"You can do it," he encouraged her.

Ariana was caught off guard as Theodore's strong grip closed around her hands, and before she knew it, he was on his feet.

With her help, he rose in a determined surge of strength, his body towering over hers.

Ariana's heart swelled with amazement and joy. Theodore was standing!

But then she felt the weight of his body bear down on her, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized that he was relying on her completely.

“No, no " Ariana's heart raced as she felt herself falling backward. In a moment of fear, she reached out to grab anything to break her fall.

But before she could, she felt Theodore's strong arms wrap around her, holding her close and protectively cradling her head and back as they fell on the carpet.

Theodore leaned into her, the weight of his body pressing down on her.

“Damn it! I can't feel my legs," he said deliberately, his warm breath tickling her ear as he took in her sweet scent.

Ariana's cheeks were ablaze with color as she felt Theodore's body close to hers.

The warmth of the moment consumed her and she was unable to meet his gaze, instead opting to fix her eyes upon his collar.

With a shy push to his shoulders, she whispered, "Please, get up."

“Don't move," he said through gritted teeth, sweat rolling down his forehead.

Ariana's heart sank as she saw Theodore writhing in pain.

Her mind racing, Ariana asked with a hint of concern, “What's wrong? Did standing up too quickly hurt your legs?"

Theodore offered a grim nod. The truth was, his pain was genuine. The brutal impact from the crash had caused a deep-seated fracture in his leg, and the sudden jolt from falling had reopened the wound, leaving him to sweat from the intense discomfort.

Despite her concern, Theodore refused to let Ariana get a closer look at his injury.

“Don't look." Theodore's voice was tinged with a hint of tenderness as he placed a protective hand on Ariana's arm, preventing her from getting any closer.

"You were so frightened during the last dressing change, remember?"

Ariana's brow furrowed in frustration.