Hurricane

Chapter 9

A hand reached out across the sheets, darting for something she's not conscious enough to realize she's seeking; only to find the tempered sheets below her palm and the light of morning beginning to peer through the cracks in the drapes.

Becca stretched out across the king-sized bed. Her body slid over the sheets, every patch of her uncovered skin reveling in the coolness of the fabric; limbs loose and relaxed from yesterday's exhausting events. She took a deep inhale of crisp morning - the familiar scent found in the early hours of an October dawn before the rest of the world arose; wafts of salt and maple and rejuvenating memories stirring her senses. For a moment she forgot all she endured; forgetting that she's waking up alone in a riverside cabin amidst a natural disaster.

Sighing out a large breath she rolled over and out of her cradle of serenity. Her bare toes touched the hardwood and Becca reached towards the sky to stretch once more, the stolen t-shirt rising to put the rest of her modesty on full display.

Lazily, Becca shuffled around the room in search of some warmer clothes. She tugged off the tee and left it where she found it earlier - on the floor at the opposite side of the bed. Becca rummaged around her overnight bag for her sweatpants and her UCLA hoodie, knowing that she has no one to impress and another electricity-free day ahead. Cozy and comfortable in this cabin.

The rain was still falling, pitter patters too light to hear, but the droplets were piddling against the expansive window panes of Naveen's master bedroom. A soft whooshing wind rattled leaves in the distance, like a windchime accompanying the still morning silence surrounding her. The sky glowing a warmer hue than the wheel of gray that its been the last few days. 

Becca spent many minutes stood in front of the window, gazing out as she retied her hair in a messy bun. So many thoughts were circulating her mind, half of them wondering if she was inebriated and dreamt the whole evening up.

All the while Ethan not-so-carefully made his way downstairs.

***

Like yesterday morning Naveen and Sienna were sat at the table going about their new improvised morning routine.

"Good morning," Naveen smiled broadly at his protégé. "Are congratulations in order?"

Ethan descended the last few steps and glared at Naveen with grossly furrowed brows. The look on his mentor's face said far too much, asked too many questions, and let Ethan know no matter how he responded they would know the real truth.

And Naveen and Sienna just laughed.

"Are you back together?"

Ethan's instinct was to say they were never together, to dismiss the whole notion with a swipe of his hand. Instead there was a small tug at the corners of his lips as he retreated to the kitchen.

"Ah, Rebecca!" Ethan heard Naveen greet her now. He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he anticipated all the questions being thrown her way. All the ones he purposefully left unanswered.

"How're you feeling?"

"Better, thank you."

The further into the kitchen Ethan strolled, the more disappointment he felt that he wasn't able to overhear her take on the line of questioning he was given. He turned on the stovetop to boil the kettle and hoped she'd speak to him later. As he stared down at the blue flames his astute mind conjured every possible answer to each fabricated question probing at what's been left unsaid. Last night was by no means a solution to their troubles, it was merely the start to a beginning.

Seconds later two arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Hey," she mumbled into his back.