Page 114 of When the Storm Breaks

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He tenses. Every muscle in his body goes rigid.

I quickly reach to lower the heat, but before I can, the scrape of wood cuts through the room like a scream.

I turn just in time to see him shove the stool back, standing so abruptly it knocks against the wall.

I freeze.

His jaw tightens. His throat works a swallow.

His eyes are hard. Unreadable. And avoiding me. They’re fixated on the stove. Narrowed. He’s somewhere else entirely.

“Haiyden?” My voice softens. Cautious. “What’s wrong?”

No answer.

He moves toward the stove, his steps clipped—controlled in a way that feels unnatural for him.

He reaches past me and shuts off the burner with a quick flick of his wrist.

“Stop.” His voice is rough. Barely a whisper. “Please.”

I step closer, my fingers curling into the fabric of my sleeves. “Haiyden, talk to me.”

But it’s too late. I recognize the look in his eyes now. The wall’s already up.

His expression has gone completely blank—the same way it did that first night at the bar, when I touched his tattoo. When I told him I was looking for answers. When I got too close to something he wasn’t ready to touch.

I don’t know what’s happening, but I know this much:

He’s gone.

His movements turn harsh now—unthinking.

He grabs his keys from the counter and strides to the front door without looking back.

“Get in the car,” he says, voice tight. Almost pained.

I blink, caught off guard. “What?”

“Car,” he repeats, quieter now, but no less commanding.

Fear flares at the edges of my chest. Not ofhim—but of this. Of whatever’s unraveling in him. Of whatever he won’t say. Of whatever I’m not allowed to see.

“Haiyden…” I try again, my voice breaking slightly. “Please, just sit down.”

His jaw clenches.

“Please, Calla.”

His voice is different now. Cold. Distant. A sharp contrast to the warmth he’s given me these past few days.

I swallow hard, everything inside me screaming to push back—to demand answers.

But before I can, he’s already reaching for the door. Already guiding me out.

And I let him.

Even though I don’t understand.

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