Rain was absolutely dumping down as Sienna stared at the data model on her laptop screen and
sighed.
She’d been grinding in the lab and totally lost track of time. When she finally looked up, fat raindrops were smacking against the windows like bullets.
She packed up her stuff and walked to the lab entrance, watching the downpour with zero enthusiasm. It had been sunny as hell when she left her dorm that morning – who could’ve predicted this weather disaster? She hadn’t even grabbed an umbrella.
She was debating whether to make a run for the Tube station when footsteps echoed behind her.
“Sienna?”
She turned to find Daniel standing there with a big black umbrella, his pants splattered with mud and his glasses all fogged up from the rain.
“I thought you left hours ago?” She was surprised – she’d seen him pack up his laptop around five.
Daniel wiped raindrops off his face, looking at the files in her hands. “Made it about two blocks before this started. Figured you’d be stuck here without an umbrella, so I came back.”
He held out the umbrella. “I live near your building anyway. Want a ride back?”
Looking at his soaked hair, Sienna felt this warm feeling in her chest. “Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks.”
They stepped into the storm together.
The umbrella was big, but the rain was coming down so hard they had to walk pretty close to stay dry. Sienna could feel Daniel’s shoulder bumping into hers through their jackets, this warm contact that made her weirdly aware of everything.
She could hear him breathing steadily next to her, mixing with the sound of rain, and it was somehow really peaceful. Her heart started beating faster, so she looked away, pretending to be interested in the rain–soaked bushes.
He smelled like this subtle cologne mixed with that clean after–rain smell that made her feel totally
safe.
When they got to the corner flower shop, Daniel suddenly stopped.
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Chapter 14
“Wait here a sec.” He tilted the umbrella more toward her and jogged into the bright little shop.
Sienna stood there confused, watching him disappear into the warm yellow light.
A few minutes later he came back out holding a small bunch of white roses, water droplets still clinging to the petals.
“For you.” He offered her the flowers with that gentle smile of his. “Congrats on getting published last week. I saw how excited you got when you found that journal in the library – your whole face lit up.”
Sienna took the bouquet, their fingers brushing for a second. The contact made her pull back like she’d been shocked.
The roses smelled incredible, and looking at the genuine happiness in his eyes made her cheeks warm up.
“Thank you. I honestly almost forgot about it.”
“Something that important shouldn’t be forgotten.” Daniel looked at her with these soft eyes. “Your research is really valuable work.”
They kept walking, and the silence under the umbrella wasn’t awkward anymore – it was sweet.
Meanwhile, across the courtyard, Ryan stood in the pouring rain, completely soaked.
He’d been wandering around with a printed campus map for two hours, trying to find Sienna’s dorm building.
Water streamed down his face, his shirt clinging to him, making him look desperate and pathetic.
He stared at the entrance to the girls‘ residence hall, eyes bloodshot with exhaustion and anxiety about seeing her again.
That’s when he spotted the familiar black umbrella.
Daniel was walking Sienna to her building entrance. He leaned down to brush some wind–blown hair out of her face, the gesture casual and intimate.
Sienna looked up at him, smiling softly, white roses in her hands.
The scene hit Ryan like a physical blow. His fists clenched so hard his nails cut into his palms, but he barely felt the pain.
Rain blurred his vision, but he could see perfectly clearly the way Sienna looked at Daniel with this
–
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Tram Dan P…
Chapter 14
soft trust he’d never seen before.
His breathing got ragged, and he couldn’t take it anymore. Ryan burst out of the shadows, his voice
raw as he yelled:
“Sienna!”
