Hyacinth woke up to the sound of the heavy rain tapping against her window. A dull headache throbbed at her temples, and her eyes fluttered open to the grey morning sky. The warmth of her blanket enveloped her, but it couldn't erase the discomfort of the night that had just passed. Her sleep had been restless, filled with flashes of thoughts that made little sense. Fleeting images of an attraction she couldn't yet understand, combined with the constant pressure of her daily life.
She groaned, rubbing her temples as she pulled herself from the bed. The usual start to the day was as far from peaceful as it could get, and today wasn't any different.
After stepping into her slippers and adjusting her robe, she headed to the kitchen, only to find the mess from last night still there. A cold cup of tea sat abandoned on the counter, and the remains of dinner lay scattered. She sighed, cleaning up half-heartedly, the motions automatic as her mind wandered.
Her gaze moved toward the small window above the sink. The compound outside, a jumble of old houses, seemed unusually quiet. The house she lived in, a small but cozy one-bedroom, shared a wall with her landlord's house. It wasn't a bad arrangement at first, but the uneasy tension between them had been building for some time now, each passing day inching closer to an inevitable shift in the air.
Her thoughts drifted to her landlord's niece, Lana, who had been staying at the house for the past few weeks. Hyacinth's feelings toward Lana had always been confusing, a quiet hum in her chest whenever the younger woman walked past. There was something about Lana, something soft yet intense, that called to Hyacinth in a way she couldn't explain. The moments they'd shared, the fleeting glances, were just that—fleeting. But they lingered longer than they should have, leaving her with a strange pull in her gut whenever Lana was near.
She recalled the first day Lana arrived, and the inexplicable internal excitement she had felt. She wondered what her business there was, until she realized she was related to the landlord. There was just something about her that made Hyacinth feel drawn to her…
Shaking her head, she turned back to the mess in the kitchen.
Focus!
She told herself. But the thoughts of Lana wouldn't be so easily pushed aside.
The sound of footsteps outside interrupted her train of thought. She froze, her heart picking up speed as she instinctively knew who it was. Lana was out there, just on the other side of the wall. Hyacinth's pulse quickened, and she cursed herself for being so affected by someone she barely knew.
The doorbell rang, snapping her from her reverie. She hesitated, then made her way toward the door, only to find Lana standing there with a casual smile, drenched from the rain. The dark clouds overhead threatened to bring more.
"Morning," she greeted her, shaking the water from her umbrella. Her soft, husky voice stirred something deep within Hyacinth, something she couldn't ignore even if she wanted to. "I hope I'm not bothering you. I was wondering if you'd be willing to lend me a towel? I didn't expect this rain to come so suddenly."
Hyacinth's throat went dry. She wasn't sure why, but she had the feeling Lana's smile was more than just polite. It was intentional. It pulled her in, inch by inch, like a slow, deliberate dance that she wasn't sure she wanted to join, but found herself stepping into anyway.
"Of course," she replied, but the words felt foreign on her tongue. She moved aside, allowing Lana into the house, her eyes lingering on the way her drenched clothes clung to her body. The subtle curve of her waist, the way her wet hair framed her face… it was all too much for her to process in one breath.
Lana stepped inside, and the room felt charged with something unspoken. She retrieved the towel and handed it to her, their fingers brushing briefly. The touch was almost electric, sending a jolt through her entire body. She stiffened, but Lana's eyes softened, as if she knew something was happening.
Hyacinth forced herself to speak, to break the tension.
"You…. uh, you didn't have to come all the way over here," she stammered, though the words felt ridiculous even as she said them. Lana was her neighbor. It wasn't as if she had traveled far.
She laughed lightly, a sound that seemed to echo in Hyacinth's chest.
"I know, I'm just… looking for any excuse to spend a little time here." She smiled again, that teasing glint in her eyes. "I'll make sure I don't make it a habit, though. Wouldn't want to trouble you."
Hyacinth felt her pulse throb in her neck, and for a brief moment, she wondered if Lana could hear it. Her skin tingled where Lana's hand had brushed against hers, and she cursed the heat that rushed to her face. It was just a simple touch, but it had unsettled her more than it should have.
Before she could say anything else, the door creaked open, and the landlord's voice interrupted their moment.
"Lana?" he called out from the hallway, his voice rough with sleep. "Are you bothering my tenant again?"
She chuckled softly, turning toward her uncle.
"Not at all, Uncle. Just borrowing a towel." She turned back to Hyacinth, her smile lingering a little longer this time.
"Sorry, Hyacinth," she said, her tone almost apologetic as if she knew Hyacinth needed an escape. "I didn't mean to keep you."
Before she could respond, Lana turned and left, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her. She stood frozen in the doorway, staring after her. The pressure of her thoughts rested weightily on her chest, and the confusion only deepened.
Why had her heart raced just then? And why did it feel as though there was something more between them, something unsaid but undeniably there?
The rain continued to fall, but inside, it felt like a storm had only just begun.