Chapter 16: You are the Best Thing That's Ever Been Mine

       I haven't really left the bedroom all weekend. Not because I didn't want to but because it was just too much of a hassle for me to get down the stairs now that I was on crutches and could barely put any pressure on my leg.

       And since I didn't even bother going downstairs, I haven't seen Paint all weekend. I really wanted to but I was so afraid he wouldn't want to be around me anymore. I loved that horse a whole lot and I was selfish enough to take him out for a ride when there was a clear indication of a storm coming.

       Now that it was Monday and I had to go to school, I did have a reason to go and see Paint. I held it off as long as I could but eventually, I caved it and cautiously made my way to Paint's field. He was just galloping around, not paying any attention to his surroundings.

       Paint didn't pay any attention to me until I opened the gate and walked into the field. He stared at me for a bit before trotting over. Once he reached me, he gently nudged his snout against my arm. I smiled as I rubbed his neck, feeling relieved he wasn't mad at me.

       "I'm sorry I took you out in the storm," I said. "I promise I won't do it again." Paint gave a soft whinny in reply, nudging my arm gently again.

       "See?" I heard a voice behind me say so I turned around to look at Sawyer who was leaning against the fence. "I told you he wouldn't be mad at you."

       "I still couldn't help but worry about it," I said. "I didn't know what I would do if he was mad at me. At least I know not to make that stupid mistake again."

       "Jamie, it wasn't your fault," Sawyer said. 

       "I should have just stayed back when I saw how dark the clouds were," I said. "I was being selfish."

       "You weren't being selfish," Sawyer assured. "Paint isn't mad at you. You shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

       I didn't say anything in reply. I wanted to believe Sawyer but I still felt a tiny bit guilty for causing Paint to get hurt, even if Paint wasn't mad about it.

       When Sawyer realized I wasn't going to say anything else, he changed the subject, mainly by reminding me of the dreadful day of school I have in front of me. "You ready to head out?" he asked.

       "Not really," I said. "I can just pretend my leg hurts too much so I could lie in bed all day."

       "I mean, if you want to I'm not going to stop you," Sawyer said.

       I really wanted to stay home but I haven't been doing too well in school lately so it wasn't the best idea for me to miss a day, especially if I would have been fine going there.

       "No, I'll actually go to school," I said. "I just have to get my backpack. Which is all the way upstairs in the bedroom."

       "I'll get it so you won't have to struggle getting up and down the stairs," Sawyer said. "And I'll unlock my truck on the way there so you can just wait in there."

        I smiled at Sawyer before rubbing Paint's neck one last time. "I'll be back as soon as I can," I said.

       I went to Sawyer's truck as he went to the house to get my backpack. It took some time to get into the passenger seat of the truck, mainly because I couldn't figure out how to get my crutches into the truck while still trying to keep my balance.

       In the end, I just put the crutches in the back of the truck and limped to the passenger seat, suffering through the pain from putting even the slightest amount of pressure on my leg.

       A few moments after I got into the truck, Sawyer walked out of the house with my backpack. He got into the driver's seat and handed it to me. "Thanks," I said, giving him a smile.

       "Of course," Sawyer said, smiling back as he started up the truck to drive me to the school. I guess one of the bright sides of my injury was that Sawyer had offered to take me to and from school every day until I could put pressure on my leg again.

       Once Sawyer pulled his truck over to the side of the school, he got out of the driver's seat to get my crutches from the back before helping me out, handing my crutches to me.

       "You're okay to making it to your class on your own?" Sawyer asked.

       "Yep," I said. "I'm just going to text Lulu when I get to my locker to see if she could help me since we have first period together."

       "Okay," Sawyer said. "So... I'll see you after school."

       He was about to head back into the truck but I stopped him. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

       "No, I don't think so," Sawyer said.

       "Well. I'm insulted."

       "I'm kidding," Sawyer said with a smile before giving me a quick kiss. 

       "That's it?" I asked.

       "Pretty much, yeah. I need to get back home and you need to get to class."

       "Fine, fine," I said. Once I again, Sawyer was about to head into the truck but I stopped him. "One more thing. If I recall, you haven't properly asked me out yet."

       "You do realize you can ask me out, right?" Sawyer asked.

       "Yes, but you were always saying how you asking me out wasn't going to happen."

       Sawyer sighed but there was still a small smile on his face. "Jamie, will you go out with me?"

       Of course, I couldn't help but smile at him once I finally heard the question I had been waiting Sawyer to ask me. Even though he was right by saying I could have asked him out. I just liked proving people wrong and Sawyer was very much in the wrong when he said him asking me out wasn't going to happen.

       "I would love to," I said. 

       Sawyer's small smile grew wider before he leaned down and pressed his lips onto mine for a lingering kiss. When he pulled away, he said, "I really do have to head back though so you should get going to class."

       "I'm now second guessing my decision to come to school when I could just stay home and check you out all day."

       "Bye, Jamie," Sawyer said as he got back into his truck.

       I went into the school and to my locker before taking out my cell phone and texting Lulu, asking if she could meet me here. She sent me a thumbs up emoji and shortly after her reply, I heard Lulu give a dramatic gasp. "Jamie!" She rushed over to me. "What happened? Why are you on crutches? Are you okay? Did someone do this to you? Do I need to get my knife collection?"

       "Whoa, Lulu, calm down," I said. "I just had a horseback riding accident. I'm fine."

       "You're not fine," Lulu said. "You could have died!"

       I furrowed my eyebrows. "But... I didn't even go into detail of what happened so how would you know if I could have died? Which, by the way, I couldn't have. I just fell off my horse and landed the wrong way. Not fatal at all."

       "Sorry, I get protective over my friends," Lulu said. "You should have seen what I almost did to someone who hurt Beau once. I would have gone through with it if my dad didn't find my rope and chloroform. Which reminds me, I need a better hiding spot for my supplies."

       "Okay, I'm a bit scared of you now," I said.

       "Oh, Jamie, you have nothing to be scared of," Lulu said. "I only hurt people who hurt my friends and only two people are considered to be my friends, one being you so unless you hurt Beau, you're safe. But I swear, if you ever touch Beau, I will find where you live."

       "But you already know where I live," I said. 

       "I know but it sounded more ominous if I said I'll find where you live."

       I know Lulu said I had nothing to be scared of but honestly, she was terrifying me.

       I had to change the subject before she got even more scary.

       "So I have something to tell you," I said. "Guess who got asked out?"

       "Did Beau get asked out?" Lulu asked. "Awe, I'm so happy for him. But if she ever hurts him..."

       I furrowed my eyebrows. "What? No. I was talking about me. I'm pretty sure Beau would tell you if he got asked out."

       And he would decline because he was too busy having feelings for his oblivious best friend who was standing right in front of me.

       "Oh, that makes sense," Lulu said. "Wait, who asked you out? Do I know them? Of course I know them. I know everyone in this town."

       "I'll give you a hint," I said. "When Kitty finds out, she's going to be really mad."

       Lulu immediately broke into a huge smile. "No way. Sawyer asked you out? How? When? Why? What the hell, why did I just ask why? Obviously because he likes you. So how? When?"

       "I mean, he officially asked me out a few minutes ago when he dropped me off here," I said. "But after my horseback riding accident, he told me that he liked me and we kissed."

       "Awe, Jamie, I'm so happy for you," Lulu said, throwing her arms around me in a hug. "And I'm so happy this will make Kitty mad. I can't wait to see her reaction. Make sure I'm near her if you and Sawyer ever be affectionate so I can take pictures of her reaction."

       "Will do."

_______________

lulu is a whole mood i swear

and yay paint isn't mad at jamie <3

fun fact: i've been playing the legend of zelda: breath of the wild for the past two-ish weeks now and i have a bunch of horses because horses and the first horse i got i named paint and i love him so much <3 if he dies i'll cry and then resurrect him and then cry again that he'll be back <3

i even have a horse named raven aka sawyer's horse's name woo

and now i'm going to play it even though it's 2:35 am because i'm too addicted to it someone save me.