Chapter 4: The storm

The weekend brought an unexpected turn of events—a storm rolled into town, drenching the streets in sheets of relentless rain and trapping everyone indoors. Lucy welcomed the excuse to stay in her room, far away from Ethan’s smirking face and frustrating comments.

But, as always, Ethan had a way of disrupting her plans.

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A Power Outage

Lucy sat at her desk, scribbling notes for an upcoming history project, when the lights flickered and went out completely. She sighed, setting her pen down and grabbing her phone for light. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the sound of rain pounding against her window filled the room.

“Great,” she muttered, fumbling for a flashlight in her drawer.

A knock on her door startled her.

“Lucy?” Ethan’s voice came from the other side. “You alive in there?”

“Barely,” she called back, her tone clipped.

The door opened slightly, and Ethan poked his head in, his expression lit by the faint glow of his phone. “No power. Guess we’re all stuck in the dark together.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “What do you want, Ethan?”

He pushed the door open and stepped inside, leaning against the frame. “Your dad went to campus to check on some lab equipment. Looks like it’s just you and me for the night.”

Her stomach tightened at his words. “That’s fine. I’ll be in my room, and you can... do whatever it is you do.”

He smirked, tilting his head. “You’re really no fun, you know that?”

“And you’re really annoying. You know that?”

Ethan chuckled, crossing his arms. “Touché.”

Thunder crashed again, louder this time, and Lucy flinched involuntarily. Ethan’s grin faltered, and he took a step closer.

“Not a fan of storms?” he asked, his tone softer now.

“I’m fine,” she said quickly, looking away.

“You sure? Because you look a little pale.”

Lucy glared at him, but her words caught in her throat when the house shook slightly with the force of another crash of thunder. She hated storms, always had, but she wasn’t about to admit that to him.

Ethan seemed to sense her unease anyway. “Come on,” he said, holding out a hand. “Let’s go to the living room. Safer to stick together.”

Lucy hesitated. “I’m fine here.”

“Suit yourself,” he said with a shrug. “But if the boogeyman shows up, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She sighed, grabbing her flashlight and following him out of the room.

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A Shared Moment

In the living room, Ethan had already set up candles, their soft glow casting flickering shadows on the walls. He sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, looking far too comfortable.

Lucy perched on the opposite end of the couch, keeping her distance.

“See? Isn’t this cozy?” Ethan teased, gesturing to the dimly lit room.

Lucy ignored him, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She stared out the window, watching the rain streak down the glass.

For a while, they sat in silence, the storm raging outside. Despite her best efforts, Lucy found herself relaxing slightly. The soft candlelight and the rhythmic sound of the rain were oddly soothing.

“You’re really scared of storms, huh?” Ethan said, breaking the silence.

“I’m not scared,” she said quickly.

He gave her a knowing look. “Right. That’s why you’re curled up like a scared kitten.”

She glared at him. “Why do you always have to be so... so obnoxious?”

“Because it’s fun,” he said with a grin. But then his expression softened, and he leaned forward slightly. “Seriously, though. You’re safe here, you know.”

Lucy blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. She looked away, unsure how to respond.

“See? I can be nice,” he added, leaning back with a smirk.

“Barely,” she muttered, but her lips twitched in the hint of a smile.

---

The Power of Proximity

As the night wore on, the storm showed no signs of letting up. The power remained out, and the house grew colder. Lucy shivered slightly, wishing she had grabbed a blanket from her room.

Ethan noticed. Without a word, he grabbed the throw blanket draped over the back of the couch and handed it to her.

“Here,” he said. “Can’t have you freezing to death.”

Lucy hesitated, then took the blanket, murmuring a quiet “Thanks.”

He grinned. “See? You can be nice too.”

She rolled her eyes but wrapped the blanket around herself, grateful for the warmth.

They lapsed into silence again, the tension between them shifting into something... different. Lucy found herself sneaking glances at Ethan, noticing things she hadn’t before—the way his jawline looked sharper in the candlelight, the relaxed confidence in his posture, the faint trace of a tattoo peeking out from under his shirt.

“What?” he asked suddenly, catching her gaze.

“Nothing,” she said quickly, looking away.

He chuckled, leaning closer. “Were you checking me out, Carter?”

“No!” she said, her voice rising slightly.

“Relax,” he said, his grin widening. “I don’t mind.”

Lucy huffed, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re adorable when you’re flustered,” he said, his tone low and teasing.

Her cheeks burned, and she turned away, focusing on the rain outside. But despite her best efforts, she couldn’t ignore the way her heart raced every time he spoke.

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An Unspoken Shift

By the time the storm finally began to wane, Lucy was half-asleep, her head resting against the back of the couch. Ethan sat beside her, unusually quiet, his gaze fixed on the dying flames of the candles.

When her head lolled to the side, almost landing on his shoulder, he froze. For a moment, he considered waking her, but something stopped him. Instead, he shifted slightly, letting her head rest against him.

“Goodnight, bookworm,” he murmured, a small smile playing at his lips.

For the first time since meeting her, Ethan found himself wondering if maybe—just maybe—there was more to Lucy Carter than he’d initially thought.

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