FALLS LIKE THUNDER [TYLER OWENS]

SIX : NEVER LEFT ME

CHAPTER SIX : NEVER LEFT ME

TULSA, OKLAHOMA

SHE TREATS HER FIRST DAY OF CHASING AGAIN MUCH LIKE SHE WOULD HER FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. It seems silly, to be that kind of nervous, but she rather let those first-day jitters bubble up in her rather than the dread she could feel at the thought of facing another twister.

Willow spends her first day off packing, taking her "vacation" a day early to emotionally prepare herself for the week ahead. She has the PTO for it; it isn't like she spent any time in the last three years traveling the world, utilizing her benefits to their full potential when the station could be a perfect, unhealthy coping mechanism. She spends the entire time with her mind racing ahead to Kate—the thought of seeing her again stirs a whirlwind of emotions.

It takes a lot to wrap her mind around the idea that she will see her again: the other wayward half of her soul. Five years apart and she will be before her again; storm chasing at her side again. Would they click instantly again, like she and Javi had? They should; they were soulmates in every sense, yet the fear of awkwardness hangs over her like a dark cloud.

Willow tries to distract herself by laying out her outfit for the next day—a pair of chinos and a button-up blouse, casual yet professional enough to keep up with whatever vibe business entrepreneur Javi might throw her way. She even pulls out her old boots, the ones caked with mud and debris from storms past. They're not the originals, but a new version of the pairs she wore until they frayed and split at the soles.

But when the task is done and her mind quiets, it's Tyler she can't help but think of.

It always comes back to him—this promise of her fate-driven chase on the horizon. She thinks of her therapist's final encouragement from the comforts of her sofa, staring down a radar full of chasable cells she is sure Javi already took his pick from. Her mind forms a plan. It's simple enough: get her bearings again, and prove to herself that she can still storm chase. Then, if all goes well, she'll find Tyler on Instagram, make sure he doesn't hate her, and maybe, just maybe, work up to actually seeing him. They'd start with a few casual messages, rebuild that spark slowly, and then—then they'd storm chase off into the sunset together.

That way, if she fucks it all up again, she can disappear off the face of the earth, and he'd be none the wiser.

Perfect, solid, foolproof plan.

Saturday morning comes sooner than later and at a crisp seven AM, Willow sits on the stoop outside her apartment, bags at her feet, and her leg bouncing in anticipation. She knows she can wait inside, wait to see a white, Storm PAR truck pull up through her balcony doors, but she cannot stare at the bare white walls anymore.