Chasing the storm

Chapter 6: Shelter in the Storm

(Rowan's POV –)

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We barely made it back to the gas station.

My arms felt like lead, my body ached, and every step sent another bolt of exhaustion through me.

But I didn't slow down.

The wind had changed.

The storm wasn't done with us yet.

Ava was still shaken, leaning against Oliver as we trudged toward the shelter. Sienna, on the other hand? She was practically glued to my side, throwing me pissed-off glares like they were knives.

I ignored her.

Because the second we stepped inside, I felt it—a sharp, stinging pain running down my right arm.

I gritted my teeth, looking down.

Shit.

A long gash stretched from my forearm to my elbow, probably from debris in the water. It wasn't deep, but it burned.

The moment Sienna caught sight of it, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Her face darkened.

"Rowan."

I sighed. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing."

I groaned, moving toward the empty counter, dropping down on a rickety old stool. "Sienna, seriously—"

"Shut up and sit still."

Oh, she was pissed.

And bossy.

But I didn't argue. Mostly because I was too damn tired to fight her.

Sienna yanked open one of our supply bags, pulling out a first-aid kit.

The second she grabbed a bottle of disinfectant, I tensed.

She noticed.

Her lips curved into a slow, wicked smirk.

"Oh, now you're worried?"

I scowled. "I'm not worried. Just—"

She poured the disinfectant over the wound.

Fucking hell.

A sharp, burning sting shot up my arm, and I hissed through my teeth.

Sienna grinned. "Thought you weren't worried?"

I shot her a glare. "You enjoy this, don't you?"

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she dabbed at the wound with a cloth, her fingers surprisingly gentle despite her attitude.

"Maybe a little."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't deny it—there was something different about this moment.

For once, she wasn't yelling at me for being reckless.

She was… focused.

Caring.

Like I wasn't just some idiot who jumped into a flood like a lunatic.

Like she actually—

No.

Not going there.

Not now.

She finished wrapping the bandage around my arm, her fingers lingering for just a second longer than necessary.

Then—

She met my eyes.

And suddenly, the storm outside wasn't the only thing making the air feel heavy.

---

A Tension That Won't Break

The room was silent except for the wind rattling the windows.

Ava and Oliver were sitting by the entrance, whispering to each other. The girl I had pulled from the flood—Mia, she had told us—was curled up in one of the booths, exhausted.

And then there was us.

Sienna was still standing in front of me, arms crossed, watching me like I was some unsolvable puzzle.

I arched an eyebrow. "What?"

She shook her head. "I don't get you."

"Join the club," I muttered.

She let out a soft laugh. Not mocking—real.

It caught me off guard.

I watched her, taking in the way her damp hair clung to her face, how her lips were still curved in amusement despite the chaos we had just survived.

Something in my chest tightened.

I looked away.

"So, what's your deal?" she asked suddenly.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She sat on the counter across from me, kicking her legs slightly.

"You're reckless as hell," she said. "Like, actually insane. Most people would run from danger. You run into it. Why?"

I hesitated.

Not because I didn't know the answer.

But because I wasn't sure I wanted to say it out loud.

Sienna tilted her head. "You don't have to tell me."

She meant it.

And maybe that's why I did.

"...Because if I don't, who will?"

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

For a second, she just stared at me.

Then—something changed.

The teasing was gone. The sarcasm.

Instead, there was something soft in her expression.

Understanding.

Like she got it.

Like maybe, just maybe, she saw something in me that no one else did.

The air between us felt charged.

I could see it in her eyes—the same thing I felt in my chest.

Something unspoken.

Something we both refused to name.

---

Before either of us could say anything, Oliver cleared his throat.

We both jerked back, the moment shattering.

I turned toward him, grateful for the interruption.

"Uh, not to ruin whatever that was," he said, "but I think we've got a problem."

I frowned. "Bigger than almost drowning?"

Oliver's jaw tightened. "Yeah."

Ava swallowed. "The storm. It's—"

A sudden BOOM of thunder cut her off, shaking the building.

Outside, the wind roared.

Sienna and I both turned toward the window.

Lightning flashed—and for a split second, I saw it.

Not just rain.

Not just wind.

A shape in the distance.

Another funnel cloud.

A second tornado.

Coming straight for us.

Sienna's hand grabbed my wrist.

I didn't pull away.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Rowan… what do we do?"

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to think.

We had minutes.

Maybe less.

I looked around the gas station, taking in our supplies, our people—our chances.

Then, I turned back to Sienna.

I smirked.

"We survive."

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