Page 56 of When the Storm Breaks
She’s staring at me, gaze searing and searching.
Looking for something.
Answers. Explanations.
A reason why I snapped. Why I kissed her like I couldn’t breathe without it.
I give her nothing.
Tearing my eyes away, I stare at the stretch of road ahead, forcing a breath. When I speak, my voice is controlled. Detached.
“I’ll figure out the car situation tomorrow,” I say, gripping the gear shift like it’s the only thing keeping me grounded. “I’ll fix it.”
She nods, the faint rustle of fabric following as her hair brushes against the inside of my coat, still wrapped around her like armor.
Without another word, I press my foot to the gas and pull backinto the road. The streetlights flicker past in broken intervals, their glow stretching across the pavement in shifting streaks—but I barely notice. I steal a glance at her as she leans her head against the window, her profile lit by the soft blur of passing light.
That’s all I can do. Drive forward.
Pretend I can leave the moment behind, even though I know there’s no fucking way I will.
Chapter 19
Calla
An unshakable chill has settled in, sunk deep into my bones. My skin feels too thin, scraped raw—like I’ve been stripped down to something fragile. A dull, familiar ache pulses through my muscles, the first sign of an oncoming cold.
Outside, muted sunlight pushes through the bleak winter sky, slipping past my curtains and sharpening the ache in my skull.
I don’t know the time.
Only that it’s too early.
But my heart won’t let me rest. It hammers—too fast, too loud—like it’s trying to warn me of something before I’m even awake enough to understand what.
A sound. Faint—so faint I almost dismiss it as my groggy mind playing tricks on me.
I shift under the covers, squeeze my eyes shut, will myself back to sleep.
Then I hear it again. A knock.
My pulse trips over itself. I freeze.
It was real. Louder this time.
Another knock—hard enough to rattle the door frame.
A cold wave of dread crashes through me.Is it Tyler? Has he finally had enough?
I barely breathe.
My fingers tremble as I peel back the blankets and slide out of bed, careful to move without making a sound.
Stay calm. Just breathe.
Someone has to hear this. A neighbor. Anyone.
They wouldn’t just ignore it… would they?
