She jumped down and glared at me. “Fuck off, douche bag. You have no idea what you’re missing.”
I watched as she began walking over to a group of guys who had driven in this morning from Arkansas.
Good Lord, I feel sorry for those boys.
I looked around for Callie or Joe. I found Joe talking to an older gentleman. I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. The sooner I did this, the better.
The temperature had warmed up some, so I took advantage of it. I went down to the barn to get Banjo and go for a ride. It was Christmas morning, but it didn’t feel like it. Everyone was planning on coming to our house this evening for dinner. It was a tradition among all my parents’ friends to spend Christmas day together in some way. They had been doing it since I could remember.
I walked into Banjo’s stall, and he greeted me with his low rumbling nicker, like he always did.
I smiled and hugged his massive neck. “Please don’t ever leave me, boy. I don’t think I could bear the thought of losing you and Will.”
Banjo rested his head on my shoulder, causing me to giggle.
“Boy, do you realize how big you are?” I turned and started getting his saddle ready for a ride.
Once I was up and on him, we slowly made our way outside the barn. We walked along the trail for a good two miles before I stopped in an open field. I jumped down, and I just let him graze for a while. I walked over to a fallen tree, sat down on it, and closed my eyes.
“Will…”
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting there, thinking about Will and all the times we had been together. I thought about the first time I’d known I wanted to kiss him, the first time I’d known I loved him, and the first time he’d held me in his arms, making me feel so safe.
Now, all I feel is emptiness.
Banjo made a noise, and I opened my eyes to see my mother.
I smiled at her and stood up. “How did you find me?”
She laughed. “Mary Lou here has a thing for Banjo. I just told her to find him, and she did.”
I smiled bigger and started walking toward her when I felt something stinging me on the ass. “Ouch! Oh, holy hell! Motherfucking son of a bitch!”
“Alexandra Eryn Mathews!”
“Mom! Something is stinging me!” I turned around and tried to look at my behind.
I was just about to run my hand across my ass when my mother screamed.
“Oh God! Don’t put your hand back there. Oh shit…oh…I might actually faint!”
“What? Mother! What in the hell is it?”
“Take off your pants. Oh my! Now, Alex!”
I stripped out of my boots and began taking off my riding pants. “Ouch. Fucker! Oh…oh!” I screamed over and over as I pulled my pants down.
My mother began stomping on something. “Get away, and watch where you step! Put your boots back on.”
I grabbed my boots and ran over to Banjo. My ass and the top of my leg were stinging like a bitch. I looked back at my mother, who was screaming like a mad person while stomping on something. I walked over and saw a scorpion that was dead on the ground from her stomping on it. I instantly felt sick to my stomach. Then, I saw another one.
“Mom, how many were on me?”
She turned and looked at me. “ Three,” she whispered.
Three? Did she say three?
I swallowed hard and looked over at the log I had been sitting on. Scorpions were all over it.