Taking Rein

Chapter 48: Sophie and Charlotte

Chapter 48: Sophie and Charlotte

Sophie's POV

*****

"I never asked you," I told Liam as we were sitting down on a wall, waiting for the fireworks to start as the festival was coming to an end. "How did it feel to win the race?"

Liam looked at me, a smile forming on his face before looking down at his lap and back at me.

"It was crazy," he breathed out. "After not riding Buttercup for so long, it felt great to have that connection with her again."

I nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. I was proud of the fact that Buttercup and Liam won the competition after Buttercup had given birth not long before. Hades and Buttercup were both the underdogs of that competition, and they were the most successful two.

"But," he said with a sigh, capturing my attention. "I felt terrible that it wasn't you who got that trophy."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "You shouldn't feel terrible about that. You deserved it, Liam."

"Not more than you did," he retorted. "You rode with a broken leg for heaven's sake Soph. That was the most exceptional thing I have ever seen anybody do."

"And I came second," I replied. "Which is already a huge achievement for someone riding an old horse with a broken leg."

Liam smiled at me before nodding, looking back down at his lap pensievely. There was still a tension between the two of us, which no words would ever be able to break. So many things were left unsaid between the two of us, and as far as I was concerned, that's exactly where they were going to remain.

"I'm proud of you, though," he said, looking at me once more. "You weren't afraid to just go for it. Your father was there and you stood up for him in order to do what you wanted to do. You're inspiring, Sophie, I hope you know that."

I looked at him, not knowing exactly how to reply to something like that. His usual joking tone of voice had suddenly changed into an utterly serious one, and I never knew how to talk to him when that happened. I could handle talking to a joking Liam, but not to a sentimental one.

"Don't go all soft on me now, stable boy," I said, nudging his shoulder slightly, hoping that I could break him away from the emotional trance he was in.

"Wow, you're really not a sentimental person, are you?" He said with a slight laugh, shaking his head at me.

"I am when the time is right," I replied. "Which is certainly not during a festival."

Liam nodded, seemingly agreeing with me as the fireworks started, making us look up at the sky and the beautiful bursts of colours. I hadn't seen fireworks in a long time, and looking at them made me feel like I was a kid again, mesmerising herself at how those explosions of shapes and colours came out of small tubes.

"Sophie," Liam sighed, making me look at him.

His face had turned serious once again, as his eyes seemed to refuse to look at me. I was scared of what he was about to tell me, even if I had a pretty good idea of what it could be.

"I know that a festival isn't a place to get all serious, but you leave tomorrow and I can't let you leave without talking to you," he said, sucking in a deep breath.

I nodded, afraid of even opening my mouth. From the look on Liam's face, it seemed important, and I could not keep running away from having a real conversation with him.