When There Is Nothing Left But Love

The rain pelted down harshly on our bodies. Laurel, who was completely soaked through like everyone else, peered at me with worry lining her features. “We have to go now!”

“This place is prone to sinkholes, especially on rainy days. C’mon, let’s leave first!” Tabitha urged.

As though on cue, lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Everyone couldn’t care less about anything else and immediately scurried toward the tents.

“I think that area just collapsed!” Tabitha’s boyfriend suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone glanced back as one and sure enough, a large area of the ground had sunken in.

“This place used to be a mine. Some spots were dug to a depth of approximately ten meters and no one has been managing this area in years. On rainy days, accidents are prone to happen,” Tabitha’s boyfriend explained.

Tabitha gasped in terror. “I saw many tea trees on the mountain. Isn’t it dangerous for the tea farmers there? They could lose their lives!”

Laurel spoke up right then, aiming her words at Ashton. “Mr. Fuller, where did you guys go off to? If we weren’t looking for you guys, Scarlett would never have been in danger and we wouldn’t have gotten caught in the downpour either.”

At that, everyone turned their attention to Ashton. He cast a fleeting gaze at them, but remained otherwise calm. In a polite and sophisticated manner, he expressed his regret. “What happened today was an oversight on my part. To show my sincere apology, I’ll treat everyone to a meal tomorrow.”

“We’re not blaming you. It’s

pit, my entire body was pumping with adrenaline, but now that I escaped from that precarious situation, exhaustion hit me like a ton of

I listened to their conversation, my knees suddenly gave

quick reflexes kicked in and he caught me before I hit the ground, smoothly pulling me into his

at you.” Anxiously, Nora squatted beside me to inspect

Ashton blocked her and contradicted in an authoritative voice, “She’s not injured. She’s just tired after the stress her body

I tried to get to my feet, but Ashton hugged me close to his body and scooped me up. Both

could feel his body temperature radiating and also the rhythm of his

face flushed a crimson

I was back in the tent after being subjected to the harrowing ordeal in the pit. Worried that I would catch a cold, Nora gave me the clothes she had brought that day and told me get

tiny space because she was worried I wouldn’t be able to change my clothes due to

staring at me, I cleared my throat awkwardly. “You really don’t need to watch me like that. I’m fine.

sighed. “Thank God Laurel’s call for help was loud enough to travel through the forest. Otherwise, only God

hands paused their actions and I looked at her in perplexity.

got separated, we trekked around the forest, but then returned to camp when we didn’t find Ashton. He came back with Rachel later on. It turns out that

blurted out, “Then, has Tessa