Never Left Me

Prologue

The intense August heat hung in the air like a thick blanket as Lauren sat in the passenger seat of Tyler's old truck. The cracked leather beneath her legs stuck to her skin as the Arkansas sun beat down, but she didn't mind. She never minded, not when she was with him.

She could feel the dust from the back roads swirling through the open windows, mixing with the scent of hay and the earthy smell of Tyler's truck. The radio hummed quietly in the background, some country song she couldn't quite make out over the sound of the wind rushing past.

Tyler was beside her, one hand resting on the steering wheel, his other arm slung lazily out the window. His fingers tapped along to the beat, completely at ease. He was home, finally, after spending the summer competing in rodeos across the South and Midwest. Lauren had counted down the days until he came back, knowing this might be the last summer they'd have like this. In just a few weeks, she'd be leaving for college. She'd be gone, and Tyler—he would be wherever the rodeos took him next.

"You okay?" Tyler glanced over at her, his green eyes catching hers for a brief moment before returning to the road.

Lauren forced a smile, pushing down the familiar ache in her chest. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About what?" he asked, his voice warm but casual, like everything was always easy between them. Like he didn't know her heart raced every time she was close to him.

"Just... how hot it is," she lied, turning her gaze out the window. In reality, she wasn't thinking about the heat at all. She was thinking about him. How much she'd miss him. How much she wanted to say the words she'd kept buried for so long, but couldn't.

The truck jolted slightly as they turned onto the rutted dirt path that led to Tyler's family farm. His dad had called him to help with something, and of course, she had tagged along.

That's how it always was—Lauren always finding a reason to be with him, always lingering just a little too close. But she never let herself get too close, not the way she really wanted to.

"Doesn't feel like it's gonna cool down anytime soon," Tyler remarked, squinting out into the horizon, the golden fields of late summer stretching endlessly ahead.

Lauren swallowed, feeling the weight of everything unsaid pressing against her. This was their last summer, the last time they'd have this—long afternoons of driving down the back roads, just the two of them. She wasn't ready to let it go. She wasn't ready to let him go.

Tyler pulled the truck to a stop near the barn, killing the engine as a cloud of dust settled around them. For a moment, there was silence, just the sound of cicadas buzzing in the distance and the faint echo of wind rustling through the nearby fields.

"Guess I should go help my dad. Tess is inside if you want to go hang out with her.." Tyler said, but he didn't move right away. Instead, he looked over at her, his eyes lingering a little longer than usual. "You wanna hang out after I'm done?"

Lauren nodded, her throat tightening. "Yeah, of course."

She could feel the weight of the moment between them, heavier than the summer air. Her heart pounded as she stared at him, knowing this was her chance. She could tell him. She could finally say everything she'd been holding back—the way she felt about him, the way she didn't want to leave without him knowing the truth. But the words stuck in her throat, caught on her fear of ruining everything.

Tyler gave her a crooked smile, the kind that always made her chest ache. He didn't know. He couldn't. He was Tyler—carefree, easygoing, always just a little out of reach.

"I'll be back in a bit," he said, his voice soft.

And then he was gone, slipping out of the truck and walking toward the barn, leaving Lauren alone with her thoughts.