Bennett seized his brief moment of freedom, stretched his body, and walked over to where Ariana was peacefully resting.
He began rummaging through her backpack in search of water. The bag was filled with water bottles, yet he specifically selected the one Ariana had previously used. Unscrewing the cap, he was poised to take a sip when an amusing notion struck him.
This was akin to an indirect kis.
A blush tinged Bennetts cheeks. He hesitated briefly, chuckled at the absurdity of his thought, and indulged in a sip.
He dared not to drink too much, wary of arousing Arianas suspicion.
After his sip, he carefully placed the cap back and stealthily returned the bottle to its spot. Then, he tiptoed away to a secluded grassy area to pee.
He then stumbled upon a stream. There, he washed his face and deliberately disheveled his appearance once more. Afterward, he meandered back and crouched down beside Ariana, observing her as she slept.
Arianas worries were right. Despite Bennetts bone fracture, it scarcely impeded him; he moved almost as effortlessly as usual, albeit with slightly more effort.
He could have easily summoned his crew here to conclude this facade, but that option seemed no fun.
Initially uncertain whether Holden and Adrian were alive or not, he had maintained vigilance. Now, settled in this location, his instincts suggested they were possibly dead, allowing him to relax.
Here, on his familiar terrain, and assuming they kept to shallow areas, guiding Ariana along seemed harmless.
This thought brought a smile to Bennetts face. He reached out and playfully pinched Arianas cheek, savoring the sensation. He repeated the action a few times, clearly entertained.
It was clear why Holden had taken a liking to her.
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Ariana, deeply engrossed in sleep, felt none of this. Exhausted from the previous activities, she was in a deep slumber. As dawn broke, she woke up and quickly checked on Bennett. Seeing the rope still secure him and that he appeared to be sleeping reassured her.
Ariana stretched, took a swig of water, prepared herself, and then approached Bennett. She delivered a few kicks to his uninjured right leg to rouse him.
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Hey, take it easy, Bennett mumbled irritably. Just because its my good leg doesnt mean you can kick that hard. Im not as oblivious to the world as you are when you sleep.
Ignoring his grumbles, Ariana untied the rope, turned to repack the remaining water, and resumed the search for Holden and Adrian.
Bennett glanced at the water bottle, noticing the water level had significantly diminished, likely due to Arianas drinking.
Bennett couldnt help but feel a sense of satisfaction. If Holden had any inkling that he had indirectly kised Ariana through the water bottle, Holden would surely be seething with jealousy.
Come on; get up and help me search, Ariana commanded, spotting Bennetts self-satisfied grin.
Unexpectedly, Bennett didnt protest. He got up and joined her in the search.
As daylight strengthened, it became easier to navigate the terrain, yet their extensive search yielded no results.
A sense of discouragement began to seep into Ariana as she recognized the inefficiency of their blind search; it was clear they needed to establish communication with the outside world.
After mulling it over, she pulled a dagger from her backpack and crept up to Bennett. With a swift, unnoticed motion, she pressed the blade against his throat.