Chapter 6_ The Rain knows first
732 Words
The plan had been simple—meet at the old movie theatre downtown for a late showing of Star Voyage, then grab dessert after. But somewhere between Lily getting caught up chatting with a classmate and Daniel being dragged into a bookshop sale, the group started to scatter.
By the time the credits rolled, it was just Ethan and Ryan standing outside the theatre, blinking at the sudden change from dim, dusty light to the deep blue of a rain-heavy evening.
“You think they’ll actually meet us for dessert?” Ryan asked, tugging his hood up.
Ethan checked his phone. No new messages. “Knowing Lily? She’s probably already halfway through a cake somewhere.”
Ryan grinned. “Then I guess it’s just us.”
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The first drops of rain were small and cold, tapping lightly against the pavement. They turned down a quiet side street, the smell of wet asphalt already rising in the air.
“You ever notice,” Ryan said after a while, “that the city feels… different when it rains? Like everything slows down. People walk closer together. Sounds get softer.”
Ethan glanced at him. “You sound like a poet.”
“I could be one,” Ryan replied, his tone light but his eyes focused on something distant. “If I wasn’t so bad at sitting still.”
A car passed, splashing water onto the curb. Ethan stepped aside, but Ryan reached out and pulled him just a little closer to the shelter of the overhang. His hand lingered a moment too long on Ethan’s sleeve before dropping away.
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By the time they reached the café, the rain had turned heavy, drumming against the awning in a steady rhythm. Through the glass, Ethan could see the last few customers paying their bills, the staff stacking chairs. Closed.
“Well,” Ryan said, shoving his hands into his pockets, “guess dessert’s not happening.”
They stood there for a moment, both of them watching the rain. It was the kind of silence that wasn’t uncomfortable, but heavy in a way neither knew how to break.
“You want to wait it out?” Ethan asked.
Ryan shook his head. “Nah. I don’t mind walking.”
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The rain soaked them faster than expected, dampening hair, seeping into clothes. Ethan’s sneakers squelched with each step. Ryan laughed—bright, unbothered—and tilted his head back, letting the rain hit his face.
“You’re going to catch a cold,” Ethan said, but his voice was softer than he intended.
Ryan looked at him then, really looked, eyes reflecting the blurred glow of streetlights. “Maybe. But some things are worth it.”
Ethan’s chest tightened. He didn’t know if Ryan was talking about the rain or something else entirely.
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They reached a small bus shelter, empty except for a single bench. Ryan sat first, shaking his hair like a dog, and Ethan followed, sitting just close enough that their shoulders brushed.
For a while, they said nothing. The rain filled the quiet, steady and constant, like the world outside had disappeared.
“You ever think about…” Ryan started, then trailed off.
“About what?”
He hesitated, then smiled faintly. “Never mind. It’s dumb.”
Ethan turned toward him. “Tell me anyway.”
Ryan’s gaze dropped to Ethan’s hands, resting in his lap. “Just… how different things might’ve been if we’d met later. Or sooner. Or not at all.”
Ethan swallowed. “I don’t want to think about the last one.”
Ryan’s smile flickered—quick, fleeting—and then he looked away. “Yeah. Me neither.”
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When the rain finally slowed to a mist, they stood, neither saying they should go but both knowing it was time. The street glistened under the lamplight, and somewhere far off, a car horn echoed faintly.
Ryan walked Ethan to his door without comment. As Ethan fumbled with his keys, Ryan lingered a step behind.
“Night, Ethan,” he said, voice low.
Ethan looked back. “Night.”
Ryan’s gaze held his for a moment longer than necessary, then he turned and walked away into the damp, glowing quiet of the street.
Ethan stood in the doorway, watching until Ryan disappeared around the corner, the sound of rain still in his ears.
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- Writer
