As they spun through the playlist, Zoey rode hard and on tempo. They reached the slow song that always came on toward the end of the ride, and Taylor instructed everyone to cover their monitors. Zoey had asked if it was okay for her to talk the riders through this section, which was meant to be the uplifting recovery section before the last final push.
“This was a long time coming for me,” Zoey started. “I thought for a long time that I didn’t deserve a career doing something I loved or that I didn’t deserve a relationship. It was when I started thinking I deserved these things that real change happened.” Zoey’s eyes traveled from Dan, to Brady, to Addison, to Caroline in the front row. Caroline mouthed “I love you” to her, and she reciprocated by mouthing it right back.
“So, think about what you feel you don’t deserve, whether it’s starting your own business or pursuing that relationship. What is holding you back? Is it you? Is there a way to break through that barrier to real change? You are worthy. You are strong. You’re here doing something for you. What else could you do for yourself?
“I’ve loved interacting with each and every one of you, and I am so thankful you all came out here today. As I set out on my dream, I hope you will do the same for yourself.”
Everyone started clapping. Zoey lifted her hands to her chest in gratitude. This place had been the starting point to healing. Right after she quit teaching, Zoey was adrift and Caroline suggested she give Taylor’s studio a chance. She was hooked after one class. She remembered nights laughing with Taylor in the front, the work they did together. How Jonathan visited and sat on that very bike in front of her. She felt the tears coming.
The class ended, and still more and more people came up to wish her well. Some even gave her sweaty hugs, and some gave her kisses on the cheek.
Caroline came up to Zoey first.
“I cried on my bike, you loser.”
Zoey shrugged her shoulders and threw her hands up.
Caroline hugged her. “I love you.”
“I love you,” Zoey said as Caroline broke apart from her.
As she entered the yoga studio, she was met with applause, people standing along the perimeter. Thank God there were no balloons.
Taylor handed her a glass of champagne, while other members clapped with an identical glass of champagne in their hands. Woman after woman came up and told her how inspiring she was. Dan and Brady took a moment with her and told her how proud they were and that she would kill it in Phoenix. Dan asked Taylor to take a picture of Zoey with Dan and Brady to send to Jonathan. When Taylor handed the phone back, Dan immediately started typing.
“What are you doing?” Zoey asked.
“Texting this to your boyfriend to fuck with him.” Dan’s eyes didn’t leave the phone screen. Zoey rolled her eyes.
Addison pointed out some Oreos on one of the tables. She pointed to herself and mouthed “My idea.”
Zoey’s chest swelled with emotion. She loved many of these people in this room, and she truly loved this town. Leaving the comfortable felt right, felt scary, felt bold. She was so ready to see what Phoenix had in store for her.
She thought back to that seventeen-year-old girl, so lost and hurt, and wanted to tell her it would be okay. She would collect people along the way and would experience heartbreak. Still, she should take risks, do things that scared her, and throw herself in with her whole heart. It had led her back to Jonathan, and now it was leading her to Phoenix and to the unknown. Messy or not, she felt like taking a risk for Jonathan was not actually a risk after all.
Zoey showed up to Caroline’s the next day at five a.m. Caroline shuffled out of her house with a backpack on, a white canvas bag over her shoulder and a travel Thermos. It was still pitch black out.
“I hate you,” Caroline said when she got in the car. “Why are we leaving so early?”
“This will be fun. Road trip!”
“Please don’t drive like…you.” Caroline took a long sip of coffee. “I’m especially nervous since you want to see your man.”
“Hold onto your butts,” Zoey said as they started their journey to Phoenix.
Her excitement grew as they headed farther south. They cleaned out the Cheetos Puffs, her favorite, by Kettleman City, where they got gas, peed, and got more coffee. They then stopped every hour on the hour because of the coffee. They laughed and talked, reminiscing about the wedding and remembering stuff they used to do together in high school. They sang at the top of their lungs to Backstreet Boys and made their way through Taylor Swift’s entire discography, earliest to newest. Her heart melted when “Love Story” came on.
She sent him several updates along the drive and even got a nap in when Caroline took over the wheel for part of it. Her head kept drooping, and when she finally woke, Caroline had gotten on the 10 to head toward Phoenix.
“I’m so happy about you and Jonathan,” she said. “Everything is as it should be.”
“Yes,” Zoey said. “Thank you for being my best friend. And knowing what was good for me even when I didn’t.”
“No problem,” Caroline said. “Oh, we’re coming for Thanksgiving.”
Zoey laughed. “Really?”
“Really. My mother is now on good terms with Aunt Lisa, so she’s coming to Thanksgiving and she’s bringing her new boyfriend.”
“Is it Bob the Bartender?” Zoey asked.
“Nope, new guy.”
“Bob was too good for her.”
“Absolutely,” Caroline said. They switched one more time when they had to pee, and Zoey texted Jonathan that they were close. When they rolled into town and turned into Jonathan’s apartment complex, he was waiting for her. Zoey stopped her car and ran out, jumping into his arms.
“I’m here,” she said with tears in her eyes, as she peppered his face with her kisses.
“Welcome home, Zoey Benton,” Jonathan said, taking her in a long kiss.
“You stopped the car in the middle of the road,” Caroline said.
They didn’t stop kissing. A deep relief settled over Zoey. Everything was going to be wonderful.
Their breakup. Jonathan’s divorce. Caroline’s wedding.
Everything that happened led her here.
Epilogue
Three months later
Golden sunshine washed over Zoey as her eyelids fluttered open. Her vision, blurry at first, finally cleared to see her love, already out of bed and kneeling by her side of the bed, watching her.
“Oh no, are we now one of those couples who watches each other sleep?” Zoey said, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. The white duvet settled around her, like she was sitting in marshmallow fluff.
“No,” Jonathan said with a laugh. “Since it’s Saturday and you’ve been killing it lately, I thought I would go out and get you coffee.”
Zoey smiled and jutted out her lip. “You are so sweet, babe. Thank you.”
He handed her a plastic cup and a straw from their favorite local coffee shop. Ah, a large iced coffee, black, just the way she liked it. She always joked the coffee shop made their iced coffee with love. She took one long drag from the straw and let the roasted flavor hit the back of her throat.