It's only a short drive to the secluded place in the midst of greenery and cattle. Tessa hops off as soon as they reach the stables and makes her way inside with Aimee following her closely. 

"How is she?" Tessa enquires to the three men that are inside the stables. 

"So far so good" an older gentleman responds. He is standing the closest to the horse, while the other two men have their backs to the newcomers while they are busy tending to other horses in the stable. "I see you brought an assistant." he extends his hand to Aimee that shakes it with a smile. 

"This is my friend, Aimee." 

The name makes a head turn around. Scott almost resembles a Western cowboy with his tight jeans and plain white t-shirt, a complete contrast to his rocker attire from the other night. 

"Ok, give me some room." Tessa walks inside the stable enclosure and lays near the mare, stroking her softly.

Aimee takes two steps inside and feels someone standing next to her. "Hi," he says.

"Hi," she retorts. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" he returns sarcastically. He walks past her and stands near the mare. "Do you need a hand, Tess?" 

Tessa stands up looking concerned. "I need to induce labour. She's developed placentitis. Aimee, get my bag from the trunk." 

Aimee runs outside to grab the bag and rushes back inside with the kit. Scott has kneeled over the mare and is assisting Tessa that proceeds with taking a small bottle of oxytocin and administering it to the animal.

"How can I help?" Aimee asks. 

Tessa barely glances at her. "Get me some hot water." 

Aimee runs to the main house and looks out for a bucket she can utilise and places some water in the stove boiling. She can hear the mare braying from the house. She runs with the bucket and proceeds to watch while her best friend carefully delivers a tiny living being to this world. Tessa and Scott each pull two tiny limbs assisting the mare in the delivery. With a final grunt, the foal is out and they cover the tiny being in the hay while rubbing it. 

"Give him some space." Scott wanders next to Aimee and looks at her eyes opening at the sight of the wobbling foal that stumbles until it stands straight.

"Well, this deserves a cold one." the older gentleman chimes. 

Tessa rubs her forehead with her sleeve that glistens with perspiration. "Make it two cold ones." and she sits down on the floor. "I need to keep a watch over these two for the next hours."

"I'll get you some blankets, some food, and that cold one."

"My friend will need a ride back home."

"No, I'll wait." Aimee interrupts. "I'll just text Josie so she's not worried." Tessa nods and leans back on the wooden frame. 

Aimee walks outside and types a quick text to Josie to tell her what has happened. She looks up and sees the stars beaming in the sky. She puts her phone away and sits on the fence while staring at the infinity of dots up above. "Can I join you?" 

A bottle of beer comes into view and she grabs it. "Of course."

Scott climbs the fence and sits next to her. "You might have to drive Tessa back home."

Aimee chuckles, "What else is new?" She gulps the beer. "This place is amazing. Just look at this sky."

"It's the reason I've stayed this long." Aimee stares at him. "I've been doing some travelling, here and there, but I've been in New Zealand for almost six months now. I'll be leaving soon, can't extend my visa any longer though. It will be a shame to leave this place."

"Where are you going next?"

"India. That's the next stop. I have a friend there." 

Aimee takes a sip of her beer. "So you're the intrepid adventurer type."

Scott chuckles, "I guess I am. We only have one life, right?" Aimee shrugs and looks down. "I have a feeling that you're not the intrepid or adventurous type."

Aimee stares into his brown eyes. "I'm not an adventurer. In fact, my being in Australia has been the greatest leap I have ever taken in my life. And, that has backed fired spectacularly." Scott looks at her pointedly. "I don't want to bore you with the details."

He shrugs, "Got nowhere to go."

Aimee sighs, "Let's just say I'm here for my twin brother. He is searching for information that I'm not sure I want to uncover. The last few months have been weird, confusing, frustrating... I had this massive fight with him, and even though we're ok for now, we're still pulling in two opposite directions, and that will inevitably lead to another fight..." 

Scott hums, "Maybe you should stop controlling his life, and focus on your own."

Aimee gasps, "Excuse me? You know nothing about me."

Scott smirks, "No need to be defensive. You clearly want different things from your brother, and whatever are his reasons, you need to let him pursue his choices, and you should pursue your own. Why are you even here?"

Aimee stares at him pointedly. "I came to see Tessa."

Scott scoffs, "Don't play dumb, you are better than that."

Aimee climbs down from the fence. "You're being a real jerk, did you know that?"

"You're being over-sensitive, maybe because you have no idea what you want to do, and you're using your brother as an excuse to figure what exactly you want to do." Scott comes down the fence. "Where does that Liam guy fit in all of this?"

Aimee lowers her eyes to the ground. "Nowhere. He's nothing."

Scott touches her arm slightly. "You really need to stop pulling wool over your own eyes."

Aimee brushes off his contact. "I'm taking Tessa home." 

*

Tessa grunts over the kitchen counter with her eyes closed. "Where's Josie?" Tessa grunts again, "I don't speak gruntish, Tess."

Tessa points towards the window. "Somewhere outside."

Aimee walks out and sees Josie sitting on the porch by herself. "Hey, you." Josie smiles weakly and lowers her eyes. "Are you ok?" Josie shakes her head. Aimee sits next to her. "She has this tough exterior on the outside, but she's actually all gooey on the inside. She's also stubborn. You need to make the first move and talk. An honest, open conversation with her."

Josie sighs, "She can't understand why I'm not out, and she told me openly she doesn't have time for people that are not sure of themselves."

Aimee stares at the green field in front of her. "She's been hurt before. She's headstrong, and you'll need to meet her more than half the way here. I know it's not what you want to hear but I know Tessa, and she needs to understand where you come from. But, that means you need to be willing to insist, a lot. She's not going to work today. It's the perfect opportunity."

A truck stops outside Tessa's and honks twice. Aimee stares at the driver and sees Scott's stupid smile plastered. "Is that the bartender?" Josie asks.

Aimee gets up. "Bartender, cow herder, he seems to be a jack of all trades and a pain in my rear." Josie chuckles and Aimee makes her way to the truck. "What are you doing here?"

Scott places his arm outside the window. "Taking you somewhere. Get dressed."

Aimee scoffs, "Who said I was going anywhere with you?"

Scott scratches his head, "Don't be difficult. There's an awesome place I want you to see. Just get dressed in comfortable clothing and boots. I'll wait." Aimee stares at him momentarily and grunts before heading inside the house.

Four hours later, Aimee and Scott reached Aoraki National Park that overlooks the Aoraki/Mount Cook Mountain with its glacier peaks and forested trails. The drive was silent apart from Aimee fumbling with the radio. Once they reach the National Park, Aimee stands in awe looking at the crisp mountain in the distance, while Scott registers their arrival and gets a map. They walked in silence for another hour, until Aimee breaks the silence. "Thank you for taking me here." 

Scott hums in response. "Not sure, why you decided to do it but I'm glad, it's gorgeous."

Scott walks further ahead. "Because I cannot let you leave New Zealand without seeing this." They reach an area where a lake bathes the mountain base and kisses the forest soil. Scott drops the camping gear on the floor. 

"Are we setting camp? Wait, how long are we here for?"

Scott starts taking things from the backpack. "Only for the night" and starts mounting a tent. 

"How many tents do we have?"

Scott smirks, "One tent, two sleeping bags, don't worry I'm not trying anything with you. Unless you want to of course." he stares at her with a mischievous look. "Now, will you help me out or just stand there and watch me do all the work?" 

Aimee walks over to him and follows his instructions. Soon the tent was up, the sleeping bags and other gear were inside, and Scott starts a small campfire.

Aimee sits down by a log and overlooks the scenery. "So, what did you do back home?"

Scott sits down next to her and hands her a bottle of water. "Believe it or not, I was a GCSE teacher." Aimee stares at him surprised while Scott cracks the bottle lid open. "Care to guess?"

Aimee opens her own bottle. "Based on what I know about you, my guess is PTE."

Scott laughs, "I knew you wouldn't guess. I was a math and chemistry teacher."

"No way! Now that is a surprise!"

Scott gulps water. "Oh, I know what you did back home." Aimee frowns inquisitively. "I asked Tessa. She told me you don't play anymore though."

Aimee stares at the lake. "She's right."

Scott drinks some more water. "Care to enlighten me how someone that Tessa described as incredibly talented, just stops playing?"

"It's a long story," she recalls the time when she opened her heart to Liam and her heart is not ready to open up again. "I've lost my courage to play in public."

Scott touches her hand lightly. "Then find it again."

Aimee shakes her head. "I don't think I can."

Scott holds her hand and Aimee stares at him. "I think that's why you decided to come to Australia. You're trying to find yourself again, to find your courage. That's what I was trying to tell you yesterday, but you got so worked up..." he shakes his head and stares at the lake but his hand remains steady on hers. "Look, I don't know what happened for you to stop playing, I don't know what is happening with your brother, and I sure as hell don't really care what happened to the Liam guy, but I think you have travelled across the world to find yourself again. So, you owe it to yourself to try." 

Aimee stares at his features for a beat. His chiselled face denotes that he is older than she is, Scott he's clearly in his early thirties, his black short hair has traces of grey, and his eyes looked more serious and calm than Liam's. 

"What are you looking for?" she asks. 

Scott sighs, "Meaning. I loved my teaching job but it wasn't enough. I wanted to see the world around me, and I realized that what I really wanted to do was to travel the world. So, I packed my things, and made my way to Africa first, spent two wonderful years in South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania. I worked there doing odd trades, sometimes volunteering, and really living from people's kindness, I would save enough money to get my next ticket, and my next ticket..."

Aimee holds his hand. "Until you got here."

Scott stares at her and smiles, "Until I got here. It feels peaceful. Africa is beautiful but so far New Zealand is my place."

Aimee stares at him and notices for the first time that he is a handsome man. She feels an urge to kiss him and inches forward to meet his face. Scott places his hand on her face and grazes her features softly. "Are you sure? I'm not him."

"I know" she pecks him softly at first, and more demanding afterwards. For the first time in days, Liam's face disappears from her mind, the ache in her heart softens, while she presses her lips against Scotts'.

Scott's kiss was tender and his hands quickly roam her body, exploring it with passion. "Tell me if you want me to stop." 

Aimee hums and pushes his head to her stealing another kiss. Scott's left hand roams to her centre, while his right hand proceeds to open the button of her plaid shirt. Aimee responds to his touch and her right hand touches his broad back, while her left hand pulls his black hair. His hands glide inside her, and she responds with a moan. 

"I want you so badly." He repeats the unholy words professed by the Aussie. Aimee's eyes open and his image floods her thoughts. Scott continues to persevere but Aimee's mind has been taken away back to his steel-blue eyes. She listens to the rip of a condom packet, and she shuts her eyes, acutely aware that she is projecting Liam's image to the moment shared with another.

The next day is full of sorrow for a bittersweet departure approaching. Aimee's heart aches at the shared embrace she shared with Scott while thinking of another. Scott deserves better. She deserves better.  

"Stay" he whispers to her while laying together on the ground with the blue sky as their ceiling. He leans and hovers her and plants a gentle kiss on her lips. "Just a few more days. This is... I want to see where this goes. Don't you?"

"I don't know..."

Scott frowns. "It's him, isn't it?"

Aimee stays still. "My brother is waiting for me. I've told you that I left with unresolved issues between us. He's not just my family. He's my best friend." Scott lays back and looks at the sky. "Let me think about it. Talk to Josie. I'm not alone on this trip."

The ride back to Tessa's place was silent. Scott's mood soured and Aimee's attempts at lifting the mood between them failed consecutively. When the truck stops he stays motionless. 

"Are you not going to talk to me at all?" she asks. 

"If you are leaving tomorrow, then what is the point?" he responds looking towards the road. 

"I told you I would think about it. Why are you being so difficult?"

Scott glances at Aimee and pushes her to him, encapsulating their lips together passionately. "Because I feel pulled to you, like a magnet to a fridge. I know we just met. But, I just got you last night. I don't want this to be just a one-night stand, do you?" Aimee stands still at his words. "Let me make you forget him, or at least try." He says with a plea in his voice.

Tessa walks outside the house and waves at the truck. "I need to go," Aimee says in a whisper.

"Right," he says with a bitter tone to his voice. "You know where to find me if you change your mind." Aimee walks out of the car and Scott drives furiously away.

Aimee enters the house and notices the mood has shifted. Tessa takes her cousin's hand gently and pulls her to her lap. Aimee smiles at the sight. 

"So are you going to tell us what happened with you and the bartender?" Josie asks. 

Aimee slumps in the kitchen chair. "We had sex."

Tessa roars with laughter, "No freaking way. You had a one-night stand?" She leans to Josie that chuckles in amusement. "She never had a one-night stand before."

"Never?" Josie opens her eyes at her cousin.

"Thanks, Tess. And, it wasn't a one-night stand. Or, maybe it was. I don't know..." Aimee rubs her face. "He's asked me to stay a few more days. See where this goes."

"See where this goes?" Josie repeats the phrase. "It's not going anywhere. We need to go back." She smiles at Tessa, "But, it doesn't mean we can't delay the return for a bit longer." 

Aimee retracts her hands from her face. "Are you telling me to stay back, Jos?"

Josie embraces Tessa. "What difference would make if we delay our flights for two or three days more?"

That night, Aimee makes her way to the local pub. She enters and immediately his eyes connect with hers. "Can I get a beer?" Scott smiles and serves her. "And, a kiss to accompany it?" His smile is even broader. He leans on the counter and meets her lips.

"I guess you decided to give a bit more time?"

"Three days more but then I need to go back."

Three days of pure bliss with the Geordie man. Aimee traces her fingers on his broad back and leaves lingering kisses along his spine. 

"Hmmm," Scott responds to her kisses and turns around to meet her lips. Aimee drops her head across his torso and makes playful concentric circles with her slender fingers. There was only a day left in his comfort, and before she's thrown into the abyss of complications awaiting her back in Byron Bay. 

Things are simpler in Moncks Bay. Jodie and Tessa are together, and happy, even though both know it's ephemeral. Aimee feels at peace when she lingers in Scotts' arms, only to be stirred with occasional thoughts of Liam shaking her core. 

"You could stay." Aimee hears his plea, similar to her best friends a few days before. "Or, you could take off... with me." Aimee turns her head. "I'm leaving in three weeks to Delhi. I have my flight booked. It takes off from Sydney. You could join me on that flight, have an adventure with me, find back your courage."

Aimee leans on her left elbow. "Are you serious? But my brother..."

Scott takes a few of her strands of hair and gently places them behind her ear. "Forget them." she knows he means to forget him. 

Scott gets up and puts his t-shirt on and leans on the desk in his bedroom. He scribbles something down in a piece of paper and heads back to bed. "All my details are here." he hands Aimee the paper. "I'll be waiting for you."

Aimee glances at the paper. "And if I don't show up?"

"Then, I'll know that I wasn't enough." 

Author's Note:

Photo by Jonny Auh on Unsplash