Radio to the heart

Their bond strengthen and challenges arise

The path beneath my feet was slick, each step feeling more treacherous than the last. I struggled to keep pace with Alistair, who moved ahead with more ease than I could manage. His eyes darted between me and the jagged rocks along the trail, watching closely, but he never said a word about it. The air smelled damp and heavy with the storm approaching, the kind of cold that sinks deep into your bones. In the distance, thunder rumbled low and deep, a warning of what was to come. Then lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the landscape for a brief second before crashing down somewhere far too close for comfort.

"We need to get moving," I said, glancing at the sky. The clouds looked like bruises spreading across the heavens. "It's getting bad out here, Alistair. I don't like this."

Alistair gave me one of those reassuring smiles he wore too often. "We'll be fine," he promised. "I've got us covered. I can see everything you can't, Tess. I'll catch anything before it catches us."

I wanted to believe him. As we walked, the conversation drifted—anything to distract from the eerie silence that settled between the crashes of thunder. I found myself rambling about Libby, my childhood cat. "She was this little ball of fluff," I said, forcing a laugh. "I had her for years, but she passed a while back. Still miss her like hell every day."

Alistair's expression softened in that quiet way that made my heart ache. "Libby's in a better place, Tess. She's not hurting anymore."

"I know," I murmured. "Doesn't stop me from missing her, though."

He gave a nod, and we fell into a comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds around us the crunch of gravel beneath our feet and the wind stirring the damp leaves. Even though Alistair tried to keep his concern hidden, I could feel it in the way he stuck close, as if I'd disappear the moment he let his guard down. I knew how much he hated the way people at the hotel treated me—how they whispered behind my back and looked at me like I didn't belong. It weighed on him more than he admitted. I could see it in his clenched jaw and the way his fists curled, as if he wanted nothing more than to slam them against a wall for every nasty thing they said.

The rain started suddenly, cold drops slicing through the air and drenching us within minutes. The wind howled, forcing me to lean into Alistair to keep upright. "Watch your step," I warned, feeling the ground shift beneath my feet. "It's slippery as hell. The mud's gonna make this impossible."

"Don't worry, dear," Alistair said, his voice low and steady. "I've got you."

Before I could protest, Alistair scooped me up in his arms like I weighed nothing. My heart stuttered as he carried me along the path, his grip steady despite the storm raging around us. The warmth of his chest against mine was a comfort I hadn't realized I needed.

We trudged forward until the trees thinned, revealing the edge of a meadow. The rain poured harder now, turning the ground beneath us to sludge. Alistair set me down gently beneath a canopy of trees and got to work, gathering leaves and branches to create a makeshift shelter. It wasn't perfect, but it would keep most of the rain off us for the time being.

We sat close under the cover, huddling together against the cold. The storm showed no sign of letting up, and yet, in the quiet moments between the thunder and rain, I found myself grateful. Grateful for the shelter, for Alistair's quiet strength, and for this fleeting moment of peace in the chaos.

Alistair's hand was warm on my arm, steadying me as the path beneath us grew narrower. My boots slid on the slick rocks, and the cold air cut through my jacket. I squinted against the wind, trying to make out the storm clouds gathering on the horizon. Thunder rumbled, low and threatening, as if warning us to hurry. The scent of wet earth clung to everything, and my heart thudded in time with the distant crashes of lightning.