Page 22 of Into the Light

“Absolutely.” We grabbed our stuff and headed out of the basement.

“The basement is too fucking creepy.”

He paused, scanning for any signs of life before agreeing. Part of me thought it was for my own comfort.

“Where to?” Rain asked. “I don’t want it too crowded.” I knew the implications of us together in public. I was out with my late boyfriend’s brother who was the head of the organization that still blamed me and my family for his . . . passing. I wasn’t jumping at being seen in public with Rain either.

“I have the perfect spot.” I remembered as we headed toward the parking lot. “Where are you parked?” I asked.

“Right here.” Rain gestured over to the motorcycle, and I stared back at him.

“Still a solid absolutely not, especially with sleek roads,” I added.

“Where’s the fun in that?” He chuckled, then inquired about my location, to which I pointed toward my car.

“You’re still driving my car?” He seemed surprised, and for a moment, I forgot that it was actually his car.

“Oh yeah, you can have it back.” I tossed him the keys, and he caught them.

“No, I’m glad to see you still driving her,” he confessed before handing the keys back.

“I figured you had a tracker or something on the car,” I half joked, feeling Rain’s hand against mine.

“Em, I told you I was different from Ash. I don’t need to track you. I know you’re strong enough to take care of yourself,” he reassured me.

His words triggered something within me, a sensation I couldn’t quite label, but it felt like . . . attraction? No, that couldn’t be it. I had always acknowledged Rain’s enigmatic allure, but I had never considered being intimate with him even though my body was telling me a different story. I guessed I could count that one time I accidentally stumbled upon him with a girl while I was still with Ash. His mysterious demeanor had brought me a certain curiosity. What was happening inside of me right now?

I opened the door and jumped in the driver’s side as Rain got in, and I drove us down toward the edge of campus.

Then I pulled up to the familiar diner whose sign was burned out. Since the last time I was here, it had gotten far more run down. Rain glanced at me sideways.

“Just trust me.” I laughed before opening the car door and headed toward the entrance. Rain trailed behind me.

Walking in, I was shocked at how nothing had changed over the past few months. Although, I probably shouldn’t have been, because this place likely hadn’t changed décor in years. It emanated old-school-diner vibes with its large, red booths. I picked the small booth on the opposite side of the restaurant I typically sat in. I wasn’t trying to replace memories of Ash, but I wanted to paint new memories in this life. Rain slid in on the opposite side of me.

“He found this place?” he asked, grabbing the straw, pulling off the paper, then fumbling with the paper between his fingers.

“Yeah,” I managed to squeak out.

“I do the same thing.” I cocked my head in his direction, and he lifted the paper up. “Yeah.”

“Nervous habit.” He chuffed.

“It is.”

“I guess we should talk about what scares us, then?” Rain questioned. I fiddled with the straw, not wanting to make eye contact just as the waitress came over.

“We’ll have two chocolate milkshakes and a burger to split,” I added before the waitress took our order happily.

“Hey. You’re that girl whose boyfriend passed away?” I winced, and Rain went to get up, but the waitress quickly followed up with. “I’m so sorry to hear that about him. You must miss him so much.”

I offered a tight-lipped smile to avoid crying because if I said anything, it would be accompanied by tears. “I do, very much so.”

I was sad, not because she asked about Ash but because she asked about him in a way that was gentle and forgiving. It was nice to feel some sympathy without being blamed for his death.

She walked away before I turned toward Rain and took a deep breath, exactly what I had learned through therapy.

Just as Rain opened his mouth, I interrupted him. “Tell me about him like when you guys were younger.”

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