Page 60 of When the Storm Breaks
The reply doesn’t come right away. A minute stretches. Then another.
I shift on my feet, already reaching for humor to soften the silence.
Me: Something stupid?
Me: Sparing me the embarrassment of telling me I could’ve fixed it myself?
Haiyden: Battery was dead.
Me: ?
Haiyden: Not sure. Seemed fine once I got it running.
I frown, my brows pulling together.
Me: Weird.
Haiyden: Yeah.
I chew the inside of my cheek. It’s an old car—maybe that’s all it is. Maybe I left a light on. Maybe the cold drained the battery faster than usual.
But something about it doesn’t sit right. If it were that simple, why does it still feel off?
Before the thought can fully take root, though, my phone vibrates in my hand.
Haiyden: You know you can still come by in the mornings.
Chapter 20
Calla
I take a deep breath, standing outside Driftwood with two coffees and a pastry in hand. They feel heavier than they should. Maybe it’s just nerves.
The morning air is freezing. A thin layer of snow coats the sidewalk, already packed down where early risers have already passed through. The air smells like salt and damp wood, the remnants of last night’s frost melting into the pavement.
It’s quiet at this hour. The town is still caught in that in-between haze of night and day. I used to find a strange comfort in it—the empty sidewalks, the stillness. It made it easier to think.
Today, the quiet feels different.
Maybe because I’m here for him. Not Chase. Not a distraction.
For Haiyden.
The thought settles uncomfortably in my chest as I shift the cups and bag into one hand. I knock firmly enough to be heard over the music playing inside.
I wait, shifting my weight from foot to foot, trying to fight thecold.
Nothing.
The music is louder than usual, swelling against the door, the bass thrumming beneath my fingers as I knock again, harder this time.
I glance around the empty street. And still, nothing.
I run my thumb along the edge of one coffee cup, staring at the closed door. Maybe it’s a sign. Maybe I should just leave. He clearly didn’t plan for company this morning.
But then I think about everything he’s done for me. The way he dropped everything to help me.
Twice.
