Page 103 of When Sky Breaks

sky

After a light breakfast at the coffee shop, August invited me back to his place to hang out. A few hours of talking turned into several, and while he doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest, it’s probably best I go home before I decide to just move into his house.

“I don’t want to leave,” I say instead.

“No one is telling you to.” August looks at Winter and they both turn to stare at me.

“Well, that’s not fair. Giving me literal puppy dog eyes. I have no defense. The both of you are terrible influences.”

“That was the goal, wasn’t it, Winter?” August lifts his brows at the dog and she woofs. “That’s right, girl. We did it.” He ruffles her fur, and my heart warms even as I roll my eyes.

“I really do have to go check on Foster. Trek said he wasn’t going to be home tonight.”

August stands and lets Winter outside before coming back to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, hauling me flush to his chest. “I know. Doesn’t mean I won’t miss hanging out with you.” He brushes aside a strand of my hair before dipping his head to look at me. “You’ll be back. Right?”

And there it is. The underlying fear that this was all a fever dream.

To banish any doubts, I rise to my tippy toes and kiss him. “Yes, I’ll be back.”

The sound of rain interrupts our prolonged goodbye. It tings and pings off the steel roof faster and faster. Startled, I peek out the window to watch it fall in waves from the clouds.

“I didn’t know it was supposed to rain today.”

August scratches his temple and squints through the wall of water cascading from the gutter. “Me either. I’ve got you on the brain.” His grin falls. “Oh shit. Winter.”

He jogs to the backdoor and tugs it open, yelling out at the pooch sniffing something on the ground completely ignoring her owner.

A giggle erupts from my mouth as I watch him struggle between wanting to run out to get her or letting her get drenched.

Finally, she lumbers to the door, her tongue happily hanging out of her mouth, her fur soaked. I run to the hall closet and grab a towel, tossing it to August so he can get most of the water off her paws. Again, I laugh when she shakes and sprays rainwater all over us.

“God, she’s a mess. I’m going to put her in the bathroom to dry off. Otherwise, it will smell like dirty dog in here.”

August returns with a wry smile. “She’s a maniac.”

“But she’s so cute.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” He bites his lip, watching outside as the rain picks up its assault on the windows. “Look, I know you need to get back home but it’s really coming down and—well, let me take you home, I can always get you later to pick up your car. I just…”

He doesn’t want me to leave. I don’t really want to either, and a tiny bit of guilt winds around my chest. “Worried about me?”

“Out in this mess? Absolutely.” He lifts my chin with his forefinger. “I only just got you back, so the thought of anything happening…”

To be fair, I don’t want to drive home in the pouring rain either. And when he looks at me like that? Like I’m his whole world? It’s difficult to concentrate on anything else.

“Maybe I can stay until it stops?”

I pull my phone from my back pocket and check the radar. Only a few hours and it will pass. “I’ll text Foster. He’ll probably be resting anyway.”

“So likely nothing to worry about.”

“I know, it’s just he can get pretty ill some days…”

“I get it. You want to be there just in case. If it will worry you too much, I’ll drive you home. No questions.”

I lean into his chest and breathe in. The fabric of his shirt is soft on my cheeks, and I sigh as his strong arms encircle me. “Thank you. He’ll be fine. Besides, this is nice. Just being here with you during a rainstorm. It’s cozy.”

“So what do you want to do then?” His chest rumbles with his words and I could curl into that sound and sleep for days. “Oh wait. I have an idea.”

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