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“Stephanie, I—” I started, but she didn’t seem to notice the hesitation in my voice.
“I mean it, Ashlyn! You were incredible, and I just know you can rise to the occasion again! I have complete faith in you. We can turn this around!” Her excitement was infectious, yet I felt a dark cloud forming over my heart.
“Stephanie, wait,” I said, trying to keep my tone steady. “You don’t understand. Competing in that race . . . it’s complicated.”
She stopped, her brow furrowing as she searched my face for answers. “What do you mean? You have to see this as a chance! We can save the ranch!”
“I know that, but . . . ” My voice faltered, the words I needed to say catching in my throat. “I can’t just enter any race. There are consequences. They’re?—”
“Consequences?” she interrupted, her voice rising slightly, frustration creeping into her tone.
“Ashlyn, this is our chance! We can’t just throw it away because of some old doubt. You’re incredible on that horse, and you know it! You can’t let anything hold you back!”
“Don’t you see?” I snapped, anger bubbling up inside me. “It’s not that simple!”
Her expression shifted from excitement to confusion, and I felt the hurt in her eyes as Stephanie took a step back, the reality of my words sinking in. “I thought you wanted to help us,” she said quietly,
disappointment lacing her tone.
“I do want to help you! I want to save the ranch! But not like this,” I replied, my voice softer now, anger giving way to fear. “If I race and something goes wrong, I could lose everything. You could lose everything.” Silence hung between us, thick and heavy. I could see the gears turning in Stephanie’s head as she processed what I was saying.
“But we’ve come so far, Ashlyn! I believed in you. I thought we were in this together,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “You’re so talented, and I thought we could face this together.”
“We can, but not like this,” I insisted, my heart aching.
Her eyes narrowed, hurt etched on her face. “So what? You’re just going to walk away? You’re going to throw in the towel because you’re scared?”
“No! I’m trying to protect us! I want to be here for you and for Phantom.”
“Then what do you want me to do?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly. “Just give up? Let everything fall apart because you’re afraid?”
I took a deep breath, feeling the anger dissipate, leaving only vulnerability in its wake. “I want you to understand where I’m coming from. I want you to trust that I’m trying to do what’s best for
both of us. I thought we were building something real together, but if this is what it’s going to
take . . .”
“It’s not just a race, Ashlyn! It’s our future! Can’t you see that?” Her voice was louder now, her
frustration boiling over. “I can’t believe you’re willing to just let it go!”
I could feel my own frustration creeping back, a battle of emotions raging within me. “I’m not letting it go! I’m trying to figure out how to move forward without jeopardizing everything!”
“Then help me understand! Talk to me!” she pleaded, her eyes searching mine for a connection, an answer.
I stood there, feeling the turmoil churning inside me. I had never been one to shy away from a challenge, yet this felt different. It felt dangerous. But the alternative—losing Stephanie, losing everything we had built together—was far worse. I took a deep breath, my heart racing as I realized what I had to do.
“Okay,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “I’ll do it. I’ll race at the state event.”
The relief that flooded her features was immediate, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.
“Really? You’ll do it?” she asked, her eyes lighting up with hope. “I knew you could! You were amazing out there, and we’ll prepare just like we did for the local derby.”
“Yeah, I just . . . I was nervous,” I added, trying to deflect her enthusiasm away from the truth. I didn’t want to admit that my nerves were rooted in my fear of being discovered. Fear of my past crashing into my present like a runaway train.
“Nervous? You? That’s hard to believe,” she teased, a smile creeping onto her face. “I mean, you practically made Phantom fly!”
I chuckled softly, appreciating her attempt to lighten the mood. “Well, maybe it was more about getting the hang of riding him. He’s got some serious speed.”
