Chasing the storm

Chapter 21: A Stormy Morning

(Sienna's POV)

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I woke up to the sound of arguing.

Because of course I did.

Rubbing my tired eyes, I groggily pushed myself up from the sleeping bag, my back protesting against the cold, hard floor of the gas station. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, but inside?

Chaos.

Rowan and Caleb were already at it.

Again.

"You're not in charge of me, Carter," Caleb snapped, arms crossed, eyes stormy.

Rowan, lounging against a crate like he had all the time in the world, smirked. "Could've fooled me, Foster. You follow me around like a lost puppy."

Caleb's jaw ticked.

Oliver sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Can we not do this first thing in the morning? Some of us would like to wake up without a migraine."

I groaned, flopping back onto my pillow. "Five minutes. That's all I ask. Five minutes of peace."

Rowan's eyes flicked to me, amusement flashing in his gaze. "Morning, Sunshine."

I froze.

Did I hear that right?

I pushed myself up, blinking at him. "What did you just call me?..sunshine..?this nickname..again..?"

He smirked. "What? It fits."

Ava, already digging through the supplies, snorted. "Oh my God. I like this. Please keep calling her that."

Caleb just looked irritated. "Are we actually doing something today, or is it just another episode of Rowan Carter's Ego Show?"

Rowan put a hand over his chest, mocking offense. "You wound me, Foster."

Ava threw a piece of bread at his head. "Shut up and eat before you two start an actual duel."

I sighed, finally standing up and stretching. My body hated me for sleeping on the floor.

Mia handed me a plate of whatever scraps we had left. "Eat. You'll need it."

"For what?" I frowned, taking a bite.

Oliver cleared his throat. "We're splitting up again today. Some of us are going out for more supplies. The others are staying here to reinforce this place. Storm's getting worse."

A chill ran down my spine. Worse?

"We should stick together," I argued. "Splitting up just makes it easier for something to go wrong."

Rowan smirked, nudging my plate with his boot. "Aw, worried about me, Sunshine?"

I scowled. "I'm worried about everyone, you arrogant idiot."

He just grinned, clearly entertained. "Sure."

Caleb sighed. "We don't have a choice. The food's running low. And if we're gonna last another week, we need to start thinking long-term."

Ava nodded. "We can't just survive. We need an actual plan."

I hated it.

I hated the idea of anyone leaving this building when we barely made it back alive last time.

But I knew they were right.

Rowan leaned back, arms behind his head. "Alright. Who's going where?"

Oliver took charge. "I'll take Ava, Mia, and Caleb to check the stores farther out. Rowan, Sienna, you two stay here and figure out how to fortify this place. We need more barriers in case the storm takes another turn."

I stiffened.

"Wait—me and Rowan?"

Caleb shot a glare at Rowan, like this was somehow his fault. "Is that really necessary?"

Oliver didn't even blink. "Yes. You ,Mia and Ava know the supply routes best. And Rowan and Sienna… well, they work well under pressure."

Rowan's smirk widened. "You hear that, Sunshine? We're a team."

I wanted to throw my plate at his face.

Instead, I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. "Great. I'm thrilled."

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Later

I was not thrilled.

Rowan was annoying.

And I was one second away from smacking him.

"That's not how you hammer a board, Sunshine," he drawled, leaning lazily against the counter as I struggled with the stupid nails.

I gripped the hammer tighter. "You want to do it?"

"Nope. I'm enjoying the show."

I swung around, glaring. "Do you ever shut up?"

He grinned. "Not when you're this fun to mess with."

I groaned, going back to pounding the board into place before I pounded his face instead.

Rowan finally moved, stepping beside me and grabbing a second hammer.

I expected another smartass comment.

But instead?

He started working.

Silent. Focused.

It threw me off.

"Wait. You actually know how to do stuff?" I teased.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You wound me, Sunshine."

"You'll live."

Silence settled between us, surprisingly not uncomfortable.

Outside, the storm raged on.

Inside, Rowan and I worked side by side.

And for the first time in a while…

I didn't mind it.

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