Page 119 of When the Storm Breaks

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Garlic and rosemary flood my senses. The sharp scrape of a knife against a cutting board. The way she’d hum while cooking. The shove when I made fun of her plating techniques. How she could chop an onion without blinking.

It slams into me all at once—

A tsunami crashing over me.

And for a second, I swear I’m losing it.

The way she existed so effortlessly. So loudly. So unapologetically. And then she was just… gone.

I drag in a breath, but it catches. My chest is too tight—like something inside me is collapsing. Like the levee is finally breaking.

I don’t realize my hands are shaking until I shove them into my jacket pockets.

“She—”

My voice breaks. I stop, grit my teeth, and swallow hard.

But it doesn’t help.

My shoulders shudder. My throat locks up. My eyes sting, and before I can stop it, a tear slips down, hot against my cheek.

I jerk a hand up to my face, like I can erase the evidence.

But Calla sees.

I know she sees.

The night she went missing is clearer than ever. The scent of pine. The cool summer air. The excitement. The joke she made about needing a break from it all.

“She was so focused on opening that fucking restaurant.”

My voice shakes—almost a growl now.

“She didn’t know how to… how to live outside of that.”

Anger. Pain. Guilt.

They all hit at once, clawing at me. And I don’t fight them.

A few more tears slip free, and this time, I let them.

I wait for Calla to say something. But she doesn’t. No pity. No useless reassurances. Just quiet. She just stands beside me, letting the quiet breathe.

“What was she like?” Soft. Careful.

I exhale shakily, pressing the heels of my hands into my forehead.

My first instinct is to shut it down. But I need to remember her.

“She always smelled like garlic.”

The words fall out, and I don’t stop them.

“She had this stupid playlist she used to put on when she cooked. Some mix of punk and jazz that didn’t even make sense.”

I huff a breath, almost laughing. But it’s frayed at the edges.

“She always told me I was a terrible twin because I never let her cut my hair.”

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