Broken Horse

Chapter 4 - Jacey

Rushing out to my truck, I unlocked the passenger door and tossed my bag on the front seat. My heart sank deep into my chest as I focused on the paper on the seat, my last lab. I couldn't get some of the answers, so I made them up the best I could and he drew little sad faces over all the wrong answers. When I saw it, I tucked the paper under the console and smiled all the way home thinking about those faces. That night, I wondered if he was laughing every time he drew one of those faces, rolled his eyes, and made fun of what I wrote. I thought about him that whole night, the next day until I saw him in class again.

"Okay. Okay." The deep voice drifted through the air causing my heart to speed out of control. "I do not mean to be short with you. I just have some issues going on right now."

As he walked across the parking lot, my body engulfed in flames. He looked twice as hot in blue jeans and a black turtle neck and I hadn't paid attention today. I was focused on how I could keep myself out of trouble than listening to him lecture. But then again, he was so confused himself, I was completely lost. I couldn't keep up and I just thought about how I could see if he was going to tell on me. But damn! Those blue jeans fit perfect to those nice, firm legs of his and he was coming straight for me. "I promise. I will be ready next class."

Forcing a deep breath, I tried to ease my shoulders and relax my body, but the butterflies were going mad. Was I drooling? Could he see my heart pounding out of my chest? What if he did? It was pounding hard in my chest and I could have sworn I saw my t-shirt move to the rhythm.

He ignored all the other girls with their obvious flirting, but with me, he was different. When he looked at me, there was something else in those blues than with the other girls. Maybe I was just dreaming or hoping. I probably didn't see his eyes when he asked the other girls a question or talked to them so I can't say he was different with me. That had to be it. I wasn't anything a man like him would come after anyway. My sister, yes. She would be his type, but not me.

"You come here a lot with the horses?" His dark brows raised as he stopped at the front of my truck. The small smile started to come to his face, but the pain was embedded deep in his beautiful blues.

"No. Never. Just a few times, but it was easier in the summer when school was out." Heat packed into my cheeks. I saw him watching us, but I wondered if he heard us talking. I wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. I was supposed to be Jacki and I needed to remember that. We traded places for these classes. I couldn't risk getting comfortable with Sergei and letting him find out about the switch. Having the horse on school property would be the least of my problems then.

"You are amazing with him. Just do not get hurt. I would hate to see that." A blushing came to his cheeks as his eyes quickly shot over me. "Do not worry. I will not say anything. It was wrong of me to even threaten you with it."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." I had to pull back. I had to get my head in the right place and remember who I was, which twin I was. If he found out, he would have to turn me in and I would be kicked out of school. But my stomach knotted seeing there was something still bothering him. He did say he had a problem, but his problems weren't my concern. He wasn't someone I could even think about.

"Remember no class on Friday. I have a meeting and it is campus safety day at the admin building. You better come and learn to be safe." Those blue eyes danced a little as he shrugged his shoulders letting his smile slowly fade. Pain lingered a little deeper as he shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "I cannot talk to you because of me being the teacher. And I am not a good man for you to talk to. You are a good student and a good person. Good with your horse, which says a lot about you as a person."