“You’re safe now. it’s over.”
Thunder booms through the sky overhead as I lunge into Felix’s arms. I press my face against his chest, burrowing into the cold rain-soaked fabric of his hoodie as I cry like I haven’t cried in ages.
The rain is relentless, so loud that I can barely hear the words of reassurance Felix is whispering into my ear. Small rivulets of rainwater stream down my neck, my back, dripping from the hem of my sodden blue dress. Felix holds me tight in the wet embrace, and we stand like that for a while, two bedraggled teens getting drenched by the thunderstorm at the back of a dark alleyway.
Eventually I stop crying, but I can’t stop shaking – whether out of cold or shock, I’m not sure.
I release my hold on Felix, stepping back and wiping the tears from my face, even th
