AFTER DARK | Johan Liebert

Chapter 36: Rain

When I woke up Monday morning, there was pouring rain outside. That wasn't a good sign... the weather forecast said it would be sunny in the afternoon, though. I just hoped the rain would stop, eventually. I put on my rain jacket, took my bag and went downstairs. No matter the weather, I had to go and buy groceries. How was the German saying? 'There is no bad weather, there is just bad clothing.'

Usually, I liked to dress up, but in this case, I had to be practical. After all, I needed to look good when Johan came over. Not that he'd leave if I didn't, but just to my own content. As far as I knew, Johan was currently at university, sitting in one of his lectures. He once told me on the phone about his interests - which were quite impressing. The term paper he was currently writing involved the rights of children, and he had told me he wanted to write his bachelor thesis about the same topic. Of course, it was a matter close to his heart, given that he had lived in orphanages himself. I wondered how it must have been, especially during the time he lived in the GDR. Perhaps researching this topic would help him come to terms with his past - I hoped that for him.

When I left the supermarket, the rain was still pouring heavily, no end in sight. Of course rain in Hamburg was very common, but today I even heard thunder in the distance. Sighing, I took a step forward, deciding to walk home anyway, hoping I'd be there in 20 minutes. But then, my phone rang in my pocket. Quickly, I found a roof to hide under from the rain, picking up.

"Johan?"

"Hey, Klara."

Just hearing his voice made my heart race.

"I think the rain won't stop until we meet. Let's change our plans. Is there anything else you'd like to do?"

"Hmm... I don't know", I answered. "Let's postpone our plans for today and meet at my place. We can just drink tea and talk a little. I think there's nothing else we can do in this weather. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure, that's a good idea."

"When are you free?", I asked.

"I'm already on my way home. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Oh, so fast? I'll be back soon from shopping. Do you want to meet up right away?"

Please say yes...

"Yes, I'd love to. I'll be driving right to your place, then."

"Yeah. See you there!"

I hung up. Excited, I made my way home, thrilled to see Johan again.

I had hoped I would arrive at home before Johan, but that wasn't the case. Though I had hurried, he entered the street the same moment I did, parking his car next to the street. I looked like a wet poodle, with my groceries in my hands and my front hair strands dripping with water under the hood. Again, it thundered. Johan left his car, approaching me in the rain as we crossed the road.

"Let's head inside quickly."

As he laid his arm on my back, we hurried inside the stairwell. I guess Johan had left his suit jacket in his car. He wore a white shirt, and his shoulders were wet already, as well as his hair. I admit he looked even more attractive, though, with a few messy hair strands in his face, his eyebrows furrowed... I couldn't stop looking at him.

We went upstairs, passing by a few people in the stairwell, until we reached my door. Johan helped me get the key out of my pocket, opening the door for us. Quickly, we went inside, taking a breath after hurrying through the rain, thunder in the background. I stood opposite to Johan in the narrow dark hallway, taking off my jacket as he swiftly removed the strands from his face, glancing at me in hesitation. A thunderbolt lit up the room for a split second as we just stared at each other. Then, the very moment the front door snapped shut, his eyes changed from hesitant to longing before he took a step forward, cupped my face and kissed me eagerly. Thrown off guard, I dropped the groceries as my back met the wall, hesitantly returning the kiss as I placed my hands on his chest. My head was spinning, overwhelmed by his touch, his desire. For a moment, he pulled away, looking into my eyes, breathing heavily "I missed you so much", before laying his lips on mine again, kissing me passionately like there was no tomorrow. I gently pushed him by his chest, making him pull away again.

"Wait, Johan."

He stared at me, first astonished, then, he shyly looked away, his cheeks red.

I took a breath, still dizzy by all the feelings overwhelming me.

"Johan... I need to talk to you about something."

He looked puzzled and uneasy, probably wondering what was wrong. Trying to reassure him, I took his hand, leading him into the living room.

"Let's sit down here."

He sat down at right angles to me without saying anything, but his eyes said a thousand words. He didn't know what was going on - and I didn't want to keep him in the dark anymore.

"Johan, there's something you need to know...

... something that happed in my past."

And thus, I started telling him the story of my breakup.