Free Never Let You Go by Emma Carlson Berne

Megan shoveled shavings faster, trying not to mind that Anna was surely making out with Jordan right now. Why should I mind? Okay, so the guy had amazing eyes and an unnervingly direct gaze. Whatever. He’s not yours! What the hell is wrong with you? You almost lost her once, Megan. Don’t let it happen again. What kind of nasty bitch crushes on her best friend’s boy one day after meeting him? This. Will. Not. Be. Another. Mike.
    At the same time, Megan knew Anna was acting out of control. Seriously, there was no need to make out with Jordan right here, right now. Couldn’t they at least sneak around after dark like normal people?
    Still, she has a right to do what she wants , she reminded herself. He does too. It was none of her business anyway. Maybe if she told herself that enough times, she’d actually start believing it. Theshavings barrow was almost empty now. She’d need some more for Darryl’s stall.
    Back out to the big open shed on the outer wall of the barn. Shovel the clean white shavings. Back inside. Don’t look at the feed room door. Don’t listen. Listen to what? Maybe they really were filling feed buckets. Megan fought a mental picture of Anna and Jordan, half-undressed, entwined on a pile of feed sacks. She shoveled the rest of the shavings with furious speed, gripping the handle of the fork so hard her knuckles were white. In addition, I’m doing all the freaking work here, on the first day , she thought bitterly. Thanks, Anna. Thanks. Maybe this was her penance. Maybe Anna thought she hadn’t been punished enough over the last year. Maybe Anna was right.
    Megan heard a door open and fixed her eyes on her pitchfork, which moved steadily between wheelbarrow and stall, leaving a little white trail of shavings with each scoop.
    Footsteps. She turned around. Her stomach plunged when she saw they were holding hands—no, Anna was holding his hand—and Jordan’s ears were pink. Well, that was that. He was into her. As he should be. Anna deserves this, and you know it. Anna looked flushed and satisfied. It was the way she used to look when she’d gotten into shoplifting their freshman year. Her lips were red at the edges.
    Jordan didn’t look at Megan. Instead, he grabbed the manure wheelbarrow and pushed it away, mumbling something about dumping it, even though it was empty.
    “Thanks for sticking me with the work,” Megan said to Annawhen Jordan was out of earshot. “Have fun making out in the feed room?” She kept her voice casual.
    “I wasn’t the only one having fun.” Anna raised her eyebrows significantly. “I’d say he was having a pretty good time too.”
    Megan felt a little twist of pain in her gut. She tried to keep her face neutral as she grabbed a broom leaning nearby and began sweeping the barn floor. “So, things are working out?” Maybe she would say no. . . .
    “You could say that.” Anna’s voice was soft, and Megan glanced over at her friend, who was sitting on an overturned mud bucket with a dreamy expression on her face. All of a sudden, Anna looked just the way she used to when they were younger, when they would search for four-leaf clovers or make fairy meals on plates of leaves. Megan’s turbulent feelings about the Jordan situation, the hurt at Anna’s verbal jabs, all of that evaporated, leaving Megan only with the fresh realization that this was her oldest and dearest friend—and she was in love, or something pretty close to it. Megan knelt down beside Anna.
    Anna looked at Megan full in the face. “I really like him,” she said simply.
    Megan nodded. “He’s nice. More than nice—”
    “Sitting down on the job, girls?” a voice interrupted.
    Thomas stood in the far doorway of the barn with Rosie on a lead rope and Jordan beside him.
    Megan jumped to her feet as they approached, but Anna remained sitting.
    “I’ve been sitting here all morning, Uncle Thomas, whilethese two did the work,” she declared, mischievously.
    Thomas didn’t even