Page 56 of Drawn Together

“Marfil, sorry.”

“Have you ever ridden a horse, Wil?” I asked. “Do you mind if I call you Wil?”

He shook his head. “You can call me whatever you want. And yes, I know how to ride.”

I smiled. Wilson was much nicer than Sebastian.

“Great, because I want to be outside this house as much as possible.”

We passed the huge swimming pool, surrounded by lounge chairs and the grill, and headed to the stables. My father raised horses in Montana, but he kept his ten finest Appaloosas at our home in Louisiana, including Philippe. I’d named him after the horse inBeauty and the Beast, one of my favorite movies as a little girl.

When we entered the stable, we saw Colin, a man of around sixty who looked after the horses. He knew so much about animals that, even if he wasn’t officially a vet, it was as if he was.

“Are you going to ride today, Miss Cortés?” Colin asked.

I nodded, smiling. It was impossible to convince Colin to address me less formally; I’d stopped trying years ago. Without waiting for him to prepare my horse, I made my way to his stall. Philippe was beautiful, white with black feet and a glossy mane. When I went in, he whinnied happily, and I gently rubbed his favorite spot, right between his pretty eyes.

“Hello, gorgeous,” I said. I loved this animal.

Colin saddled my sister’s horse for Wilson, a very calm black mare named Glitter. Once everything was ready, we got on our horses and headed out into the fields. I looked back at the house, about to take off at a full gallop, when I noticed Sebastian watching us from the second-floor balcony. The warning look he shot me only made me want to take off faster.

Didn’t you say you didn’t have time to protect me? Well, then, fuck off, Sebastian.

Wilson knew how to ride, but just the basics, so I couldn’t run Philippe as fast as I would’ve liked. Galloping at top speed across the adjoining fields and jumping over the stream had been my favorite pastime when I was little, and I was annoyed that I couldn’t do it now, but I knew I couldn’t make poorWilson risk breaking his neck. I wasn’t planning to prove Sebastian right. Instead, I gave Wilson a tour of my father’s property: We passed the abandoned barn where Gabriella and I played as kids. The ancient oaks looked beautiful in early spring, and the pink azaleas were in full bloom, a beautiful sight to behold.

We got back to the house just as the sun was setting on the horizon. We hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, so we went directly to the kitchen as soon as we dropped off the horses.

I had enjoyed spending time with Wilson. He was sweet and fun, not at all paranoid like Sebastian. Spending time with him had been like hanging out with a friend. My sister would be lucky to have him as a bodyguard.

When we reached the kitchen, both covered in mud and all varieties of leaves, I saw that Sebastian was there with his laptop open and an unfriendly expression on his face. I was instantly reminded of how unpleasant he could be.

“How was your day?” he asked as he closed his laptop and stood up.

Wilson walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. I stood observing Sebastian, trying to determine what was going on behind his eyes.

“Fun,” I answered dryly.

“I’m glad,” he said, then left without another word.

I barely saw Sebastian the next day. It was as if he was intentionally avoiding me, which irritated me endlessly. He’d put Wilson on duty as my babysitter so he could take time off and relax. But Sebastian’s vacation wasn’t going to last long: My sister arrived the next day, and he was going to have to get back to work.

I wondered what the hell he did all day. I imagined him justwatching movies, but I saw him going in and out of my father’s office on several occasions. And speaking of my father, I only saw him at dinner, where we made small talk and then each went to our respective rooms. Normal.

That afternoon I decided to go for a swim on my own, without bothering to let either Wilson or Sebastian know, since I wasn’t even leaving the house. I put on my favorite red bathing suit and disappeared down the long stairs that led to the basement, where the gym and indoor pool were located. It was still a little cold to swim outside, and the heated pool was a luxury I missed while living in New York.

I connected my phone to the speakers, set my towel on one of the chairs, and jumped into the water. I loved swimming, something that always relaxed me, and I was delighted to be alone for once.

Over an hour had passed when I finally stopped, out of breath, and rested on the edge of the pool. I looked up and was surprised to see Sebastian leaning against the wall of the gym. We hadn’t spoken since the few words we’d exchanged the other night in the kitchen, after I returned from riding.

I pulled myself onto the edge of the pool and walked over to him, dripping wet.

He kept his eyes on me the entire time.

“How long have you been here?” I asked, picking up my towel and wrapping it around myself.

“Wilson has been looking for you for hours,” he said in response.

Was it my imagination, or did he just look at me like he wanted me?