34. Tori
34
TORI
We called off the study group on Thursday night because a big storm was moving in. Plus, although we didn’t tell this to Roger and Amanda, the four of us could study back at the house just as well as we could at the library. Hell, we might even get into less trouble back there.
Jayden and I both had classes that ended early, so he gave me a ride. Normally, we met at a bench under a lovely oak tree by his parking lot, but it was already drizzling, and the wind had picked up big time. So when I got there, he was already in his car, and he pulled up as soon as he spotted me.
“And how are you doing this lovely evening?” Jayden grinned as I slid into the passenger seat.
I laughed. “It really is almost as dark as night,” I said, glancing at the sky. “Even though it’s barely past three.”
“I’m fine. But no pictures today? No making me hunt for you around campus?” I added, giving him a pointed look.
He raised his eyebrows like I’d offended him. “Aw, but that’s half the fun.”
He did that sometimes—he’d send me a selfie of himself in front of some little-known building, and I had to figure out where it was and meet him there. It was kind of fun, usually.
“You know I love to explore,” he continued, pulling the car onto the main road, “but today’s probably a good day to head straight home.”
“I agree.” I leaned back against the seat, letting myself relax for the first time all day. “I was really looking forward to the drive home. And to spending some time with you.”
Jayden glanced over at me, his expression softening. “Same.”
But despite the comfort of being with him, I couldn’t shake the gnawing worry in the back of my mind. “I’m a little nervous about Kyle and Lucas, though. The weather looks like it’s going to get really bad. Lucas has a class that doesn’t even start until four, and I don’t know where Kyle is.”
Jayden nodded grimly. “They’ll be fine. But yeah, this is no joke.”
We’d barely driven outside of town when the rain started to come down in sheets. Jayden clicked his wipers to the highest speed and turned on the high beams.
“So I have to focus on driving through this hurricane,” he said, gripping the wheel tighter, “but you can talk to me. It’s been a while since we caught up.”
“It really has.” I watched the water stream down the windshield. “We’ve all been so busy. Classes. Assignments. I went on that road trip with Lucas. Then I had that date with Kyle. I just… I missed you.”
Jayden smiled, glancing sideways. “I missed you too.”
“How about when we get home, we go lay out on the hammock?” I offered, only half-joking.
He let out a sharp laugh. “Only if we want to end up in Oz.”
His smile faded as he squinted through the downpour. “God, I can barely see.”
Visibility was horrible. I didn’t know how he stayed on the road. I didn’t even know how the storm had come up so fast—or how he managed to keep driving through it.
“They’re probably canceling more classes as we speak.” His voice was tight with concentration. “Can you text Lucas and Kyle? Let them know they should stay where they are.”
“Good idea.” I unlocked my phone and typed quickly, thumbs flying over the screen. I sent a message to each of them—separately, of course. With the way those two didn’t get along, a group chat was basically a fantasy, even though that would’ve been the normal thing to do for four people sharing a house.
When I turned off my phone, it was like being plunged into total darkness. The headlights only lit up a narrow tunnel ahead of us, everything else swallowed by the storm. It really did feel like the middle of the night.
I gripped the armrest tightly, like that could somehow protect me.
Jayden sat forward, steady at the wheel. He looked calm, but his hands were wrapped tight around it—too tight. His knuckles were pale, and every so often his jaw clenched.
By the time we passed the little coffee shop about a mile from the house, we were one edge. The drive from the university had already taken over twice as long as usual.
Jayden jerked his head toward the window.
“Look,” he muttered.
I followed his gaze and blinked through the rain-streaked glass. The coffee shop was dark. So was the gas station across the street.
“No lights,” I murmured.
“Power’s gone out,” he said grimly.
“I’d say we’re heading back to a very dark house.”
“Yeah,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. “But let’s just get there safely, and then we’ll worry about that.”
The last mile was the worst. The narrow road twisted and climbed up the hill toward the house, and the wind had knocked down more than a few branches. None of them were big enough to block the road completely, but Jayden had to swerve around more than one. My heart climbed higher into my throat with every turn.
I barely breathed the entire time.
It was so damn dark that I didn’t even realize we’d made it home until the headlights flashed across the porch. I let out a huge sigh of relief as Jayden pulled into the driveway, cut the engine, and turned off the lights.
We sat there for a minute in the sudden stillness, the storm still howling around us. Thunder cracked in the distance, and lightning lit up the mountains to the right.
“We’re going to get soaked getting in there.” Jayden glanced toward the front steps, eyes narrowing at the downpour.
“Yeah, I know.”
“To tell you the truth, I’m not in any hurry.”
I let out a laugh and leaned back against the seat. “Me either.”
He shifted, resting his hand on the steering wheel. “So now that I’m not driving… let’s talk.”
“About?”
“I don’t know,” he said, shrugging. “How are you doing? It’s been a busy week.”
“Yeah,” I admitted, “it has.”
He turned toward me more fully, giving me his attention. “What’s going on with your classes?”
I groaned softly. “Nothing much. Just a lot of papers to write. And baseball players to tutor. The usual.”
Jayden chuckled. “I’m sure that’s extra work for you, but it seems like it’s going well. When you and Lucas were gone last weekend, and I helped him, he was really trying. I was kind of surprised.”
“In a good way?”
“In a good way,” he confirmed.
I shifted in my seat to face him more directly. The interior of the car felt warm, enclosed, like it had been carved out of the storm. “I kind of feel like we haven’t had a lot of time to talk this week. You and me.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said quietly. “But you’ve had a lot on your plate.”
“I know.” I hesitated, looking down at my hands. “But I still feel bad.”
Without hesitation, he reached for my hand. His fingers curled around mine—solid and reassuring. “You don’t have to. Not with me. Not ever.”
I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but I liked the comforting way he said it. I squeezed his fingers, lacing mine between his.
“I figure you have to deal with enough crap from Lucas and Kyle,” he went on. His thumb brushed lightly over the back of my hand. “So you don’t need to worry about me feeling jealous or resentful or anything like that. I would never do that, Tori.”
“I know.” My voice was soft, and I gave him a small smile. “That didn’t quite come out right. I’m grateful. I’m glad I can be myself around you.”
“You can.” His gaze didn’t waver. “And I’m not going to be resentful that you’re on a date with one of the others or anything like that. Not unless you, like, kick me in the balls and then head out with one of them.”
I giggled, unable to help it. “You have my permission to be resentful if that happens. But seriously, I appreciate it. I don’t entirely understand what’s going on between all of us, but… I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about you judging me.”
“You definitely don’t.” He gave a half-smile, running his free hand through his damp hair. “I’m not judging Kyle and Lucas, either. Even when they’re both behaving like immature idiots.”
“But yeah, you’re definitely not judging them.” I grinned, tilting my head at him.
“Exactly.”
There was a pause. The rain continued to drum steadily on the roof of the car.
“Do you think maybe sometime you and I could go on a date?” My voice was quieter now.
“I’d love that.” His answer came without hesitation. “Give me some time to think of something good. And we should probably wait until after the apocalypse.”
“Yeah, good call.”
Before either of us could say anything else, my phone buzzed with a notification. I was going to ignore it, but then Jayden’s screen lit up too. We both looked down at the same time.
“A tornado watch,” I said in disbelief, staring at the alert. “It’s September.”
Jayden shook his head, eyebrows raised. “Yeah, that’s not normal.”
This area of Georgia sometimes got tornadoes, sure—but not as much as in other parts of the state. And definitely not this time of year.
“So we better get inside.” He twisted around in his seat, craning his neck to check the back. “I’ve got an umbrella back there, but by the time we get it open, it’ll already be turned inside out, and we’ll be soaked, anyway.” He glanced at me with a wry grin. “Guess we’ll just have to run for it.”
The prospect should’ve been daunting, but somehow, it wasn’t. Not with Jayden. I was just enjoying being with him—even if it did feel like the world was crashing down around us.
“So, does that mean you’re not going to come over here and open my door for me like a gentleman?”
“No,” he replied without missing a beat. “My plan is to run like a coward as fast as I can.”
I laughed. “Good plan.” I grabbed my bag. “On three.”
He counted down, and we both flung open our doors—wind whipping into the car the second we did. The rain hit like a wall. My hair was instantly plastered to my head, and the wind shoved me sideways before I even got to my feet.
I struggled forward, the gusts pushing me back against the hood of the car. My book bag felt heavier by the second, already soaked. I should’ve left it, but it was too late now.
Jayden reached the porch first, keys already in his hand. He got the door unlocked just as I made it up the steps. But when he opened it, the wind caught it hard.
It slammed wide with a violent crack—and crashed into him.
“Jayden!” I cried, just as he stumbled back. His shoes slid on the wet porch, and then he skidded right off the edge into the bushes and mulch below.
I scrambled after him, heart pounding, afraid he’d hit his head.
But he was already sitting up, brushing his hands off and looking dazed. “Get inside,” he told me.
I didn’t move. I offered him my hand, my heart still pounding erratically in my chest.
He took my hand, his grip strong, and used his other hand to push himself up. When he finally stood, he was soaked and covered in mulch, mud, and bits of leaves.
But all that mattered was getting inside.
We made it through the door, shoving it closed behind us with effort. When it finally latched, I leaned back against the wall, trying to catch my breath.
The storm howled outside, muffled now, locked out behind thick walls.
“Are you okay?” I asked, turning toward him.
“Yeah, I think so. So.” He looked down at himself and let out a breath.
“Did you hit your head?” I took a step closer, eyes scanning for anything more serious.
“I’m fine, Tori. You’re soaked to the bone, and I’m soaked to the bone and covered in mulch and mud. It’s not that different.”
A laugh bubbled up in my throat. I started to let it out, then bit it back with a smirk. “You look like a Wookiee.”
He shrugged, the corners of his mouth pulling into a crooked grin. “It happens. We should get downstairs.”
“Yeah. You need to get cleaned off.”
“Not that—well, not just that. But also the tornado watch.”
“I’ve never heard of one this time of year.” I grabbed a towel from the hall closet and handed it to him.
“Me either. But look how fast that storm rose.” He ran the towel over his face. “I don’t particularly trust it. I feel better downstairs—with both of us downstairs, I mean.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Let me wring out my book bag and change, and I’ll meet you down there.”
I’d stayed in Lucas’s room last night, so I went in there and located my warm sweatshirt. I flipped the light switch without thinking and then shook my head when nothing happened.
Right. The power was out.
Good thing there was a window—though the storm didn’t let much light through. I changed into dry clothes, grabbed a couple bottles of water from the dark fridge, and headed downstairs with the flashlight on my phone lit.
Jayden was in the makeshift bedroom. His shirt was off, and there were twigs and leaves in his hair. Poor guy.
Now was not the time to appreciate how he looked with his shirt off… even though I otherwise definitely would have.
“Do you know if there are any flashlights? Real ones? Or candles?” I asked, glancing toward the dark side of the basement.
He gestured vaguely toward the cluttered corner. “Probably something in that pile, if we look long enough.”
He raked a hand through his hair, dislodging a few soggy leaves onto the floor.
“I’d love a shower,” he muttered, “but it’s pitch black in there.”
“But you’ve got the light from your phone—and you could take mine, too.” I crossed the room, handing it over. “You look kind of cold. And disheveled. Not sure I’ve ever used that word to describe someone before, but it kind of fits.”
He laughed, taking the phone. “I have to admit, a warm shower sounds pretty good at the moment.”
“But the power’s out,” I reminded him gently.
“The water heater is gas, not electric,” he explained. “So yeah, if you don’t mind, I’m going to take your nice offer of using your phone. I mean, I know where all the important parts are, but it would be nice to be able to see a little.”
“Sure.” I handed it over fully, letting the light transfer into his palm.
“That’s going to make it pretty dark down here for you.”
“I’m fine,” I said, waving it off. “It’s a little lighter in the living room. I’ll go there.”
He hesitated, frowning slightly.
“It’s just a tornado watch, not even a warning. I’ll be fine,” I told him.
“All right.” He gave me one last look. “But if it gets worse, come back down here, okay?”
“Sure. Enjoy your shower.”
“Thanks.”