Wind Rain And The Years Between Us Novels & Stories

The first storm of the season arrived in late November, three weeks after Anna's unexpected visit. Leo stood at the studio window, watching the wind bend the trees nearly horizontal and listening to the rain hammer against the glass like bullets. The weather matched his internal state perfectly—turbulent, unpredictable, charged with an energy that felt both destructive and cleansing.

The first drop of rain hits the dirt between us. I lift my face to the sky, letting the cool water touch my skin. My wolf steps beside me within, shoulder to shoulder. We endure the storm. And when it passes… we will still be standing.

“No. Actually... I thought you were brave as hell for showing up.” I didn’t know what to say to that. Nobody had ever called me brave before. Pathetic, fat, weird? Sure. But brave? I lowered my arms slightly. “You don’t even know me.” “Maybe not. But I was curious.” I narrowed my eyes. “Why?” He offered a half-shrug, like even he wasn’t sure. “You read something once. In AP Lit. Junior year. Poem about the moon. It stuck.” My brain glitched. “You remember that?”

"Ah, shit," Cayson muttered as the rain began to pour. He had just reached the gates of the mansion when the heavy downpour started. The weather had already been terrible while he was still in Palawan, but he assumed the storm was isolated there. He didn’t expect it to stretch all the way to Manila.

Time, like grains of sand slipping through your fingers, no matter how tightly you try to hold on, it still quietly drifts away. The world keeps turning, seasons cycle from spring to summer, fall to winter, and just like that, five years have passed. The wind from the highlands carries with it the scent of rotting wood, melting snow, and memories so old even time couldn’t wash them away. The cliff’s edge, once a place of despair, is now overgrown with moss. The river below still roars, relentless and untamed.

Back then, he would follow me around with a runny nose and claim to protect me. I shook off the thought and continued talking to him. We got along well. When it was time to leave, he kindly offered to drive me home. On the way back, he joked that when we were kids, I would say I was going to marry him. I just smiled awkwardly. He stopped the car and looked at me seriously. “Wendy, I want you to know that I liked you back then, and I still do. I’ll wait for the day you open up to me. There’s no rush. I’ll always be here, just like before.”

He did not stop Aria and I looked at each other Then we followed The ground was mud Cold The rain hit hard Soaked us in seconds He was in the middle of the yard Head up Eyes closed Letting it hit him You crazy I yelled over the rain He opened his eyes Looked at us Maybe I am Then he did something He laughed Loud Real Then he spun Like a kid Arms out Come on he shouted Dance Aria stared I stared The rain in my eyes Dance he said again For him Aria moved first One step Then another She raised her arms Closed her eyes Let the water run down her face I joined her At first it felt stupid Then it did not We spun Slipped in the mud Laughed Cried I do not know which For a few minutes There was no bo

I’m not sure if the words ever leave my mouth. Rain pours harder, icy water slipping down my neck, raising goosebumps. Wind tears through the bush, drenching my back and legs. I don’t feel any of it. Tyler’s eyes slip shut, lashes clumped with rain as he leans in. I do too. I keep my eyes open just long enough to watch his face blur into closeness.

I wait. The music starts, soft, familiar, comforting. I keep my eyes closed. And I move. Not like I’m in a rink. Not like judges are watching. Not like Sabrina is waiting to tear me apart. I imagine the pond. The quiet. The wind. The trees. The feeling of being free.

Her expression was filled with sympathy and helplessness as she took my hand and spoke earnestly, “Jenna, please don’t blame Miles for hiding this from you. For four years, Wendy has swallowed her pride and never asked to be official.” Four years? My mind went blank. My stomach dropped. I suddenly found it impossible to breathe. Did this mean that Wendy’s existence was not just a drunken accident half a year ago? Ruth gently patted the back of my hand and tried to persuade me softly, “I watched you grow up, Jenna. I care about you. But you have to think about Miles, too. “With the trauma you suffered, you won’t let him touch you for ten days or even two weeks at a time. He’s a healthy, robus