This picture ^^^ (the one up top) is going to be mentioned in this chapter. It is of Veronica jumping Arrow last summer at an eventing competition. You will understand the meaning of it later on in this chapter.
"Hey, Veronica!" Noah spoke from across the barn.
"Hey!" I called back and slipped on another one of Summer's boots.
Noah came over, holding Comet by the reins. I gathered Summer's reins in my hand and led her out of the stall.
"Let's go?" I suggested.
"Sure!" We mounted our horses and started out on a trail.
"We've been dating for a month, but I barely know you." Noah slowed Comet as he turned to me.
"Oh, um." I slowed to match him. "What do you want to know?"
"Just about you." Noah shrugged.
"Well..." I was stuck in a ditch. There was no way out except telling him about me.
"I live about three hours south of here." Noah listened to me intently. "I am an only child."
"What about your living style?" Noah wondered.
"My family is pretty rich. But we weren't always. Something happened and we were suddenly the richest around."
Noah stared at me.
"I mean, we used to have nothing. Like nothing, nothing." I recalled. "We lived in America, actually. In an apartment in NYC. Around the time we were kicked out, my grandmother died. So we moved to the UK when I was four."
"Why were you kicked out?"
"Someone snuck into our apartment and set fire to something. We were away on a trip, so we had some of our things, but most of them burned."
Noah's silence was deafening.
"When we came to the UK, grandma had left her property to Dad. We moved into her tiny farmhouse." A pang of grief shot through me. "She had left all her animals to us, too. We kept the horses, but sold the rest of the animals. That's how I got my first horse, Arrow. He's fourteen right now.
"After that, our life went uphill. My parents got back into riding. I started riding." I shivered as a gust of wind blew past us. I tried to shake off the thought of Grandma's death.. "Yeah."
"Wow." Noah shook his head. "I had no idea..."
"It's fine," I responded.
"Well, my life is way easier." Noah tried to cheer me up.
I laughed quietly.
"I was born here." Noah began. "I got a Comet when I was seven. My family had already owned Ariat."
I leaned in.
"My parents had to send me to private schools, because I was bullied for riding. So I grew up riding at private and boarding schools."
I sniffed. "Yeah, so you were right!"
"I'm always right!" Noah joked.
I cracked a smile.
"We haven't gone on a date recently," Noah said suddenly.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." I fidgeted. Was I a bad girlfriend?
"I was thinking. Veronica Ross is going to be competing in Liverpool over break. Do you want to go watch her?"
I sat stone still in Summer's saddle. "Um..." I faltered. "I don't think I can, Noah. Family things. Sorry."
Noah glanced at me, confused.
"I actually have to go now." I lied, looking at my watch. "I gotta call my parents."
I pulled on Summer's left rein and squeezed her into a gallop. She sped forwards and came face to face with a log wall.
"Veronica!" Noah called after me.
I ignored him and kicked Summer. With my encouragement, she jumped over the creek in front of us, which had a log wall right behind it.
We galloped across the field, the wind howling in my ears. Something hit my back, cold dripping off. I looked back to see that Noah had thrown a snowball at me. I wiped the snow away, then shook my head at him. Summer picked up a gallop again, and we cleared the field and came up to the barn.
"Dean!" I called out.
"Yes?" She popped out from the tack room.
"Can you put Summer away?" I asked, glancing behind myself. Noah would be here soon.
"Of course!" Dean said happily. I handed her Summer's reins, then sprinted out the back exit of the barn.
"Nikolette!" I yelled when I saw her.
She pulled over on the golf cart. "Can you give me a ride to the dorm?"
"Sure! Hop on." I sat in the cart. "What's wrong?"
"Noah asked me to go on a date with him to see me compete over Christmas break." I said breathlessly.
"Oh..." She let out a sigh. "Perhaps you should tell him. He likes you for who you are".
"I can't." I shook my head and hopped out when she pulled up.
I sprinted to the fourth floor and ran into my room.
Well. I tried to. Brooke stopped me. "What. Are. You. Doing?"
"Running away," I replied, trying to go past her.
"No, really."
I decided there wasn't a point in hiding it. "Noah wants to take me on a date to Liverpool over Christmas break, but that's when I am competing. And he wants to see Veronica Ross compete. I'm so screwed." I sighed, twirling my hair.
Brooke let out a long breath. "Just tell him. And tell Grace and Ava."
"Tell us what?" Grace asked, coming into the dorm. Ava walked next to her.
I glanced at Brooke. She nodded.
I turned back to Grace and Ava.
"I wanted to tell you guys that-" I was interrupted by Grace.
"Do I need to finish my homework?" Grace asked. "Thanks Vonnie! I forgot!" She danced into her room.
"What was it?" Ava asked.
"I'm not Veronica Taylor," I admitted.
"Then who are you?"
"Veronica Ross." I
She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. She showed it to me.
It was a picture of my olympic competition last summer. I was jumping Arrow over the huge water jump, the last one of the course. Arrow's face completely matched mine. We were free and happy. Although my face was blurry, if you squinted, you could see the resemblance.
"That's me." My voice cracked.
"I know." Ava said, her eyes shiny.
My lip quivered. "I'm so sorry."
Ava and I fell into each other's arms. Brooke sniffled, and she leaned in.
"I promise, I'll tell you all everything from now on," I said, wiping the tears from my face. But I still worried- I never had the chance to tell Grace.
* 3rd Person *
"Noah." Brooke stated when he entered their dorm. "Thanks for coming."
"Yeah sure." Noah looked uncomfortable, but Brooke didn't care.
"You've been dating Veronica for two months now," she said. "Correct?"
"Yes." Noah confirmed.
"Remember how you asked Veronica if she wanted to go to liverpool with you over Christmas break?"
"Yeah." Noah recalled. "We didn't though."
"She did." Brooke stated again.
"She did?" Noah repeated.
"Noah, she did this to protect everyone, but her last name is Ross." Brooke's voice softened. "Her name is Veronica Ross, and she couldn't go with you because she was competing there. Your girlfriend is an olympic eventer."
Noah gripped his hair, masking a small smile. "No no no." He muttered.
"What's wrong?" Brooke asked.
"When we were kids, my family used to hang with hers. I told her then that..." Noah stopped.
Brooke raised an eyebrow.
"I told her that I hate celebrities. But I'm sure she isn't actually Veronica Ross." Noah tried to convince himself.
"It's true." Ava put in. She had been listening to Brooke.
"I have to go." Noah said. "Sorry."
"Veronica will hate you." Ava told Brooke.
"She'll thank me later." Ava said and left Noah and Brooke.
"Bye!" Noah said and ran out of their dorm and down to the barn.
* 1st Person * Veronica *
"Veronica!" I heard Noah's frantic voice. I slung my barn backpack onto my shoulders and looked up.
"Hey Noah!" I smiled.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Noah demanded. "Why?"
"Didn't tell you what-" My voice trailed off. "I couldn't. I'm so sorry, but I couldn't."
"Why not?" Noah shook his head, staring at the dirt.
"Because I wanted to stay anonymous. The less people that knew, the better," I told him.
"Brooke and Ava know."
"Brooke found out herself the first we met over Facetime. Brooke made me tell Grace and Ava, but I wasn't able to tell Grace. She kept running away."
"I thought we had an honest relationship," Noah said.
"We do now!" I stared at him, pleading with my eyes. "You know my entire backstory! No one on this whole planet knows except you! I think that's honest enough."
"I'm sorry Veronica." Noah stepped away. "I can't do this. Maybe one day, but for now, I think a break would be best. I don't think we can be together if you can't trust me with something like that."
He quietly left the barn, leaving me speechless, and devastated. "No." I whispered. A tear trickled down my face. "No, no, no, no, no!" I broke down crying onto the floor. Summer nuzzled me.
I grabbed some of the hay from the floor and flung it across the barn. "NO!"
I crumbled to the floor in a crying heap. Summer laid down next to me. I placed my head on her back, and she lowered hers onto my lap.
I lay like that until my sadness had turned to rage. I was so going to show that jerk what he did.
Edited
I already have a vague idea of who's going to hate me right now. PLEASE DON'T.
Hehehe *nervous laugher* Yeah so I ended them, hehe, but ya know, this isn't a sad book. It'll have a happy ending. I can promise you that.
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TYSM guys!!!
Quick note: I'll try to post tomorrow, but if I don't the next update will be on Monday. Sorry... I'm visiting my close family friends who moved two months ago. I get warm weather for two days now XD lol (I'm going to Maryland)