The Longest Ride

tell her the truth.

22

    Sophia
    “S o you just rode off and left him?” Marcia asked.

“I didn’t know what else to do,” Sophia replied, propping her chin in her hands. Marcia sat beside her as she lay on her bed. “By then, I was so angry, I could barely look at him.”

“Hmmm. I guess I’d be angry, too,” Marcia said, sounding just a bit too sympathetic. “I mean, we both know that art history majors are absolutely critical to the modern functioning of society. If that’s not a serious responsibility, I don’t know what is.”

Sophia scowled at her. “Shut up.”

Marcia ignored the comment. “Especially if they’ve yet to land a job that actually pays anything.”

“Didn’t I just say shut up?”

“I’m just teasing you,” Marcia said, nudging her with her elbow.

“Yeah, well, I’m not in the mood, okay?”

“Oh, hush. I don’t mean anything by it. I’m just happy you’re here. I had already resigned myself to the fact that I’d be alone all day. And most of the night, too.”

“I’m trying to talk to you!”

“I know. I’ve missed our talks. We haven’t had one in ages.”

“And we’re not going to have any more if you keep this up. You’re making this a lot harder than you need to.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to listen. I want you to help me figure this out.”

“I am listening,” she said. “I heard everything you said.”

“And?”

“Well, frankly, I’m just glad you finally had an argument. It’s about time. I’m of the opinion that it’s not a meaningful relationship until you have a real argument. Up until then, it’s just a honeymoon. After all, you don’t know how strong something is until you actually test it.” She winked. “I read that in a fortune cookie once.”

“Fortune cookie?”

“It’s still true. And it’s good for you. Because once you two get past this, you’ll be stronger as a couple. And the make-up sex is always great.”

Sophia made a face. “Is it always about sex with you?”

“Not always. But with Luke?” She broke into a lascivious grin. “If I were you, I’d be trying to get past this as soon as possible. That is one good-looking man.”

“Stop trying to change the subject. You need to help me figure this out!”

“What do you think I’ve been doing?”

“Trying your best to irritate me?”

Marcia offered an earnest expression. “You know what I think?” she asked. “Based on what you told me? I think he’s nervous about what’s going to happen between you two. He’s going to be traveling most weekends, and before you know it, you’ll have graduated and he thinks you’re not going to stick around. So he’s probably beginning to distance himself.”

Maybe, Sophia thought. There was some truth there, but…

“It’s more than that,” she said. “He’s never been like this before. Something else is going on.”

“Is there anything you haven’t told me?”

He might lose the ranch. But she hadn’t told Marcia that, nor would she. Luke had confided in her, and she wouldn’t violate his trust.

“I know he’s feeling a lot of pressure,” she said instead. “He wants to ride well. He’s nervous.”

“Well, there’s your answer,” Marcia said. “He’s nervous and under pressure, and you kept telling him not to think about it. So he got a little defensive and lashed out because in his mind, you’re indifferent to what he’s going through.”

Maybe, Sophia thought.

“Trust me,” Marcia went on. “He’s probably regretting it already. And I’ll bet he’ll be calling you to apologize any minute now.”
     

     
    He didn’t call. Not that night, or the next or even the next. On Tuesday, Sophia spent most of the day alternately checking her phone to see if he’d texted and wondering whether she should call him. Though she attended classes and took notes, she was hard-pressed to recall anything her professors had said.

Between classes, she would walk from one building to the next, reviewing Marcia’s words, acknowledging that they made sense. Yet she couldn’t escape the memory of Luke’s… what? Anger? Hostility? She wasn’t sure if those were the right words, but she’d definitely felt as though he’d been trying to drive her away.

Why, after everything had been so easy and comfortable for so long, had everything so quickly gone wrong?

There was a lot that didn’t add up. She should just pick up the phone and get to the bottom of all