"What horse? You trained a horse for me?"

He looks down, his face covered in blush. "Not actually a horse. Technically, he is a pony". I just look at him and then run towards the barn. I hear him follow me, and I wait at the entrance. He walks past me and stops at a stall. I walk over to him and look into the stall. The pony looks back at me through his long lashes, and I turn and look at Jake.

"Why would you do this for me?" I whisper.

He looks at me, and his dark eyes search my blue ones before he responds.

"Have to make sure that you don't get hurt again because of me" He mutters so quietly that I barely hear him. I am so stunned that I just look into his face. I start to cry, and he hugs me.

"Please don't tell me that you blame yourself for this, Jake. It was an accident. Accidents happen."

He just shakes his head. "Of course I blame myself for it. It was my idea, and I wasn't able to stop you from getting hurt." I have never seen him cry, but he is crying now.

I nestle into his chest and hold him tightly. After a while, I look up into his face and touch his jaw, wiping away a tear. "Jake, it wasn't your fault. Please."

"You don't understand, Sam. It was my fault, and I am never going to let you be hurt like that again. Ever." Then, so quietly that I barely understood him, "I missed you so much".

"You….you missed me? Why?" I choke out, not meeting his eyes.

He touches my jaw and turns my face up towards his. "How could I not miss you? You are my best friend. You make me laugh, and trust me, that is not easy to do. You are always here when I need you, and even when I don't. I can't live without you longer that I already have."

I am so shocked that I don't know what to do. Therefore, I resort to something that I do know. Teasing.

"That is the most words I have ever heard you say at once." I say, laughing.

His face colors and he rubs the back of his neck. I hug him again and feel him relax against me, something that I have never felt him do before. We stand there until Gram calls us in for dinner.