"What do you mean you weren't supposed to ride again?" Sophia questioned. "Like ever?"
"According to the doctors, I'm taking a massive risk every single time." Luke said.
"Because?"
"Big Ugly Critter." He said. "I didn't just get knocked out and dragged around. I told you he trampled me, but I didn't tell you that he fractured my skull, back near the brain stem. There's a small metal plate there now, but if I land wrong, it's not going to be enough to protect me."
"Are you saying you could die? That's what you're saying, aren't you. You're going to die. And you couldn't tell me?" Luke didn't reply. "Well that's it, you're not riding anymore. As of right now, you're retired again. You hear me?" Luke remained quiet. "Please, I can't have you do this. I can't have you die. Please Luke."
"There's no other way."
"There's always another way."
"No, there's no other way."
"Just please, for me, for your mom." He remained quiet again obviously not wanting to talk about this. "Luke I understand how important that ranch is to your mom and you, but there's other ways to save it, to get the money. Even if you don't, you could start over. You'll get another ranch. Or you'll work on another ranch."
"Sophia." Luke raised his voice. "I'm doing this for my mom."
"No you're not! You are deliberately trying to kill yourself." She exclaimed. "You're just being selfish, to me and your mother."
"Sophia..." Luke tried grabbing her hand, but she pushed him away.
"I can't be part of your life if you're going to continue to do this."
"What are you saying then? Are we over?"
"If you continue then I guess we are." She said. "Please, Luke, please just come to your sense. It's not worth risking to die to save this ranch. You need to pick who you want, what you want. Me or bull riding." Luke didn't answer. His silence obviously told Sophia he chooses bull riding over her and their relationship. "Don't talk to me again."
With that, Sophia left. She stormed out of his house to her car. She sat in the car for a minute to see if her leaving would have Luke come to his sense, realizing she's what he wants, be he didn't come out after her. Sophia cried the whole car ride back to Wake University. She ran up to her room in the sorority house and cried in her bed. She wasn't just crying because she and Luke are over and he'll probably die, but she's crying because she's pregnant with his child. She's crying because the baby will probably never get to know its's father; Luke will probably never know about the child. Yes, Sophia could have told Luke right then and there she's pregnant, but she didn't want him to choose her over bull riding just because she's having a baby. She wanted him to choose her because he wants to be with her.
Sophia wiped her eyes with her hand and grabbed her laptop. She searched online, Luke Collins, Big Ugly Critter. She wanted to know what happened that day and why that incident isn't stopping him from bull riding. A couple of articles pulled up, one with a link to a youtube video. Sophia clicked the youtube video and it was footage from that day.
She couldn't finish the video. It was too horrific. Luke was unrecognizable, with his body and face covered in blood. Sophia just wished she never searched because now she'll never get this image of Luke out of her mind. She ran to her bed and continued to cry again. She wondered why he would continue bull riding after that. He was obviously given a second chance because he should had died. But he didn't.
Thanks for reading! The first couple of chapters are going to include some dialogue from the actual story, but the rest will be all me. I hope you liked this chapter. Review, follow, favorite!