Olivia Grant stood on the edge of the porch, the Wyoming wind tousling her hair as the vast expanse of the ranch unfolded before her. The sky was painted in shades of pink and gold, the sun beginning its slow descent behind the distant mountains. It was beautiful—breathtaking even—but her heart was heavy with indecision. The simplicity of this place had drawn her in, but the weight of her real life—her other life—loomed larger with every passing day.
She could hear the soft footfalls of Jack Bennett behind her, and the familiar tension that now crackled between them. Their connection was undeniable, but so was the pull of the world she had built for herself. A world that had nothing to do with wide-open spaces, horses, and dusty boots.
"I can see it in your eyes," Jack's deep voice broke the silence, calm and steady, just like him. "You're already halfway back to the city, aren't you?"
Olivia bit her lip, refusing to turn around, afraid of the sadness she might see in his eyes—or worse, the understanding that would tear her apart. "It's not that simple, Jack," she replied, her voice a whisper carried on the wind.
"Why not?" he asked, his voice gentle but unyielding. He moved closer, his warmth now at her back, but still giving her the space she needed. "You've had a taste of this life, Olivia. Maybe it's not as glamorous, maybe it's not as exciting as the city—but it's real. I'm real. And so is what we've got between us."
Olivia closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek before she could stop it. She turned to face him, her chest tight with the weight of her conflicting emotions. Jack stood there, strong and steady as ever, but there was something in his eyes—something that told her he already knew what she hadn't yet admitted to herself.
"Jack…" she began, her voice trembling. "I've spent so long working for everything I have. The fame, the success… it's who I am. It's who I've always been."
He stepped closer, taking her hands in his calloused ones, the roughness of his skin grounding her. "Is it really who you are, or is it just the life you think you're supposed to live?"
His question hung in the air, cutting through her carefully constructed defenses. She had always thought she had to keep moving, keep striving. The fast-paced world of fashion, the bright lights, the adoration—it had defined her. But here, in this quiet place, she was starting to wonder if she had ever really known herself at all.
"I don't know," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't know who I am anymore."
Jack pulled her into his arms, his embrace strong and steady, and for a moment, Olivia allowed herself to melt into the comfort of him. He smelled like leather and hay, like the earth itself, and there was a calmness to him that made her feel safe—safer than she had ever felt in the city's unforgiving embrace.
"You don't have to figure it all out right now," Jack murmured into her hair. "I'm not asking for answers, Liv. I'm just asking for a chance. A chance for us."
She pulled back just enough to look up at him, her hands resting on his chest. Her heart was pounding, every instinct inside her telling her to run back to the life she knew. But her soul… her soul was telling her to stay.
"I'm scared," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
"I know," Jack said softly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "But love's always a little scary, isn't it? That's how you know it's worth it."
The raw honesty in his words made something inside Olivia crack open. She had spent so long building walls around herself, protecting her heart from anything that might slow her down or cause her pain. But with Jack, it wasn't about walls or barriers. It was about letting go.
For a moment, she let herself imagine what it would be like to stay. To leave behind the flashing cameras and crowded runways, to trade it all for quiet mornings on the ranch, for long rides on horseback with Jack by her side. It was tempting, so tempting, and her heart ached at the possibility.
But then reality crept back in.
"I can't stay," she finally said, her voice breaking with the weight of the words. "I can't walk away from everything I've worked for."
Jack's expression didn't change, but the flicker of hurt in his eyes was undeniable. He nodded slowly, his hands dropping to his sides, giving her the space she had asked for. "I get it," he said quietly. "You've got a life waiting for you back there."
Olivia felt her chest tighten at the way he said it. So simple. So final.
"But, Olivia," he continued, his voice suddenly firm, "don't mistake success for happiness. Don't trade one for the other without knowing what you're giving up."
Her breath caught, the truth of his words hitting her hard. She had always thought success was happiness, that everything she had chased—fame, wealth, status—would eventually fill the void she had never been able to name. But standing here, looking into Jack's eyes, she realized that the void was still there, deep and aching. And maybe, just maybe, it wasn't something the city could ever fix.
"I don't want you to regret your choice," Jack said softly, his voice barely above a whisper now. "But if you ever change your mind… if you ever want something real, something you don't have to chase… you know where to find me."
The tears spilled over now, and Olivia couldn't stop them. She reached up, pressing her lips to his, a kiss filled with all the unspoken words she couldn't find the strength to say. It was a kiss of goodbye, but also of hope. A kiss that held the weight of what could have been—and maybe still could be.
When they finally pulled apart, Jack's hands lingered on her shoulders for just a moment longer, as if he was memorizing the feel of her, before he stepped back. His eyes were soft, filled with a quiet acceptance that tore at Olivia's heart.
"I'll see you around, Liv," he said with a small, sad smile.
She nodded, her throat too tight to speak. Then, without another word, she turned and walked away, her feet carrying her back toward the city, toward the life she had known for so long. But with every step she took, she felt the pull of Jack's words, of his love, echoing in her heart.
And maybe one day, she would listen. Maybe one day, the tides of love and time would bring her back to him.
But for now, she kept walking—back to the life she wasn't sure she wanted, leaving behind the love she wasn't sure she could live without.