Rebound *Book Two*

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

I blink a few times just to make sure that this is not a dream. I did not just place in top 10 after dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. I placed in top 5. I am in fourth place. Fourth place!

I stand there, stunned, a grin planted on my face ear to ear.

"Congrats!" GiGi shouts. She and April tackle me in a hug. Laughing and still slightly stunned, I hug them back. Mom and Dee hug me next.

"Congradulations, Al." Drew hugs me and kisses me lightly on the forehead. As Drew kisses me I glance up at Matt. His eyes are glued on me. I make eye contact and he looks away abruptly, itching the back of his head. Drew lets go of me and I give him a reassuring smile.

"Um, congrats Ali." Matt says, awkwardly hugging me. I sigh and give him a slight smile. "Um I am going to go and check on Rebound. Get him his night grain." Matt spits out. His cheeks are heated and I can tell he is embarassed. But why?

I shake Matt's awkward behavior away and look at Mark. He is beaming. I can tell that he is proud of me. "If only I was as good of a rider as you when I first went to Rolex." Mark laughs and I smile back at him. He pulls me into a hug and whispers to me almost inaudibly. It takes me a second the make out the words. He said, "Talk to him." As we pull away from the hug I look at him expectantly. All he does is give me a slight nod. I know that he is talking about Matt.

"You know I think I left my sunglasses at the Alltech Arena. Can you guys come with me to help find them? You too April?" Mark says, looking at me. I know that he is making up an excuse to try and get me alone with Matt to talk. I flashback to my conversation with Mark about Matt liking me more than a friend.

"Yeah lets go." Dee says as they all climb back into the golf cart.

"We will be right back and then we can go out for dinner." Mark tells me.

~

As they pull away, I see Matt walk out of Rebound's stall.

"Where are they going?" Matt aks, putting the grain scooper back in the tack room. He now acts totally normal.

"Um out to the Alltech Arena. Mark left something there." I say, watching Matt.

"Oh." He says, leaning against the tack room door. I lock eyes with him and he gives me a slight smile. I let my eyes linger on his for a second before looking down at my shoes.

"Um Matt can I talk to you for a minute?" I feel my cheeks heating up. I refuse to make eye contact with Matt, kicking at the dirt with my linen colored Sperry's.

"Um yeah sure." Matt straightens up. "What's up?" His face turns serious and he looks concerned.

I look around. Phillip Dutton's grooms are picking their horse's stalls. Allison Springer is on the phone by her stall setup. Meghan O'Donoghue and her groom are poulticing her horse in the aisle. So much commotion is going on around us.

"Somewhere private?" I say quietly.

"Yeah.. Sure.. Definitley.. Um come on." Matt gestures for me to follow him and we leave the event stabling and stand by the deserted Annex Ring. "Everything okay?" Matt asks as we stand there.

I watch a robin pluck a worm out of the ground. I suddenly get sad. I feel like that worm, getting sucked into something it doesn't want to. I slump my shoulders. That poor worm...

"Ali?" Matt shoots me back into reality.

"Um Matt I just... I don't know how to say this..." He stares at me expectantly. But what do I say? I can't confront him about his feelings. I can't. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say.

"Do you like me?" I spit out.

He stares at me, lost for words. He scoffs. "Yeah of course I like you, Ali. You are one of my best friends."

"No, Matt. I mean more than that." The minute those words escape my mouth I feel sick. I cannot believe I said that.

Matt bites his lip. He meets my eyes. I never noticed how much of a grey blue his eyes were. I look away from him. Why was I thinking about his eyes?

"Dammit Ali, I..." He stops talking and presses his lips against my own. This did not just happen! One minute we were talking and another he was kissing me? He places one hand on my hip and the other on my cheek. I close my eyes and run my hands through his soft, blonde hair. He deeps and kiss and presses me up against a tree.

Wait.

What?

I push Matt away from me. What the hell did I just do? I did not just kiss Matt back. I have a freaking boyfriend!

"Ali I'm sorry I-" Matt starts, he reaches out for me.

"Don't." I spit out. Tears prick the corners of my eyes. I turn around and run. I don't know where I am going. I just run. I let my feet carry me to where they want to go. I need to clear my head.

~

I end up at the Rolex arena. The huge stadium is empty. No one else is here. All the spectators have left or are watching the reining cup. All of the vendors have closed up for the day. I sit myself in a chair at the edge of the stands. I curl up in the seat and wrap my arms around my legs, pressing them up against me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I place my head on my knees. It is crazy to think how an incredible day can turn upside down in a matter of minutes. I let myself cry.

I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around and see Drew walking up to me. I wipe the tears away with the back of my hand. Great. Exactly who I want to see right now.

"Hey. Everything alright? We took a detour on the way back to the barn and I saw you walking here." He sits down next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shift away from him. Such a subtle movement causes a shift in Matt's entire demeanor. His whole body stiffens. "Are you okay?" He asks again with a serious tone.

"No." I whisper, wiping my nose on my hand.

"What's wrong?" He asks, clearly conserned.

"He kissed me." I spit out.

"Matt?" He asks, taking his hand off my shoulder and sitting up straighter in the chair.

"Yeah."

"Oh." Drew's voice fades.

"I kissed him back." I tightened my grasp around my legs.

"Oh." Drew says again. He is clearly hurt. "Do you like him?" He whispers, barely audible.

"I don't know." I say truthfully. And I mean it. I have never really let the idea of Matt and I wander into my head. Drew has always been my boyfriend and I never pictured anyone else other than him. Until now. Matt has always been there for me. But if I love Drew why can't I get Matt out of my head? Do I even love Drew?

Drew sighs. I know he is about to cry. I bite my lip to stop my own tears.

"I don't know if we should be together anymore." I manage to say, a tear rolling down my cheek.

"Yeah." Drew takes his hand and wipes his face.

"I'm sorry."

"Ali I want to do what is best for you. And if you want to be with Matt then..." He fades off.

"I don't know, Drew. I don't know!" I cry out. "I dont know..." I soften my voice.

"I will be gone by morning." He says. Is this really happening?

Drew stands up and sniffles. "Good bye, Allison. Good luck the rest of the weekend." He gives me a weak smile and walks away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

D: I wasn't even expecting the chapter to go like that haha. Don't hate me that much.

Team Drew or Team Matt?