âDonât go off on your own this afternoon; stay with me,â she said. Bobby didnât probe any further, but he was fully prepared to go to great lengths for the sake of his friend.
Meanwhile, Lily passed Shawn a bottle of water. âNot in the best of moods, are you?â
âIâm fine,â Shawn replied curtly.
Lily briefly glanced at Katherine and Bobby, who were engaged in quiet conversation. In stark contrast to them, the atmosphere on the other side was exuberant and harmonious.
Earlier, Lily had come up with a reason to leave, hoping to give Shawn and Katherine some much-needed alone time.
But it seemed they hadnât really discussed anything significant.
Lily felt a sense of satisfaction, as the more Shawn struggled to connect with Katherine, the greater her own chances with him became.
âLily, can you do me a favor?â Shawn asked.
âHmm?â
âLater, get Bobby to leave.â
Lily turned her gaze toward Bobby. âShawn, are you still not ready to give up?â
âWeâre already here, so we might as well resolve this once and for all,â Shawn said with determination. Sometimes, Katherine just needed a little nudge to face her own feelings.
âAlright.â Lily readily agreed, understanding that, even if Shawn ultimately chose Katherine, she would graciously accept it.
She couldnât hasten fate; love unfolded in its own time.
By the afternoon, the four of them were still together. They crossed a swaying suspension bridge spanning a shimmering stream and meandered through an area inhabited by dangerous wildlife.
It took them nearly ten hours to find half of the clues. Along the way, Shawn meticulously marked the trail to ensure they wouldnât lose their way.
By evening, they found a cave to set up their tents.
Lily, responsible for orchestrating dinner, called Bobby over. âBobby, could you help me start a fire?â
âSure.â Bobby took a few steps before suddenly realizing something was amiss.
If he left, wouldnât Shawn and Katherine be alone in the cave?
He scratched his head. âSorry, I donât know how.â He was clueless when it came to pitching tents or starting a fire.
He lingered in the shadowy cave, feeling like a third wheel.
Lily entered. âCome on, give it a try. Help me out!â
âI really have no idea how. Katherine, why donât you join us?â
Katherine was busy helping with the tents. When called, she glanced briefly at Shawn. âOkay, Iâll go take a look.â
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