Chapter 3 #2
Training for bull riding requires a range of core exercises and balance drills, but the real thrill comes when I step into the arena. The electrifying atmosphere, with the crowd cheering and clapping, fuels my adrenaline as I prepare to mount the bull.
The challenge of staying on top of the beast for a solid eight seconds before the buzzer sounds is both exhilarating and demanding, and let’s not forget the added motivation—the women in the audience who love bull riders.
After my quick morning shower, I prep my training bag with the essentials while brushing my teeth. I get dressed in my training clothes—gray sweat shorts and a white tank. Quickly grabbing my cap, I make my way downstairs with my gym bag hanging on my shoulder.
I’m looking forward to seeing Greg again, I haven’t had the chance to catch up with him since we’ve both been too busy with work, and when I went to visit him last night, he wasn’t there.
But Vivian was.
I wonder what she’s up to today…maybe I’ll head back to the bar later and see for myself.
Making sure my hair is combed back to my liking, I place my hat on my head, grab my car keys, and head out to my truck.
Pulling out my phone to check the time, I realize I’m going to be fucking late.
“Shit.” I shake my head.
* * *
Sweat drips down from the ends of my wet strands of hair onto my face as I have my hands on my knees and my head between them.
“Cameron, are you trying to fucking kill me?” I question breathlessly.
“I told you if you were late there would be consequences.”
He must’ve had a rough night with Ashley, she probably struggled to sleep last night and kept him up every few hours.
He’s a great dad, anyone would be lucky to have him as a father.
Trying to balance being a father and figuring out what to do with his life, he ended up with full custody after his ex, Georgia, decided she couldn’t handle raising while studying to become a hairstylist. But really, she used that as an excuse to be able to live her life with no responsibilities.
I give him the finger and spit on the floor before running back to finish my last few reps.
I can hear Greg trying not to laugh at how serious Cameron sounds.
I finish my last suicide and drop to the floor on my back looking up to the sky. A crisp breeze rushes through the air, carrying with it the faint earthy smell, the sky stretches overhead, blue dotted with clouds drifting slowly by.
“Have you learned your lesson yet?” Greg asks, a mischievous grin playing on his lips as he offers me a hand up.
I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my arm, taking a chug from the water bottle before tossing it aside. As I pass Greg to grab a towel, I shoot him a wink.
“Maybe.”
He pushes me. “Give it a break, will ya?”
I smirk. “The ladies love it.” I pat his back. “You should try it.”
He shakes his head, bringing his water bottle to his lips. “Not my thing.”
For the next hour, our training zeroes in on targeting crucial muscle groups: the core, lower back, groin, and quads.
As Cameron explained, balance stems from a strong core, and when it comes to bull riding, our legs are our lifeline.
They’re what keep us anchored to the bull, which is why it’s essential to fortify those muscles, as well as ensuring stability along the torso and enhancing our grip on the beast.
I stare at Greg while he does his sit-ups and questions run through my mind about Vivian.
“So, I went to the bar last night and I met Vivian.”
He pauses mid sit-up, his expression carrying a hint of knowingness, but there’s something different this time, a protective edge that catches me off guard.
“Don’t even think about it, Miles,” he replies, his tone firm as he resumes his exercises, picking up the pace in his movements.
His response strikes a nerve.
“Off-limits, huh? Any particular reason?”
“It’s not like that,” he responds, his words carrying a hint of defensiveness.
“She’s just a good friend, and yes, she’s off-limits.
I’ve turned a blind eye to your flirtations with my staff members in the past, but Vivian…
” He pauses, exhaling heavily. “I genuinely care about her as a friend. She’s a kind-hearted, genuine person who deserves more than just meaningless sex with you—no offense. So don’t go there with her.”
His words strike me, but I nod in understanding.
“None taken,” I say, pretending not to care but it gets to me sometimes because it’s the truth about who I am. At least what the town knows about me.
The truth is, I’ve never been the commitment type.
I’ve spent enough time with women to know how to keep things interesting, but it’s never gone beyond the surface.
A couple of weeks of late-night fucks, stolen moments, and empty promises.
The longest I’ve ever managed to stick around was three months, and that was mostly just sex, distractions, and for the media.
Nothing real. I never let anyone get too close because I don’t want the baggage. I don’t want the questions, the expectations, or the thought of trusting someone that way.
I’ll admit some days, especially those nights I wake up terrified, heart beating out my chest, I wish there was someone next to me to tell me everything’s okay. That it was only a dream.
“I said something to her,” I say, my voice low. “Asked her about her life, but she froze.”
His eyes meet mine waiting to hear the rest.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. Do you know anything?”
He exhales through his nose and drags the hem of his shirt across his forehead. The fabric lifts just enough to reveal the ink low on his hip, three small numbers, 888, inked over his V-line. I remember him saying once he believed in signs. That things fall into place exactly when they’re meant to.
His eyes stay on the ground.
“It’s not my story to tell, Miles. She’s been through a lot, though.”
Questions rise thick in my throat. What’s she hiding behind those guarded smiles and quiet doe eyes?
Then again…no one really knows what I’ve been through either, except the closest thing I have to a family.
“Miles, stop fucking around!” Cameron shouts in the distance, he’s on the phone and looks stressed, serious too. Must be something to do with another nanny incident.
I drop the conversation and get back to working out, my mind flooding with questions about her.