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After what felt like the longest night of my life, I finally touched down in a wet and cold Manchester. My parents were waiting for me when I came through arrivals. I threw myself into my Mum’s waiting arms and broke down crying.
“Libby sweetheart, whatever’s wrong? What happened to your face, and your arm?” My Mum asked in a panic, her arms tightening around me.
“Oh, Mum.” I sobbed against her shoulder. “Everything is such a mess.”
She gently pushed me away from her, her fingers reaching out to trace the bruise on my face. “What happened Libby?” Her eyes bore into mine, pleading with me to tell her.
“I fell off a horse and broke my arm,” I told her through my tears, lifting my cast to show her. “The rest are just bruises. I was only in hospital overnight, I’m fine.”
“Hospital!” She shouted. “Why didn’t you ring us? Why didn’t Claire ring us?”
“Don’t be mad at Aunt Claire, I begged her not to tell you. I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Libby, you should have told us. Is that why you’ve come home?” She asked.
“No, yes, partly…” I muttered, shaking my head. My Dad pulled me in for a hug and kissed me gently on the head.
“Come on, let’s get you home, you can tell us in the car what’s been going on.” My Dad said, taking my suitcase off me with one hand and wrapping the other around my shoulder, guiding me out of the airport.
I was quiet for the first half of the car ride home, staring out of the window, watching the countryside go by. It would be the middle of the night back at the ranch, I wondered if Mason was sleeping, hoping that he didn’t hate me. My Mum’s voice broke into my thoughts.
“Please tell us what happened Libby, my mind is thinking all sorts of things.”
I sighed, taking one last look out of the window before dropping my eyes to my hands, my fingers picking at the plaster cast on my arm. Starting at the beginning, I told them everything, how I’d met Mason and reluctantly fallen in love with him, how Amber had confronted me at the rodeo, screaming at me that she belonged with Mason and then about the saddle strap being cut and me falling off the horse. Both of them stayed quiet, letting me get it all out until I mentioned the accident, and I saw out of the corner of my eye my Dad gripping the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white.
“So, are you saying that this girl, Amber, cut through the saddle strap on purpose, hoping that you’d fall off and hurt yourself?” My Dad asked through gritted teeth. His head turned to me, and I nodded slowly.
“Bloody hell Libby, you could have been killed!” He cried. “What did the police say?”
“They spoke to her, but we had no proof, and she denied she’d done it, so…” I trailed off. I saw him shake his head.
“So, that’s why you came home? Why the rush? What aren’t you telling us Lib?” My Mum asked quietly from the back seat.
“That’s not why I left. Savannah and I were at a coffee shop in Marble Falls yesterday, and Amber turned up. Turns out she’s pregnant with Mason’s baby, she had a scan picture and everything.” I reached my hand up and wiped away the tears that were rolling down my face. “I couldn’t stay knowing he was having a baby with her. I had to leave to give them a chance to be a family.” I whispered. I felt my Dad’s hand reaching for mine, and I held on to his hand tightly.
“Does this boy love you, Libby.” My Dad asked me, squeezing my hand.
“I think so, yes,” I said turning to look at him.
“And you love him.”
I nodded. “More than anything.”
“And what does he think about you coming home?” I dropped my eyes from his and bit my bottom lip. “He doesn’t know, does he?” My Dad said gently.
“No” I murmured.
“Why haven’t you spoken to him, sweetheart?” My Mum asked from behind me.
“Because if I had, he would have convinced me not to go. I couldn’t stay and watch him have a baby with Amber. I hate her Mum.”
“I understand Lib, but you need to talk to him. If he loves you like you love him, he must be worried sick.”
“I will, just not yet.” All I wanted was to get in my own bed, I was beyond exhausted. I was hoping that I would go to sleep and find that when I woke up, it had all been a horrible dream.
Thirty minutes later I was home and wrapped up in my duvet. I’d taken one of Mason’s t-shirts from the first time I’d slept over at his place, and I’d put that on, his smell enveloping me. I pulled the neck of his t-shirt over my nose and inhaled, breathing in his scent. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine his arms around me and his lips on my neck. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I pulled my arms around my body, eventually crying myself to sleep.
I woke up drenched in sweat, a scream escaping my lips. Sitting up, I put my hand over my racing heart and took in a deep breath. My mind wandered back to the dream, and I shook my head, it had been about the accident again, but this time it was Mason sitting in the front seat instead of Mia.
