No, no, no!
Katherine quickly banished those strange thoughts from her mind.
âWhatâs wrong?â Shawn paused and turned to look at her, beads of sweat visibly rolling down his forehead.
âNothing,â Katherine replied, trying to shake off the moment.
Katherine only began to appreciate Shawnâs goodness when she compared him to Bobby.
The reason Shawn seemed so appealing to her at that moment had less to do with his own qualities and more to do with Bobbyâs glaring unreliability.
The more Bobby let her down, the more Shawnâs patience and quiet thoughtfulness stood out like a beacon.
She mentally scolded herself, knowing that adversity could easily stir up confusing emotions.
This was just a fleeting rush, not love.
âKatherine, Shawn, Iâm going to find Bobby!â Lily said.
âAlright,â Katherine replied.
Just moments ago, Bobbyâs silhouette had been faintly visible, but now he had vanished completely, and even the walkie-talkie was useless; he was out of reach.
As Shawn and Katherine continued on, the heat of the blazing sun pressed down on them, the air thick and stifling. Sweat poured down Shawnâs face, soaking through his shirt. Katherine spotted a large rock ahead, sheltered by the cool shadow of a nearby tree.
âLetâs take a break,â she suggested.
Shawn nodded and set her down on the rock. Katherine felt a twinge of relief in her ankle; the pain had eased a bit, enough that she probably wouldnât need him to carry her anymore.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a bottle of water and held it out to him.
âHere.â
âIâm not thirsty,â Shawn replied.
Though he was parched, water had become a precious resource. If he accepted it, Katherine might not have enough for herself.
Katherine then pulled out a towel from her bag. âAlright, then at least wipe your sweat.â
Shawn took the towel and dabbed the sweat trickling down his brow. As he did, Katherine rolled up her pant leg to check on her ankle. A low-hanging branch had scratched it earlier, leaving the skin raw and irritated.
She was about to dismiss it when Shawn noticed.
âWhat happened?â
âI accidentally got scratched by a branch earlier. No big deal.â
âLet me take a look.â
Before Katherine could protest, Shawn had already knelt down, gently lifting her foot in his hands.
He held her shoe without hesitation, not even flinching at the dirt smudged on the sole.
.
.
.