Rainbows after Hurricane

16. |p r e s e n t|

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As soon as Zach stepped out of the hospital, the urge to turn back and retreat into its safe confines overwhelmed him—not because of the rain that soaked him within seconds or the fierce wind slamming into him, but because, for the first time in two years, he would be alone with Asher.

It was a moment Zach had gone to great lengths to avoid for the past two years.

But now wasn't the time to think about his own fears. Dianna needed him. She needed him to do whatever it took for her survival.

And if that meant spending time with Asher, he would do it. 

"Let's go!" Asher shouted, sprinting into the rain without waiting. Zach followed silently, his heart pounding as the storm raged around him. His chest tightened when he saw Asher struggling to unlock a jeep parked near the hospital entrance.

"What are you doing?" Zach asked, even though the answer was obvious. He needed to say something, anything, to break the tension.

"Exactly what you think," Asher replied, his attention fixed on the car door as he continued to fumble with it.

"Asher, this isn't the time for this nonsense. We need to get to the blood bank," Zach said, frustration creeping into his voice.

"That's why I'm doing this," Asher shot back. "We need a car if we want to get there as quickly as possible."

At that moment, the lock clicked open. Asher grinned in triumph and swung the door open before turning to Zach.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get in."

 "You do realize this is stealing, right?" Zach said, folding his arms as he watched Asher climb into the driver's seat.

"Don't act like we haven't done this before," Asher replied, not even glancing up as he adjusted the mirrors.

"That was a different time. We're past that now," Zach argued, his tone edged with exasperation.

"I get that," Asher said, turning the key in the ignition, "but we don't have another choice. Our car is stuck back there, blocked by those giant trees, and if we're going to get to the blood bank in time, we need this." He looked at Zach pointedly. "And whether you like it or not, I'm not risking Dianna's life. So, are you getting in or not?"

Zach exhaled sharply, frustration etched on his face, but he finally slid into the passenger seat. Without another word, Asher hit the gas, pulling out of the driveway and racing down the road.

Asher's driving remained just as Zach remembered—swift, fluid, and effortlessly smooth. It was the kind of skill Zach had always envied, one that he could never quite replicate despite Asher's repeated lessons. Zach was quick, yes, but never as fast or as precise. And after the accident, he had no desire to drive like Asher anymore.

It was Asher's driving that had claimed Ashley's life, the only person Zach had ever loved. But tonight, it was that same driving skill that might save Dianna.

As the landscape flew by in a blur, Zach couldn't ignore the destruction the hurricane had caused in under twenty hours. Houses with collapsed roofs, trees scattered across the roads, smaller streets submerged in water—it was a scene of chaos.

Zach turned his gaze away from the window, staring straight ahead at the road. He didn't need any more reminders of how much worse things could get.

"Asher, watch out!" Zach shouted, spotting the large trees obstructing the road. Asher seemed to notice them just as quickly, easing off the gas and slowing down.