Back To You;

Chapter 13

It was one of those days when the weather couldn’t make up its mind. The sun would peek through the clouds for a moment, then dark skies would roll in, and suddenly we were standing on the edge of an unpredictable storm. Lauren and I had set out for our first spontaneous little getaway, eager to get lost in the city for the day, but the weather had other plans.

We were in the middle of enjoying a quiet café when the sky decided it had had enough of holding back. A torrential downpour hit us in seconds, turning the world into a blur of gray. People scrambled for shelter, but Lauren and I just exchanged a look, trying to make sense of the absurdity of it all.

“Well, that’s our luck,” I said, laughing and wiping rain off my forehead. The water was coming down in sheets, and we were already getting soaked.

Lauren’s grin was as mischievous as ever. “Guess we're walking home, huh?”

I glanced at my phone—no ride options available. Of course.

“Looks like it.” I shrugged, trying to keep the frustration at bay.

Lauren didn’t even flinch. “Then it’s decided. We’ll walk.”

Before I could protest, he grabbed my hand, pulling me into the downpour, laughing as the rain hit us from all directions. I couldn’t help it—my heart raced, not from the cold, but from the adrenaline. We ran through puddles, dodging the occasional car and laughing like maniacs. He pulled me forward, his hand warm in mine, even as the rain drenched us to the bone.

“You’ve lost your mind, haven’t you?” I yelled through the rain, trying to make myself heard.

“Nope,” he shouted back, grinning like this was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. “I’m just living my best life!”

It was ridiculous, but so much fun. There was no one around, the streets were empty, and it felt like we were the only two people in the world.

But then, we slowed down, breathing hard, drenched and laughing uncontrollably. We’d made our way to a quieter street, and that’s when it happened.

Lauren stopped walking and turned to face me. His eyes were intense—like he was seeing me for the first time all over again. I barely registered it before I felt him step closer, his body warm despite the cold rain that soaked through our clothes. I could hear his breath, uneven, matching mine.

And then, it happened.

His hands cupped my face, his thumbs brushing the wet strands of hair off my forehead, and I felt my breath hitch in my chest. Everything around us seemed to vanish. There was no rain. No street. No cars. Nothing. Just him and me, standing there in the middle of this sudden storm, like we were the last two people left on Earth.

He leaned in slowly—too slowly—and I froze for a moment, the butterflies in my stomach erupting into a whirlwind. His lips brushed mine tentatively, and then, like a spark igniting, he kissed me fully, urgently, like he couldn’t wait another second.

The kiss was electrifying.

I swear, I could feel the rain hitting us in slow motion, but it didn’t matter. It was just us. His lips were warm and insistent, and for a split second, I forgot everything. My thoughts, my insecurities, my doubts—they all melted away with the taste of him. His hands tightened around my waist, pulling me closer, and I found myself leaning into him, letting him take the lead. His kiss deepened, and it was everything—sweet and desperate, as if we both needed this, like our lives depended on it.

The world didn’t exist anymore. It was just this moment. Just him. Just us.

I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs, and his was right there, too. His lips moved against mine with a kind of raw intensity, as if he couldn’t get enough of me. The rain continued to pour around us, but it felt like the whole universe had paused, giving us this one perfect moment to exist.

When we finally pulled apart, gasping for air, my hands were still gripping his shirt, and I could see the same thing in his eyes—wild, electric, and full of that same need that had been building since the moment we met.

“I—” I gasped, trying to catch my breath, but all I could do was laugh.

Lauren’s hand was still on my cheek, his thumb gently brushing over my wet skin. “That was…” He didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he just grinned, clearly a little out of breath, too.

“Yeah,” I whispered, unable to find the words. “It was.”

We stood there for a moment, completely drenched but unable to stop smiling. I could feel my heart still racing, and I knew from that moment on, nothing would ever be the same.

“Come on,” Lauren said, his voice soft but filled with that same grin I loved. “We’re already soaked. Let’s make this an even crazier day.”

And with that, we took off again, running through the rain, laughing, not caring about anything except each other. The world felt brand new, and so did we.

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