Maria.
The moment the round ended, the entire garden erupted into movement.
People stood abruptly, voices overlapping, cheers mixing with arguments and excited chatter. The energy that had been focused so intensely on the track now exploded outward in every direction. Bodies brushed against mine from all sides as everyone tried to move at once.
I was suddenly crowded.
Shoulders bumped into me. Someone stepped on the hem of my dress. The noise became overwhelming, suffocating.
I stood there for a second, frozen in the middle of it all.
Darren had gotten one point.
One.
It was only the first round.
Only horse riding.
But it felt like something far heavier than that.
I didn't know how I was supposed to feel.
Relieved that Noah hadn't lost outright?
Angry that Darren had cheated and gotten away with it?
Terrified of what seven more rounds meant?
My chest felt tight again, like invisible fingers were pressing against my lungs.
