Chapter 6

"This is Snowy. She's super gentle, perfect for beginners," Ryan said, pointing to a white horse.

I gently stroked Snowy's neck, feeling the warmth radiating from her body.

Snowy seemed to sense my closeness and nuzzled my hand, all sweet and affectionate.

The coach couldn't help but stare as I saddled up and hopped onto Snowy like a pro. He asked, "Ms. Whitmore, have you ridden before?"

I froze for a moment, realizing I might have overdone it. Then I hurried to explain, "I've just seen it on TV."

But the moment I started riding, I totally forgot about pretending.

I adjusted my posture instinctively, handling Snowy's pace and direction like it was second nature.

The coach exclaimed, "Unbelievable! You're a natural rider."

Ryan stared at me in shock. He asked, "Sophia, is this really your first time riding?"

I nodded, with a weird mix of pride and nerves swirling inside me.

I was afraid they'd see through me, afraid this wonderful new life was just a dream that could disappear in a blink.

After our ride, we sat down at a café by the stables to catch our breath.

Ryan kept giving me these curious looks, and honestly, it made me a little nervous.

Finally, he said, "Sophia, sometimes I feel like you're hiding a lot of secrets."

My heart skipped a beat.

He ruffled my hair and added, "But that's okay. Everyone's got their secrets. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll always be here to listen."

I looked into his sincere eyes, and for a moment, I just wanted to spill everything.

But I held back. After all, nobody would believe the fact that Emily and I actually got to live again.

*****

Out on the grasslands, Emily finally got the green light to ride.

"This is the gentlest old horse around. Take her out and herd the sheep," Frank said, leading over a horse that looked totally unenthusiastic.

Emily grabbed the reins, all excited, trying to copy the way Sophia used to ride, hoping to look cool as she swung up onto the saddle.

But she totally overestimated herself and underestimated just how hard riding really is.

The moment she got on, the horse gave a little shake, and the next thing she knew, she was flat on her back, eating dirt.

A bunch of local kids nearby burst out laughing. One of them said, "Can't even get on the horse, and you want to learn to ride?"

Emily was burning with embarrassment and frustration, but she scrambled up and tried again.

This time, she managed to stay on, but the moment the horse started moving, she tensed up so much that she was practically a statue.

Frank shouted, "Relax! If you're this tense, the horse will get nervous, too."

Emily tried to loosen up, but her nerves just wouldn't let her get the horse to listen.

The horse picked up on her anxiety and started trotting around, not listening to her at all.

Emily panicked, clinging to the reins for dear life, which only made the horse freak out even more.

"Stop! Stop right now!" she screamed.

Finally, the horse slammed to a halt in front of some bushes, and Emily went flying again, her arm getting scraped up by the thorny branches.

That night, Emily lay on the hard bed, every muscle in her body aching.

She looked at the blisters and scratches on her hands, and finally, the tears she'd been holding back started to fall.

This wasn't the grassland life she'd imagined.

No romantic meet-cutes, no galloping free across the plains; just backbreaking chores and feeling totally alone.

Emily whispered to herself, "Sophia, how did you ever get through it all?"

For the first time, Emily started to question her decision.

Maybe she'd been so eager to claim Sophia's destiny that she never really understood the price that came with it.