Chapter Sixteen: On The Run

"Why have we stopped?" Ava asked, her voice high-pitched and laced with anxiety.

Liam bent over and began removing his shoes. Ava's eyes drifted from his legs to his tousled blond hair, taking in his disheveled appearance.

"You're wasting time! We need to get out of here!" she screeched, her words sharp and biting. The kidnappers might be right behind them, and he was wasting precious moments fiddling with his shoes. "Are you even listening to me?" she snapped, anger coloring her tone.

But her tirade came to an abrupt halt when Liam raised his hands, offering her his shoes. "Take them. The terrain will get rougher up ahead. I'll manage with just my socks."

Ava blinked in surprise, taken aback by his kind gesture at such a tense moment.

"No, I-I can't do that... I can't," she repeated, shock evident in her voice at his selfless act.