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Hannah continues her questions. “Are you okay? What’s going on? Why did you leave work to go to the lake?”
I sigh, running a hand through my wet hair. “I don’t know, Hannah. Everything’s just... a mess. My mom, work, everything. I just needed some space. I didn’t know there was a tornado heading toward town.”
“I get it. But you can’t just disappear like that. We were all scared something happened to you.”
“Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone would notice.”
“With the tornado, maybe I’m just freaked out. Charlie and I are here in our apartment, just waiting for it to pass. You can head here if you want.”
“No, I should get to my mom. I need to make sure she’s safe.”
“Be careful, Violet. And let us know when you’re safe. Don’t disappear again.”
“I’ll let you know once I’m back there and have got my mom and me in a safe room.”
Panicked, I leave the hazard lights on my vehicle and start inching my way down the street. I can’t be moving more than twenty miles an hour, and it feels like I’m never going to get there at this speed.
I glance at my phone after a moment, wondering if I should call my mom, but I feel like I need both hands and eyes on the road right now. I watch as the wind rips a branch off a tree on the right side of the road and throws it across the opposite lane.
Fear hits me as I hunch forward, trying to see through the rain. I just need to get home. I need to get to my mother and make sure she’s okay.
As I turn onto our street, the wind gusts so strongly that it pushes my car into the opposite lane. I push forward, determined to get to my mom and make sure she’s okay. The sky is dark, and the rain is coming down harder now, but I’m almost there.
Finally, I reach our house. I fumble with my keys, my hands shaking from the adrenaline coursing through me. I manage to get the door open and step inside, and the sound of the storm is instantly pushed out, just a little.
“Mom?” I call out, shutting the door behind me and locking it. “Mom, are you here?”
CHAPTER 27
JAY
As I drive back towards The Rusty Oak, I jerk the wheel to avoid a tree branch that skitters onto the road.
I’m not a scared driver, but my heart starts pounding even more quickly. Automatically, I depress the brake and pull to a halt. I need to evaluate the situation.
The Rusty Oak is only a few miles away, but the road feels like it stretches on forever. I glance at the clock on the dashboard, realizing that the storm is hitting much sooner than expected.
Should I call Violet again?
I shake my head. I don’t think it will do any good right now. I just need to get back to The Rusty Oak so I can be a happy face for customers. Then, I don’t have to worry about what the storm will do because I have faith in my building.
I slowly press my foot on the gas again, but I’m still only going maybe thirty miles an hour.
Suddenly, a massive gust of wind slams into the side of my car, forcing me to swerve to keep control. I curse under my breath, realizing that I’m not going to make it back to the bar in this weather. I need to find shelter, and fast.
Hannah’s apartment building is nearby. It’s only half a mile away, and I know she’s there. She texted me to tell me she made it.
It’s not what I want to do, but it’s what I have to do to stay safe.
The streets are nearly deserted, everyone else hunkering down for the storm. It takes me five minutes to go the half mile I need to reach Hannah’s apartment building. I breathe a sigh of relief. I park my car and run through the pouring rain to the entrance, my clothes soaked even more thoroughly than they were before by the time I reach the door.
I buzz her apartment, and after a few moments, her voice crackles through the intercom. “Hello?”
“It’s Jay. Let me in.”
Hannah doesn’t need any more explanation than that. “Of course. Come on up.”
The door buzzes open, and I hurry inside, grateful for the shelter. I take the stairs two at a time. When I reach her floor, she’s already standing in the doorway, her expression concerned.
