Page 56 of Yours and Mine (Friends with Benefits)

“What is he doing?” Daisy bumped my arm.

“I don’t know.” I bit my lip, hoping that my friend would stop looking right in my eyes. If she didn’t, I’d spill Carter’s secret before he got down on one knee.

He reached out for Daisy, who pranced to the middle. The music stopped, and everyone’s attention fell on the couple. I saw Daisy notice the diamond center of the buttercream daisy flower that Marge had crafted. She covered her mouth with her hand just as Carter knelt on one knee.

“Daisy Anne Fraser, I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re the breath that fills my lungs and the pulse in my veins that keeps me alive. Will you do me the honor and be my wife? Will you marry me?”

Everyone was quiet. Tears streaked down Daisy’s face, and I wiped the wet corners of my eyes.

“Yes. I’ll marry you!”

The cheers were so loud that they overpowered the rain and thunder outside. Daisy took rounds of congratulations, including mine. She wore the diamond on her finger with pride, showing it off to everyone at the hall. Carter gave me a thumbs-up from across the room by the stage, and instead of returning the gesture, I ran toward him and jumped into his arms, hugging him.

“I’m so happy for you two.”

“Thanks, Jo. I couldn’t have pulled this off without you.”

Something roared in the distance and shivers covered my arms. The sound of an oncoming train filled the barn, somewhat confusing me. It got louder and louder, and by the time I realized we were in danger, full chaos ensued.

“A tornado,” someone screamed. The lights flickered on and off a few times before the power went out. One of the firefighters turned on the fire truck’s headlights.

Everyone was rushing around in confusion, not knowing what to do. Although there was chaos, I didn’t hear as much screaming as I thought. The sound of the approaching wind, howling like a freight train, got louder. Carter swung his leg forward, breaking the plywood covering the bottom of the stage side. “Climb in!”

I got down on all fours and crawled toward the back. I searched for the darkest corner and straddled one of the thicker posts holding up the stage, praying that I wouldn’t get sucked out. I heard Carter call everyone in.

“Daisy!”

One by one, others climbed underneath the stage. As I huddled, I strained my eyes to find someone I recognized. If it weren’t for the few streams of light coming through the boards from the fire truck’s headlights, I wouldn’t have been able to see my hand in front of my face.

“Jo?”

“Molly? Oh, my God! I can’t believe this is happening. Have you seen Daisy?”

“Daisy!” Carter was screaming at the top of his lungs. “We need everyone under the stage, now!”

Holding onto the beam, I desperately searched through my purse for my phone, hoping both Daisy and Carter would soon climb underneath.

“Dad?” I could barely hear him through the static.

“Joelle? Where are you? The weather is really bad.”

“There’s a tornado heading our way. I’m under the stage.”

Something snapped outside, and I was sure it was part of the rooftop. Was Carter still out there? Where was Daisy? The space under the stage seemed pretty full by now and I hoped they were both here.

“Honey, I’m coming!”

“No! You take cover, Dad. Dad?”

The connection broke apart, and then I couldn’t hear anything. The sound was unlike any I’d ever experienced. It was like all the sounds in the world had combined into one. Wind howled and tore through the barn. At one point, I thought I’d gone deaf, as the tornado ripped apart everything in its way. It was just me and the post I’d been holding onto, and I imagined the stage above me ripped off along with everything else. The faint light through the boards from the fire truck vanished, and I silently prayed to not die until I saw Nick once more.

And then it was all quiet.

I’m alive.

Someone was crying further away, and I thanked God I wasn’t the only one to survive.

“You okay?” I asked Molly.

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