Page 8 of Wild Hearts

I check my surroundings, mentally calculating the distance to Blue Haven. “Not yet. I’m still about forty minutes away.”

“Okay, I just spoke to the removalists. They’re all done, and they left the key in the letterbox.” She pauses. “Are you sure you don’t want your father and I to drive down and help you settle in? We can be there just before dinner?”

Sighing, I massage my temple. I know she’s worried about me, but since the incident she’s barely let me out of her sight, constantly checking in on me. When I told her I was still planning on moving to Blue Haven, she tried to convince me to change my plans, to stay in Newcastle for school. Her heart was in the right place, but I needed to get as far away from my hometown as possible. I needed to get away from him.

“I’m fine, Mum. Thank you. I appreciate it, I really do, but I’m going to be okay. Besides, I just spoke to Ivy, and she’s coming over for a girl’s night,” I lie.

“Okay, darling. That sounds fun.” I can hear the concern in her voice, and my stomach twists at how easily the lie flows out, but she doesn’t push. “Tell Ivy we said hello, and we’ll come visit in a few weeks once you’re all settled.”

“Sounds great, Mum. Love you.”

“Love you, Wren. Message us when you get there.”

“Will do.”

I end the call and my music resumes. It’s the new Tate McRae song. I turn it up and belt out the lyrics as I drive toward my new beginning in Blue Haven.

ISLOW DOWN AS I DRIVEpast the large ocean blue sign that says,Welcome to Blue Haven: Let the Ocean Calm Your Restless Soul. That’s exactly what I’m hoping for. Happy memories from my childhood summers wash over me as I pass the mini golf, the maze, and the boat shack that sits at the mouth of a little inlet. I roll down the window and breathe in the salty sea breeze.

I deliberately bypass the street that Ivy and Brady live on, taking the long way to the centre of town. I know I can’t avoid Brady forever, but I can try.

I keep my eyes to the left, avoiding the surf club and the beach as I drive down Main Street, but as I roll past What’s The Scoop?! ice-creamery, my face flushes. I force myself to stare straight ahead.

My new apartment is only a five-minute walk from the beach, and my body tingles as I pull into the designated car park. It’s my first time living away from home. It’s normal to feel like this, isn’t it? Excitement mixed with trepidation mixed with a sense of freedom.

I close my eyes and give myself a little pep talk.You’re eighteen years old, Wren. You can do this. You’re a survivor.I blow out a fortifying breath and climb out of the car. Grabbing my two suitcases off my backseat, I make my way to the front of the building.

The apartment that my parents bought for me is on the third floor of a five-storey yellow stucco building. I glance up at the video camera above the door as I type in the security code to gain access to the front foyer, breathing a sigh of relief as the door clicks closed behind me. The security system was important to me when choosing somewhere to live.

My parents sold the house across from Brady and Ivy’s to help pay for the lawyer costs, but they got a good deal on this apartment, and I’m so thankful that I don’t have to live across the road from Brady. Ivy assured me she’d be able to help me find a part-time job, so I won’t have to dig in too much to my savings.

I head straight to the letterboxes lined along the wall, using my key to open up number 307. Just as Mum said, the key to my front door was sitting inside.

As I wait for the elevator, a young couple close to my age come down the stairs. They smile at me with a polite, “Hey, how’s it going?” and I nod back in acknowledgement as the doors slide open in front of me. I wrangle my suitcases into the tiny elevator and press the button for the third floor.

My two-bedroom apartment is halfway down the hall on the right. The beach view from the balcony sends a wash of calm over me as I let myself in and toss my keys on the kitchen bench. The pastel blue walls give the apartment a beachy vibe, which is what drew me to it when I saw it online. My bedroom, with a small ensuite, overlooks the large park across the road. The main bathroom also includes a European laundry, and the second bedroom faces the parking lot. After depositing my suitcases amongst the boxes stacked up in the living room, I head back to the door to ensure that the deadlock is locked and the chain is in place. Even 600 kilometres away, I’m not taking any chances.

Feeling as secure as I can in my new home, I grab my camera bag off the couch and open the sliding door to the balcony. There’s a slight breeze coming in off the water, and it soothes my flushed skin. I bring the camera up to my face and squint through the viewfinder, adjusting the focus until it’s just right. The familiar clicks of the shutter allow a calm to wash over me as I capture Blue Haven beach in all its glory. The beach has always recharged me, ever since I was a little girl.

The water is dotted with swimmers and surfers. For a second, I wonder if Brady is amongst them. I push the thoughts from my mind as I lower my camera, putting it back in its case and making my way back inside, locking the balcony door. I can’t allow myself to think about him. It hurts too much.

I shoot off a quick message to my parents to let them know I arrived safely, and I start unpacking.

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