"You owe me one-thousand in cash, Sophie, pay up," Nathan smiled triumphantly as he held out a hand expectantly.

 I looked down at my small stash of paper money nervously not liking the direction things seemed to be heading. We were sat on the living room floor and were two hours into our game of Monopoly. After such a long period, I was more than invested in the game. Heck, I was so far gone that I was starting to see the fake monopoly money as my reality.

I shook my head firmly. "No, I'm not paying shit," I said, staring Nathan dead in the eyes.

His nose crinkled up in amusement. "What the fuck are you on about? You have to pay, you landed on my square," he snickered.

"So?" I shrugged childishly.

 "So, that means you have to pay me. That's literally how Monopoly works," Nathan said simply and slowly. 

I glared at him. "No, it's supposed to work with me winning and you losing. Why the hell are you even good at it?" I bit back angrily.

Nathan's smile grew. "Ooo, someone's jealous," he sang.

"Go to hell," I threw back immaturely.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, are you going to give me my money or what?" Nathan said as he waved around an impatient hand. 

"No," I snorted.

 The teasing smile on Nathan's face lifted higher. "Alright, fine, I'll happily take it off you myself," he said.

I widened my eyes in panic and immediately dived belly first onto the carpet where my money pile sat. It wasn't my more graceful of moves, but desperate times, called for desperate measures. I heard Nathan chuckle from up above me, and before long, I felt the warmth of his hands on my hips as he tried to flip me around. 

"Come on, accept that you lost," he taunted.

"Never!" I yelled out in a battle cry. 

He paused for a second, and then suddenly, his fingers dug into my sides, and he started to tickle me. 

I shrieked in surprise and started to wiggle like a fool. "No, no, no, stop," I screamed as I struggled for breath.

"Stop, what?" Nathan teased, feigning ignorance.

"Stop t- ti-" I stopped, gasping for breath as the viciousness of his ticking increased. Feeling incredibly weak now, Nathan easily succeeded in flipping me onto my back, and I saw his stupidly handsome face smiling down at me. 

Even though the money was completely unguarded, Nathan seemed far more interested in continuing to torture me.

"So, you think you can steal my money?" Nathan bit out playfully as he moved his fingers over my naked stomach. My top had annoyingly ridden up due to all my wiggling, and Nathan had taken full advantage.

"I-I l-literally can't breathe," I choked out as I shook with laughter.

Nathan chuckled, and slowly started to ease up his tickles before coming to a stop completely. I closed my eyes, relieved that I could finally breathe steadily again. "Learnt your lesson?" he taunted. 

I peeked open my eyes and found him staring straight back down at me with that stupid sexy smirk of his. He was a lot closer than I thought he would be, and I definitely didn't expect his hands to be placed on either side of my head.

With my chest still rising and falling dramatically, I watched as the amused look in Nathan's eyes slowly started to fade into a whole new kind of expression. Swallowing thickly, his eyes dropped slowly down the length of my body before returning back to my face. 

He cleared his throat softly. "Sophie, there's something I really need to-"

Nathan was cut off by the sound of the kitchen door swinging open. I looked over his shoulder and watched in horror as his dad made his way towards us.

 "Nathan, are you in here? Would you mind-"

His dad stopped in his place as his eyes caught on the two of us on the floor. Like a couple of chameleons, Nathan and I both froze in shock, not really sure what the best move of action was.

His dad slowly raised his eyebrows and lifted his cup of tea up to his lips before taking a long sip. "Hmm, just a couple of best buddies hanging out here, I see," his dad commented slyly as he looked the two of us up and down with a knowing look in his eyes.

Nathan scrambled to his feet immediately. "Hey, wait, it's not what it looks like, I swear," he stammered. 

"Relax, son, we're not dating. You can fuck around with Sophie, all you want," he snickered.

Nathan shook his head frantically. "But I-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. She's your friend even though you secretly want to fuck her, yadda, yadda, ya. Heard it all before, Nathan," his dad said as he waved around a flippant hand. 

My eyebrows shot up at how direct his dad was with his opinions.

"No, but-"

"Shh, Nathan, Papa's talking," his dad cut him off as he held a finger out to his lips.

I couldn't resist a snort which naturally earned me a pointed glare from Nathan.

"Anyway, I came in here to ask you if you mind taking the horses out for some exercise," the dad asked, nodding his head over to the back garden.

They had horses? I mean, I saw a couple of loose stables outback, but I stupidly assumed they were part of the décor or some shit.

Nathan pulled a face, seeming reluctant. "Hmm, do I have to? Can't you-"

"Sophie can come with you," his dad interrupted with a sigh.

"Sold, I'll go," Nathan said about a nanosecond later. I furrowed my brows at the swiftness in which he changed his mind. 

Was he that scared to leave me by myself?

"Come on, let's go," Nathan said as he grabbed my wrist. As we left, I saw his dad proceed to make kissy faces at us, which made Nathan grunt in annoyance and walk even faster.

I leaned my hip against the edge of the stable door as I watched Nathan fit the saddle and bridle onto one horse before moving on to the other. One horse was a rich chestnut colour, and another a deep midnight black.

"I never knew you were a horsey man. How long have you been riding?" I piped up. 

Nathan threw me a glance over his shoulder. "Since I was about three, so seventeen years, I guess," he shrugged. "Now, anyway, which one do you want to ride, Haribo?" he said, gesturing to the chestnut one. "Or scobby doo?" he said, tapping on the stable door of the black one.

"Haribo and scooby doo? Who the hell named them?" I smiled. 

Nathan looked down to the floor in embarrassment. "My brothers and I when we were little. I was probably about nine or ten, so don't judge," he mumbled awkwardly.

A cute image of an adorable nine-year-old Nathan came to mind, and I suppressed the urge to coo and squeeze his cheeks. 

Wait a second, brothers? I thought he only had one brother...

I immediately dismissed the idea, realizing it probably came out wrong. "I guess I'll take scooby doo then," I said as I wandered closer to his stable door. I turned back to face him. "Did he used to be Noah's or yours?" I questioned curiously.

His posture became rigged, and he stared right through me, his expression chilling. Slowly, he shook his head. "He doesn't belong to either of us. He's erm...he's just a spare horse, I guess."

He cleared his throat abruptly as though realizing how weird he was acting. "Anyway, I'm glad you picked Scooby doo. I would have fought you if you tried to take my little baby Haribo away from me," Nathan said as he affectionately rubbed the bridge of Haribo's nose up and down before giving it a kiss.

"Would you two love birds like a room alone?" I joked. 

Nathan smiled and turned back my way. "Nah, I'd rather get a room alone with someone else," he said as did a rather unsubtle sweep up and down my body.

I paused. Was Nathan...was Nathan flirting with me? My heart immediately started beating erratically fast. "W-what?" I choked out.

Nathan chuckled lowly and pushed himself off the barn door. "Relax, I'm fucking with you," he snorted.

"Oh, I said simply, feeling more disappointed than I would care to admit. 

 Nathan smiled. "Come on, let's get you on your horse," he said as he walked over to Scooby-Doo's door.

He led the horse out to the middle of the courtyard before pulling down the stirrups. "So, how much riding experience do you have?" Nathan called out to me. 

I snorted. "Absolutely fuck all."

"Don't worry, it's not too hard, and besides all you're going to do is walk the horse. Come over here, and I'll help you get on," Nathan said as he double patted the saddle.

 I made my way over and stopped awkwardly by the stirrup. "So...er...what's the best way to get on?" I asked.

 "Well, it's not really too good for the horse's back to hoist yourself up on the stirrup, so I could always give you a leg up if you're okay with that?" Nathan asked cautiously. 

I looked up at him in amusement. "Is this your unsubtle way of touching me up?" I teased.

 Nathan rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. "Stop being annoying, and pick your leg up already."

I did as he said and lifted a leg up behind me, so I was stood on one foot. The moment his hand wrapped around my calve, the nerve endings in my skin went absolutely haywire. 

"Okay, so grab on to the saddle, and on the count of three, jump, okay," Nathan explained slowly. I nodded my head stiffly, still feeling a little too frazzled for words. 

"One....two...three, go!" he said. I jumped, and at the same time, he gave me an extra boost to make it easier for me. Swinging my right leg up and over the horse, I sighed in relief when I found myself sitting safely on the saddle.

Nathan leaned over and grabbed my hands before tucking the reigns into them. "Okay, great, now what I want you to do is hang on to these. You want them to have enough tension but not too loose," he explained as he gently guided my hand to the correct position.

I took a deep breath in and begged my mind to focus on the task at hand instead of how nice Nathan's hands felt against mine. I drifted in and out of concentration as he explained to me how you start, steer, stop and get up into higher gaits. I was well aware they were very important things to know, but my mind seemed far more interested in comparing the size difference between his hand and mine.

"Okay, I think you're ready. I'll go get Haribo out," he smiled before he wandered back over to the barn.

About fifteen minutes later, Nathan and I were riding side by side through a marked path in the forest. "Still doing good?" Nathan asked as he stole a worried look my way. 

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Nathan, like I've told you a gazillion times, I'm fine!" I laughed. With much explanation and guidance from Nathan, I had managed to get myself into a comfortable walk across the last few minutes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Scooby doo can be a little forward going sometimes. Let's say his past owner used to be a bit of a thrill-seeker," Nathan chuckled. 

I narrowed my eyes in confusion, remembering how earlier Nathan had told me the horse never had an owner.

"So, does, Noah, not have a horse?" I asked conversationally. 

"Yeah, he used to but erm...something happened which made him not want to ride anymore, so he sold it," Nathan muttered slowly. 

There was a moment of silence before I stole another glance his way. "Was there a time where you and Noah were close?" I asked cautiously, aware that I was treading on very sensitive ground.

Nathan stared at me long and hard but then slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, there was," he mumbled. "He was actually the one who taught me how to cook," he said, letting out a breath of a chuckle. 

"Really?" I asked in surprise.

 "Yup, everything. He was so good at it, so I begged him to teach me. I wanted to be exactly like him," he snickered, a reminiscent smile playing to his lips.

Still keeping my horse in line with his, I glanced his way with a soft smile. "Typical younger brother, you were, weren't you?" I teased.

"Yeah, you have no idea. I took annoying little brother to worrying extremes," he snorted, not even bothering to deny it.

He stared off into the distance. "I think I knew I was annoying, but I couldn't help it. He was exactly the kind of person I wanted to be. He was popular, sporty, charismatic, and way too good with girls," he chuckled darkly. "He was everything that I wasn't."

"But weren't you smart? I think that's pretty cool," I piped in.

He lifted a disbelieving eyebrow up at me. "Trust me, there was nothing cool about me," he scoffed. "I was genuinely so pathetic that every time I talked to girls, I would develop some weird nervous cough and pretty much start speaking in tongues," he chuckled.

"Shit, really?" I said as I desperately fought back a smile. 

"Yes, really. I was so pathetic that my brother started to coach me out of pity. He even arranged these 'how-to-not-be-an-idiot-in-front-of-girls' classes. It was so dumb," he snorted.

"Well, whatever he taught you in those classes certainly looked as though it worked?" I hummed. 

Nathan's eyes turned towards me, shining in amusement. "Is that your subtle way of saying you're attracted to me?" 

"No, that's my subtle way of saying you have a lot of bedtime endeavors," I said bluntly.

"Used to have a lot of bedtime endeavors," he corrected.

 I whipped my head towards him. "What?" I questioned in confusion. "I haven't hooked up with anyone for a while," he admitted.

I looked at him in disbelief, so confused by the words that were coming out of his mouth. "But..but..how? Why?" I questioned with furrowed brows.

"Because," he shrugged, a strange kind of spark passing through his eyes. His gaze felt heavy, and not being able to handle it, I turned away and focused back on the path.

After a couple of minutes of us riding in silence, I cleared my throat and glanced back his way. "Wanna have a race?" I asked randomly. 

 "A race, what are we ten? And besides, this is your first time riding, and I don't feel comfortable with you doing anything but walking. So no."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on, please, you know it'll be fun. And I promise I know what to do," I said, batting my eyes innocently.

 He swallowed, and I saw hesitation flicker in his eyes. "Sophie, I don't know..,"

"Please," I begged again as I widened my eyes and pouted my lips slightly.

 Nathan let out a grown of frustration and ripped his eyes away from me. "Fine, but only for a couple of strides," he grumbled. 

An excited smile pulled to my face at my victory. "Okay, race you to the corner. Three, two, one, go," I said. Barely giving him time to think, I dug my heels into the side of the horse and took off.

"You're a cheat," Nathan called out behind me.

 I merely laughed and pushed the horse to move on faster while trying my best to keep balance on the saddle. I was probably bouncing a little bit more than I should, but I didn't care. 

I stole a glance back at Nathan and found him hot on my tail with a determined smile on his face. "You're getting beat by a newbie, Natalie," I teasingly yelled out before whipping my head to face the front.

Suddenly, I heard the footfall of his horse pick up in stride, and not long after, Nathan overtook me. "Not anymore," Nathan laughed against the wind.

I narrowed my eyes and pressed the horse faster, causing me to toss quite a bit in my saddle. A stride later, I jerked and completely lost my footing in one of my stirrups. 

"Wait, Nathan," I called out in panic as I struggled to regain back my balance. 

My heart hammered away in panic as I became more and more unstable, and the horse kept riding on faster and faster. I desperately tugged on the reigns to stop as I found myself slipping.

 "Nathan," I screamed at the top of my lungs as tears started to obstruct my vision.

At that very second, the momentum of one of the more abrupt strides had my body thrown forward, and I screamed as I tumbled headfirst over the horse's shoulder. I was barely in the air for a second before I rammed into the ground, hitting my head on something hard.

The pain started off small then ricocheted up and down my spine. With my breathing heavy and my ears ringing, all I could focus on was the ever-growing blurry sky up above me.

I fought to keep my eyes open, but black spots kept tainting my vision.

As the world around me grew chillingly quiet, I heard the ringing and distant sound of someone crying out my name repeatedly. Before I lost my vision completely, the last thing I saw were two tear-stained green eyes. 

Then they were gone. 

-------------------

Author's note:

So yeah, that's the end of the story guys, hope you enjoyed or weren't expecting anything else to happen..

Okay, unless that wasn't obvious, I'm kidding. 

Anyway, any predictions for what's to come?

Next Update: Monday (6-8 PM - UK time)