Keith and John looked genuinely surprised. After a moment, John suddenly lit up like he had figured something out. “You didn’t come all the way out here just to light a candle and pray for us, did you? I’m not getting involved.”
“Yeah, me neither,” Keith chimed in. “Just head back already. There’s a long hike ahead, and no one’s carrying you.”
I picked up my pace and kept climbing, not wanting to waste another second arguing with them.
They were convinced that I was just putting on a show, so they followed right behind me. They were waiting to watch me make a fool of myself. But this time, I didn’t pay them any attention like I usually did.
After lighting my candle, I closed my eyes and whispered a quiet prayer.
Vanessa let out a sarcastic laugh. “What, are you praying they will love you more than they love me? I hate to break it to you, but you can’t control how they feel. Not even God can do that for you.”
John clearly picked up on what Vanessa was implying and immediately started trying to cheer her up while throwing blame at me. “You’re too old to still be fighting Vanessa for attention.”
I shot them a sideways glance and said coldly, “Wow, you really think everything is about you. My prayer had nothing to do with either of you.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes and walked off, but Keith didn’t believe me. He craned his neck, trying to see whose name I had written down.
The moment he saw Nathan’s name, Keith’s eyes went wide. “You seriously came here for that half-dead guy?”
John hesitated for a second. “Maybe she finally grew a conscience. Maybe she realized it’s too cruel for Vanessa to marry a guy in a coma, so she came to pray for Nathan.”
Keith responded, “What a hypocrite. If she really felt bad for Vanessa, then why doesn’t she marry that half-dead guy herself?”
They both kept their voices low, almost whispering, afraid Vanessa might hear them.
The only time I ever felt truly cared for like that was long ago, and it didn’t even last long.
That night, after I got back from Viana Hills, I actually dreamed of Nathan.
He was standing at the far end of the hallway at the Stone residence, smiling at me. Sunlight filtered through the wooden trellis and spilled across the stone patio, and for some reason, it all felt oddly familiar. It felt like I had seen that scene before.
Before I could walk toward him, a sudden burst of noise woke me up.
I got out of bed and leaned against the window. Keith and John were outside, showing Vanessa how to ride a horse.
Who would’ve thought that, when Vanessa casually said she wanted to learn horseback riding, John showed up with the best horse from his family’s ranch like it was no big deal.
Feeling bored, my mind drifted back to the dream. On a whim, I decided to head over to the Stone residence.
But just as I reached the front gate, not even leaving the house yet, I heard a sharp neigh behind me.
When I turned around, a horse reared up with its hooves flying straight toward my face.
My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground. To dodge the hooves, I had to roll out of the way several times. My arms were instantly covered in bruises, and bits of gravel scraped deep into my skin.
It was a bloody mess, and the pain was so sharp it brought tears to my eyes.
And yet, from atop the horse, Vanessa just raised an eyebrow and smiled at me. “Oops, I’m sorry, Willow. I’m still not that good at riding. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Keith didn’t even glance my way. Instead, he rushed to help her down from the horse, his voice gentle as ever. “Don’t worry, she’s tough. Are you okay?”
And just as I stood there, humiliated and on the verge of crying my eyes out, a hand reached out and helped me up. I saw a prayer card that looked strangely familiar in that person’s palm.
Wasn’t that the same one I got at Viana Hills?
“If you can’t ride, maybe sit this one out instead of making a fool of yourself,” the guy said. There was a trace of mockery and disdain in his voice.
When I saw his face, I was stunned. It was Nathan.
