16. Verge
Verge
Ihave about thirty minutes or so before I need to head to the bull chutes.
I’ve played it well all day, but my fucking ankle is throbbing.
Thankfully, I have one event and not two, and thank God my foot never has to be in stirrup of any sort.
I’ve spent most of the day sitting around and keeping off my bum ankle.
Shiloh and Cross tonight came in second in the team roping, leaving Cash and Beau coming in fifth.
We are all off after today’s events, and it’s apparent.
Even Tyler knocked over a barrel and came very close to missing her steer in the breakaway.
Which leaves me feeling like I very well may get hurt tonight, but I refuse to give Pierce the fucking satisfaction of pulling out.
I’m sitting at the trailer having a smoke, and for the first time in my life, I’m nervous.
It just feels like today isn’t anyone's day. Pierce wanted to fuck with us, and shit, he did. Almost getting her trampled is a new kind of low. Well, I say that, but he almost sucker punched Shi and didn’t even think twice about it, all because his pride was a bit wounded.
If he thinks he’s getting away with this shit unscathed, he’s got another thing coming.
Do I know what I’m going to do? No, not at the moment, but a fucking storm is coming for him, that is for damn sure.
As I take one last pull on my dwindling cigarette, my mind goes over the incident today and how it could have gone so differently had I not been there watching her.
Fuck my ankle, she very well could have been killed by that fucking stunt.
It has my blood boiling as I flick my cigarette to the ground and start putting my spurs on.
“Verge?” I hear Shi say, and I look up, putting my mask on, acting as if my ankle doesn’t feel like it’s about to explode off my body.
“Hey, babe.” I say, standing and putting my chaps on.
“Verge, don’t be mad, but,” she pauses, looking at her boots, then she continues, “I really don’t think you should ride tonight.”
I grind my teeth in frustration, looking beyond her, trying conceal my rage.
She doesn’t deserve it, and I know that.
It's all coming from fear, and I know that too. Trying to talk myself down, I take a steadying breath and hold my arm out to her. She steps closer, coming into my side and hugging me before I say, “Shi, I am going to ride tonight. Shoot up a prayer to the man upstairs if that’s what you gotta do. I know I sure as shit am, but,” I bring my hand to her chin, tilting her gaze to mine when I say, “I am riding tonight.”
“How’s your ankle?” She asks.
“It’s fine.” I lie.
“I think you’re full of shit.” She laughs.
“Maybe, but that doesn’t change the outcome of my decision.”
She rolls her eyes, pressing up on her tiptoes to kiss me. I put my hand on her neck and deepen the kiss, hoping to God it won’t be my last. As she pulls away, her eyes go to mist over, but she quickly looks away before she says, “Okay, I’ll be watching. Good luck, Verge.”
“Thanks, baby.” I say, and she walks away.
As she gets to the bleachers, she turns around, looking at me, the fear still evident in her gaze, and it crushes me because I know what I’m getting myself into, and I know it’s killing her.
I look out to the setting sun and whisper, “God help me,” and leave it at that. Turning to the tack room, I grab my rope and hat and walk to the chutes.
Making my way behind the chutes, I see Pierce at the other end shooting the shit with all his other buddies, and it’s taking all of me to not grab him by the collar and drag him out of here.
I’m snapped out of my rage when I hear the announcers call my name, telling me to head to chute 2.
I drew Lighting Before Thunder tonight, and I’ve watched people ride him.
He's not an easy ride, but he’s no Dirty Bird, that’s for sure, and I’m thankful.
As I make my way to the chute and stand over Thunder, waiting for the guys to tell me to get on, I pull my cross necklace from my shirt, kissing it and shooting up a prayer that I make this 8. Tucking it back in, the guys say, “You’re good, let's go.”
I hand them my rope and adjust myself, sitting on the red and white bull.
The bull bellows as I easily sit down, wrapping my hand with the rope.
My ankle screams as it hangs by his side, but I block it out and look up in the stands to her.
This time, Cash is the one holding her as her leg bounces up and down.
She half smirks at me, but it doesn’t meet her eyes.
I give her a wink like I always do and take a steadying breath, my heart going 90 miles a minute. Letting my breath out, I shake my head. “Okay, boys.”
The chute opens, and Thunder lurches out, cutting left, then right.
He leaps off all four feet at once, something I didn’t expect, but I hold tight.
Once landing, he jerks right again, and I match his pace but slip a little on the right.
I straighten myself, refusing to let this day end with every single one of us failing.
The lack of balance will cost me, but all I’m concerned about is making the 8 right now.
After what feels like hours, the buzzer sounds, and I pull my hand loose, jumping off and land on my feet, but my knees buckle at the searing pain that shoots up my leg from my bad ankle.
“Verge!” I hear from the stands and look up to see Shi with pure panic in her eyes.
The bull fighter runs to me, picking me up by the vest and throwing me to the side as Thunder barrels through the path, taking the bull fighter with him.
I block out the pain, standing, and run to the fence, hopping up on it to get out of the way.
The other bull fighters wrangle Thunder to the opening of the chutes, and I look down.
I see Jerry, a bull fighter I have known for years, roll over, gripping his side.
I jump down and limp to him, kneeling beside him, “Jerry?”
A cough bursts from him, and he looks at me as he gasps, and relief washes over at me that he isn’t dead. He’s fucking beat up, that’s for sure, though. He lays down on his back, and I kneel beside him. “Thanks, man, now we're even.” I joke.
“Shut up, motherfucker.” He says back, trying to laugh but holding his side. The paramedics rush to him, ushering me out of the way.
Three years ago, after a ride, Jerry thought the bull had made its way to the back. He assumed the other bull riders had taken care of the bull. He also just started bullfighting at this time, so he was a little oblivious still.
I saw the bull running toward him, and I pushed him out of the way, and the bull got me instead.
I’ll never forget that pain, though. It was the one time I had a three-day stay in the hospital.
So, I don’t exactly feel great about him taking the bull for me this time, but I know Jerry, and humor is better than grim.
They put him on a stretcher, no doubt wanting to rule out any internal injuries, and take him away.
I grab my rope and one more time look to the stands to see Shi is not there anymore.
Cross gives me a look that says there is for sure a fight in my foreseeable future, then makes his way out of the bleachers with Tyler.
Fuck me, I think to myself. Tonight just keeps getting better and better. Limping into the chutes, I now realize I didn’t even hear my score. Looking around, I spot Luke, a guy I’ve known for a while on the circuit, and say, “Luke.”
He looks over to me and lifts his chin before he says, “Close call, McCoy, but good ride as always.”
Luke has always been a good guy, unlike Pierce and his crew of tools.
“Thanks, man, did you happen to hear my score?” I ask, adjusting my rope on my shoulder.
“Yeah, 84.” He says.
I nod in thanks and walk out. 84 isn’t terrible, but it’s not great either. I’ve been pulling 92’s and above lately. This is gonna knock me down a little.
Making my way out of the chutes, I head for the trailer and see everyone loading their horses, getting ready to go.
Shi glances at me but keeps her mouth shut as she walks Riot into the trailer.
Cash puts his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels as I look to the ground, jaw ticking, heading for the tack room to take my stuff off.
Cross and Beau load their horses on the trailer as Shi makes her way out.
She goes to walk by me, and I grab her arm. Glancing back at me, I can tell how the blue in her irises is deeper. Around them are red, and the tip of her nose is red too.
She’s been crying.
“Shi.” I go to say, and she lifts a hand and cuts me off.
“I can’t tonight, Verge. I’m going to ride home with Tyler.
I’m glad you’re okay.” She pulls her arm from my grip, and the urge to run after her consumes me.
When I go to walk after her, Cash steps in front of me, putting his hand on my chest, and says, “Trust me when I tell you, give her the space she needs right now.” I look at him and nod in understanding.
I run my hand down my face and turn to the tack room, throwing my hat inside and punching the door, startling the horses inside. Today couldn’t possibly get any worse.