Free The Storm and the Darkness by Sarah M. Cradit Page B

white, finally settled on a red and fled out the door.
    Alex thought his heart was going to beat clear out of his chest. He didn’t know what to make of what he was feeling, but this felt somehow... different than any of the other times. There was nothing in life that gave Alex a greater purpose than helping others. Sadly, all of the other women had become distant, and ungrateful, eventually beginning to resent Alex’s help.  
    In contrast, Ana never failed to thank him or appreciate him. He pictured her beautiful, relieved smile when he found her, drenched and helpless at the lighthouse. She was such a rare and unique girl, a true diamond in the rough. Part of him enjoyed how the rest of the town ignored her and, in the case of folks like Jon, were actually rude to her. It meant that he could be there for her, to make it better, and show her what it was like to have someone who truly cared.
    Alex thought that if she had ever experienced that before, she wouldn’t have come here.
    As he pulled into her driveway, he stopped and backed the car up, parking on the shoulder of Heron Hollow Road. It would be better if he could surprise her. One surprise after another. She was going to be beside herself!
    He carried the box and walked down the driveway with a skip in his step, his heart beating even faster. As he approached the large colonial, he saw her in the window and the blood rushed to his head so fast he almost dropped the box. A smile slowly began to spread across his face, but then the smile died on his lips as he saw another head in her kitchen: Finn St. Andrews.
    Alex’s eyes narrowed into even slits, and his grip on the box tightened. He could hear the foil crunching inside and it angered him further. His head was starting to throb, one of his headaches imminent. He set the box down on the side of the driveway, dinner forgotten.
    He knew he should leave, but he had to know what was going on. It was possible that Finn was being neighborly. Alex knew she couldn’t be spending any regular time with Finn, or she wouldn’t have asked about him. But then, maybe that’s why she was asking...because she wanted to know if Finn was okay for dating? No, no...Alex shook his head furiously. No; it was probably just that she had called Finn when she couldn’t reach Alex earlier about the fridge. But that didn’t make sense either, as he had talked to her not so long ago and she knew he was coming over later.
    The thoughts were darting furiously around his mind, and he put both of his hands against the side of his head, trying to crush out the pain of the headache that was growing by the second. He had to think... think !
    Alex heard sound of her laughing–a sound so beautiful it would have stopped his heart under other circumstances–and saw Ana and Finn heading toward the living room, to the front of the house. Alex crept around the side of the house, tiptoeing. As he approached the front the sounds of their voices stopped him. They were on the front porch and he could hear their words clearly.
    “So? What’s the verdict?” Finn was asking her with a note of playfulness in his voice.
    She giggled. “I’m afraid that a compliment will go straight to your head, so I have to respectfully plead the fifth.”
    “Aww, that’s just no fair! Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve cooked for a girl? How am I supposed to know how to cook for the next one?”
    “The next one?” Ana pretended to be offended. “I must have quite the effect if you’re already thinking about the next girl!”
    The pain in Alex’s head was throbbing so badly that he considered bashing his head into a rock to silence it. Finn had cooked for her. And they were flirting. Flirting .
    He couldn’t hear what they said next, but they both erupted in silly giggles and Ana said, “Meh, it was alright, I guess.” More laughter.
    “I could bring more over if you want,” Finn offered. “You’re going to need it with the storms coming