That night felt endless before it even really began. Rain poured down hard, the kind that makes the dark feel thicker. Thunder cracked overhead, close enough to make the floorboards tremble under my bare feet. When the knock came, sharp and unsure, my heart jumped. No one ever came up here. Not in weather like this.
I opened the door and saw him standing there, completely soaked. Rain slid from his dark hair and traced the sharp line of his jaw before dripping onto his jacket. The porch light flickered above us, weak but enough to catch his face, and my breath hitched when I really looked at him. He was handsome in a quiet way. Strong features softened by tired eyes. His lashes were dark and wet, clinging together, and his mouth curved naturally, even when he wasn’t smiling.
He looked em
