88 AIN'T HE SINCERE, MR. BIGGIE?

"Yey! Blessed are the hungry for they shall be filled!" Kristie shouted in glee as she and Zoe returned to the camping site. They were both lifting the ice bucket as it was full to the brim with their stored fishes. 

The other Norfolks were also around. It was already dimming and nearing dinner hour. 

Zoe searched for a familiar face from among the crowd but he couldn't find any. 

"Woah! Were those for real?" Other Norfolks's eyes went wide after seeing their bounty. 

Kristie's chest pushed forward as she swayed side by side. "We're an amazing team," She bashfully commented and peeked at Zoe who was still scouting around. 

"Y-yeah," Zoe replied at her, but her eyes were still darting here and there. 

'Where is he? Did he leave for good?' Zoe thought, her lips curved down unconsciously. 

Everyone's living it up as they prepare to grill their dinner. They were laughing as they chatted with each other with stories that they haven't told one another for a long while. The atmosphere is merry and warm. But deep down, Zoe felt alone and empty inside. 

'Was that it? But I haven't asked him how he knew me yet? And why did he choose to hide the truth from the start, up to now? Did I make a mistake of shooing him away?'

As she was contemplating in sad thoughts, a silhouette of a tall and well-built hunk crept up from the horizon and walked towards them. He flipped his long hair as he was nearing them while his other hand was also holding an ice bucket. He walked in slow steady steps and anyone who would glimpse his way would make anyone catch her breath.

Zoe's lip curved upward as she saw who it was. It was like a huge fin was lifted off her chest. She didn't want to admit that even though she's angry, she doesn't want him to leave.

"Mr. Gao! Please join us," One of the Norfolks Tribe called on him in a cheerful tone.

Raigon waved his hand at them from afar. 

"Ain't he sincere, Mr.Biggie?" Kristie commented to the fish that she was now holding, making sure that Zoe would hear her. 

"How do you even know that's Mr. Biggie from among them?" Zoe chuckled, her previous melancholic mood uplifted into a bright one. 

'I really thought he left,' she thought to herself as she viewed him from the corner of her eyes.

He was now with the other Norfolks, and helping them prepare their dinner. But she caught him gazing also at her. She quickly darted her eyes away and tried to observe other people instead. 

As she did so, she noticed that Savannah's friends were in one place sulking to themselves. She tried to talk to the other Norfolks beside her and Kristie. 

"Why are they in a corner?" She asked them curiously.

One of them answered her, "I guess they're too shy to admit that they didn't catch any fish." 

"Oh, that's too bad. They'll go hungry during the night. We still have games tomorrow," Zoe replied in a concerned tone. 

Even though they were mean to her, she doesn't want them to starve either.

"They deserve it. They're the reason why we're here anyway," Another one commented. The others who were listening also agreed. They gandered at them secretly. And they saw them bickering at each other for their unfortunate situation. 

Zoe took one last look at them before helping the others. "What did they give us aside from fishing rods?"

"I guess they somehow gave us something to munch on. We have tomatoes, green mangoes, and onions."

Zoe raised her hand. "I have a bright idea! Give me all those," She exclaimed as she asked them to hand over the fruits and vegetables so she could make a dip that would compliment the grilled fish. 

They obliged to her as some were cleaning the fish and the others were building up a bonfire at a distance. She smiled as she peeped at Raigon who was rolling up his pants and sleeves so he could help in grilling up the fish.

'Maybe he really was sincere,' she thought as she peeled the mangoes. 

As she was thinking about it, she didn't realize that her finger was already before the knife. 

"Ouch!" She screamed as she jerked her wounded hand up. Everyone looked at her direction. In a flash, Raigon was already a few inches near her. He grabbed her affected hand and poured out a bottle of clean water on it. 

"What were you thinking?" He growled through a seething whisper but is audible to the other Norfolks around her. He then tried to remove his long unbuttoned sleeves.

"Stop. It's okay, I'm a doctor," She retorted as she mustered all courage to defend herself. 

But it was already too late. He covered her bleeding hand with his clothes. Fortunately, he was hearing a thin shirt beneath or he would be half-naked in the eyes of everybody. 

"You're the one who should stop what you're doing or I'll drag you out of here." He drawled to her in a cold deadly voice that made her shrank back in fear. 

Zoe was shocked at the sudden turn of events that she could not utter a word. 

"Zoe," The other Norfolk whispered as she tried to get the knife from her. "We better oblige to Mr. Gao or we might see this knife before our throat." 

She swiveled at Raigon's direction who was already walking away as if nothing happened. 

She recalled the moment when they were in the tent and he has spoken the most emotional words she has ever heard from a man before. 

'I don't want to see you get hurt, much less your life be put in danger. I lose control of myself to the point of not caring for my own life or status anymore whenever that happens. So please, I ask for your permission. Allow me to protect you.'

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Protect what you love. - Prince Raigon

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