said before taking a seat across from her friend. "Hunter was showing me this card trick and..."

"I thought you two were supposed to be studying," Twyla pointed out. It was the lie Emmaline had told her friend so she wouldn't be suspicious about her whereabouts. She decided to keep the fact that she had stayed the night at Hunter's apartment when his parents were out of town a secret. It wasn't like her and Hunter had done anything, but she knew that Twyla had an active imagination and a deep rooted hatred for Hunter.

"We were, but he wanted to show me something before I left," Emmaline said, the lie tasting sour on her mouth. "Anyway, I'm really sorry."

"You know I don't like him, Em," Twyla said, her words clipped like a hedge. "And I need to tell you something about him."

"What is it now?" Emmaline couldn't help but chuckle; Twyla liked to joke about Hunter every so often, but they were never as serious as she made them out to be. When she glanced back at her friend, the serious expression Twyla wore sent a shiver down Emmaline's back.

"I don't know if it's true, but I was leaving work the other day, and I saw Hunter's car." Twyla worked at the general store down the street, but half the day she observed the customers and listened to their life stories instead of helping them find a product. "And I saw another girl climbing into his car."

Emmaline tried to remember a time she had gone to the general store with Hunter but nothing came up. She felt tears burning at the back of her eyes.

"It may be nothing," Twyla added as an afterthought. "I just thought I would mention it."

Emmaline nodded with a dull, glazed over expression on her face. She tried not to dwell on Twyla's words, but then she was picturing Hunter with another girl, and it only hurt her heart more.

An hour later, Twyla had to get home to work on a history project, and Emmaline needed to get to the bottom of the rumors. It was quarter to five, and the sun hadn't set yet; she could stop by Hunter's apartment before returning home.

She said her goodbyes to Twyla before walking the two blocks to Hunter's apartment. She prayed the rumors weren't true. She prayed it was all a lie, that it was all some sort of sick joke. She could feel her dreams of being a princess in a fairytale disappearing.

By the time she reached Hunter's apartment, Emmaline could feel the energy leaving her body. She knocked lightly on the door and waited with bated breath. By the time Hunter opened the door, Emmaline was on the verge of tears.

"Em!" He said, as if he was surprised to see her. She noticed that he kept the door cracked, as if was trying to hide something. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

Emmaline thought she heard someone walking around inside the apartment. "I think I left my textbook. Can I come in and look for it?"

Without a word, Hunter cracked the door open, and Emmaline peered inside. She wasn't looking for a textbook; she was looking for a girl. And sure enough, sitting on the couch, was a mousy brunette wearing a black tank top and skinny jeans.

"It's true," Emmaline murmured under her breath. She turned to glare at Hunter. "You're seeing someone else."

"I'm so sorry," Hunter whispered. "But I love you, Emmaline. Can you give me a second chance?"

The girl on the couch didn't say a word. Hunter's apology didn't faze her. Emmaline's jaw dropped.

"No," she sneered before storming out of the apartment. By the time she was alone in the hallway, the tears were streaming down her face. It had only been a few hours ago when she thought Hunter was her prince or her knight in shining armor, the one who rode a white horse. The one who would rescue her. Except, when she needed rescuing, he was nowhere to be found.

Emmaline didn't bother calling her mom; she walked home without a care in the world. Images of her dates with Hunter filled her mind. She thought about spending the night with him, how she would've given everything to him if he would've asked. He was not the prince in the story; he was the villain, the one meant to trick and deceive the princess. A small part of Emmaline hoped that, one day, she would find the kind of prince who would treat her well. He would never deceive her.