Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Calista found herself by a river, the stillness broken only by flowing water. She breathed out, watching her breath mist in the cold air. The harsh wind and sand somehow made her feel unexpectedly free.
Footsteps crunched behind her. Before she could turn, she collided with a solid chest
“What are you doing by the river at night?” Henry’s voice was tight with worry. “The wind’s brutal, and it’s starting to snow. You haven’t fully recovered from falling in the pool–don’t risk getting sick again!” He shrugged off his cont and draped it over her shoulders.
His unexpected concern startled her. Then a detail in his words caught her attention. “The poot… were you the one who saved me?”
Henry nodded, frowning. “Do you know how dangerous that was?”
The genuine concern in his voice touched something in her, making her throat tight. “Henry, thank you. I had no idea it was you. I should have thanked you sooner.”
He ruffled her hair affectionately. “Don’t be so formal with me.”
Calista’s heart skipped at his sudden smile.
“It’s late. Let’s get back before you catch cold.”
As they reached the dormitory, Henry pressed a small box into her hand. “Happy New Year, Calista.” He turned and walked away without looking back.
Back in her room, she opened her palm to find a lipstick. She burst out laughing–who would have thought the stoic Henry would give her something so thoughtful?
Life at the base fell into a busy rhythm. Their days filled with machine calibrations and data analysis–monotonous but fulfilling work.
As the days passed, Calista and Henry developed an easy rapport. He’d surprise her with hard–to–find supplies, chat with her during breaks, make her laugh when the work grew tedious. They could discuss their research for hours.
After a month of dedicated work, when their first satellite launched successfully, Calista hugged Henry in tearful
excitement.
Soon, rumors spread through the base about them dating.
“Are you and Henry together?”
“You’ll have to invite us to the wedding!”
The gossip alarmed Calista. She didn’t mind being misunderstood, but Henry had feelings for someone–if that woman got the wrong idea, it could cause problems.
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Chapter 16
The situation felt too familiar. People had made the same assumptions about her and Ken, and she’d ended up heartbroken, She couldn’t let history repeat itself.
On their next day off, she gathered her courage and knocked on Henry’s door. He answered fresh from the shower, hair still dripping, and quickly pulled on a shirt when he saw her.
