The love we never planned

Amara hated rainy mornings. Not because she disliked rain itself, but because rain had a way of making everything feel different. The streets looked unfamiliar beneath the grey sky. People hurried past with their heads lowered, hiding beneath umbrellas. Cars moved slowly, their headlights cutting through the mist. And somehow, every rainy morning made Amara feel like something was about to happen. She just never knew what. She stood beneath the narrow roof of a closed shop, staring at her phone. 8:17 a.m. “I'm finished,” she muttered. Her first lecture started at eight. Her phone battery was at three percent. She had forgotten her umbrella. And to make matters worse, the rain seemed to be getting heavier. Amara sighed and hugged her bag against her chest. “Perfect.” A sudden splash made her jump. Someone had run through a puddle and stopped directly beside her. He was soaked. His black shirt was covered in rain, his hair dripping, and he was breathing like he'd just run several streets. Amara stared. The stranger looked at her. For a second, neither of them spoke. Then he smiled. “Morning.” Amara raised an eyebrow. “You're blocking the only dry part of this place.” He glanced behind him. “Oh.” He moved aside. “Better?” “Much.” He laughed quietly. Amara looked away. She didn't know why, but there was something strangely familiar about him. Maybe it was his eyes. Maybe it was his voice. Or maybe she was simply imagining things. “You don't have an umbrella either,” he said. She looked at him. “No.” “Bad planning.” “You're soaking wet.” “Also bad planning.” She almost smiled. “You're going to get sick.” “Probably.” “Then why are you smiling?” He shrugged. “I smile when things get bad.” “That doesn't make sense.” “Neither does standing in the rain without an umbrella.” Amara looked at the rain. Then at him. “Fair point.” He smiled again. “I'm Daniel.” “Amara.” “Nice to meet you.” “You too.” There was a pause. Then Daniel looked over his shoulder. His smile disappeared. Amara followed his gaze. A black car was moving slowly down the road. It passed the shop. Daniel immediately turned his face away. His entire body became tense. Amara frowned. “You know that car?” “No.” The answer came too quickly. She looked at him. “You're lying.” Daniel smiled faintly. “You're very observant.” “It's not difficult.” The black car stopped at the traffic light. Daniel watched it from the corner of his eye. The light turned green. The car drove away. Only then did Daniel relax. Amara noticed. “Who are you running from?” He looked at her. “No one.” “You're a terrible liar.” “And you're very curious.” “Maybe.” A bus appeared at the end of the road. Amara stepped forward. Daniel suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Wait.” She looked down at his hand. He released her immediately. “Sorry.” “What?” He looked toward the bus. “Don't get on that one.” “Why?” “I don't know.” Amara stared at him. “You don't know?” “I just have a bad feeling.” She laughed nervously. “That's not exactly reassuring.” The bus stopped. People began getting on. Daniel looked at her. “Please.” Something in his voice made her hesitate. But she was already late. “I'll be fine.” She climbed onto the bus. Before the doors closed, she looked back. Daniel was still standing beneath the shop roof. Watching her. She couldn't explain why, but a strange feeling settled in her chest. Like she had seen him before. Like she knew him. The bus pulled away. Daniel's phone began ringing. He looked at the screen. His face went completely pale. He answered. “Hello?” Silence. Then his expression changed. He whispered: “I thought you were dead.”