Prologue

Mia Carter didn't do dirt road.

Or Silence.

Or places where the nearest coffee shop wasn't within walking distance. Yet here she was, gripping the edge of her seat as her mum's car rattled over another bump, dust swirling behind them like a warning she should've listened to.

"This is ridiculous," Mia muttered, staring out the window at the endless stretch of dry paddocks and wire fences. "People actually choose to live out here?"

Her mum, Claire, shot her a look from the driver's seat. "People like Cindy. My best friend, remember? The one who is letting you stay with her."

"Correction," Mia said, crossing her arms. "The one I'm being forced to stay with."

Claire sighed, like she'd already had this argument a hundred times, which, to be fair, she had. "It's not forever, Mia. Just a few months. You need a break from the city, from your... Choices lately."

Mia turned her head sharply. "My choices?"

"Yes," Claire said, her tone tightening. "Skipping classes. They're partying. The attitude-,"

"Oh, please. I'm eighteen, not a criminal."

"No, but you're heading in a direction I don't like," her mum replied, softer now. "This is a chance to reset."

Mia let out a hollow laugh and looked back out the window.

A rest. Out here? Where the air felt too big, and the world felt too small at the same time? "Great," She muttered. "Nothing says life improvement like being dumped in the middle of nowhere."

The car slowed as they approached a long gravel driveway. At the end sat a wide, weathered farmhouse, a wraparound porch stretching across the front. A red barn stood off to the side, and beyond it, more land than Mia could even process.

No neighbours.

No noise.

No escape.

Her stomach sank.

"Here we are," Clare said gently. Mia didn't move. She just stared. This was it; this was where she was supposed to stay.

A woman stepped out onto the porch, waving enthusiastically as they pulled up. Even from a distance, Mia could tell she radiated warmth-sun-kissed skin, easy smile, the kind of person who probably said things like 'Make yourself at home' and meant it.

"That's Cindy," her mum said, smiling. "She's been so excited to have you."

Mia forced a polite expression, already bracing herself. The care barely stopped before Cindy made her way down the steps.

"Claire!" She called, pulling her mum into a hug the second she stepped out. "It's been too long." Mia opened her door more slowly, stepping out into the heat. The air smelled like dry grass and something faintly earthy- completely unfamiliar.

"And you must be Mia," Cindy said, turning to her with a bright smile. "Look at you! You've grown up so much."

Mia gave a tight smile. "Hi."

Cindy didn't seem to notice the lack of enthusiasm. "We're so happy to have you here, sweetheart."

We.

Mia's eyes flickered towards the house just as the screen door creaked open. And that's when she saw him. He stepped out like he belonged to the place- like the land itself had shaped him. Tall, broad-shouldered, worn jeans, dusty boots. A faded shirt clung to him like he'd been working, not posing.

His gaze landed on her instantly. Sharp. Assessing. Unimpressed. Mia straightened slightly under it, instinct kicking in. This guy already had an opinion- and she hadn't even spoken yet.

"Lane," Cindy called, glancing back. "Come say hi." He didn't rush, didn't smile. Just walked over at his own pace, hands shoved casually into his pockets.

"This is Mia," Cindy said warmly. "She'll be staying with us for a while."

There was the slightest pause. Like, even the air held its breath. Lane's eyes met Mia's again, and something unreadable flickered there.

"Yeah," he said finally, voice low, rough around the edges. "Figured."

Mia raised a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Cindy let out a small, nervous laugh. "Oh, don't mind him,"

"City girl," Lane said, cutting in, his gaze flicking over her outfit, her shoes, her expression. "Doesn't exactly blend in out here."

Mia felt something spark- annoyance, sharp and immediate. "Well," she shot back, "not all of us aspire to smell like a barn."

"Mia!" Claire chastised.

There was a beat of silence. Cindy's smile faltered slightly. "Alright, let's all," But Lane just smirked. Not offended, not surprised. Like he'd been expecting that. "This'll be interesting," he said under his breath.

Mia crossed her arms, lifting her chin. "No," she said coolly. "It won't. I'm not staying long enough for it to be." His eyes held hers for a moment-steady, certain. And then, just slightly-amused. "Sure you're not."

Mia turned away first, grabbing her bag before anyone could see the flicker of something she didn't quite understand.

Because for the first time since arriving... she had a feeling this place wasn't going to be as temporary as she thought.

And neither was he.