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“Yeah.” Lando moved to stand next to her, staring out into the sea of fields in front of them as the clouds rolled in closer. “Think hail?”

“Pebbles if any.”

“That’s what I figured.” Lando didn’t turn to look at her.

Violet shrugged it off and set up her camera to take another shot. She wasn’t sure what to say or do. She hadn’t expected to see Lando again outside of maybe another class in the future or when Violet was finally able to pay her back the missed earnings. They stood in silence for some time as they stared out toward the future coming straight at them.

“You talk to Diane?” Lando finally asked.

“Not really,” Violet murmured. The last thing she wanted to talk with Lando about was Diane. They had so many other topics of conversation.

Lando shrugged, glancing at Violet before turning back to face the storm. “She’s called me a few times.”

“You answer?” Violet was kind of curious to see what Lando’s take on everything was, though she strongly suspected Lando would prefer to step away from that drama and never be in the middle of it again.

“No. But she’s also emailed and texted. Wants me back on the team suddenly. It seems she’s in desperate need of someone who knows what they’re doing.”

Violet snorted lightly. “It would seem that way.”

Lando still had her hands locked in the pockets of her pants, as if she was never going to move from her position standing next to Violet. They fell into a silence as the photo clicked completion. Violet pulled it up on the back display and then motioned for Lando to take a look. Violet had managed to catch one lightning bolt that moved straight down to the top of a tree out in the field. It must have been thousands of feet away, but it looked like it was bringing life to that tree in the form of bright white light.

“Nice.”

Violet nodded. “Lucky shot.”

“Planned luck.” Lando’s lips quirked up as she stepped away. “You’re really good at photography, Vi. I hope you know that.”

Violet shuddered. It was only the second time Lando had called her that, and while the first had been another storm of completely different emotions, this one brought with it serenity and warmth, something Violet hadn’t experienced in ages from anyone. She wasn’t sure what to say to the compliment, and so she kept quiet as she set up for another shot.

“What did you come all the way out here for?”

Lando raised an eyebrow in her direction. “I suspect the same thing you did.”

“Which is?” Violet pushed, wanting to know what exactly Lando thought she was doing out there.

“I came for the storm, Vi, nothing else. Well, maybe something to quiet my thoughts.” Lando left off there, not elaborating on what thoughts she wanted to quiet.

Violet could only guess. She had wanted the exact same thing, although there was no doubt in her mind that they were both quieting different thoughts. Violet relaxed, enjoying the storm, the quiet, but also Lando’s very firm and comforting presence. Lando had always brought that to her, a comfort she couldn’t explain, a peace that surpassed all her understanding.

“Lando?” Violet faced Lando, gazing over her profile, the strength in her shoulders, the smooth lines of her cheeks and jaw. It was as if she really saw her for the first time. The roundness of her face, her long lashes, the natural beauty she exuded. Lando didn’t need to work to look good, she simply was herself, and she always had been.

“Yeah?”

“I hope you don’t give up on chasing.”

“I won’t, teach.” Lando winked. “But it may be a few years before I can get back out there.”

Violet nodded her understanding. She had a much better view of Lando’s life after two intense weeks together, and she was sure Lando had a deeper view into hers—one that was full of hopes that had already been dashed, in pining that wasn’t worth its salt.

The winds changed again. Violet could see off in the distance as the clouds let loose and rain poured from them onto the dry earth, forcing dust to rise into the air from the force of it slamming into the ground. The dust cloud slowly moved toward them. She could smell it a minute later, that beautiful before-rain scent that she had tuned herself to for years.

“How long are you going to stay out here?” Lando asked, breaking Violet’s reverie.

“Probably until I have no other choice but to go in. I need this.”

Lando nodded sharply. “I do, too.”

Silence fell over them again as they stared off into the distance. Why was it so hard for her to say and do anything when it came to Lando? In some ways it seemed so easy to open up to her, to let Lando in to see the demons that raged inside her, but other times, the simplest of conversations was the most difficult.