Chapter 3 – You Can Leave Your Hat On
Hadley – 16 years old
T revor’s farm is set on the outskirts of Harpsden in Oxfordshire. It’s picturesque, unique, and stinks of old money. The main barn where Trev keeps his horses sits in one of his large fields and is about a five-minute walk from the main house. It’s large and painted bright red with white beams, but oddly enough, it doesn’t ruin the natural beauty of the surrounding views. Trevor’s home is charming with pretty brick and flint exterior, wall-climbing flowers decorate the outside, giving it a period home feeling. It’s a dream home you’d imagine a princess living in.
I arrive a little past six in the evening. The sun is setting, and the dark sky is taking over. I head straight to the barn to avoid Trevor, but as I get closer, I notice him brushing Buck’s coat.
He must hear me coming, as he looks up, giving me a smile and wave. “Hey Hadley.”
“Hey, Trev, what you are doing?”
“Ugh, well, I took Buck for a run earlier.” He pauses, placing his hands on his back as he slowly gets up off the ground, grunting every so often and giving me a lopsided smile. “Anyway, he went straight through a mud puddle, so I gave him a wash down.”
I giggle. “Oh dear, well, I can take over now.” I point to the brush on the floor. “You go rest up.”
“Ahh, okay, if you insist.” He holds his hands up in surrender.
“I do, now go,” I say, placing both hands on my hips. He chuckles, then leaves the barn to head back up to the main house.
I kneel on the ground and pick up the brush to work on Buck but stop when my peripheral vision catches large freestanding speakers in the corner of the barn. “Why are those in here?” I mutter to myself.
Turning back to my work, I make a mental note to ask Trev about it later.
Tonight, has tired me out. Though, I feel more like myself now than I have in the last few days. Going through my mental checklist, I note I’ve brushed Buck down, cleaned out each stable, and fed all four horses. I’m finishing putting the brushes away before I head home when Luke appears at the barn doors. Jumping back, I gasp.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he says.
“You didn’t.” I snort. Liar.
I turn away from him and place the broom in the corner, then grab my coat and put it on.
Facing him again, he looks at me deep in thought. His hands are in his pockets, and his head rests on one of the beams of the barn.
“It was Liam with Lilly on Friday, not me . . .” His twin? Oh shit! How did I not even think of that?
I open my mouth but close it again when I can’t find the words, and his mouth quirks into a smile.
“I asked Margo and Lilly what the hell happened at lunch, and Margo told me about Friday night.” He moves closer, taking each step forward painfully slowly. I’m rooted to the spot as he comes to a stop in front of me. “You should know me well enough by now, Tigger”—his tone deep and dark— “I don’t do parties.”
I’m even more lost for words as he cups my cheek. The coolness of his breath hits my face, and his clean, crisp, woody scent fills my nose. With his lips inches from mine, my heart beats erratically. He stares into my eyes, and my mind chants over and over for him to kiss me .
Licking his lips, he leans in closer, our lips touch, then, for a few seconds, we are frozen, waiting to see what the other will do. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, so I wrap my hand around his neck, pulling him closer and sealing our kiss. Our tongues dance, and our hands fumble to feel each other’s skin. We pant between kisses, trying to catch our breaths but fail before one of us pulls the other in again.
Luke steps back, brushing his thumb over my bottom lip and smirking before he pulls his phone from his pocket and hits a few apps on his screen. Then the speaker in the corner plays “You Can Leave Your Hat On” by Joe Cocker.
I bite my lips as Luke flashes me a toothy grin. He rolls his shoulders back and removes his T-shirt. I let out a giggle, and he winks. It’s not the first time I’ve seen Luke shirtless, but each time I do, the desire to touch each muscle on his stomach becomes harder to fight. A pool of need swirls around my belly as butterflies erupt inside me. I bite my lip to stop from drooling all over him or attacking him into a kissing battle.
Luke grabs Trevor’s cowboy hat from a hook near the barn door, then drops it on his head before grasping my hands and pulling me into his bare chest. The beat of the music is fast, too fast for a slow dance, yet neither of us cares as we sway in sync from side to side. I lay my head near his heart with a hand wrapped around his back and my other hand clasping his.
“I’m sorry.” I finally gather the courage to utter. “I didn’t think about it possibly being Liam, I just thought for sure it was you, and I know I have no right to act like that, you’re not mine.” My mind whispers, you never will be , and for a moment, I close my eyes and pray that’s not the case.
Glancing up at him through my eyelashes, I notice his eyebrows are drawn together. “I shouldn’t have snapped and ignored you, so I’m sorry again, really, I am.”
Nestling my head into his chest, I hold back tears welling in my eyes. I just want him to want me. Luke lets go of my hand and wraps both arms around my shoulders, holding me close as I wrap my arms around his back. It weirdly feels like a goodbye hug, and I don’t want it to end. Maybe this time I have pushed him too much.
“Tigger—” His voice breaks. “I-I … My dad has a job offer in London, and we have to move.” I pull back, and the tears are now streaming down my face. “We won’t be moving back.”
“No, no, you can’t” is all I can sob. My heart is broken. I force myself back into his arms and hold him as tight as I can.
“ We leave tomorrow. I’ve been trying to find a way to tell you for weeks, I’m sorry, Hadley.”
“No, Luke, you can move in with my family. We have a spare room; my parents won’t care.” I beg, and he shakes his head.
“What about Trevor? I’m sure he would let you stay.”
“I’m so sorry.” Pulling back, he holds my head in his hands and tells me seven words I wish he hadn’t: “I prayed we could be more too.” Then he kisses my forehead and walks out of the barn and my life for good.
Crumbling to the floor, I cry out for him.