NINE Quincy #3
The woman looks older, and the dog can’t be more than fifteen pounds.
A sob escapes her when they reach dry ground and climb out of the retreating water.
Her shoulders shake, and Sebastian puts a hand on her back.
Murmurs something soft and encouraging in her ear that has her nodding.
That has her squeezing him in a tight hug before pulling away and wiping her eyes.
“Thank you,” she says around a rasp. I finally let out my first breath. “Thank you for saving us.”
“Do you live nearby?” His voice melts to low, commanding. It’s rough and battle-worn. “Can you walk there?”
“Just around the corner. I-I ran out when the winds calmed down to check on my daughter. It’s her first storm with my grandbaby, and I—”
“You should go home. Now.” He hands her the dog and pulls the purse over his head. “Please. It’s going to get ugly out here again with more rain, and you need to be indoors. Don’t leave until you get the all-clear from your local news, okay?”
“Okay.” She nods, face buried in the dog’s fur. “Thank you. You’re an angel.”
She shuffles down the sidewalk, away from the higher water in the middle of the road and in the direction of a nearby high-rise.
I blink, vision nearly blurry. Sebastian stretches out his arm and flexes his hand.
He smiles my way, but I’ve known him long enough to recognize it’s strained at the edges.
Dimmer, frightened. Far from his usual glee.
“Quincy. We’re still on camera,” he says, pressing a finger to his AirPod.
“We are? Shoot. I’m sorry.” I fumble with his phone and pull it out of my pocket, holding it at eye level so he’s back in the shot. “I should’ve stopped recording.”
“It’s okay. Did— Yeah. I’m here. Everything is okay. She’s fine. I’m fine.” Sebastian nods along to whatever’s being said in his ear. “I’m going to find a towel, and I’ll catch up with you after Claudia moves through completely.”
After he finishes with a round of goodbyes and a live, from the eye, it’s Sebastian Dunn sign-off, I hang up. He groans and I move toward him without a second thought. I’m closing the distance between us. I’m fisting his shirt and searching his body for any signs of injury.
I don’t know what I’m looking for. A cut or nick on his arm. A gash on his neck from floating debris. When I find him safe from any marks, a gasp rattles out of me. I’m coming up for air for the first time in days.
“You’re okay,” I whisper, throat scratchy. Words are hard to find. “Holy shit, Sebastian.” I give his chest a gentle shove. He wraps his fingers around my wrists, keeping my hands there. I don’t protest. “What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t. She’s someone’s mom. Someone’s grandma. I couldn’t just … What if that happened to someone I loved?” He’s trembling when he exhales, long eyelashes fluttering closed. “I’m not a monster.”
A pain in my ass? Yes.
The bane of my existence? Always.
Something harsher than that? Never.
Sebastian Dunn is the furthest thing from a monster, and my heart aches because of it.
I’ve spent years thinking he was selfish. A self-righteous prick who would save himself first and not bat an eye if anyone got hurt along the way, but I’ve been so fucking wrong.
Our gazes meet.
The air is electric, and it’s not from the storm. Sebastian stares and stares and stares, unblinking, until he shakes his head. Until he flicks off the clump of mud stuck on the curve of his jaw and tosses me a smile.
“I have a first aid kit in my bag,” I finally whisper.
“Of course you do,” he says back.
“In case you need medical attention.”
“The only thing I need is to see you in those ski goggles. I think I’ve earned it, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” I lick my lips. “I guess you have.”
“Good.” He steps closer. “Are you ready for round two?”
No, a voice inside my head whispers.
I don’t think I’m ready for anything.
THE RAINY DAY SHOW brOADCAST
Sebastian:Look at all the people tuning in to the show. Forty thousand? You’re famous.
Quincy:I’m not famous.
Sebastian:Guess they must be here for me. The audience loves me. Hello, America.
Quincy:For everyone who missed my live stream a couple weeks ago where I chased a tornado and didn’t get a chance to be subjected to this guy’s delightfully obnoxious personality, this is Sebastian Dunn.
Sebastian:Did you hear that, world? She called me delightful.
Quincy:Your selective hearing is impressive.
Sebastian:Don’t forget my big ego. Someone in the comments is talking about the way I look at you. It’s like I’m a lost puppy. Woof.
Quincy:Guess we need to take you to the pound. Can we get back to Claudia coverage?
Sebastian:Sure, but only after we tell everyone about the time you used a box of pancake mix to measure precipitation levels.
@JaxBeachNative: I love seeing Sebastian Dunn on my screen.
@ThirtyFlirtyNotThriving: Okay, but he does look at her like a puppy. It’s so cute. Gonna throw up.
@SurfsUpFL: Impacts we should feel in Tampa from this storm later today?
@TheRainyDayShow: Hi, @SurfsUpFL. Outer bands bringing rain. Chance of localized flooding and the occasional gust. Be safe!
@Anon85: I don’t know who I’m crushing on more—her or him.