Chapter 15 Trapped Together
Rising Water
The storm arrived like a living thing.
By midnight, rain hammered against the house with relentless force. Wind howled through the neighborhood, rattling windows and bending tree branches. Every few minutes, lightning illuminated the dark sky, followed by thunder powerful enough to shake the walls.
Liam had never liked storms.
As a child, he used to hide beneath blankets whenever thunder rolled overhead. Even now, years later, part of him still felt uneasy whenever nature reminded him how small people really were.
Tonight felt worse than usual.
Maybe because the house had already suffered so much damage.
Maybe because his parents were returning soon.
Maybe because everything in his life already felt unstable.
Whatever the reason, sleep proved impossible.
At half past midnight, he finally gave up pretending.
A mug of tea warmed his hands as he sat in the living room listening to rain strike the roof.
The weather forecast hadn't exaggerated.
This storm was brutal.
The wind intensified around one in the morning.
Branches scraped against siding.
Loose debris tumbled somewhere outside.
The entire neighborhood seemed trapped beneath an endless wall of rain.
Liam checked his phone.
Several emergency alerts had arrived.
Flood warnings.
Road closures.
Recommendations to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
He placed the phone down and tried reading.
The attempt lasted less than five minutes.
Another crack of thunder shattered concentration immediately.
Wonderful.
At this point, he wasn't even pretending to be productive anymore.
The next problem appeared around two o'clock.
At first, it sounded insignificant.
A faint dripping noise.
Barely noticeable beneath the storm.
Liam frowned and lowered his book.
The sound came again.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
His stomach tightened immediately.
No.
Absolutely not.
The last thing he needed was another leak.
Setting down the mug, he followed the sound toward the upstairs hallway.
A few seconds later, he found the source.
Water.
A small brown stain had appeared on the ceiling near a light fixture.
And directly beneath it, droplets slowly fell onto the hardwood floor.
For a moment, Liam simply stared.
Disbelief quickly transformed into frustration.
"You've got to be kidding me."
The house apparently shared his talent for bad timing.
He hurried downstairs.
Buckets.
Towels.
Plastic sheets.
The emergency supplies left over from previous repairs were still stored in the laundry room.
Within minutes, he had contained the immediate mess.
Not ideal.
But manageable.
The ceiling stain continued growing.
Slowly.
Steadily.
The sight made his chest tighten.
Because he knew enough about water damage now to understand what that meant.
Something was wrong.
Again.
Outside, thunder rattled the windows.
Liam checked the time.
2:17 AM.
There was nothing he could realistically do until morning.
The realization didn't make him feel better.
An hour later, a second leak appeared.
This one near the guest bedroom.
Smaller.
But equally concerning.
By three-thirty, Liam had buckets positioned throughout the second floor.
The situation was beginning to feel absurd.
He moved through the house carrying towels and supplies while rain continued pounding the roof.
The repairs Mason had completed weren't failing.
Liam knew that.
The leaks were appearing in completely different areas.
Most likely places damaged by years of neglect that the storm was finally exposing.
Understanding the cause didn't solve the problem.
At four o'clock, the power flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then returned.
Liam stared upward.
The house suddenly felt very large.
And very empty.
The realization settled heavily inside his chest.
For weeks, he'd grown accustomed to having someone nearby.
Someone reliable.
Someone calm during emergencies.
Someone who always seemed to know what to do.
Mason.
The thought appeared instantly.
As it always did.
Liam tried pushing it away.
The attempt failed.
Because the truth was painfully simple.
He missed him.
The distance over the past two weeks had hurt more than he'd admitted.
Every shorter conversation.
Every delayed text.
Every careful step backward.
All of it lingered.
And now, standing alone in a house slowly developing new leaks during a severe storm, the absence felt impossible to ignore.
Another loud crack echoed outside.
This time followed by a distinct sound.
A branch.
Something large had fallen nearby.
Liam hurried toward a front window.
Lightning illuminated the street.
A tree limb now blocked part of the driveway.
Fantastic.
The evening somehow continued improving.
He checked his phone again.
No new messages.
No updates.
Just weather alerts and emergency notifications.
The storm showed no signs of slowing.
By dawn, exhaustion had settled deep into his bones.
Yet sleep remained impossible.
The leaks continued.
The rain continued.
The anxiety continued.
Everything continued.
Around seven in the morning, the power finally failed.
Completely.
The house fell silent except for the storm.
No lights.
No internet.
No comforting background sounds.
Only wind and rain.
Liam closed his eyes briefly.
This was becoming too much.
Not because he couldn't manage individual problems.
He could.
The buckets were working.
The leaks were contained.
Nothing catastrophic had happened.
Yet together, everything felt overwhelming.
The storm.
The house.
University.
His parents.
Mason.
The weight of it all pressed down simultaneously.
He made another circuit through the house.
Checking ceilings.
Checking buckets.
Checking windows.
The routine helped slightly.
At least it gave him something to do.
The living room window rattled violently as another gust of wind slammed against the house.
The sight triggered an uncomfortable realization.
If something major happened, he was alone.
Completely alone.
The thought lingered.
Heavy.
Unwelcome.
True.
A fresh drip echoed from upstairs.
Liam sighed and headed toward the staircase.
Halfway up, he stopped.
The realization arrived suddenly.
So obvious he almost laughed.
Why was he doing this alone?
The question seemed ridiculous now.
Because there was one person he trusted more than anyone else.
One person who understood this house.
One person who would know what to do.
Mason.
The name settled heavily inside his chest.
Immediately followed by doubt.
What if he didn't answer?
What if he was busy?
What if the distance meant more than Liam wanted to believe?
The thoughts came quickly.
Then something stronger arrived.
Need.
Simple need.
Because this wasn't about pride anymore.
Or uncertainty.
Or complicated feelings.
This was an emergency.
And Liam was tired.
Tired of pretending he didn't want help.
Tired of pretending he didn't need someone.
Tired of pretending Mason didn't matter.
Thunder rolled across the sky.
The sound seemed to shake the entire house.
Decision made.
Liam reached for his phone.
His pulse quickened as he found Mason's contact information.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Not because he doubted the choice.
Because he knew exactly who he wanted to hear answer.
Then he pressed call.
The phone began ringing.
Outside, rain continued falling.
Inside, water continued dripping.
And standing alone in the middle of a storm-battered house, Liam waited for the person he could no longer pretend he didn't need.
Through the Storm
Mason answered on the second ring.
The moment he heard Liam's voice, every remaining doubt disappeared.
Not because Liam sounded panicked.
Because he sounded tired.
Exhausted.
The kind of exhausted that came from carrying too much for too long.
"Mason?"
The relief in the younger man's voice hit harder than it should have.
"I'm here."
A brief silence followed.
Then Liam exhaled.
The sound alone told Mason everything he needed to know.
"What happened?"
The explanation came quickly.
New leaks.
Power outage.
Storm damage.
Fallen branches.
Nothing catastrophic.
Yet the situation clearly wasn't improving.
As Mason listened, he found himself pacing across his apartment.
The decision formed before Liam even finished speaking.
"I'll be there."
A pause.
"Mason, the roads are—"
"I know."
The younger man hesitated.
The concern was obvious.
"You don't have to."
The statement irritated him immediately.
Not because Liam meant anything wrong.
Because the answer felt so obvious.
"Yeah."
Mason grabbed his truck keys.
"I do."
The silence that followed felt different.
Warmer.
More personal.
Then Liam spoke quietly.
"Be careful."
The simple request settled heavily inside Mason's chest.
"I will."
The call ended.
Within five minutes, he was heading toward the door.
The storm greeted him immediately.
Wind shoved against his jacket.
Rain soaked him before he even reached the truck.
Dark clouds covered the sky in every direction.
Thunder rolled overhead.
The weather forecast had underestimated this one.
Mason climbed behind the wheel and started the engine.
The windshield wipers immediately began fighting a losing battle.
Rain hammered the glass with relentless force.
Visibility was terrible.
Road conditions weren't much better.
Under normal circumstances, he would've stayed home.
Anyone with common sense would've.
Unfortunately, common sense had lost its influence somewhere around the moment Liam called.
The realization should have bothered him.
Instead, it felt strangely simple.
Liam needed help.
That was enough.
The truck pulled onto the road.
Water pooled along curbs and intersections.
Several streets already showed signs of flooding.
Traffic moved slowly.
Carefully.
Everyone seemed aware that a single mistake could become dangerous.
Mason tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
The drive normally took twenty minutes.
Today it felt significantly longer.
Not because of distance.