I laugh, a bubble of pure joy filling me. “He’s the best. But Brandy’s awesome too.”

“I love her,” Olivia agrees.

I turn Remy around, and we head back to the stables.

“Sometimes I wish I could take Brandy and ride off forever,” Olivia says so softly I almost don’t hear her.

I leap at the fantasy. It’s one we’ve talked about many times. “Life on the open trail, like modern-day cowgirls.”

“But I’m not sure I could live without shopping.” Olivia giggles again, but this time it’s forced. Is something bothering her? Is it me?

I squint in her direction, trying to figure out her mood. “You wouldn’t need the distraction. It would be just us and the horses. Sounds pretty perfect to me.”

“Sure does.” But she doesn’t sound convinced.

I almost tell Olivia about my memory. It would be such a relief to be able to trust her that much. I waver for a second, considering it. But I can’t get Piper out of my head.

“Race you to the barn,” I yell instead.

“You’re on!” Olivia’s reply escapes in the breeze whipping around us. She kicks Brandy into a gallop and leaves me in her dust.

I urge Remy on, and with hardly any effort, he easily catches up. We gallop beside Brandy and Olivia at an easy pace, but I pull him back at the very end. Olivia cheers as she beats me to the barn, and I’m about to smile until I look past her to see Max watching me.

Grit settles in my mouth with a tinge of embarrassment. Does he know I let Olivia win?

This is something I’m not sure how to handle. Olivia and I’ve been friends since the first grade. I want to believe that she wouldn’t drop me even if she knew the whole truth about my memory. But I’m afraid that she might, so I find myself doing things like letting her win.

Olivia laughs and hugs me when I get off Remy. “Sorry, Lulu. Is it wrong that I’m super excited to finally beat you in a race?”

“It’s about time,” Max says with his usual smirk turned up even more obnoxiously than usual. “Remy looks mad at you, Lulu. Did you throw the race or something?”

Max raises one brow like he’s waiting for me to confess. He might be guessing, but I’m pretty sure he knows. My palms start to sweat.

I narrow my eyes, trying to signal what I’ll do to him if he even thinks about telling Olivia. He just grins and starts unbuckling Remy’s saddle.

Olivia’s smile slips as she reads her texts. “I have to run. Can you take care of Brandy for me?”

“Sure.” I grab Brandy’s reins, and Olivia stalks off, her boots kicking at the dirt.