When The Rain Paused

"How's the place?" my mother asked, her eyes scanning every corner of the place I had just purchased a few days ago using my savings. She looked like a detective on a mission, searching for clues. I smiled inwardly, enjoying her thorough inspection. "It's great, Mom. I love it here," I replied casually, busying myself with arranging books on the shelves, each one finding its place among the others. "That's wonderful! So, are you thinking about moving out soon?" Her concern was evident in her voice. "You could stay a few more days at home, you know, until you get everything settled here," she added hesitantly. I walked over to where she stood, knowing she didn't want me to leave yet. I was the only girl, the youngest among five siblings, and her worries about my safety were understandable. But I needed this independence, to live on my own terms. "Mom, I appreciate your concern, but please let me have this. It was my birthday wish, remember?" I insisted gently. "And besides, I'm 20 now," I added with a reassuring smile. She sighed in defeat, "You'll always be my baby, darling. I just worry about..." Her sentence trailed off. I hugged her tightly, cutting her off gently. "I'll be fine, Mom. I've learned self-defense from Lance, remember? I'm not defenseless," I said proudly, though she chuckled as if I were telling a joke. "It's true, Mom. Ask Lance. He taught me well," I insisted, smiling at the memory. "Yes, yes, darling. Alright," she finally relented. "I'll visit you every Saturday, okay?" "Okay, see you then!" I said, guiding her towards the door. "And don't worry, I'll visit home too. You won't miss me too much," I teased gently. "Alright, baby. I'll miss you," she said, getting into her car. She waved goodbye, and I waved back, smiling to myself. Now that Mom was gone, I turned my attention back to the place. "Where should I start first?" I muttered to myself. This place is a two story building, I plan to make the first floor a bookstore and the second floor for myself. Deciding I needed help, I called my friend Merida. She was ecstatic about my new place, always ready to lend a hand. "Hey! Guess who's here!" Merida's voice echoed through the place as she burst through the door. "Hey! Help me with this!" I called from the second floor, where I was still painting walls. I heard her footsteps approaching. "Lia! Look who I brought!" Merida exclaimed, and as I turned around, there he was Ryan "Hi," I managed, feeling slightly flustered. Merida giggled beside him, clearly enjoying the moment. I couldn't believe Merida had brought Ryan of all people here. The place was a mess, far from finished. This was not how I wanted to see him. "Um, hi? Merida said you needed some help? Can I?" Ryan asked, looking somewhat awkward. "If Merida dragged you into this, you don't have to," I replied curtly. "No, I offered," he clarified, stepping closer. "If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't have come." "Fine," I relented, handing him some tools. "Just stay there, and I'll show you what needs to be done." Merida laughed at my obvious discomfort. I rolled my eyes at her, annoyed yet thankful for her help. Once Ryan was occupied, I pulled Merida aside. "Why did you bring Ryan?" I asked incredulously. "You know he's... complicated for me." "He insisted," she explained quickly. "We ran into each other at the store when you called. He overheard our conversation and insisted on helping. That's why I brought him." I sighed, realizing Ryan probably had some ulterior motive for coming here today. "Well, he won't succeed in annoying me," I muttered to myself. "Hey, Lia, I'm done with this part. What's next?" Ryan interrupted, looking at me expectantly. I sighed inwardly. "Let's move on to the next room," I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. "That's the spirit!" Ryan exclaimed, looking oddly pleased with himself. I rolled my eyes, muttering under my breath, "I wanted to punch this monkey" "That's animal a***e, you know?" Ryan teased lightly. "What?" I blinked, surprised that I had spoken aloud. "You wanted to punch my face?" he asked, amused. Merida burst into laughter, making the situation even more awkward. I covered my face in embarrassment. "She didn't mean that," Merida chimed in, trying to diffuse the tension. "She's just... talking to herself." I shot Merida a desperate look, silently begging her to stop making things worse. She only laughed harder, leaving me to deal with the embarrassment on my own. With a flushed face, I made an excuse and fled outside for some fresh air. I couldn't bear to have Ryan see me like this nervous and flustered. Outside, I heard Merida calling my name several times, followed by Ryan. Ignoring them both, I slipped into the bathroom to compose myself, splashing cold water on my face in an attempt to calm down. "Why did I have to say that out loud?" I muttered to myself, feeling utterly mortified I looked at my reflection in the mirror, face red, hair a mess, paint on my cheek, and eyes wide from embarrassment. Great. Just great. Of all the times to have a verbal slip, it had to be in front of Ryan. I groaned and leaned on the sink. “Pull it together, Lia. It’s just Ryan. Your enemy-crush. The guy you want to strangle and slow dance with. Nothing unusual,” I muttered sarcastically. A soft knock echoed on the bathroom door. I froze. “Lia?” Ryan’s voice. I nearly tripped from the panic. I cleared my throat, trying to sound calm. “Y-Yeah?” “Uh... you okay?” he asked. His voice wasn’t teasing now. It was softer, almost… concerned? I hesitated. “Yes. Just... freshening up.” A pause. “Okay. Just… take your time.” Silence again. Then his footsteps faded. I let out a long breath and shook my head. What is happening to me? After a few more deep breaths, I dried my face and fixed my hair a little, smudging away the paint on my cheek. I stared at myself once more. “You got this,” I whispered, then opened the door. The moment I stepped out, Merida was waiting like a fox who’d just found gossip gold. “So?” she asked with a grin. “So what?” I played dumb. “Don’t ‘so what’ me. You like him,” she sing-songed. “I do not. He’s my enemy,” I replied, brushing past her and walking toward the room where Ryan had resumed painting. “Enemy crush,” she corrected smugly, following me When I stepped into the room, Ryan was standing on a chair, stretching his arm to paint the top corner of the wall. The sunlight from the window hit him just right, outlining his figure like he belonged on a movie poster. Ugh. Even the universe was not on my side. “Hey,” he said when he noticed me. “Sorry if I made things awkward earlier.” Wait.... what? “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop or anything,” he continued, hopping off the chair. “I just wanted to help out. That’s all.” “Oh,” I said, caught off guard by his sincerity. “Well... thanks.” He smiled. “You’ve got a nice place. It has that… ‘you’ vibe.” “What does that even mean?” I raised an eyebrow, suspicious. “I don’t know. Organized chaos?” he teased. I laughed despite myself. “That’s not a compliment, Ryan.” “Didn’t say it wasn’t,” he shrugged. I turned away before he could see me smiling. We ended up working in an oddly comfortable silence for the next hour. Merida played music on her phone—some indie playlist she claimed was “perfect for painting moments with emotional tension.” I ignored her not-so-subtle hints. As we were wrapping up the last section of the wall, Ryan accidentally brushed my arm with his. “Oops, sorry,” he said quickly. I nodded, pretending I didn’t feel that little jolt of electricity. What was this, a rom-com? Merida clapped her hands suddenly. “Guys! Break time!” We all flopped down on the floor, exhausted. Paint cans surrounded us, and the faint scent of fresh paint mixed with the warm breeze coming from the open window. “So, Ryan,” Merida began, mischief in her tone, “why did you really insist on coming here?” He looked at her, then at me. And then, he shrugged, smiling a bit. “Maybe I just wanted to see how tough your best friend really is.” My heart skipped. Was he… teasing? Or being serious? “You mean how messy she gets when painting?” Merida grinned. “Hey!” I said, throwing a crumpled tissue at her. Ryan chuckled. “Nah. She’s tough. Just... doesn’t hide it well when she’s flustered.” I stared at him. He looked right at me when he said that. I was about to respond, probably with something sarcastic when Merida’s phone buzzed. “Oh no,” she said, reading a message. “I forgot I promised Mom I’d help her with something today. I have to go!” She stood up quickly and grabbed her bag. “But don’t worry, Ryan’s here. He can help you finish the rest.” My eyes widened. “Merida—!” “Bye!” she sang, already halfway out the door. Now it was just me and Ryan. Alone. I stood up awkwardly. “You really don’t have to stay.” “I know,” he said casually, stretching his arms. “But I want to.” I blinked. He gave me a grin and headed toward the next box of books. “Come on, boss. Show me where these go.” I hesitated. Then followed. And just like that, the tension began to shift. There was still awkwardness, sure. But underneath that was something else. A quiet, budding something.