EMILY
The riding lessons lasted about a week, just long enough for me to realize I was in way over my head. Mia was relentless, all stern eyes and barked commands, pushing me until I could barely stand upright. Every muscle in my body ached. I would lie awake at night and feel unimaginable pressure on my thighs, as if I were still gripping the saddle.
But that wasn’t the only reason I checked out.
I hadn’t seen Nicholas since the dinner incident. The one where I managed to embarrass myself into a small existential crisis. Maybe he was avoiding me. Or maybe, I hated to admit it, I was the one doing the avoiding.
He had called me out.
On my reluctance to leave, escaping. He was wrong. That was just… a lapse in judgment. Since then, I’d watched the guard rotations like clockwork. I’d map
