Evolution

Chapter Twenty Nine: Snake

"I know" I agreed, urging the colour in my face to disperse

Our conversation was like a rollercoaster. One minute we'd be smiling, sharing our childhood pasts with each other, the next we were diving in an emotional pool head first. We certainly had one thing in common – bad choices.

"You should have told someone.." Jesse broke in, his eyes held fiercely on my face

"About what?" I played stupid

"About Talon"

I shrugged, my fingers picking at a stubborn thorn caught in the horses mane, the horse now asleep

"It wasn't..." I stumbled to verbalise the awkward explanation "It wasn't forced per say, I was just too stupid to say no" I told him, looking up at his stern expression

He shook his head, averting his gaze as he shifted on his boots

"I was just a dumb teenager, all my friends had done it, and the way they talked about it..." I rambled off, unashamed to talk about sex with someone who seemed to take a sincere interest in my trauma "They talked about like it was the most magical thing in the world.." I shook my head, forcing back the memory as best I could "It hurt like hell.." I scoffed "I thought it would get better over time, but... it didn't"

Under my fingers, the burr finally gave way, separating from the knotted strands of hair. I gave a sigh and flicked it to the ground, Jesse's eyes intent on my face.

Suddenly, I didn't want to talk anymore. These were parts of my past that I had spent years forcing back. For almost 3 years I had managed to keep at bay my experiences with Talon.

"You shouldn't have told me that" Jesse mumbled, moving himself to the front of the stall

"Why is that?" I asked, brushing more thoroughly

He rubbed the back of his neck "It makes my restraint on wringing his neck that much more unbearable"

I gave a small crooked smile, unsure if he were entirely serious, but when I turned my head to glance at him, I could tell he was deathly serious

"Usually I wouldn't be opposed, but if anyone is going to do it, it's going to be me" I told him, attempting to lighten the situation

Jesse gave a small grunt in response, and then he was gone.

-

After spending the night combing through mane, tail, burs and knots, by the time I'd fallen asleep, it had been about 2 in the morning. I hadn't felt all that tired, but my arm was paining me more than I cared to acknowledge. I had intended to take a small break, lying down on a pile of stale yellow bales of hay shoved in a corner nearby, but within five minutes, I was asleep.

Sharp pieces of hay stabbed me in the back, itching at my skin. I could feel dry sticks tickling my ankles where my jeans had ridden up my leg through restless tossing and turning. It was what had woken me up.

I grizzled and groaned, adjusting my pants in an attempt to fix the issue and drift back to sleep. My arm was numb from leaning on my wound, and it only made me want to return to darkness further. My eyes remained closed, my mind half on earth, half on the moon. It was close to sunrise, I could hear the birds on the roof giving their morning call. The heat around me had eased up, leaving a cool wind rushing through the barn doors over my face. I needed just a little longer, just a tiny bit longer to recover from my all-nighter spent with my future family of quiet, voiceless animals.

Unfortunately, the itching on my leg became more frantic, almost as though someone intentionally held a straw stick, tickling the flesh above my left boot. My eyebrows creased, and I let out a final growl of irritation. If it was Jaxon, or Ronan, I was not going to be a happy camper.