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"I’aze slashed toin his brown eyes "You’re not?"

I shookout"

"Okay, then" But he seeer, so he iain "I rin But then neither of us spoke and neither of usout in coed self-consciously "I haven’t ventured out here much We could explore"

After a slow nod, he said, "I could walk" His pal he wanted to hold hands while alked, I blew out a tre breath as I silently commanded myself not to pass out froirl screae, and oh-so boy

He grinned "Let’s go this way"

I nodded, not even paying attention to which way he pointed, because I knew I’d never been that way before This was as far into the woods as I’d ever gone Anywhere ent from here would be new to me

So, alked The tension eased, and I could finally breathe easier

He asked me about a shoe both liked that had aired a new episode the night before As we chatted and argued about e had and hadn’t liked, the sky went darker as the trees started growing closer together, and the ground became mushier without as much sunshine to dry the earth

But I really didn’t pay too much attention to as underfoot while my hand was so perfectly clasped in Knox’snot until I took a step and lifted my foot, only to realizeKnox out of step as well

"What’s wrong?" he asked i his face

I clenched my hand around his so I could keep my balance on one foot "I just lost aze tracked down to, he scanned the ground around us before saying, "There it is"

I glanced back, already wincing because I knehat I’d find I’d felt the forceful suction of sloppymy slipper as soon as I’d lifted ed in a marshy puddle

"A, fuck" When Knox looked back at me, he winced "I am so sorry, Felicity I shouldn’t have taken you this way"

"It’s okay," I instantly assured him "I’ll just--" But oh crap, I had no idea what I’d just do No as I going to walk around the woods with only one shoe

"I got it" Knox bent past me and reached for my slipper

"Oh, you don’t have to--"

But he’d already plucked it froulped as I took in how absolutely covered in sludgy, srime it was E I did not want to put ust off"Wantwas er because I think I fell flat in love with Knox Parker in that very second I couldn’t believe he was offering to go without a shoe so I’d have one, even though his feet had to be twice as large as mine and I’d probably lose his sneaker faster than I’d lost lance "I ao barefoot, you crazy loon Just" I reached for my ballet mud flat "Handmy shoe out away from me "My hand’s already dirty Let me" When he knelt in front of me and murmured, "Put your hand on ht and didn’t melt into a puddle in front of hi hard, I set erly on his solid shoulder Wet mud encased my foot as he slid the slipper on, but all I felt was the aainst my bare knee as he bent overin front of me, I lost myself in his brown eyes

"Thank you," I think I said

He grinned and straightened as he wiped his dirty fingers on the leg of his pants "No problem" Then he hitched his chin toward a different direction "But o this way now"