Rewritten

'Why do you still like me, Cadmus?'

Cadmus reached for her hand. Blair allowed him to take it.

'Just how much do you like me, Cadmus?'

Perhaps, she didn't understand it as a child, but she instinctively looked out for Cadmus because, deep inside, she knew they had a lot in common. She remembered his warm hand in hers as they charged through the storm that day. Cadmus had been terrified of the thunder, and so was she, but he'd swallowed his fear to protect her. 

And when Cadmus paled at the thought of disappointing his parents after getting a test score that's much lower than usual, Blair sympathized with him since she also feared that her own parents would get fed up enough with her to want to leave her.