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𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 8:- 𝓣𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓡𝓪𝓲𝓷

"In the stillness of the storm, they found themselves stranded not just by the rain, but by the unspoken thoughts swirling between them."

Ivan's pov:
~~~~~~~~~~

She says, her voice trembling slightly, "You know, I fear anything and everything when I'm scared."

I can't help but let a small smile play on my lips, my gaze softening as I look at her. "Anything and everything? That's a pretty wide range, you know. So, what are we talking about here? Spiders? Heights? Clowns?"

She shakes her head, her eyes still scanning the darkness beyond. "When I get scared, I fear everything. Especially in unknown, dark places."

I step closer, lowering my voice, as if trying to bridge the invisible gap between us. "Yeah, I get that. Fear takes over, makes everything feel worse than it really is. But you're not alone. I'm here."

She turns her back to me, glancing at the rain that's softened its fierce assault. "Look, the rain's losing strength. We can probably get out of here in a few hours."

I follow her gaze, noticing the storm's fading intensity. "You're right. It's calming down... maybe we'll get lucky and leave sooner than we think."

She turns back to me, her expression soft but cautious. "Sooo, what time is it now?"

I glance at my wristwatch. "It's 1 a.m. The storm must've been raging for hours."

She sighs, her voice carrying a hint of frustration. "So, we've got some time to kill, huh?"

I nod, leaning against the counter, my eyes still on her. "Yeah, seems like it. We're not going anywhere until the rain stops. Might as well get comfortable."

"Hmm..." is all she says, her gaze wandering to the glass door again, but her mind clearly elsewhere.

I narrow my eyes at her, curiosity tugging at me. "What's going on in that head of yours? You've been acting a little... distant."

She stands still, like a statue, not a single word coming out of her mouth.

"Hey," I call out, feeling the tension rise. "You okay? You've been standing there for a while, not saying anything."

I move closer, lowering my voice as I reach out and gently touch her shoulder. "Why aren't you talking? Is something wrong?"

She blinks, snapping back to reality. "Sorry, sorry... what did you say?"

I pull my hand back, slightly startled by her sudden reaction. "You startled me. I was just asking if you were alright. You looked... distracted."

"Umm... sorry," she murmurs.

I chuckle, shaking my head. "No worries. I probably shouldn't scare the easily spooked girl in a dark store during a storm. But seriously, you seemed pretty lost in thought. Want to talk about it?"

She smirks, trying to lighten the mood. "Nothing... I lost my mind a long time ago."

I look at her, my expression softening as a trace of vulnerability flickers behind her words. "Lost your mind, huh? I know the feeling. Life tends to do that to the best of us."

"Look, Mr. Worried Ivan Foster, we're already in enough of a mess," she teases, crossing her arms. "So, please, no sad thoughts to make it worse."

I chuckle at her attempt to lighten the tension. "Alright, alright. No sad thoughts. But you've got to admit, keeping things light even now? That's kind of impressive."

She tilts her head, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "So, tell me, Mr. Foster... when you first saw me at your office door, what did you think of me?"

I hum, glancing up as I recall the moment. "When I first saw you standing there? Hmm... you looked a bit... timid, honestly. But there was something about you-something that caught my attention. I couldn't quite figure it out at first."