Classes had ended an hour ago but he wasn't here, he told her he would be here but he wasn't. It's not like she expected a lot from him but it still stung in a very discomforting manner.
"I told you didn't I" the voice sneered, "this is what you get for not listening to me"
Jenna felt stumped, like she had the carpet pulled out from under her feet, she felt stupid, she felt like an idiot for having hope just because someone showed her the smallest drop of kindness.
"They are all the same" the voice hissed, "this is what you get for not listening to me"
The once clear sky began to transform as ominous gray clouds gathered overhead, casting a shadow over the landscape. The air grew heavy with anticipation, and a subtle chill crept through the atmosphere.
It was obvious it was going to rain and it only made Jenna more frustrated and dejected, she knew deep down that he wasn't going to come. Why would he come when there was obviously better girls out there with less problems than her, he didn't even need to know her baggage to know that she was trouble, Jenna was sure of it.
A gentle, cool breeze rustled through the trees, and the first raindrops fell, turning into a steady, rhythmic patter on the ground.
Jenna stood for a second, the world seemed to hush, as if nature itself was holding its breath before the impending downpour, the rain droplets were ice cold on her skin and they sent shivers down her spine and made her toes curl.
She was grateful for the rain, it hid her tears. Jenna wasn't the easily trusting type, she knew it was foolish to trust people because all they were capable of was lying, yet here she was, standing in the rain because she decided to let her guard down and trust a man.
She wiped at her eyes furiously, despite the rain she could feel the hot tears gathering in her eyes.
As the rain poured down, drenching everything in its path, Jenna's figure emerged in the midst of the storm, shrouded in a soggy dark attire, moved with a frantic yet graceful determination.
Raindrops clung to her disheveled hair, mingling with tears that streamed down her face. Her eyes clouded with the ever-present sorrow glistened with the mingling of rain and tears.
Each step Jenna took sent water splashing in every direction, creating a chaotic symphony of droplets and sobs. The rain plastered her clothes to her body, accentuating the skinniness of her figure.
Her breath came in heavy gasps, her shoulders trembled with the weight of despair building in her heart. The world around Jenna blurred as she ran, the raindrops obscuring her vision, mirroring the tears falling from her eyes.
Each stride was a desperate attempt to outrun the pain and the feeling of foolishness for believing in a mere stranger, but it clung to her like a relentless shadow.
*
Amid the torrential downpour, Adam's agony was etched into every aspect of his being as he frantically sprinted through the wet streets. Raindrops clung to his disheveled dark hair and cascaded down his face.
With each stride, his drenched clothes clung to his body, as if trying to restrain the anguish that had taken hold of him. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps, and his chest heaved with the weight of his despair. The rain-soaked streets reflected his shattered hopes of seeing Jenna again, as the puddles rippled in his wake.
The rain, usually a source of cleansing, now felt like a relentless deluge of sorrow. He called out Jenna's name through the rain, his voice strained and desperate, but the only response was the relentless patter of raindrops.
Adam dreaded every extra minute he had spent in that meeting, he knew the meeting was important but his mind with Jenna whom he knew was waiting for him, he wanted to leave the meeting and run to her but he had responsibilities, now as he tore through the roads of the campus he felt defeated.
She was nowhere in sight, she would have been foolish to still be waiting for him under the rain, and after spending the evening with her the previous day, he knew that she wasn't the type to wait.
Adam turned at the corner and stopped in his tracks, Adam's eyes fell upon Jenna limping through the unforgiving rain, a tumult of emotions flooded his being, the most prominent one being guilt.
Concern etched lines of worry across his face as he watched her struggle. Raindrops seemed to fall un slow motion, capturing the pain in her movement as she struggled to move.
Adam's heart clenched in his chest, as if it were echoing the pain Jenna must have been feeling. A potent mix of empathy, love and fear surged through him, each emotion competing for dominance. His breath quickened, matching the rhythm of Jenna's limping steps.
"Jenna" Adam called out, her body stopped slowly before she continued limping.
Adam didn't know if she heard him, he started running towards her, determination acting as fuel and making him run faster than he had before.
"Jenna!" he called again, she turned around slowly and the look in her eyes scared him. There was a reason she reminded him of a stray cat, her eyes reminded him of a stray cat filled with distrust and anger. If looks could kill, Adam would have been long dead.
*
Jenna heard her name, she stopped, unsure of whether it was truly her being called. Her heat rate quickened with hope that it was indeed Adam.
"So if it is truly him what are you going to do?" the voice asked, "crawl back into his arms with no sense of shame?"
Jenna winced at how loud and angry the voice sounded, it was mad and rightfully so. She was being stupid, even if it were him, what he did was inexcusable. He had kept her waiting with no communication whatsoever.
Jenna heard her name once more, this time it was clearer and more distinct. She knew without a doubt it was Adam calling out to her. Her eyes began to water again.
Jenna turned slowly, a crestfallen expression on her face. She wanted to speak but her voice felt trapped in her throat and she couldn't make a sound, before she could blink Jenna felt her expression shift from crestfallen to angry.
She didn't mean to, she wasn't even angry, she was just slightly disappointed that he had kept her waiting but she wasn't in control anymore. Right now, she was her shadow, and her shadow had taken complete control of her and was pulling the strings.