Page 4 of Whirlwind

I pick at the fabric of my jeans. “I want to do well and prove I can be a good asset. If the rocket launch is successful, Ry—Professor West should be able to expand his team and get more funding from the school for future research. I could maybe even get a permanent spot after I graduate with my master’s next school year.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Just tell me you’re being smart and safe.”

“Ew, Jake. What the hell?”

He barks a laugh then gags through the phone. “Gross, Fin. I didn’t mean it like that.”

I screw up my nose. “Then how did you mean it?”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble with your school if there is something going on between you two.”

My skin flames at my awkward misunderstanding, and I start to sweat. Crap, now Jake is definitely thinking that something untoward is going on with me and Ryker—and that’s definitely my fault.

I sit straighter on the bench and shift my shoulders back. “Nothing is going on. Professor West is just that: my professor.”

“That sounded like you were trying to convince yourself.”

I groan, tilting my head toward the sky. I hate that my cousin can see right through me, even over the phone. Because while Ryker and I have only flirted, I can’t deny there’s an attraction there, one that I know we can’t act on. Because not only is he my professor, he’s also seventeen years older than meanda man I hope to work with one day beyond this weekend’s chase. That means we must remain professional.

Nothing can happen.

“Jake, please, let it go. Nothing is going on,” I reiterate.

He blows out a breath through his lips. “Fine, if you say so.” He pauses. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t wantRykerto jeopardize anything for you. You’ve worked too hard to get where you are.”

The way he says “Ryker” makes me smirk—like a dad who wants to threaten a boyfriend with a shotgun. “Professor West won’t do anything to jeopardize my future; he’s a professional.”

“He’s also a man.”

“You can’t see it, but I’m rolling my eyes at you.”

I get Jake’s concern for my future. But even if Ryker and I were to cross a line, my professor isn’t the kind of person who, if things went south between us, would bad-mouth me to prevent me from getting a job after I graduate. And besides, the worst thing I think could happen is he’d lose his job, and we’d be hot gossip in Midland Springs for a while. Or I’d have to find another college to go to, since Ryker is the only professor who teaches the classes I need to graduate with my Master’s in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

Then there’s the hope I have of us working together in the future. Something happening between us now—then later going south—could make things awkward or prevent that from ever happening.

I rub my forehead as if it will help me clear out my spiraling thoughts. I shouldn’t even be thinking of this, anyway—because nothing can or is going to happen between me and my professor. We’re justfriends.

“Please say you’ll be careful, for my sake?” Jake’s voice breaks through the silence. “I need to hear you say it.”

I groan. “Fine, I’ll be careful.”

“With the storms, too?”

I cackle. “With everything. I’ll be the picture of careful. I’ll even wear a helmet.”

Jake snorts. “Please send me a picture of that.”

“Not a chance.”

We chat for another few minutes so I can catch him up on my boring life. Which until now has mostly consisted of studying, lab hours, writing papers, and the occasional solo storm chase to take some photos to sell on my website—a hobby of mine thatstarted when I found some of my late mom’s old storm photos in the attic as a teen.

A warm wind blows strands of hair in my face, and I stand to look at my surroundings. When I survey the sky to the east, I see dark clouds in the distance, and a feeling that’s been in the pit of my stomach since I last looked at the radar grows.

My intuition is telling me to chase it. That this is going to be a storm that I’ll want to capture with my camera. I’ll have plenty of time to pack for Oklahoma when I get home, or I’ll sacrifice sleep to do it.

“You disappear again?” Jake asks.

“Sorry, there’s a storm,” I say quickly. “My eyeballs got distracted by the wall cloud.”

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