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Main Street was eerily dark with no signs of life. It was a complete one-eighty from just yesterday when the street was booming with people enjoying their summer. Nolan continued to drive into the darkness, noting all the lights were off. The power must’ve gone out. He hoped that the power was still holding strong at his place. Isla had been scared, which is why she made the trek across their yards to his place. He’d left her alone, and guilt tugged at his gut.
He knew she would be okay, but he still wished he was there to comfort her. “Just hold out until I get back,” he said out loud, hoping the universe would hear his request and grant it.
He turned toward Grove, but a massive tree filled the road, making it impossible to pass. “Shit.” He threw the truck in reverse. He was going to have to come up on the other side.
Heading back to Main Street, he checked his rearview mirror and watched as a fence lost its battle with the wind and splintered.
With his attention back on the road in front of him, he made his way to the opposite end of Grove, and turned down the street. He couldn’t see more than a foot in front of him, so he leaned closer to the windshield and squinted as he pushed through the sheets of rain pouring down in a steady stream.
The closer he got to his destination, the more water filled the street. This area was on higher ground, so Nolan knew if it was flooded here, the bay was at Milo’s front door.
His eye caught on a figure, and he sighed a breath of relief when he could make out Milo’s dopey-ass grin. Only he’d be smiling in a time like this.
Nolan shook his head and moved closer to Milo when a loud crack echoed through the night, and Milo disappeared.
***
Isla paced Nolan’s kitchen, cellphone in hand, hoping for a text or some indication that he had found Milo and they were both okay. Her heart rate had been running a marathon since Nolan had walked out the door and into the storm.
The lights flickered for the nine hundredth time and Isla prayed they wouldn’t go out until Nolan was back. She wasn’t exactly a fan of the dark, not that she was sure many people were. Creepy things happened in the dark, and it was the perfect setting for a slasher movie. She didn’t want to take part in any slasher movies tonight, thank you very much. She just wanted to keep it together long enough for Nolan to walk through that door and say he was okay.
Her phone rang, and she fumbled with it, answering it without even looking. “Nolan?”
“I’m guessing you haven’t heard from them either,” Harper said.
“No. Not a word.”
“The last I talked to Milo, he was getting on the raft and heading out. That was an hour ago. I swear I’m going to kill the bastard as soon as I see him. I told him not to stay at the damn house, but no he had to be all, ‘How bad can it be? It’ll be fine. Go to your mom’s and have fun.’ Idiot. Now I’m trying not to freak out because I don’t want to scare Tom, but Isla, I’m freaking the fuck out.”
“Me too,” she said, not even bothering to act like she was okay.
“I guess no news is good news.”
“Except there’s a hurricane out there so news might be traveling slow and be on delay.”
“Isla!”
“Sorry.” She couldn’t help herself. Her mind had come up with a million scenarios, and each one was worse than the last.
“I’m half tempted to get in my Jeep and go look for him myself, but I can’t leave my mom and Tom.”
“They’ll be okay,” she said, trying to convince herself as well. “It’s Nolan and Milo. How many situations have they gotten themselves into over the years? They always come out on top. Look at Milo. He was hit by a drunk driver, held up at gunpoint. He’s like a cat.”
“He is the luckiest bastard I’ve ever met, but what if his luck runs out? What if tonight luck isn’t on his side?”
Isla could come up with a million theories to support Harper’s train of thought, but her friend didn’t need the voice of doom. She needed her friend who could give her hope.
“He’s too good of a person for it not to be. Both of them are. I’m sure my grandma is watching over them, and she’ll make sure they get home. Just as Milo promised her, he’d watch out for me, she’ll return the favor and watch out for him, too.”
“I think you’re right. They’ll be okay. But I swear if they’re not back in another hour…”
“You’re going to do nothing but sit by the phone and wait,” Isla said.
“Probably, though it’s tempting to go out there. I feel helpless being home.”
“Tom needs you. Go play a game with him, take your mind off of Milo.”
“I did promise him we could play Guess Who.”
