If Derek headed north in this downpour, he'd surely look for shelter first.
So finding him wouldn't be hard. As long as he's still alive.
With that thought, she picked up her pace.
A distant animal call echoed—sounded like a wild boar.
It was breeding season, and boars with piglets were especially fierce. Could it be Derek...?
Tabitha sprinted forward.
Up close, she saw a wild boar battling a python. The snake had coiled around the boar, which, with immense strength, was thrashing about trying to throw it off.
Tabitha, caught in the crossfire, became a target. The boar charged her way.
Quick on her feet, she drew her gun and fired at the boar, hoping to scare it off.
"Bang!" The bullet hit not the boar, but the python on its back.
The boar, startled, charged straight at Tabitha.
"Look out!"
Before Tabitha could react, several shots rang out, striking the boar's legs.
With its legs broken, the boar collapsed, its momentum causing it to tumble and roll with the python.
A figure moved even faster, plunging a dagger into the python's head several times.
In the blink of an eye, both the boar and the snake were dead.
A pair of thick-soled boots stepped into view. The man, with blood splattered on his face, knelt down.
His eyes held a complicated look that Tabitha couldn't decipher. "Tabitha, you shouldn't have come," he said.
Their eyes met, and Tabitha leaped into Derek's arms, hugging him tightly as she once did in the snake pit.
"You idiot! Why did you run? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
Derek, on one knee, eyes wide with shock, couldn't believe it.
Last night, Tabitha had said she hated him, despised him, found him repulsive.
He thought he'd lost his chance forever. To avoid making her cry and to get out of her sight, he left.
But her embrace was like ashes coming back to life in a furnace, making his heart race and buried emotions resurface.
"Tabitha, what are you saying..." he whispered.
Tabitha stepped back, her voice edged with anger. "I said I was worried sick about you. Hear that?"
She grabbed his collar, pulling him close, and kissed him full on the lips.
Derek's mind was blown.
Wait...
Tabitha was kissing him—on her own accord.
In the past, he had to scheme to get close to her. Now, she was taking the initiative, and he was frozen, not daring to move.
It felt like a dream; he feared that the moment he blinked, she'd vanish.
The downpour drenched them both. Time and place ceased to exist.
Derek had suppressed his feelings for so long, but so had Tabitha.
Swinging between loving, hating, and aching for him, she had thought they were destined to part.
Old sayings go that time heals all wounds, yet Tabitha hadn't forgotten Derek these past years.
This reunion made her realize how deeply he was rooted in her heart.
It turned out that the moment he lifted her out of the water back then marked a lifetime commitment.
No matter the roads she traveled or the people she'd meet, she knew she'd never forget him.
This kiss felt eternal.
At least in this moment, Tabitha forgot every ounce of resentment.
After all the anxiety, seeing Derek alive and well unleashed a flood of pent-up emotions beyond her control.
Both nearly drowned in the kiss.
Derek's forehead rested against hers as he panted heavily. "Tabitha, you walked in on this. Today, even if you beg me to let you go, I won't."
With ease, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her away.
Tabitha didn't resist. For one, she was exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Two, this familiar embrace felt like something she'd waited an eternity for.
She rested her head on Derek's chest, blocking out everything but the sound of his heartbeat and the rain.
True to form, Derek had already scoped out a temporary shelter nearby.
Unlike Tabitha's recklessness, he'd been methodically packing since last night—planning his escape route, gathering weapons, food, a sleeping bag, even a first-aid kit for injuries.
His backpack was packed to the brim.
Luckily, the rain started after he descended, giving him time to find a small cave and set up shelter.
He never expected Tabitha would dare to climb down such a steep cliff to find him.
No sooner had he brought Tabitha into the shelter than he couldn't contain his pent-up excitement. He began undoing her clothes while kissing her passionately.
"Hisss..." Tabitha gasped.