And yet, the idea keeps circling back. It slips in between the cracks when I’m alone, whispering that maybe this isn’t where I’m supposed to be. That maybe this tiny town, this farm, this version of me that’s trying to start over—maybe it was never meant to last.
Sydney promises more. More work opportunities. More people to meet. More distractions.But is that what I want? Or do I just want the hurting to stop?
Zoe’s response cuts through my thoughts before I even realise I’d spoken aloud. “No,” she says firmly. “That’s not it.”
I blink up at her. “What?”
“Running isn’t the answer, Liv.” Her voice softens, but the steel doesn’t leave it. “Trust me, I’ve tried. I’vedoneit. I ran from my hometown, from my marriage, from the wreckage my ex left me in. It took me a long time to learn that sometimes, you have to stop running and face the truth to actually heal.”
I know she’s right. I remember when she first came to Wattle Creek. I remember meeting her for the first time at the race. The wreckage she speaks about? I watched her claw her way back from that, brick by brick. If anyone knows what running costs, it’s Zoe.
I rub my hands together, the warmth from her coffee mug now long gone. “How did you do it?” My voice is quiet. “How did you know what was right? Because I don’t. I feel stuck between staying and leaving. And both feel like shit.”
“You don’t always know, Wild One. Sometimes you just pick the thing that feels a little less like giving up. That’s where you start.”
A breath catches in my throat. “And what if I’m just choosing the thing that hurts less?”
Zoe’s lips twitch into a sad smile. “Then congratulations,” she says gently. “You’re human.”
I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling, drawing in a slow, steady breath. For a moment, neither of us speaks. Zoe shifts beside me. When I glance over, I catch her watching me.
“What are you thinking right now?”
I hesitate, eyes still fixed on the worn threads of her couch. “How do you know when you’ve found the one?” I glance at her. “You know, the person you… love.”
Saying the word out loud feels surreal. Heavy. Like it doesn’t quite belong in my mouth yet. Zoe doesn’t answer right away. She purses her lips, thinking thoughtfully. “How do you know when it’s going to rain?”
I squint at her. “Um... dark clouds? That weird smell in the air? Wind picking up?”
She nods. “Okay. And how do you know when the kettle’s boiling?”
“It whistles.”
She pauses, eyes glinting. “Okay, then, how do you know when it’s time to… I don’t know… bring the animals in from the paddocks?”
“Which animals?”
She grins. “Exactly.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I huff a laugh, shaking my head.
Zoe leans forward, her voice softer now. “You knew those answers without even thinking. Because you’ve lived them. You’ve smelled the storm before it hit, heard the kettle scream,watched Xavier call the cattle in and learned from him. Those aren’t guesses, Liv. They’re instinct. Experience. Just… things you know in your gut.”
She taps her fingers against the rim of her mug. “Knowing you’ve found the one isn’t always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it’s quiet. A flutter in your chest when they walk into the room. A sharpness in their absence. It won’t always make sense to anyone else. Hell, half the time, it won’t make sense toyou. And it won’t be easy. But that’s how you know it’s real. When it’s love. When it’s someone worth holding space for… even when it’s messy. Even when it’s hard.”
Her words settle in my chest like weight and warmth all at once. Not a solution. Not some magic fix. Just the hard truth. Something steady to hold onto while everything else feels like it’s slipping through my fingers. I let out a slow, shaky breath and blink against the sting behind my eyes. “How do I tell my brother? Or Amelia?” My voice cracks. “I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”
Zoe frowns. “Hypocrite, how?”
“You don’t know how they got together, do you?”
She straightens, eyes narrowing. “Obviously not. I haven’t been here that long, remember? Spill.”
I let out a half-laugh and tell her.Everything. About Amelia and Bradley. About the secrecy. The sneaking around. The moment I found out my best friend had been with my brother and hadn’t told me. The betrayal. The hurt. The way I couldn’t understand back then why it had to be so complicated, until now. Until I was the one with a heart caught in the crossfire. About Sebastian, and Teddy.
When I finish, Zoe exhales slowly, the edges of her expression softening. “You’re not a hypocrite, Liv. You’re just human. You made a choice that felt right at the time, and now you’re trying to do better with it. That’s not guilt. That’s growth.”
I look down at my lap, fingers twisting together, and Zoe shifts closer. She doesn’t push. Doesn’t pry. “I get it,” she says quietly. “You’re hurting, and what’s happened has clearly knocked the wind out of you.” Her voice stays gentle. “But don’t avoid it. He’s a single dad who’s probably been holding a lot together for a long time. He’s just not used to letting anyone in. Men like that don’t justfall. They cling to control, even when it’s killing them.”
