Silently Falling

Chapter Twenty Three (Edited 10/27/2020)

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10/27/2020 - Went ahead and gave y'all another quick edit! Please don't be afraid to comment, comment, comment!

Silently Falling: Chapter Twenty Three

The car ride was fairly silent. The only time West spoke was to ask me if I was cold. I nodded off and fell into a light sleep for the last hour, but when West hit the familiar bump that tells me we've turned onto my street so I yawn and sit up slightly. Thankfully it's not raining here, but I can tell from the dark clouds that the storm followed us home and it may start raining soon.

I see Toby's truck in the driveway and I cringe when I realize I never texted him where I was headed. But, I hope he at least remembers what today is and put two and two together. 

"You going to be okay, Sunshine?" West asks as he shuts his Jeep off and looks at me.

I take a deep breath as I stare up at my house and force myself to nod. We get out of West's Jeep and he walks me to the front door. Both of our clothes are still soaked and it's causing me to shiver like crazy. When we walk up the front steps, I pause and turn to him before heading inside.

"Thank you again, West. For being there for me. I know it may have been a lot...to see me like that." 

I suddenly look away from him as I realize that he really did witness me completely break down. But West steps closer to me and takes my hand in his, causing me to look at him.

"Don't look embarrassed, Sunshine. You have no reason to be," he says seriously. "Sometimes we have to let it all out."

Not knowing what to say in response, I choose to wrap my arms around his torso and hug him. He doesn't hesitate at all and hugs me back, cradling my head that's tucked into his shoulder. The heartache that today brings is still there, but snuggled into his warmth allows me to escape the worst of it. 

When we pull apart West stares down at me with soft, unreadable eyes. He tucks some of my damp hair behind my ear, causing my pulse to quicken from his soft touch, and rests his hand on my cheek. My heart pounds harder while he looks at me before my eyes flutter shut as he leans in and softly kisses my forehead. His warm lips graze my skin as he lightly presses them against my forehead, letting them linger for a few seconds. 

When he pulls back I open my eyes to see his small smile, and his hand falls back down to his side. I'm too shocked to move or sign anything in response, but my body is on fire with the lasting feeling of his lips against my skin. After a few silent moments, West takes a step back and puts his hands in his pockets as his smile melts into a small, playful smirk. 

"Forehead is a little hot, you should get inside and into some warm clothes to make sure you really don't catch a cold."

Then he starts down the front porch steps and to his Jeep, sending me one more smile.

"I'll see you at school, Sunshine," he calls just before shutting the door and driving off. 

With flushed cheeks, I gently lift my hand to my forehead and graze my fingers across his kiss. But before I have time to even think about it, the front door swings open and I turn to see a very disheveled Toby with wide, frantic eyes.

"Raine! Oh my God, where have you been? I've been trying to call you."  

My brows knit together as I stare at him, waiting for him to understand what today is. What it means to me. Where it took me. But when that realization never reaches his eyes, I brush past him to go inside as I sign.