Caught in the storm 

Grayson

As I tighten my grip on the steering wheel, my mind keeps drifting back to the accident on the ice.

Jake…My best friend didn’t look good back there. I just hope he recovers soon. The national championship won’t feel the same if he isn’t standing beside me.

Everyone keeps saying it wasn’t my fault. Perhaps they’re right.

But I know it was my play that led to the collision. If I hadn’t passed him the puck at that exact second, maybe Jake wouldn’t have crashed into the boards.

Jake and I weren’t always friends. Back in high school, we hated each other. We fought during every practice, argued over every game, and competed over everything. Somehow, those fights turned into friendship, and before I knew it, he’d become the closest thing I had to a brother.

Without realizing it, my foot presses harder on the accelerator. The windshield wipers struggle to keep up as rain pounds against the glass. 

There wasn’t supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight, but dark clouds have swallowed the sky, making it almost impossible to see the road ahead.

A quiet sigh makes me glance toward the passenger seat.

Sophie…Jake’s little sister.

The one girl I should never look at twice.

Not because she isn’t pretty. But she’s off-limits.

That’s a rule I’ve never broken, and I don’t intend to start now. I’d rather keep my friendship with Jake than ruin it over something that would never last.

Love has never been my thing.

Hockey is.

Winning the national championship is.

Everything else can wait.

Last winter, a girl I was casually seeing claimed she was pregnant. For a week, I thought my entire future had fallen apart. Then the truth came out—the baby belonged to someone else.

Since then, I’ve stopped believing in relationships altogether.

“Can you drive a little slower?” Sophie’s soft voice pulls me back to reality.

I look down at the speedometer.

Ninety.

I let my foot ease off the accelerator without saying a word.

Silence fills the car again.

She’s nothing like the loud girl who was screaming Jake’s name from the stands an hour ago.

Now she just stares out the rain-covered window, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap.

Maybe she’s still in shock. Anyone would be after watching their brother leave in an ambulance.

“After dropping me home…” she says quietly, “…are you going to the hospital?”

I keep my eyes on the road. “I don’t know.”

The truth is, I probably will. Jake’s my best friend. I just don’t know if I’m ready to face him.

Another flash of lightning cuts across the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder that shakes the car. The rain suddenly becomes heavier.

A second later—

Bang!

The steering wheel jerks violently in my hands.

“What the hell?” I grip the wheel tightly as the car swerves toward the shoulder.

Sophie’s gasp echoes in the silence as I take one look before realising that the tire has been blown. 

I slowly bring the car to a stop on the side of the empty road before letting out a frustrated breath.

“Great,” I mutter, rubbing a hand over my face.

As if tonight wasn’t already bad enough.

“What happened? Are we going to be okay?” she asks, throwing one question after another at me.

Instead of answering, I take a deep breath and push the car door open. The moment I step outside, the freezing rain soaks me within seconds.

I walk around to the back of the car and crouch beside the left rear tire.

Kicking the flat tire in frustration, I walk to the trunk, hoping the spare will get us back on the road.

I lift it out and my shoulders drop. It’s flat too.

“Fuck…” A quiet curse slips from my lips as I rake a hand through my rain-soaked hair. I look around, hoping to spot another car or anyone who could help.

Just an empty road disappearing into the rain.

Thunder rumbles overhead while lightning flashes across the dark sky every few seconds.

And to make things worse… I’m out here in the middle of nowhere with my best friend’s little sister to protect.

I stare at the spare tire, trying to think of a solution, but my mind comes up blank.

With a sigh, I pull out my phone. No signal.

Perfect fucking time. 

I don’t have much time to waste. Sitting here isn’t going to fix anything. I grab the spare tire anyway. It’s flat too, but it still looks better than the one already on the car. Maybe it’ll get us a few miles before giving up completely.

A soft voice reaches me through the sound of the rain. “Do you need any help?”

A laugh almost escapes me before it turns into a cough. This little sunshine actually thinks she can help me change a tire.

“Do you know anything about changing tires?” I call back as I crouch beside the wheel, loosening the lug nuts.

Rain pours over me, soaking every inch of my clothes. The storm only seems to be getting worse.

A moment later, the passenger door opens. I look up just in time to see Sophie hurrying toward me. Within seconds, she’s completely drenched.

“How long will it take?” she asks.

I straighten to my feet with a frown. “I told you to stay in the car.”

“It’s okay. I know a little about flat tires. Maybe I can help.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You?”

She nods, looking completely serious. For the first time, I actually notice her.

Her Boston Hawks tank top is soaked from the rain, clinging to her frame, while drops of water run down her face and disappear beneath the fabric.

I force my eyes away.

She’s Jake’s little sister.

Nothing more.

A loud crack of thunder shakes the sky.

Sophie’s entire body jumps, and she instinctively wraps her arms around herself.

Only then do I notice how badly she’s shivering.

With a quiet sigh, I shrug off my jacket and hold it out to her.

“Here.”

She looks at it before shaking her head. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re freezing.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but another gust of cold wind cuts through the rain.

“Take it,” I say, a little more firmly this time.

I look up at the sky and realize the storm is only getting worse. We can’t stay here. There are no passing cars, no lights, and no one coming to help us. Waiting isn’t an option anymore.

I slam the trunk shut. “We’re walking.” Sophie looks at me in disbelief. “In this?”

“You’d rather stay here all night?”

She glances around at the deserted road before quietly shaking her head.

I lock the car and pocket the keys. “Stay close.”

Without another word, we leave the car behind and start walking through the pouring rain.

The storm doesn’t show any mercy.

Rain lashes against our faces while thunder echoes above us. Water has already soaked through my clothes, making every step heavier. Beside me, Sophie wraps my jacket tighter around herself, her head lowered as she pushes against the wind.

For several minutes, neither of us says a word.

The only sounds are our footsteps splashing through puddles and the constant roar of the storm.

“How much farther?” she finally asks, raising her voice over the rain.

I glance ahead, trying to make out the familiar road through the darkness. “Ten minutes… maybe.”

She nods quietly, falling silent again.

A few more minutes pass before I hear a small gasp. Sophie’s foot slips on the muddy shoulder of the road.

Before she can hit the ground, I grab her arm and pull her back toward me. For a brief second, we’re standing too close.

Rain drips from her hair, and those wide brown eyes lock onto mine. Neither of us speaks.

I let go of her arm almost immediately and clear my throat. “Watch your step.”

“I was watching,” she mutters.

“Clearly.”

She rolls her eyes and keeps walking. Despite myself, a small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth before it disappears just as quickly.

“Do you think…” Her voice is quieter this time. “…Jake’s going to be okay?”

The question hangs between us.

I wish I knew the answer.

“He’s tough,” I finally say. “He’ll get through this.”

I don’t know whether I’m trying to convince her…Or myself.

We continue walking until the neighborhood finally comes into view. The closer we get to the Anderson house, the slower Sophie’s steps become.

At first, I think she’s just tired. Then I notice something else. She’s nervous.

Her shoulders tense beneath my jacket, and her eyes stay fixed on the house as though she’s trying to prepare herself for something.

“You okay?” I ask.

She doesn’t look at me. “…Yeah.”

She’s lying. I know it the moment she says it.

We stop in front of the front door and without exchanging any words, she quietly steps inside before closing the door behind her. 

Before I can turn around, a man’s angry voice cuts through the storm from inside the house.

“You think you can ignore me?”

I freeze outside the door, listening.

“I’ve been fucking calling you! Where the fuck were you, Sophie?” The voice is loud enough to be heard over the rain.

It's Thomas. If I’m right, that’s her stepfather.

My jaw tightens.

No man should be talking to his stepdaughter like that.

Before I can think twice, I slam my fist against the front door.

Bang.

The shouting stops instantly and a few seconds later, the door swings open.

Thomas stands there. For a split second, I catch the irritation on his face. Then, the moment he recognizes me, it disappears.

A warm smile replaces it as if he’d never raised his voice.

“Grayson!” he says pleasantly, holding out his hand. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

I ignore his hand. My eyes drift past him.

Sophie is standing in the living room with her head lowered, rubbing her hands together. Even from here, I can tell she’s shaken.

She doesn’t look at either of us.

Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.

“Everything okay?” I ask, watching Thomas carefully.

He lets out a small laugh.

“Oh, of course. I was just worried about Sophie. Her phone wasn’t answering, and with Jake in the hospital…” He shakes his head. “I got carried away.”

I don’t answer.

The explanation sounds reasonable.

But the fear on Sophie’s face doesn’t.

Trying to think of a reason for standing on his porch, I clear my throat.

“I… forgot my jacket.”

Thomas glances over his shoulder.

“Sophie.”

Without a word, she slips my jacket off her shoulders and walks over. She keeps her eyes on the floor as she hands it to Thomas instead of me.

He takes it from her before passing it into my hands.

Another flash of lightning brightens the sky, followed immediately by a deafening crack of thunder.

Thomas looks toward the storm before turning back to me.

“The rain’s only getting worse,” he says with an easy smile. “Why don’t you stay the night? You can head home in the morning when the roads are safer.”

I look past him at Sophie.

She still hasn’t said a word.

For some reason…It feels like she’s waiting for my answer just as much as he is.

And for the first time all night… I don’t know what the right decision is.