Red In The Rain

Love happens in the middle during the rain.

The first time he really looked at her, it was raining.

"Ailith, are you coming to watch my game?" Tavian asked, his usual playful smirk softened by the misty drizzle around them.

She hesitated, feeling the weight of his gaze, the raindrops clinging to his lashes like tiny stars. "I-I'll think about it."

Tavian chuckled, shaking his head as he spun a basketball in his hands. "You always say that."

The rain became their witness.

"I like you, Tavian," she blurted, heart pounding louder than the rain hitting the pavement.

Tavian blinked at her, surprised-then his lips curled into the softest, most heart-stopping smile. "Took you long enough," he teased, stepping closer, his warmth contrasting against the cold rain. "Because I like you too."

But for every rain-soaked moment of happiness, there was a storm waiting to break them apart.

"I don't know what you heard, but it's not true!" Ailith's voice wavered, frustration clashing with desperation as the storm lashed around them.

Tavian stood in the rain, soaked to the bone, his usual warmth replaced with something cold, distant. "Then why didn't you say anything before?" His fists clenched, his jaw tight. "Why did I have to hear it from someone else?"

Ailith swallowed the lump in her throat. "Because I was scared, Tavian. I didn't want to lose you."

"You already did," he whispered, turning away, leaving her standing there in the pouring rain-alone.

Five years later, the rain greets them once again.

"Miss Cortéz, I expect professionalism," Tavian's voice was clipped, his eyes giving nothing away as the city lights reflected off the raindrops sliding down the office window.

Ailith crossed her arms, a smirk playing at her lips. "Funny. You didn't seem so professional when you liked my post last night."

With the past between them and the undeniable pull that never faded, will they finally get their second chance, or will the ghosts of yesterday keep them apart?