Can I Really Trust You?

Seven

The door opened as if knowing we were coming and Eren took a step inside. My mother who had been waiting for me by the stairs had rushed over to me, immediately checking me for any other injuries. 

“Rizpah! Did you get hurt riding with Ingela?” She said as she grabbed my chin to inspect my face. I squeezed my hand tight around Eren’s finger as my mother’s eyes trailed down my dress to the hem of the skirt.  

“No”, I replied as I waited for her to scream at me.  

“Then why are you all dirty?” She walked over towards my feet and pinched the ends of my skirt, rubbing her thumb and finger together, inspecting the dirt. 

“Because I was out riding”, I answered as I pulled his finger closer to my chest.  

“Before class?” Her stare pierced at me, and I swallowed my fear. I knew she didn’t like me riding and the only reason why I even have Harvi is because my father had allowed it after I begged him a thousand times over.  

“No after”.  

“Then when did you--”.  

“My bird had tried to attack her, Lady Vanderbrown and during her attempt to escape, she fell and twisted her ankle”, Eren interrupted my Mother.  

“It’s just a sprain, it'll heal in no time”, I explained, and she hit the side of my arm and I cowered in Eren’s arms, embarrassed. 

“Mom!” I whined and Eren chuckled. “You can put me down now”, I whispered as I looked up at him. He replied by giving me a small shake of the head. 

“Oh no, you’re not getting put down until we get that foot treated”. She walked back over to examine my feet, lifting my dress and gasping as she saw the state it was in. Black with dirt and my right foot had swelled up twice its size. If I hadn’t gotten my foot caught in the stirrups earlier, the swelling wouldn’t have been this bad. “Rizpah Elisa Vanderbrown, you rode bare foot on a horse, didn’t you?”  

“No”, I lied.  

“I know you, daughter. You can lie to me all you want but I will ask until the truth has been told”, she told me sternly.  

“Okay I did! I just wanted to ride, and it didn’t matter to me whether I was hurt or not because Harvi is a good horse! I’ve even ridden him without a saddle before”, I assured her. Her hands cupped the back of her neck, as if I had just caused her great pain as her eyes went wide with shock at my mention of riding Harvi bareback. 

“Oh, dear Tasnia, please help my daughter”, she prayed to the Goddess. “Emily!”, she shouted and the short blonde hair maid from this morning had come running in, bowing as she stopped short in front of my mother. “Take them up the stairs and to the bath. Have her washed up for dinner, please”.  

“Mom! He’s not carrying me to the bath!” I yelled as I tried fighting my way out of his arms. There’s no way in hell I was going to have him take me there.   

She laughed as she squeezed my ankle and I grit onto my bottom lip as the wave of pain echoed throughout my body. “Too bad, darling. Both your father and brother are not here to lift you up those stairs. Maybe think twice before injuring yourself”.  

“It’s not even that bad!” I raised my leg up, letting the dress slide and my mother screamed in shock. 

“Manners, Rizpah! You are in the arms of our guests!” She scolded. I dropped my leg and went to adjust my skirt when I realized one of my hands had been holding on to his finger this entire time. I quickly let go of his finger and smoothed out my skirt. “Emily, please get my daughter cleaned up”, my mother ordered as she pinched the bridge of her nose.  

Emily nodded and Eren moved with me still in his arms. “This is embarrassing, I’m sorry”, I apologized. 

“A little family scat isn’t something to be embarrassed about. I can tell that she truly loves you. If you think that was embarrassing, wait till you meet my brother”, he chuckled. “Plus, this is the least I could do after causing you pain”. I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him. His eyes darted towards me and for a second, I found myself lost in those violet gems.  

I took a deep breath in, blinking fast as I looked away, not wanting to get sucked into whatever oblivion he came from. “Please, I’m hardly in pain. I went riding right after”.  

“Do you always do that?” He asked and I pondered.  

“Do what?”  

“Something reckless”, he whispered into my ear. I could feel the tips of my ear get hot as I pulled back to distance myself from him.  

“How is horseback riding considered reckless? My horse is a fine horse. He would never hurt me”, I said a little too loudly. I cleared my throat and turned my gaze onto Emily’s back. 

“Are you sure about that? Because it looks like your foot had gotten caught in the stirrups”, he chuckled as he gave me a sly grin.  

“How did you--”.  

“I can just tell by looking at it”, he cuts me off.  

We reached the top of the stairs and Emily guided him into my room and into the bath. Eren looked around with an amused look on his face and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.  

“What is it?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes on him.  

“Your room... It’s so...”, he looked down at me with a grin plastered to his face. “So, you”, he teased. We entered the bathroom and Eren set me down onto the chair that was next to the tub. “Please call me when she’s ready. I’ll take her”, he lets Emily know. 

“No, please don’t!” But before my words could even reach him, the door to the bathroom had closed and I was left with a grinning Emily as she gave me a quick wink. I groaned frustratedly as I ruffled my hair, annoyed at my current situation.