The Storm between Us

Chapter 15

Amber stared at the screen of her phone, her thumb hovering over the confirmation button.

Reschedule appointment?

She sighed.

"Yes," she whispered to herself.

She pressed it.

A second later, the confirmation appeared.

Your driving test has been rescheduled.

Amber leaned back in her chair and released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

There.

It was done.

She glanced around the staff office before slipping her phone into the pocket of her scrub pants. The building was unusually lively that afternoon. Music floated through the hallways, clients were laughing, and every few minutes, another staff member walked past carrying a box of supplies.

Today was face-painting day.

The small event had been planned for the clients as a way to get everyone out of their usual routines. Tables had been pushed against the walls, colorful balloons decorated the common area, and a folding table had been covered with face-painting supplies.

Amber had been skeptical when she'd first heard about it.

She wasn't exactly the face-painting type.

But seeing the clients' excitement made her smile.

"Amber!"

She turned.

Lindsey stood a few feet away, holding a small mirror in one hand.

"Look!"

Amber smiled immediately.

Lindsey had gotten a bright purple butterfly painted across one cheek, with tiny silver dots around it.

"Oh my goodness," Amber said. "That is so pretty."

"You like it?"

"I love it."

Lindsey smiled proudly and turned toward another staff member.

"Look at mine!"

Amber laughed quietly.

For the next couple of hours, the house felt completely different.

There were butterflies, flowers, stars, hearts, and even a few superheroes painted across faces. One of the clients wanted a tiger, another wanted a rainbow, and Lindsey eventually convinced Amber to let her choose something for her.

Amber sat down reluctantly.

"Don't make me look crazy," she warned.

Lindsey giggled.

"I won't."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Amber closed her eyes.

She felt the cool brush glide across her cheek.

"Okay," Lindsey said after a few minutes. "Done!"

Amber opened her eyes and looked into the mirror.

A small, delicate flower had been painted beside her eye.

She smiled.

"Okay...you actually did good."

"I told you!"

Amber laughed.

For a little while, she forgot about everything.

The messages.

The driving test.

Her ex.

The anxiety that seemed to follow her everywhere.

She just enjoyed the afternoon.

Then her phone vibrated.

She pulled it from her pocket.

KJ.

Her heart gave a small, involuntary flutter.

She opened the message.

KJ: I'm taking you home today.

Amber blinked. She typed back.

Amber: Excuse me?

The three dots appeared almost immediately.

KJ: You heard me.

She shook her head and laugh.

Amber: Why are you taking me home?

His response came a few seconds later.

KJ: Because I said so.

Amber stared at the screen.

She couldn't help smiling.

Amber: You're annoying.

KJ: And you still smiling.

Her smile disappeared.

She looked around as if somebody might have seen through her phone.

How did he always know?

She typed nothing back.

His next message came.

KJ: Be ready when you get off.

Amber rolled her eyes.

"Bossy."

"Who you talking to?"

Amber nearly dropped her phone.

She looked up to see one of her coworkers staring at her.

"Nobody."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Nobody got you smiling at your phone like that?"

Amber immediately shook her head.

"No."

"Mhm."

Amber slipped her phone into her pocket.

"Go worry about somebody else."

Her coworker laughed and walked away.

Amber tried to focus on the event again, but her mind kept drifting.

KJ was picking her up.

Again.

She didn't know why the thought made her so nervous. Maybe because every time she was around him, she felt like she was stepping outside the version of herself she'd worked so hard to become.

⸻

By the time Amber's shift ended, the sun was beginning to lower behind the trees.

She stepped outside with her bag hanging from her shoulder and immediately spotted KJ's car.

She stopped.

The familiar dark tinted vehicle was parked near the curb, music faintly leaking through the windows.

KJ was sitting behind the wheel, one arm resting casually against the door.

When he saw her, his eyes followed her as she approached.

Amber opened the passenger door.

"You actually came."

KJ looked at her.

"I told you I was coming."

"I thought you were joking because your mom doesn't work today."

"I don't joke about picking you up."

Amber climbed inside.

The first thing she noticed was the familiar scent.

Cologne.

A faint trace of smoke.

And something about the clean leather interior that reminded her of the last time they'd been together.

She buckled her seat belt.

KJ glanced at her face.

"What happened to your face?"

Amber touched her cheek.

"Face-painting day."

He stared for a second.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

"What they paint?"

"A flower."

"Let me see."

Amber turned her face toward him.

KJ leaned slightly closer.

His eyes moved over the small painted flower beside her eye.

"That actually look good."

She smiled.

"You sound surprised."

"I am."

Amber lightly smacked his arm.

"Shut up."

KJ laughed.

He pulled away from the curb.

The drive was quiet at first.

Music played through the speakers, low enough that they could still hear each other.

Amber recognized the song.

She looked toward him.

"You like this song?"

KJ glanced at her.

"Yeah."

"I wouldn't have guessed that."

"What you thought I listened to?"

"I don't know."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead."

Amber laughed.

"Probably something loud."

"Something loud?"

"Yeah."

"That's all you got?"

She shrugged.

"Maybe rap."

He smirked.

"I listen to everything."

"You?"

"Yeah, me."

Amber looked at him skeptically.

"You don't seem like somebody who listens to everything."

KJ laughed.

"You don't know me like that."

Amber turned toward the window, hiding her smile.

Maybe she didn't. But she wanted to.

That thought surprised her. She immediately pushed it away.

⸻

When they reached her neighborhood, Amber expected KJ to pull up in front of her house and leave.

Instead, he parked in her driveway.

She looked at him.

"You're not leaving?"

KJ turned the music down.

"I ain't say I was."

Amber looked at the clock on the dashboard.

"I thought you were just dropping me off."

"I changed my mind."

"About what?"

"Leaving."

She shook her head.

"You're weird."

"And you still sitting here."

Amber smiled.

Neither of them moved.

The engine was off now, leaving only the soft ticking of the cooling car and the music playing quietly through the speakers.

Amber rested her head against the seat.

"This song is good."

KJ nodded.

"You like it?"

"Yeah."

He turned it up slightly.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Amber watched the sunset through the windshield. The sky had turned shades of orange and pink, casting a warm glow across the neighborhood.

Then she noticed KJ looking at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're staring."

"Can't I look at you?"

Amber's cheeks warmed.

"You can, but..."

"But what?"

She looked away.

"Nothing."

KJ smiled.

Amber could feel his eyes still on her.

She didn't understand what he saw when he looked at her.

She wasn't dressed up.

She still had her work clothes on, her hair wasn't perfect, and there was a tiny flower painted beside her eye.

Yet the way he looked at her made her feel beautiful.

Not in the way compliments usually did.

It was different.

His eyes lingered.

Like he was studying her.

Like he actually liked what he saw.

"You look tired," he finally said.

Amber laughed softly.

"That ruined the moment."

KJ laughed.

"I wasn't trying to."

"I know."

"You been working hard."

"Yeah."

"How was today?"

Amber told him about the event.

She talked about Lindsey's butterfly, the clients arguing over colors, and the flower that had been painted on her cheek.

KJ listened.

Really listened.

He didn't interrupt.

He didn't look at his phone.

He just sat there with his arm resting against the steering wheel, occasionally smiling when she told him something funny.

Amber found herself admiring little things about him.

The way his fingers tapped against the wheel when the music changed.

The slight curve of his smile.

The way his voice became softer when he wasn't trying to act tough.

She caught herself staring.

KJ noticed.

"What?"

Amber immediately looked away.

"Nothing."

He smiled.

"Now you looking at me."

"I wasn't."

"You was."

"Okay, maybe I was."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What you thinking?"

Amber hesitated.

She could've lied.

Instead, she shrugged.

"I was just thinking you're different than I thought you were."

KJ looked at her.

"How?"

"I don't know yet."

He nodded slowly.

"Fair enough."

Amber looked down at her hands.

"You're not easy to figure out."

"Neither are you."

She looked up.

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"I think I'm pretty easy."

"Nah."

He shook his head.

"You just quiet. That's different."

Amber didn't respond.

Because he was right.

She was quiet because there were things about herself she didn't know how to explain.

Things she'd survived.

Things she was still trying to understand.

KJ seemed to sense the shift in her mood.

"You good?"

Amber nodded.

"Yeah."

He studied her for another moment.

"Don't lie to me."

She looked at him.

"I said I'm good."

He didn't push.

Instead, he reached over and turned the music up.

Amber smiled.

They sat in the driveway like that for another hour.

Talking about random things.

Music.

Food.

Cars.

Places they wanted to visit.

Things they hated.

Things they secretly liked.

Sometimes the conversation went quiet, but neither of them seemed uncomfortable with the silence.

Amber eventually looked at the time.

"I should go inside."

KJ nodded.

"Yeah."

Neither moved.

Amber laughed softly.

"You said yeah, but you're still sitting here."

"So are you."

She shook her head.

"You're something else."

KJ smiled.

"See you tomorrow?"

Amber looked at him.

She knew she should've just said yes.

Instead, she smiled.

"Maybe."

KJ raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe?"

"Maybe."

He leaned back in his seat.

"Aight."

Amber opened the door.

Before she stepped out, she looked back at him.

"Thank you for taking me home."

KJ's expression softened.

"Anytime."

Amber closed the door and walked toward her house.

She didn't turn around.

At least, she tried not to.

But before she reached the front door, she glanced over her shoulder.

KJ was still sitting in the driveway.

Watching her.

And for reasons Amber couldn't explain, she smiled.

She touched the little flower painted beside her eye.

Then she walked inside, carrying a feeling she wasn't quite ready to name.