Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 76 Payback II

The cool water shimmered under the fading sunlight, and Alice remained submerged, her arms crossed over her chest, her face a mix of frustration and embarrassment. Nate leaned casually against a tree just outside the water’s edge, munching on a piece of dried fruit, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if he wasn’t blatantly ignoring her predicament.

"Nate," Alice finally spoke, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic softness. "I... I’m sorry for teasing you earlier."

Nate turned his head, a chuckle escaping him. "You’re sorry?" he repeated, his lips curling into a smirk. "With that smug expression on your face? Try again."

Alice’s face flushed, and she splashed the water irritably. "I mean it! Can you just let me get out?"

Instead of responding, Nate’s hands moved to the hem of his shirt. In one smooth motion, he pulled it off, revealing the faint disappearing scars crisscrossing his torso. Alice froze, her eyes widening.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, her voice rising with alarm as she watched him reach for the waistband of his trousers.

"What does it look like I’m doing?" Nate replied with maddening calm, his fingers teasing the buckle of his belt.

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Alice’s face turned a deep shade of red. "Wait!" she exclaimed, as she quickly turn around . "You can’t just— You have to wait until I’m done!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Nate grinned mischievously and dove into the water with a loud splash. The cold droplets sprayed over Alice, making her flinch. She spun around, disbelief etched into her face.

"Nate!" she shouted, her voice trembling with both anger and embarrassment.

Nate surfaced a few feet away, running a hand through his wet hair and grinning. "What?" he asked innocently, shaking water from his face.

"I can’t believe you actually did that!"

He swam closer, his movements slow and deliberate. When he was just behind her, she felt his presence and whirled around, her eyes blazing with shock. "You’re unbelievable!"

Nate didn’t respond. Instead, he appeared to study the water, his expression oddly serious. His gaze seemed to shift toward her, and Alice’s heart raced. Was he... was he trying to see her body through the water?

Her face burned with the realization. "Ahh! Don’t—don’t do that!" she shouted, quickly wrapping her arms tighter around herself.

Nate arched an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "Don’t do what?"

"Don’t stare at my body!" Alice snapped, her voice cracking.

"Your body?" Nate repeated, blinking in mock surprise. He raised his hand and pointed toward the water’s surface. "I wasn’t staring at you. I was staring at that butterfly."

Alice hesitated, following the direction of his finger. Sure enough, a small, colorful butterfly hovered just above the water, its delicate wings flitting as it landed on a floating leaf.

"Oh," she muttered, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again.

Nate smirked. "Did you think I was—" He broke into laughter, the sound rich and unrestrained. "Oh, that’s priceless. You were so scared! Even if I wanted to stare I wouldn’t see anything."

Alice’s embarrassment deepened, and she turned away, refusing to meet his gaze. Nate swam toward the waterfall, his laughter fading as the sound of cascading water surrounded him. Alice stayed where she was, fuming silently as she watched him disappear behind the falls.

Once she was sure he was out of sight, she seized the opportunity to scramble out of the water. Her movements were quick and efficient as she dried off and slipped back into her clothes. Her face was still flushed as she finished dressing, her mind replaying the scene over and over.

As she looked around, her eyes landed on Nate’s neatly folded clothes, draped over a low-hanging tree branch nearby. A sly grin spread across her lips as an idea formed in her mind.

She carefully gathered his clothes into her arms and hugged them tightly. "Let’s see who will have the last laugh now," she whispered, her voice dripping with mischief.

Nate swam out from behind the waterfall, shaking droplets of water from his hair as he made his way toward the bank. The cool water rippled around him, and his muscles ached pleasantly from the swim. As he prepared to climb out, his eyes landed on Alice standing by the edge.

Her arms were crossed, and a devilish smile curved her lips. Clutched tightly in her hands were his clothes. The way she grinned at him sent a clear message—she wasn’t planning to make this easy.

"Well, well," Alice said, her tone dripping with amusement. "If you want your clothes, you’re going to have to come out and get them."

Nate raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Is that so?"

"Yes," she replied, holding up his shirt and giving it a little shake. "Dare you to come out."

Nate chuckled softly, the sound echoing across the water. "Alright," he said casually. Stay updated with novelbuddy

Before Alice could even process his response, Nate stood up in the shallow water and began walking toward the bank.

Her eyes widened in horror as realization dawned. "Ahhh!" she screamed, immediately squeezing her eyes shut and spinning away.

She hadn’t seen anything—not even a glimpse—but the very thought that he’d actually done it made her face flush a deep crimson. "You’re insane!" she yelled, her voice high-pitched and frantic.

Nate, thoroughly amused by her reaction, continued walking toward her. Water dripped from his body as he moved with nonchalance, as though he didn’t have a care in the world. By the time he reached her, she was still standing rigidly, her fists clenched around his shirt like a lifeline.

"Relax, Alice," Nate said, his voice teasing as he grabbed the rest of his clothes from her hands. He began pulling on his trousers, leaving only the shirt she was holding onto with a death grip.

"Can I have my shirt now?" he asked, his tone light, though there was an undeniable edge of amusement in his voice.

Alice’s fists clenched tighter, her knuckles turning white as she refused to release the fabric.

Nate sighed, stepping closer. "You’re going to have to let go eventually."

Reluctantly, Alice opened her hands, releasing the shirt. She kept her eyes firmly shut, her entire body tense.

Nate took the shirt and slipped it on, shaking his head as he finished dressing. "You can open your eyes now," he said, his voice laced with humor.

Alice hesitated, cracking one eye open slightly. When she saw Nate fully dressed, standing there with his arms crossed and an amused look on his face, she felt a rush of relief. But that relief quickly turned to frustration when she noticed the smirk tugging at his lips.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she snapped, her voice laced with embarrassment.

"You’re adorable, you know that?" Nate said, chuckling softly.

Alice’s face turned redder than ever. "Shut up!" she snapped, stomping on his foot with surprising force.

"Ow!" Nate winced, but his laughter didn’t stop.

"We’ve wasted enough time already," Alice declared, turning on her heel and marching away, her steps quick and determined.

Nate watched her retreat, a grin still plastered on his face. "You’re the one who wasted time," he muttered under his breath, following her trail.