Silver Lining ❥ daerin

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔: 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

ℭ𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔞

As I pulled into the driveway, the engine's hum faded into the quiet of the evening. I cut the ignition and sat back in my seat, glancing at the dashboard before reaching over to grab my phone. That's when I saw it—the book.

Sage's book.

It was lying there on the floor of the passenger seat, likely forgotten in the rush of getting her out of the rain earlier. I picked it up, flipping it over in my hands as I debated whether or not to walk over and knock on her door. But after a moment, I sighed. She'd had a long enough day; she probably needed the rest.

'I'll give it to her tomorrow', I thought, sliding the book into my bag before stepping out of the car.

The air was cooler now, and the faint scent of rain still lingered as I headed inside. The front door clicked softly behind me, and the familiar warmth of the house wrapped around me. I could hear the soft hum of my dad's voice from his study. Probably another late-night conference call.

I wandered down the hall and poked my head into his office. "Hey, Pa," I said with a smile.

He waved me in, his eyes never leaving the monitor. "Hey, sweetie. How was the race?"

"Not bad," I replied, leaning against the doorframe. "Did a couple of practice laps. Nothing too exciting."

"Good, good," he murmured, distracted by whatever charts or figures were lighting up his screen. I didn't mind. He was always like that when work got busy. As long as I got a wave or a smile, I knew he was listening.

After leaving him to his work, I made my way to the kitchen, where Ma was stirring a pot of something that smelled incredible. I slipped in behind her and gently bumped her with my hip.

"Need a hand?" I asked.

"Sure," she said, smiling as she handed me a cutting board. "Chop these vegetables, will you?"

I nodded and got to work after washing my hands, letting the familiar rhythm of home settle over me. For a while, it was just the quiet sounds of the knife hitting the board, the bubbling of the pot, and the soft hum of the stove.

As I finished chopping the last of the vegetables, my thoughts drifted back to Sage. Her shy, almost hesitant demeanor earlier today was so different from the loud, bustling people I usually surrounded myself with. I couldn't help but find it... endearing. The way she had avoided looking me in the eye at first, the soft uncertainty in her voice when we spoke. It was cute. There was something about her that pulled me in, and I wasn't sure what it was yet, but I wanted to find out.

I quickly pushed the thoughts aside as I carried the vegetables over to Mum. "All set," I said, handing them off.

"Thanks, love," she replied, tossing them into the pot. "Dinner's almost ready. Go clean up before it's done."

I nodded and headed upstairs to my room. A shower was exactly what I needed after a long day—hot, soothing, and perfect for washing away the stress of the race. But no matter how much I tried to focus on relaxing, my mind kept circling back to Sage. Her face flashed behind my eyes as the water hit my skin. That soft, fluttery feeling in my chest was new.

Shutting off the water, I wrapped myself in a towel and padded over to my closet. 'It's nothing', I told myself. 'She's just a neighbour'.

But I couldn't deny it—there was something about her that I couldn't stop thinking about. Something that made me smile, even if it was just a little.

Once I was dressed, I headed back downstairs, where Ma had already set the table. Da had finally come out of his study, and we all sat down for dinner. The conversation was easy, filled with light talk about work, Ma's new project, and Da's plans for the week.