The sky was dark, and the waves seemed to crash harder than before, as if the ocean itself was in a rage. The storm outside mirrored the one that had been brewing inside her for months, a constant battle between grief, anger, and confusion. 

Suddenly, a flash of lightning lit up the room, followed by a loud crack of thunder that shook the walls of the cottage. Jade flinched, her heart racing as the storm roared on. For a moment, she considered getting up to make some tea, something warm to soothe her frayed nerves. But before she could move, a knock echoed through the cottage.

Jade froze. It was late—too late for anyone to be knocking at her door. Her first instinct was to ignore it, to pretend she hadn’t heard anything. But then it came again, more insistent this time.

She sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders as she stood and made her way to the door. When she opened it, she wasn’t surprised to see Lucas standing there, his clothes drenched from the rain, his dark hair plastered to his forehead.

“Sorry for dropping by,” he said, his voice raised slightly to be heard over the rain. “I noticed your lights flickering from my place and thought you might need a generator. Power’s been known to go out around here during storms.”

Jade blinked at him, surprised by his thoughtfulness. She hadn’t even realized the lights had been flickering, too lost in her own world to notice. 

“Uh, thanks,” she said, stepping aside to let him in. “I hadn’t even thought about the power.”

Lucas stepped inside, dripping water onto the hardwood floor. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he stood there, looking slightly out of place in her cozy living room.

“Do you need a towel?” Jade asked, unsure what else to say. It wasn’t exactly normal to have near-strangers show up during storms.

“That’d be great,” Lucas replied with a nod.

Jade moved to the small linen closet and pulled out a towel, handing it to him. He took it with a quiet “thanks” and began drying his hair, his movements slow and deliberate. For a moment, there was silence between them, the only sound coming from the rain pounding against the roof and windows.

“So, what brings you to this town?” Lucas asked after a beat, his voice breaking the quiet. He glanced around the room as he spoke, his eyes lingering on the few personal items she had unpacked—a picture frame face down on the shelf, a book of poetry lying open on the coffee table.

Jade hesitated, her gaze following his to the face-down photo. She knew the question was coming—it always did. But she wasn’t ready to explain. Not yet.

“I just needed a change,” she said, keeping her response vague. “The city was… too much.”

Lucas didn’t push for more. Instead, he gave her a small nod, as if he understood. “Yeah, I get that,” he said quietly. “This place has a way of pulling you in when you need it the most.”

Jade wasn’t sure what to make of that, but before she could respond, the lights flickered again. This time, they didn’t come back on.

“Looks like we’re out of luck,” Lucas said, glancing at the darkened lights. “Good thing I brought that generator. I’ll set it up outside.”

Before Jade could protest, Lucas was already moving toward the door, the towel still draped over his shoulders as he disappeared into the rain. She watched him go, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and guilt. She wasn’t used to relying on others, especially not strangers. But something about Lucas made it hard to push him away.

A few minutes later, the low hum of the generator filled the air, and the lights flickered back on. Lucas re-entered the cottage, shaking off the rain and giving her a small smile.

“There you go,” he said. “Should keep you up and running until the power’s back.”

“Thanks,” Jade replied, her voice softer than she intended. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Lucas shrugged, his gaze meeting hers. “It’s no problem. Storms can be rough out here. Didn’t want you stuck in the dark.”

Jade nodded, unsure what to say. She wasn’t used to people helping her without expecting something in return. In the city, it felt like everyone always wanted something. But here, in this quiet town, Lucas had shown up out of the blue—twice now—offering nothing but kindness.

It was… unsettling. But maybe in a good way.

As Lucas turned to leave, Jade found herself speaking before she could stop herself. “Do you want to stay for a bit? I mean… it’s still pouring out there.”

He paused, looking over his shoulder at her with a curious expression. “Are you sure?”

Jade hesitated, the words catching in her throat. She wasn’t sure why she’d asked. Maybe it was the storm, or maybe it was the way Lucas seemed to see her without asking too many questions. Either way, she didn’t feel like being alone tonight.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sure."