Chapter Text
Since she was a kid, Josie has always loved the feeling of wind in her hair. She thinks it might be the reason she took to horse riding as well as she did. Sure, you get sore quick and the sand gets everywhere, but riding off into the desert, gliding over the land, the beast underneath you working to bring you closer to that freedom, it makes it all worth it.
Right now though Josie finds it hard to believe there could be any better part to riding a horse than the slender arms of the prettiest girl she's ever known slung around her waist.
The sun has gone down a little while ago and Annabelle is wearing the quilt Josie brought for just this purpose around her shoulders, and yet she clings to Josie, seeking warmth, presumably.
Earlier this day, they rode out past the confines of town until it disappeared behind the horizon so Josie could spend the afternoon teaching Annabelle horse riding away from prying, disapproving eyes.
Annabelle did great of course, quick to learn from her mistakes, effortlessly competent as always. Josie thinks she might be an angel disguised as her best friend. The evening sun illuminating her blond locks, trailing behind her as she soars past the sunset, certainly makes her look heavenly.
It really doesn't surprise Josie that Annabelle has a penchant for speed and the confidence to match. She has always been the braver of the two.
Eventually the light dwindled and the wind started pricking uncomfortably at any exposed skin, so Josie called it and they headed for home.
Now the old, weathered wood of Josie's farm comes into view and she slows her horse to a trot. No need to draw unnecessary attention.
Resting her chin on Josie's shoulder, Annabelle sighs.
"Everythin' alright?" Josie tries to keep her voice low.
Annabelle squeezes her midsection in response and murmurs softly: "Better than alright. Today was wonderful."
Josie feels the heat rising to her cheeks and turns away from where she can see Annabelle peeking at her out of the corner of her eye. She knows it's no use, figures she's red all over.
Annabelle laughs.
It rings out through the night and it is the sweetest sound Josie has ever heard.
She clears her throat. "You did real well today. Got some real speed."
They come to a stop in front of the barn entrance and Josie dismounts. Annabelle smiles down at her.
"Well, I had a good teacher," she says.
"Shut up. And take a compliment, will you?"
Annabelle chuckles, pulls the quilt closer around her shoulders and dismounts.
Her hair is mussed from the wind and sweat, her face is flushed and her eyes are wild. She has never been prettier to Josie than right this moment.
Realizing that she's been staring, Josie shifts her gaze to the sky. The last hints of red bleed out of it and more and more stars start to blink into view.
"You should really head in."
"That I should." There's a mournful quality to Annabelle's words and Josie can't help but feel flattered.
She takes her horse by the reigns. "I'm just gonna- gonna put Jane away, then I'll help you sneak back into your room, alright?"
"Alright."
Naturally, nothing of the sort actually happens.
An hour later, after Jane has been looked after, cleaned up and fed, Annabelle and Josie find themselves sitting on the pasture fence, watching over a herd of sleeping cattle. Annabelle, still curled up in the burrowed quilt, is resting her head on Josie's shoulder and Josie finds it a little hard to breathe. She hasn't moved a muscle in minutes.
"You know, other girls our age are getting married now."
Annabelle says it nonchalantly but Josie still pulls a face.
"Who'd wanna get married at fifteen?"
"Who'd wanna get married at all?" Annabelle retorts and Josie can't suppress a wistful sigh.
"True."
The stars above wink at them, a breeze cuts through the pasture, the world seems to have slowed down just for the two of them.
Josie sighs again.
"I'm gonna skip town before I ever marry anyone. Go somewhere no one knows my face, pretend to be a cowboy. Cowboys don't have to get married."
She feels more than hears Annabelle laughing softly at that.
"Gonna take me with you, right? Gonna put me on the back of your horse, ride off into the sunset with me?"
As soon as she speaks it, Josie knows that she wants nothing more. She also knows she would rather die than admit it.
"Why, you wanna be a cowboy too?"
Beside her Annabelle hums, thinking, then she shakes her head.
Josie makes the mistake of looking down at her and is met with the most breath-taking view. Still leaning on her shoulder, Annabelle lifts her head and returns her gaze, the starlight bathing her in a silvery glow. Her hair wisps around her face, her cheeks are pink from the cold. Her eyes shine with something unspeakable. She's close enough that Josie can feel her breath fan over her own face.
The next words Annabelle speaks are whispered into the space between them.
"Really I just wanna be wherever you are. Forever."
If the view was breath-taking, her words are even more so. Josie's heart skips several beats.
"That…" she swallows nervously. "That can be arranged."
Annabelle is still so close. Her eyes are alight with… something. Something Josie is afraid to put into words. Her gaze flicks to Annabelle's lips against her will.
Do it.
She doesn't know what it is, but she knows she's scared of whatever it might be.
Her heart thumps against her ribcage loud enough that she worries Annabelle might hear.
Do it!
Josie can't move, can't think.
"I-"
It's now or never. Something has been trying to claw its way out of her for years, and in this moment she thinks she might just let it. Whatever it is that wants so desperately to be seen, in the open, under the stars, vulnerable.
Josie feels brave tonight. She takes a shaky breath in.
Annabelle tilts her head and raises an eyebrow, and Josie falters. The moment passes.
Still shaky, Josie exhales, and all the bravery leaks out of her like tar.
"I- I think you should probably go home soon."
Annabelle only hums and looks off over the pasture, wearing an expression Josie can't decipher.
It seems whatever spell they were under has broken. The cold wind blowing Josie's hair back chills her, the sounds of the night reach her ears and the world seems normal once more.
And though it stings, Josie is almost glad for it. She's never been good with people stuff. At least now she's back in familiar territory.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Annabelle's words sound stilted, hollow somehow. Then she looks back at Josie, wicked smile on her face, and everything is right again.
"Don't wanna let my daddy catch on, now do we?" She swings her legs over the fence one after the other, until she's turned all the way around, facing away from the cows and towards what could generously be called a road; one which would take her back to her own house, her father, her home.
"Your daddy would kill me if he knew I was gettin' you in trouble."
"Oh, but ain't it so worth it?" Annabelle smirks at her, full of mischief.
And Josie has to agree; she could not fathom a more worthwhile use of her time than sneaking off with Annabelle. She smiles back. Her heart aches.
Kicking her feet, Annabelle makes to disembark the fence.
Suddenly desperate to impart whatever was so important to her moments ago, desperate to not let go just yet, Josie raises her hand to Annabelle's chest.
Annabelle looks at her, and stays. Still, Josie lets her hand hover in front of her, uncertain of how to proceed.
"Annabelle," she starts. She searches for a lick of the bravery she felt before and comes up empty. She breathes, trying to muster up the courage to say something, anything.
Her mouth is dry, she opens and closes it multiple times, before the words finally come to her.
"You know there ain't nothin' I wouldn't do for you, right?"
It's not the whole truth, but it is true. She feels it in her bones.
And it seems to do something. Annabelle's expression softens, her wide grin turns to a gentle smile. Her hand comes up to take Josie's, still suspended over Annabelle's heart.
Squeezing reassuringly, she murmurs: "Of course I do."
"That's- That's good."
Warmth spreads through Josie's body, starting from her heart, filling her to her fingertips. Not everything she needed to say has been said, but she gets the feeling that maybe Annabelle understood it anyways.
She watches contently as Annabelle jumps off the fence, boots landing near silently in the dust, quilt fluttering behind and around her as she twirls to face Josie.
"Now, are you gonna help me climb back in through my window, or what?"