Charcoal Cotton Candy
I worked late one night, and by the time I stepped outside, rain was coming down in sheets.
While I waited for my ride, I texted my boyfriend, Landon Jarrett, to complain.
[Seriously, it's pouring out here, and I didn't even bring an umbrella.]
More than ten minutes passed before Landon replied.
[Is that supposed to be a hint? What do you want me to do, catch a train over there just to bring you an umbrella?]
[We're doing long distance. Why are you being so dramatic about it?]
I froze.
At the same time, my rideshare was canceled.
Rain splashed up onto my pants, leaving the fabric wet and clammy against my legs.
While I stood there distracted, my best friend, Zoe Langford, posted something on social media.
It disappeared before I had time to look closely.
When I refreshed the page, the nine-photo post had been cropped and rearranged.
All that remained was a shot of a man cooking in the kitchen, his back to the camera.
[Thanks to a certain someone, my brand-new heels didn't get a single drop of rain on them.]
My hands shook as I zoomed in.
I would have recognized him anywhere.
It was Landon.
The recipe notebook in his hand was the one I had made for him myself, filled with recipes adjusted to suit his tastes.
By the time I got back to my apartment, I was drenched from head to toe.
Then Landon messaged me as if nothing had happened.
[Why aren't you answering? Are you home yet?]