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“I went to the lake. I just needed some time by myself. I needed to think.”
“In the middle of a storm?”
“I missed the news flash about the tornado. I don’t know how, but anyway, we’re here. And we’re safe now.”
Something thumps against the side of the house, and we both jump.
My mother reaches across the hall and pats my knee. “We’re here together, and we’re safe. That’s all that matters. But I do have to say that Jay is a handsome young man. I’m sure you’ve noticed that, though.”
I’m grateful for the darkness, so my mom can’t see me blushing. “He’s not bad looking.”
I search for something else to talk about, so we can pass the time and not think about how strong the storm is hitting outside.
“You know how Dad was during these things,” I say, and my mother instantly gets a foggy smile on her face.
“He would have been prepared two days early. Sometimes he prepared, and the tornado changed course. We barely got a little rain. But he was always prepared. And look at me, sleeping on the couch right next to the picture window. If it weren’t for you…”
But I don’t want to think about what could have happened. “Well, I’m here now. We’re both as safe as we can be, and the storm is going?—”
Another loud thump interrupts my words, and my stomach sinks. This house is taking a battering, and I’m worried it won’t hold up. It’s old, and I don’t know how well it’s been kept up.
After talking for a while, we sit in silence, listening to the storm rage outside. The wind howls, and the rain lashes against the house, but we’re safe inside. I try to push away the thoughts of Jay, but I can’t.
Mom talks to me about other storms, and I tell her a little bit about working at The Rusty Oak—avoiding the topic of Jay as much as possible.
After a while I start to feel sleepy and complacent, and I nod off as we sit in the hallway.
A startling sound wakes me up, and I leap to my feet before I’m fully awake.
“Mom? What was that?” I ask, blinking the sleep out of my eyes.
Before my mom can answer, I hear the steady sound of rain pouring down. The pinging of it sounds different than before. Closer.
I unsteadily step forward and open the door to my bedroom. My mouth gapes open as I see what’s before me. Part of the roof has been torn away, and there’s a gaping hole. Rain is pouring through it, flooding my childhood bedroom.
“Vi! What’s going on?”
I tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me to look over my shoulder where my mom is struggling to her feet. It’s difficult to do from her position on the ground with her cast, no less.
“Stay there,” I tell her. I look back at the ruined room. Part of me wants to run inside and start salvaging as much as I can. But the other part of me knows that the storm isn’t over yet.
We need to stay put and hope that the rest of the house will hold up better than that part did.
CHAPTER 29
JAY
Once the storm has passed, I feel like I haven’t been outside in years. Hannah’s apartment is cramped, and we were sitting on the floor in the half-darkness playing card games for too long.
My legs ache.
There is still a light drizzle falling, but it’s clear that the main strength of the storm has passed. As I drive to The Rusty Oak to check on it, I am surprised by the state of the road. Debris, mostly from trees, covers the road, but I see a few bigger pieces of trash too. I have to go slowly, swerving around the mess as I drive.
Finally, I arrive at my bar and still see a few cars parked out front. I evaluate the building carefully, but it’s completely untouched. The Rusty Oak could handle its own against any storm.
Feeling full of pride for my little place, I stride toward the front door. But before I reach it, my phone rings.
I grab my phone out of my pocket, determined to send whoever it is to voicemail. But then, I see Violet’s name on the screen.
