Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



Owen Reynolds hung up the phone and relayed the message to the others.

Just then, the sky rumbled with thunder once more, and a gust of wind carrying the chill of impending rain brushed past them, making Roseanne frown. "Looks like we're in for another downpour."

"There's a gazebo up ahead. We could take shelter there," Corley suggested, scanning the surroundings before spotting a small pavilion meant for rest not too far away.

Roseanne nodded in agreement.

With no other choice until help arrived, they decided to wait it out right there.

Corley hoisted her into his arms and carried her to the gazebo.

"Put me down, please," Roseanne said, patting his shoulder.

Corley gently placed her on the ground, with Owen Reynolds close by to catch her in case she stumbled.

Thankfully, since only one of her ankles was injured, she could still balance on the other foot.

With the support of the two men, she hopped to a bench inside the gazebo and sat down.

Owen Reynolds unzipped his backpack and took out a thermos. "Still got some hot tea. Have some more."

Roseanne sipped slowly, then watched in amazement as he magically produced a set of women's sportswear, both a top and pants, from his bag. She couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise.

"I grabbed these in a hurry on my way here. They're not much, but they'll have to do for now."

Corley felt a pang of regret.

When he had received the message, all he could think about was Roseanne's safety, neglecting these practical needs.

But now wasn't the time for regrets. He glanced at the sportswear. "You're soaked through. You need to change into dry clothes immediately. Owen Reynolds and I will give you some privacy. Just call when you're ready."

Roseanne nodded. "Okay."

Owen Reynolds handed her a dry towel along with the sportswear. "Make sure to dry your hair too."

"...Thank you."

In that moment, Roseanne was nearly moved to tears.

She had always known Owen Reynolds to be a considerate and thoughtful person, but experiencing it firsthand like this was something else entirely. God only knows how uncomfortable it was for her, wearing those wet clothes, feeling cold all over, her skin breaking out in goosebumps whenever the night wind blew.

As the two men respectfully turned away and walked a bit off, Roseanne quickly changed out of her wet clothes.

Her underwear was somewhat dry thanks to her body heat, and as she put on the clean clothes, she accidentally touched her injured ankle, wincing in pain.

Owen Reynolds kept his gaze

forward, but the noise behind him

was hard to ignore, especially when he heard Roseanne's sharp intake of breath He clenched his fists,

resisting the urge to turn around and check on her.

S

She would call out if something was wrong, he reasoned.noveldrama

Corley felt the tension too, but fortunately, Roseanne was quick. In just about three minutes, she called out, "I'm done."

They turned around and went back to the gazebo.

Roseanne, now in her sportswear, sat on the bench, drying her hair with the towel.

Her long hair fell loosely around her,

her cheeks slightly flushed but her lips a bit pale. Owen Reynolds, worried she might catch a cold,

frowned and poured her another cup of hot tea.

"The wind's strong here, and it's damp. Is there a more enclosed space we can use, somewhere that can block the wind and keep us warm?"

Corley thought for a moment.

"There's a heated rest area in the opposite direction we came from,, but it's too far from the exit and there's no cell signal. Walking there would take at least two hours, which isn't really feasible."

५

Right after he spoke, Roseanne sneezed, followed by a cold gust of wind that made her shiver. She quickly took a few sips of the hot tea.