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Realistically, she knew it never would’ve worked. Though her mind loved coming up with alternative scenarios for her past. Plaguing her thoughts with what-ifs, maybes and whys. At twenty-eight, she’d gone from planning to buy a house, ramping up her business, the possibility of starting a family together… The dominos of her life lining up perfectly, until one sentence had them crashing down before her eyes.

You can’t change the past, Taylor.

She pulled into her driveway, a blur of grey and a waggy tail flashing past as she opened the door.

“Belle!” she greeted, kneeling down and giving her dog a good scritch behind the ears. “What are you doing outside, naughty miss?”

She looked up to see Jess, her housemate, standing with their front door open, shaking her head and smiling. “She wasSOexcited you were home, she couldn’t even wait for you to get in the door.”

“Couldn’t wait to see your mum, huh?” Taylor said, grinning down at Belle as they walked up to the door together. Once inside, she kicked off her work boots beside the mat and padded into the lounge, collapsing onto the couch with Belle jumping straight up onto her lap and smothering her in kisses.

“Oof! Okay, enough!” she said, laughing between the ferocious licks, “Settle down Bel Bel, yes—mmhmph—I love you too.”

“How was work? Better today?” Jess asked, walking through into the kitchen and pouring herself a water.

“So much better today,” Taylor called back. “I’ve pretty much finished up on that caravan and gave out my card to a couple of boaties passing through the yard.”

“Oh that’s great!” Jess called out from the other room.

“Yeah, you know, it’s been a little quiet this month, so it feels good to have some more potential work lined up.” Work had been pretty spotty lately sincethat dayLiz walked out of her life. Her energy levels and motivation were at an all-time low, so she was relying heavily on word-of-mouth to keep up the jobs—and subsequently her income—flowing in. She popped her feet up on the coffee table and got out her phone to scroll Instagram. If she happened to see an update from a certain ex, it was just a coincidence. At least, that was what she was telling herself.

Taylor stopped scrolling as she landed on the photo update she totally wasn’t on there trying to find. Liz stared back at her from the screen, that lazy smile, her hair brushed to the side just so. Taylor scowled. And there was the new cause of that smile, the beautiful blonde hanging off her shoulder, arms wrapped around her neck, looking just as content at Liz’s side as she rested her head on Liz’s. She read the caption:

Bae’s turn to cook me dinner tonight - thanks Em .

She clicked into Liz’s profile to look at the other posts.Emily is so great. Emily and I are so in love.Blah, blah, blah. They were so… so sickening. She stared some more, unable to look away.

“Oh, also! I ended up speaking to that Sam from the boat shop again today. She might need some rewiring done on her boat too.” Another possible job, at least. Plus, having them all within the same area meant less travel time too.

“Ah yes,Nauti Sam.” Jess laughed at her own joke—a nod to the whole awkward T-shirt exchange the day before—as she walked back in and plonked herself onto the other half of their L-shaped couch. “Speaking of, I did the washing for us today. Her shirt’s already out on the line, so it should be dry by tomorrow for you—Taylor Jane Scott!”

Taylor fumbled and dropped the phone straight onto Belle’s head.

Jess glared at the phone. “Are you stalking Liz again?”

“Shit, sorry Belle!” Taylor rubbed the dog’s head and swiped the phone back up. “Thank you for doing the laundry, andnooooo, I wasn’t.”She definitely was.She threw the phone on the table with a sigh. “Maybe?” she mumbled, crossing her arms.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Jess sipped from her glass, looking very smug before she turned serious. “Taylor, you know I love you, but literally checking up on her every day is not healthy.”

“It’s noteveryday,” Taylor whined.

Jess eyeballed her.

“It’s not.” Taylor’s shoulders crept up to her ears, her voice taking on a higher octave. “It’s maybemostdays, and… and I’m just… curious,” she finished lamely.

“Well, curiosity killed the cat, and you are only hurting yourself. Don’t make me break out the second arrow analogy again.”

“Ugh,” she dragged out. “I know you’re right. I just can’t stop myself. Like, I want to know and I don’t want to know all at the same time. It hurts. Why do I do this to myself?”

Belle licked her hand, picking up on her heightened emotions.

“I know what Liz did was a super sucky thing, but do you still want her to be a part of your life anymore?”

“The old Liz, yes. But now? With the choices she’s made? I guess honestly… no, I don’t.”

“Then block her.”

Taylor’s eyebrows shot up. “I can’t do that.”