Learning A Lake ✔

- Twenty-Three -

♢ Laura ♢

"Horse riding, really?" Ryan looked at me with a glum expression after I had told him that we now had to head to the camp stables, but by the way he stayed sitting on my cabin bed fiddling with one of the strings from his hoodie made me think he definitely did not want to go. 

"What's wrong with horse riding?" I asked, oblivious to the emotion is his tone. But then he gave me a look, and I knew exactly what it meant. 

I gave him a little shrug. "Come on, Lacey would be super happy to see you doing something she loved so much." He replied with a half-smile and a small sigh.
"I guess you're right, I just haven't been near a horse since before she started neglecting herself. I used to go with her every day to see Monty. I'd been trying to avoid any interaction that would remind me of her, but there is no escaping the reality of it all now."

I always felt bad for him, after everything he went through, he always looked strong and I knew that deep down there was part of him that wanted to just scream and shout about it all. I had seen that side of him when he opened up to me about Lacey in the first place, but, I knew there was a lot more to it than that. 

Joining him on the bed and sitting directly in front of him, I said the two words that always made him feel at ease.

"I'm here."

Our gazes met. "I know." He said, a small smile creeping onto his face. "I know." He repeated himself before gently kissing me on the forehead. This boy is driving me wild.

I got up from the bed and stretched my hand out. "We better get going, we don't want to be late, especially after Rhi found out we spent the night in the tree house."

"That is very true, don't want to piss of the camp leader now do we." He took my hand and we left the cabin.

---

It turns out me and Ryan weren't the couple to piss off Rhi today, instead, it was Matt and Rachel...

"You two." Rhi said sternly, whilst pointing to my left, where Rachel and Matt stood. "I don't want to see your faces; you are excluded from the rest of today's activities until we have had a chat. See me in my office at three."

Everyone stood around the stables looked rather confused, including me. I had no idea what they had done but they both walked off looking 50% guilty and 50% smug. I just rolled my eyes and gave Rachel a look which was to say: You are telling me EVERYTHING later.

After they had left Rhi seemed to calm down and let us get on with meeting the horses. I used to have riding lessons when I was younger so I knew the basics and was able to saddle up the horse and get myself ready to ride. I watched Ryan who was ready before I was with the horse he was given.
"Ready?" He asked, seeming happier than earlier now that he was actually getting on with the activity.
"Yep, how are you feeling?" We began to lead our horses away from the stable area, following Rhi.
"Okay, actually. It feels familiar and kind of comforting. Horses are beautiful... just like you!" He gave me a grin.
"Were you just trying to be cute or did you accidentally call me a horse?" I gaped at him before laughing.

"I was trying to be cute, but that backfired when I realized what I just did, sorry." He pouted at me, sticking his bottom lip out. He was trying to hide a smile. I replied with an evident eye roll.
"You're forgiven, just try not to call me an animal when attempting to flirt."
"I'll try my best." He promised, the amusement was prominent in his tone though.

"Please follow the track until we make it back here, I don't want any missing people or horses today." Rhi told us all before we got on our horses and made our way down the path into the woodland.