Chapter 1245

Jude eased himself out from beneath Rose's head, gently laying it on a folded shirt. He kissed her forehead before slipping past the others. He needed a moment, even if it was just to hear his own thoughts over the quiet murmur of the waking camp.

He reached the river first, the air cool on his skin. He didn't bother with clothes - none of them had, not since they began sleeping so openly. The current danced around his legs as he stepped in, the water biting cold but welcome. He cupped a handful and splashed his face. When he opened his eyes, Sophie was already beside him, her feet just in the shallows, arms folded over her chest.

"You didn't sleep much," she said.

He shook the water from his hands. "You were watching?"

She gave him a look. "I always watch."

He chuckled softly, and she stepped closer, brushing a hand through his hair to smooth it back. "You're worried."

"I saw something last night."

She stiffened slightly. "What?"