It hurt him, it really did. He hadn't wanted to do it, but she had forced him to. Keeping that secret was horrible. He couldn't believe how evil she had become. She didn't used to be like this. His mind flashed back to times that were better than these. Times when they took baths together and laughed and played, no cares in the world.
She had forced him to do it. She'd beauded the horse and hurt Kris, as well as an innocent animal. He couldn't stand to look at her, much less be in a relationship with her.
He watched her walk off to her car. He looked at her as her shoulders started to sag and she sobbed. He stared ahead of her, but was still all too aware of the way she had layed her head on the steering wheel, crying from the loss.
She was hurting so badly. She had no mother, no boyfriend, no horse to hang her hopes on. God, she hated Kris. It was all her fault. If she had realized- no, she couldn't blame her. She was just looking for an easy target so she couldn't blame who really was responsible. Her father. She knew now that he'd done it. Granted, it was all for her, but he'd wrecked everything.
He walked back to his truck and drove home, still living with the pain he had caused. He should have made them scratch, he knew something was off. He hated that he had hurt Dani, as well as Kris. He knew his instincts were right, yet he ignored them per Dani's instructions.
He pulled into the driveway of Raintree Farms and sat in his car for what seemed like an eternity, staring at what his ancestors had created. He couldn't leave it again, never. Working for a Davis was the worst thing he could have done to himself and others.
Matt recalled the look on Kris' face as she saw the news story on TV. She had winced and he saw pure pain in her face. Pain and guilt. That mirrored his current feelings. He pounded his hand on the steering wheel in frustration and forcefully opened his door, slamming it behind him. It was all his fault. He had hurt everyone and it was all his fault.
It was because of him that Kris wouldn't be able to ride for a while. It was because of him that a perfectly wonderful horse's racing career had been flushed down the drain. Because of his stupid overlooking, people were suffering now. He loathed himself. He wanted to punch himself.
She got home and went straight to bed, wallowing in the darkness of the room. She cried hard, turning into a zombie-like shell of her former self, thinking of how stupid she had been. Never mix business with pleasure was what she had learned here. Because her father had beauded Picaro, she had lost Matt, probably forever. She really loved him and it was all because she pushed him to let the damn horse race. She punched her pillow as she let out a yelp consisting of a whine and whimper. It was loud and full of pain.
He went straight up to his bedroom, stomping as he did so to make sure everyone knew he wasn't to be bothered. He stripped down to his boxers and grabbed a towel laying by his bed. He skulked back into the hallway, walking into the bathroom. He got into the shower and put it on full heat, washing the memory of this horrible day off of him. As he stood under the water, his mind kept flashing back, making the guilt he felt heavier and heavier.
He went to bed early, 8:00. The covers were strewn across his boxer-clad legs and he had a restless night. He wanted to forget. Needed to forget. For the first time in his short life, he wished he had never seen a horse, ever.
She fell asleep after hours of re-thinking the day. She needed him, she had to apologize. Knowing Matt, he would understand. Her logic caught the best of her though and she realized that he wouldn't. He wouldn't be the nice caring Matt that he normally was. Not in these circumstances. She burst into another fitful round of tears. This was going to be a tough night. All she knew was that she needed a break. From horse-racing and the farm. She needed a break.