Chapter Twenty — Storms Outside and Inside
(Inara's pov)
The morning had already started gray, the kind of heavy drizzle that soaked everything in seconds.
I stood in front of my mirror, tugging at the hem of my navy blue raincoat and glancing at the rest of my outfit.
Underneath, I'd chosen a soft cream sweater tucked into dark jeans, boots that could handle slippery streets, and my backpack slung over one shoulder. The silver quill necklace glinted in the lamplight, and I brushed my fingers over it absently, my heart already feeling heavier than usual.
Rain streaked against the window, hammering in relentless sheets. I peered out, worried. "Elias, please," I whispered under my breath. "Please don't come. We don't have to go. It's too dangerous."
The phone buzzed in my hand. He'd called early, like always. I answered, voice tight.
"Hey," he said, grinning despite the rain I could almost hear pounding in the background. "Are you ready for our… adventure?"
"I'm not kidding, Elias. The streets are flooded, the roads are slick. We don't have to go," I insisted, voice shaking slightly.
He chuckled softly. "Inara… I know you're worried. But I'm already on my way. I can't stay home. I need to see you."
I huffed, heart hammering. "Please just… think about it. I don't want anything bad to happen."
There was a pause on the line, then his voice softened, a rare seriousness in his tone. "Inara… I love you. If I… if I don't make it… promise me you'll finish your story. And wear that necklace always. Okay?"
My stomach dropped. My hands trembled. "Elias… don't talk like that," I whispered, panic bubbling in my chest.
"I'm serious," he said gently. "I love you… always. Go on without me if you have to."
The line went silent for a heartbeat — then, through the pounding rain outside, I heard it: sirens. Ambulance sirens. Closer than they should have been.
"No," I whispered. "No, no, no!"
I ran to the window, pulling back the curtain. The rain had turned the streets into rivers, and headlights cut through the gray like knives. My heart pounded so loudly I thought it would break my chest.
I grabbed my coat, backpack, and the necklace around my neck, fingers clutching the silver quill as if it could somehow keep him safe.
My boots splashed through puddles as I ran to the car, but it wasn't safe — the memory of his voice, telling me to finish the story alone, replayed in my mind.
By the time I reached the hospital, the rain had soaked me through. My hands trembled as I ran past the sliding doors, tears mixing with raindrops on my cheeks.
"Where is he?!" I screamed at the front desk, voice cracking. "Elias Rowan — he was in a car accident! He… he called me!"
The nurse's eyes widened, and a doctor came quickly, ushering me into a small waiting room. "Miss Solace, we need you to sit down," he said gently. "We're doing everything we can."
Sitting felt impossible. My heart was twisting, my chest tight, my breaths uneven. I clutched the necklace, staring at it like it was a lifeline, my mind spinning through every laugh, every late-night writing session, every soft "I love you."
Sirens wailed outside. The rain hammered the windows. And for the first time in my life, I felt truly, unbearably powerless.
"I love you…" I whispered to the empty room. "I love you… please be okay…"
Every second stretched into eternity. My fingers were numb around the quill charm. My knees felt like they would buckle. Every heartbeat screamed with fear, and I couldn't imagine a world without him.
End of Chapter Twenty