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“Tell me what’s going on,” Cooper demanded. It was out of character for both of us. We didn’t talk about feelings. We didn’t unload our problems. We weren’t raised that way.

“There’s nothing to tell.”

He scoffed. “You think you can bullshit the bullshitter? Come on, dude.” He shook his head, exasperated.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” I snapped, throwing my arms up. “What do you expect me to say?”

“That Eleanor leaving is the reason you’re like this.”

My chest tightened. I shook my head, turning away from him, pacing like a caged animal. My skin burned with frustration, anger bubbling just beneath the surface. I didn’t want to answer him. I wanted to be left the hell alone.

“This has nothing to do with her!” I yelled, my voice booming through the barn. The sound echoed off the rafters, startling the horses. They whinnied, their hooves shifting restlessly against the dirt floor. Hay bales lined the walls, stray pieces scattered like remnants of something broken—something I refused to acknowledge.

Cooper stepped closer, invading my space with that infuriating smirk. “Bullshit.”

I exhaled sharply through my nose, nostrils flaring like an agitated bull.

“If you need another fuck, just head down to The Spur & Barrel—”

I shoved him. Hard.

He barely stumbled before retaliating, pushing me right back. I lost my footing for a split second, but as soon as I caught my balance, I lunged.

My fist connected with his jaw, the impact jolting up my arm. Cooper staggered, a hand flying to his face as he winced. He tested his jaw, rolling it before spitting blood onto the ground. A dark, angry red.

“Don’t you ever talk about her like that again,” I ground out, my voice raw. My knuckles throbbed, but I barely noticed. My head swam with chaos, with the weight of everything I wouldn’t admit out loud. Eleanor wasn’t just a quick fuck. She wasn’t some passing fling. Maybe in the beginning, before she became a part of me. Before she rewrote my damn DNA.

Cooper nodded slowly, running his tongue over the inside of his cheek, his gaze locked on me.

“You love her.” His voice was steady, like he’d just put the final puzzle piece in place. “That’s why you’re so messed up. You fell for her, and she left you.”

I swallowed hard. “Saying it out loud doesn’t make it better, so just drop it.”

Cooper exhaled, then stepped in again. “So then what? Are you just waiting for it to go away?”

I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Eleanor lived in my head like she’d built a damn house there. No matter how hard I tried, she wouldn’t leave.

The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.

Cooper sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Look, I don’t know a damn thing about love, but if I were you, I’d chase her.”

Letting out a humorless laugh, I shook my head. The first night I met her, I did exactly that. Eleanor didn’t want to be chased. She was wild, untamed. A free spirit never meant to be caught.

I glanced at my horse, Thunder, standing just beyond Cooper. He let out a soft snort like he could hear every thought running through my head. We understood each other, had since day one. No words needed.

Turning back to Cooper, jaw set, I replied, “She made herself clear. I won’t go against that.”

Cooper exhaled sharply, like he was finally giving up the fight. “Fine. Then do what I’d really do—fuck her out of your system.”

I clenched my teeth. That wasn’t even possible. The mere thought of another woman made my stomach twist, made my body shut down completely.

Without another word, I turned on my heel, heading for the open field. Letting Thunder carry me somewhere, anywhere but here. Because if I stood in that barn any longer, I might just lose my mind.

THE WIDE-OPEN PASTURES stretched endlessly before me, the mountains standing tall on the horizon. This was my safe space. Perched atop Thunder’s back, I watched the sun sink lower, painting the sky in hues of gold, pink, and violet. I drew in a deep breath, holding it in my chest before letting it go slowly. Maybe if I did this enough, the weight crushing me would lift. Maybe I’d finally be able to breathe.

I was stuck. Held down by emotions too heavy to shake. I’d never felt this way before. The only thing I’d ever known with certainty was anger. But this? This was disappointment, guilt, and love tangled together in a knot I couldn’t untie.

Cooper told me to chase her. However, I knew Eleanor didn’t want that.