Since 1998

Chapter 12

"What now?"

Upstairs, the house felt too hollow. Outside, the storm had turned the windows into black smears, blurring the trees until they looked like jagged shadows clawing at the glass.

Devin watched the rain. Six years. They hadn't been alone this long since the world broke apart. The realization hit him. No exits, no interruptions, just them. It was terrifying. But for the first time in half a decade, it felt like a beginning.

They sat down like two people guarding a border. Devin slumped onto one couch; Allison claimed the other. She was far enough away to be safe.

"Well, we’re stuck," Devin said, his voice coming out rougher than he intended. "I can’t drive you back in this. Your parents are probably losing it." He snapped his fingers, desperate for a distraction. "The landline. We should call."

"No. Please don't." Allison’s face fell.

"Why? You aren't worried?"

"Of course I am. But if they hear me, they’ll try to come get me. I’m not letting them die in a ditch trying to be heroes in a hurricane."

Devin’s shoulders dropped. He let out a long breath. "You're right. Sorry."

"Don’t be." She looked him right in the eye, and for a second, the house stopped shaking. "We’ll survive tonight. And whatever comes tomorrow. Promise."

Devin managed a thin smile. "Okay. You got me, Lisa."

The name acted like a reset button. A memory of yesterday. The tension snapped, and they both let out a laugh that actually felt real.

"I’m so embarrassed," Allison groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is all Anna’s fault."

"She’s a little psycho, you know that?" Devin teased.

"Hey! She’s a genius," Allison defended, peeking through her fingers. "Give her some credit for the hustle."

"I can't. She ruined my sleep for a week with that stupid plan."

"It was my idea," Allison admitted softly, her hands dropping. "I just... used her tactics."

They shared a look—the kind where you don’t need words to count the years. They were different people now, harder and older, but the girl from the sandcastle was still there, right under the surface.

"The funniest thing is how fast Sam fell for it," Devin said, shaking his head. "I've never seen him like this."

"I know Anna," Allison smiled. "She likes the adrenaline. The gangster types. She’s pure chaos, but she’s real."

"Poor Sam," Devin joked. He looked at her a second too long, his gaze dropping to her lips before he caught himself. "He’s gone. Totally invested."

"Funny how things work out," Allison mused, turning back to the window. "But who really knows what's next?"

"Yeah," Devin whispered. "Who knows?"

The silence wasn't awkward anymore—it was heavy, like the air before a lightning strike.

Miles away, Sam's phone buzzed against his nightstand for the tenth time. When Anna finally picked up, her voice was a wreck.

"Baby... talk to me. How is it?"

"She isn't back," she whispered. "Devin found her, I think, but she isn't home."

"Are you crying, baby?"

"I'm just... what if something happens to her?"

"Stop," Sam cut her off, his voice firm. "Trust me on this. Devin knows her better than he knows himself. She's his whole world. He won't let a drop of rain touch her. He won't."

Anna curled into a ball on her bed. She didn't care if the Ainsleys disowned her. She'd take the hit, as long as Allison walked through the door in one piece.

The Morning After

The sun came up over a mess. The coast was a graveyard of snapped pines and shattered windows, but the glasshouse stood in the middle of it all, untouched. Not a single scratch.

When Allison and Devin finally reached the Ainsley mansion, the air inside was already charged. The phone was ringing at the exact same time the gate bell buzzed. Alex Ainsley grabbed the receiver, his face tightening.

"Mrs. Hollingsworth? I wasn't expecting you this early."

"We're not coming, Alex," the voice crackled through the line. "My son heard about your daughter's imprudence. Running off with a boy like that... it's a stain we can't afford."

"What? Imprudence?" Alex bellowed.

"Relax, Alex. Rumors move fast. The arrangement is over."

Across the room, Daniel leaned against the wall, listening to the muffled shouting. For the first time in years, the weight on his shoulders just... evaporated. He didn't just feel relieved; he felt victorious.

Finally free. f**k that engagement. I'm going to travel the world alone.

Alex slammed the phone down. At that exact second, the front doors creaked open.

Devin and Allison stepped inside.

Gun clicks.