The first knock was so faint, the storm outside almost drowned out the sound.
Then another. Louder, more confident.
I yanked the door open, expecting to see my father. Probably here to nag me about how shitty a job I was doing running Chicago.
So when Ariella stood there, drowning in her oversized black pajamas, my first instinct was to jump back.
She flinched, too. For a second, we stood like that, staring at each other as if we were mutants, wearing matching pajamas.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. I just... it was raining and I..." She trailed off, whimpering.
She stood barefoot against the cold tiles, shaking. God, I was such a d**k. How the f**k did it not occur to me that storms could trigger her?
"Hey, it's ok." Another round of thunder caused her to shrink back. My
