Love in the Storm

d with its usual nighttime rhythm-cars humming in the distance, laughter spilling from a nearby café, the occasional bark of a dog breaking through the

rom fighting-fighting against time, against hope, against him. Or maybe, deep d

ghting the sharp lines of his jaw and the softness in his expression. There was someth

d suddenly, cat

away, her cheeks

at his lips. "Y

tested, but her voic

t's okay, I sta

to her, those words carried weight-too much weight. She didn't know how to handle the way he lo

thoughts that threatened to unravel her. "

," he said

eyes but didn't

ark surface shimmering under the moonlight. Seagulls perched on wooden posts, their heads

near the edge of the pier a

leaning back, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

e chill in the air settling into her b

dable. "Because I want you to see that

's easy for you to say. You're no

date, Rita. Some just get stamped earlier tha

words came. Instead, she stared at t

"I know this isn't a fairytale. I know you're scared. But that d

ns when it gets worse? When I'm too weak to wa

reading his fingers through

him away, tell him he was being ridiculous, but she couldn't. His t

, the only sound between them w

spoke again. "Tell me someth

ated. "Li

ezed her hand gentl

she should give him an answer. Then, before

ecause I wanted to see what else was out there. I wanted to go somewhere no one knew me

his eyes never leaving he

ugh. "Reality. Money. An

inst the back of her hand. "If you could

for a mome

an eyebrow

s wanted to see the Eiffel Tower

into a smirk. "Yo

playfully. "O

or the first time in a long time, Rita allowed herself to imagine-just for a moment-tha

cruel. And dream

-

as a blur of doctor

n't ignore. Simple tasks like climbing the stairs left he

still there, s

idiculous joke that made her roll her eyes but secretly smile. He

urled up on her couch, a

d. "Go awa

le

nother

the door-only to find him standing there, h

is?" she a

ned. "O

box and lifting the lid. Inside, nestled on

caught. "Yo

ng smug. "It's from a French bakery ac

gh her chest-something she

ice barely above a whisp

And you're st

smile-not the small, forced kind she gave doctors a

, she didn't have