Chapter 6 _ Rain doesn't hide things

(Ciara’s POV)

I did not remember how I got outside.

One moment, I was standing in that room, surrounded by people who watched my humiliation like it was entertainment. The next, I was walking away, my chest tight, my thoughts loud, my steps unsteady.

By the time the doors of the hotel closed behind me, the world felt quieter.

But not calmer.Never calmer.

The rain had already started.

At first, it was light, almost gentle, like a warning. But within seconds, it grew heavier, louder, until it was pouring down without restraint.

I did not stop. I did not run for shelter like everyone else. I walked straight into it.

The cold drops hit my skin, my hair, my face, soaking through my clothes almost instantly, but I welcomed it.

I needed something stronger than what I was feeling.

Something louder than the memories replaying in my head.

Something that could drown out his voice.

The slap, the way he looked at me like I was nothing.

I kept walking until I found a bench just a few steps away from the hotel entrance, tucked under a dim streetlight that barely did anything to fight the darkness. I sat down slowly.

The rain soaked through everything.

My dress clung to my skin.

My hair fell heavily over my shoulders.

My makeup if there was anything left of it was gone.

But I did not care. Not tonight.

My hands rested loosely on my lap, trembling slightly as I stared ahead, seeing nothing.

And then, it came.

Not a tear.Not just one.Everything.

I cried. Not quietly. Not carefully.

I cried the way I had not allowed myself to in years.

My shoulders shook as the pain I had buried for so long came rushing back without permission.

My mother’s face.Her voice.Her smile.

The way she held my hand even when she was the one in pain.I pressed my hands against my face, but it did nothing to stop it. Nothing could.

The rain fell harder, mixing with my tears, running down my cheeks, my neck, my arms. It did not hide anything. It only made everything more real.

“They say rain is therapy,” I whispered brokenly. “Then why does it still hurt?”

My voice disappeared into the storm.

No answer came. Of course it didn’t.Because nothing could fix this. Nothing could take it away.

Time passed, but I did not know how much. Minutes. Maybe longer.

All I knew was that the rain kept falling. And I kept crying.

Until suddenly…It stopped. Not the rain. Just. Not on me.

I frowned slightly, my breath uneven as I slowly lifted my head.

The sound of the rain was still there, loud and constant, but I could not feel it anymore.

Confused, I looked up.

And that was when I saw it.

An umbrella, Dark, Large. Covering me completely.

My gaze followed the handle upward.

And then, Him.

Lucas Blake.

Standing there like he had always been there.

Like the storm did not touch him.

Like nothing in this world could. For a moment, I just stared at him.And he stared back. No words, no questions. Just silence.

Heavy, Unavoidable. Slowly, I stood up.

Water dripped from my hair, my clothes, my hands, forming small puddles beneath me, but I did not care.

All I could see was him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice hoarse from crying.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied calmly.

I let out a weak breath.

“I asked first.”

He held my gaze.

“I came outside,” he said simply.

“That is not an answer.”

“It is enough.”

I shook my head slightly, looking away.

“You should not be here,” I said quietly. “You have a party to attend.”

“And you have a reason to leave it.”

I did not respond.

Because he was right.

Again.

The silence returned, but it was different this time.

Less sharp.bMore… aware.

I could feel his presence more than I could see him.

Close. Too close.

Then, the wind picked up suddenly.Strong.

Unforgiving.

Before I could react, the umbrella was ripped from his hand.

It flew backward, carried by the storm. My eyes followed it instinctively. Lucas did not hesitate.

He turned immediately and went after it.

For a moment, I stood there alone again, the rain hitting me once more, soaking me completely.

But something had changed.I was not alone anymore. And that felt… strange.

He returned a few seconds later, holding the umbrella again, slightly wet now, but still intact.

He stood in front of me once more, raising it above us.

“Get in the car,” he said.

I blinked.

“…what?”

“You will get sick if you stay here.”

I shook my head immediately.

“I am fine.”

“You are drenched.”

“I said I am fine.”

He did not argue.

He just looked at me.

Calm. Patient. Waiting.

I hated that look. Because it made me feel like I was the one being unreasonable.

“I will take a taxi,” I added.

“At this hour?”

“Yes.”

“In this rain?”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Then he nodded once.

“Alright.”

That was not what I expected.

He turned. Just like that and walked away.

I watched him go, confusion settling in my chest.

He did not insist. He did not argue. He just… left.

A few seconds later, I saw his car pull up in front of the hotel. The driver stepped out quickly and opened the door.

Lucas got in and the door closed.

That was it. He was leaving.

I stood there, the rain still pouring, my heart racing for reasons I did not understand. Then I remembered what he said.

“You will get sick.”

And then

“This place is not safe.”

My chest tightened.

I looked around slowly.

The street was quieter now. Too quiet.

The few people that had been around earlier were gone, leaving behind empty sidewalks and dim lights that barely reached the corners.

The rain made everything look darker. Lonelier.

A small shiver ran through me, but this time, it was not from the cold.

It was from something else. Something unfamiliar. Fear.I swallowed hard.

“Stop overthinking,” I muttered to myself.

But my body did not listen.

Because deep down…

I knew he was right. My eyes shifted back to the road.

And that was when I noticed it.The car. Still there.nNot moving.Waiting. My breath caught slightly. He had not left. Not really. I hesitated.

Just for a second.Then I moved.

My steps were slower now, more careful as I walked toward the car.

The driver saw me immediately and stepped out again, opening the back door without saying a word.

I paused for a moment. Then I got in. The door closed behind me and suddenly…

The noise of the rain disappeared.

The warmth inside the car wrapped around me instantly, making me aware of just how cold I had been.

Lucas was seated beside me.

Silent, Still, Watching nothing in particular, I did not look at him, I could not.

“Drive,” he said calmly.

The car moved.

And just like that, we were gone.

The silence between us stretched again, but this time, it was not uncomfortable.

It was… heavy.

Full of things neither of us was saying.

I rested my head lightly against the seat, closing my eyes for a moment. My body felt tired. Not just physically.

Everything felt tired. After a while, I opened my eyes again.

The city lights passed by slowly outside the window.

Familiar. Distant. I exhaled softly.

“Stop here,” I said quietly.

The driver slowed down immediately. The car came to a stop in front of my building.

I reached for the door.

“Ciara.”

I froze, Slowly, I turned.

Lucas was looking at me now.Directly.

His expression is unreadable.

But his eyes…They were not cold.

Not like before.

“Tomorrow will be hectic,” he said calmly.

I frowned slightly.

“What?”

“Be prepared.”

That was all, No explanation, No context. Just that.

I stared at him for a moment, trying to understand what he meant. But I couldn’t. So I nodded slowly.

“…okay.”

I opened the door and stepped out.

The rain had softened now, falling gently against the ground. I did not look back immediately.

I took a few steps forward.

Then I stopped. Just for a second. Something inside me told me to turn.To look. So I did.

The car was still there and through the window…

I saw him, Watching me. Our eyes met one last time.

And then, the car drove away. I stood there for a moment longer, the quiet of the night settling around me.

Everything that had happened replayed in my mind.

The party.My father.

The slap.

Lucas.

The rain.

I exhaled slowly and turned toward my building.

Tomorrow will be hectic.

His words echoed in my head.

And somehow…

I had a feeling he was right. Very right.