AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Chapter thirty one

AARON HERNANDEZ

"What happened? Was the food not good?" I look at Hedrick and just clench my jaw.

"Stop it, Hedrick, Cassy is our guest. We need to make her feel welcomed."

"Was I rude to her? Lucy." I walk out either without saying anything to anyone.
I walk upstairs to Cassandra's room to see if she is there.

I try the doorknob but she locked herself inside. "Cassandra," I call as I knock twice on her door.
I wait for an answer but nothing comes.

"Cassandra, please can you open the door for me? I want to talk to you?" Still, nothing happened.
I knocked again but the result was still the same.
I would have thought she wasn't maybe there but the door being locked showed that someone locked it.

"Cassandra, at least let me know you are okay. Is everything alright in there?" I still get silence as a response.
I sigh defeatedly.
I tug my hands in my pocket before I turn to leave her doorstep when she answers.

"I am fine, I...I just want to be alone." I move closer to the door.
"I understand, Cassandra. Take your time, I will come to check on you later." I linger for some time to see if she will reply but when she says nothing, I take it as my cue and leave her doorstep.

I walk to the next room that I chose and remove my suit jacket and throw it to the bed before walking back out.
I walk out of the inn and move to the backside where I know there are the stables for horses.

I walk in to find my Crystal.
She is not hard to find, I walk to her and run my hands on her beautiful head.

"Hello, Crystal. Did you miss me? Because I have. I missed you so much." I keep caressing her head as she growls and wiggles in my touch.
I open the door to free her and she growls.

I smile as I caress her head.
"How have you been friend? I hope your days have been better than mine. Come, come let's go for a ride to talk over our past days." I say to her as I pull her strings and guide her out of the stables.

I realized Elliot and Lucy had gained some other new horses that they did not have the last time I was here.

I walk Crystal out and then mount her before I kick her to run.
The adrenaline I always gain and love in riding a horse fills me up.

She takes up on the private property of my land that surrounds the King's Nest Inn taking me high on the rush I am chasing.

"Yes, Crystal faster." I encourage her while kicking her lightly to speed it up. She picks up her pace.

I focus to where we are heading as I absorb the harsh caresses of the wind to my flushed skin.
It's a good feeling just what I was chasing for.

Crystal rides me around, there is always this place I have always loved to ride here that faces the ocean and it's where I lead her.
To face the waters, I inhale in when she stops.

I smile down at her as I lean on her to caress her head. "Good girl, good, you are still as just good as I remember you to be. Well done." I run my fingers at the front of her head before pulling back and staring at the view in front of me.

I have forgotten just how magical this place has always been.
How this view and its nature used to heal my soaking and dripping wounds.

I can feel its magical touch me and fix me up just like it used to back then in my old days as I gaze.

"Just like I remembered," I mumble to myself. I take in a long breath in before releasing another one with my eyes still closed.

I take a moment before opening my eyes again to ask myself what I am doing.