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CHAPTER ELEVEN : OKLAHOMA SMOKESHOW
ARLINGTON, OKLAHOMA
BEFORE THEY SET OUT, KATE TOSSES WILLOW HER CAMERA BAG, INSITING SHE TAKES IT FOR THE RIDE. Willow hadn't thought to bring it on their first chase back, but she knows it's always been essential for Kate to capture every angle of the storms they hunt, filling walls with maps and photos like some kind of tornado detective. With Kate busy riding alongside Javi, more focused on getting him positioned in front of the storm than on documenting it, she entrusts the responsibility to Willow.
Now, as Scott speeds down the rough dirt road, Willow fiddles with the camera, letting the silence thicken between them. She doesn't have any interest in conversation—not even casual remarks to drown out the awkward quiet.
"I'm getting the feeling you don't like me much now," Scott finally comments, gripping the wheel tightly as he navigates the uneven road. The Wranglers' convoy is strung out in front of them, peeling toward the storm.
It wasn't like she had anything going for him before; not with his rude dismissal of her suggestions, even though he tried to smooth it over by attempting to recruit her. "Yeah, well," she mutters, unable to keep the edge out of her voice, "you were a jerk to Kate."
"She lied," he retorts, his gaze flicking toward her. "She was scared—"
"Not of the tornado," Willow snaps, cutting him off, her eyes narrowed as she looks over at him.
(Willow wonders what he knows, how deep his friendship with Javi runs, or if it is only really a business partnership.
He would know, wouldn't he? If they were close, and if he did, is he that much of an asshole that he cannot consider their past?)
She sighs, looking away. "Can we just focus on the storm?" She takes Scott's silence as agreement.
Just then, Javi manages to push the fleet past the Wranglers, first overtaking the caravan, then Tyler's truck. He's already glancing over by the time they slide up beside him. A frown settles on his face when he spots her in the passenger seat of Scott's vehicle instead of Javi's. She tries to give him a reassuring smile, but all she can manage is something tight-lipped, tainted by her exasperation. His frown deepens, and she can feel his silent disapproval across the space between them.
"You sure it's gonna give us something?" Scott asks, his eyes darting between the road and the clouds.
"It's got a solid structure," she replies; she'll never pass up on talking about a storm. "Moisture levels are perfect. High CAPE. Shear is clean, and it's pulling tons of warm, moist air from the south." The conditions are the best she's seen in ages. "It's gonna give us more than just 'something.'"
Willow waits, holding her breath as the clouds swirl and darken, sensing the birth of a storm. She is on the edge of her seat when she sees the slender funnel stretch down to earth, her eyes widening with awe. A bright smile spreads across her face—it's that same rush again, the one she's felt a hundred times before, the thrill of watching nature unleash its raw power across the open fields.
For a moment, she forgets it's Scott there, not Javi, instinctively glancing over at him, her face a mirror of pure wonder. To her surprise, she catches what might be the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"That's at least an EF2," she says, lifting her camera and snapping the first few shots. Through the viewfinder, she watches the rotation pick up speed, debris spinning as it carves a path across the earth. Just then, something else flickers in the distance. She pulls the camera away, gasping. "You've gotta be kidding me."
"What?" Scott's brow furrows in confusion.
"You're telling me you don't see that?" Her voice is thick with awe, her eyes wide as she looks back at him."Twins!"
It's a rare sight, one she wishes she could share with Kate before anyone else. With an urgency born from years of chasing, she raises her camera, eager to capture every second. But just as she lines up the perfect shot, Javi's truck edges into the frame, blocking her view. Undeterred, she immediately begins rolling down the window, captivated, her thoughts wholly consumed by the breathtaking scene unfolding.
"Ms. Thornton, what are you—?" Scott's voice barely registers as she unbuckles her seatbelt, his warning lost in the wind. "You're supposed to remain in the vehicle—"
She ignores him, sliding herself out of the passenger window with a practiced ease. The wind roars around her as she perches on the window frame, gripping the roof rack to steady herself. This feels second nature; she's done this dozens of times before—to adjust radars, to shout into the storm for the thrill of it. With her other hand, she raises her camera, capturing the rare sight of the twin tornadoes dancing around each other. It is mystifying through the lens as she watches the twins spin around a common center, almost as if they are fighting for dominance.
"The Fujiwhara Effect," she laughs, more to herself than anyone else, awe spilling from her. She snaps photo after photo. Even though she knows Kate can't hear her, she can't help but shout, "Kate, it's the Fujiwhara Effect!"
From behind her, she hears Boone holler over the roar of the wind, his voice booming with excitement. "Now that's a real chaser if I've ever seen one!"
Willow twists to look back and catches Boone with his own camera pointed at her, capturing the moment himself. She nods toward the twins out before them, a little gesture asking are you seeing this?
Beyond him, through the windshield of his truck, she spots Tyler. His grin stretches wide as he watches her, unable to tear his eyes away, full of admiration. His gaze flicks between the road and her, drawn back to her again and again, her silhouette framed in the wild sky.
Well, if she can't share the moment with Kate, she thinks she might be alright sharing it with him like this.
![FALLS LIKE THUNDER [TYLER OWENS] ✔](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/374787887-64-k901816.jpg)