Chapter 31 Past
Molly really wanted me to call out, but I’d made a commitment—and I didn’t have it in me to lie. Well… not about this.
She teased me the whole drive, and as she dropped me off at the soda shop, she grinned and said,
“You jumped off a bridge. You almost had sex. Playing hooky is the next step to making you a total bad—”
I cut her off by slamming the car door shut followed by a big sarcastic smile.
She flashed me her favorite finger with a grin and sped off.
I made a mental note to compliment her on that bold red nail polish—it suites that fiery personality of hers.
I laughed to myself as I walked inside.
The shift was like most—it was steady but not as busy as it would be tomorrow night. In between lulls, I organized the backroom, cleaned the restrooms, and made sure the flavored syrups were topped off.
The night was winding down, and Taylor told me I could head home early. He didn’t extend the offer to Jane—which made sense, considering I’d caught them getting cozy in the stockroom. I guess everyone was finding love this summer.
I used the shop’s phone to call Molly’s house—she wasn’t there. Probably still off with Chad.
I figured I’d start walking toward her place; if she was on her way to pick me up, she’d spot me along the road.
It was still warm out, but the temperature had just started to dip—the way it always does right before a storm. In the distance, a low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.
My uniform was really starting to get on my nerves—and the smell of ice cream clinging to it wasn’t helping. Luckily, I’d learned to wear a pair of shorts and a tank top underneath, just so I could peel it off the second I clocked out.
I undid each yellow button as I walked down Bay Street. The thunder was getting closer, and my slow pace quickened when I heard the rain moving in.
Within minutes, it was a full-blown downpour.
I stopped running—there was no point. I was already drenched—my dress was a poor excuse for an umbrella.
I felt hopeful when I spotted headlights coming toward me through the sheets of rain. Please let it be Molly, I thought. I could seriously use a rescue right about now.
The car slowed to a stop across the street. I’d been thinking of Molly—but the person running toward me, jacket pulled over his head, was a pretty fine substitute.
I could barely hear him over the sound of the rain.
“Didn’t you get enough swimming in for one day, Honeysuckle?” he called out with a grin.
I let out a huffed sigh, eyes rolling like the thunder overhead.
He did his best to shield me with his jacket as he ran me to the passenger side.
Even soaked to the bone, he was still a gentleman—he opened my door without hesitation.
The water dripping from my hair blurred my view but not enough to keep me from watching him cross to the driver’s side.
And in that moment, soaked and breathless, I couldn’t help but think—
he really was my own personal hero.
And he was rescuing me from more than just this summer storm.