His voice was deep and soothing, unexpectedly gentle.

Raegan felt her cheeks heat up but nodded anyway. Considering he had helped her again, expressing worry seemed the right thing to do...

A sense of satisfaction bloomed within Mitchel, feeling the wound was worth it if it meant earning a spot in her thoughts. He offered her a small smile. “It's just a minor cut."

Raegan expressed her skepticism, "Minor? You bled quite a bit..."

Mitchel explained, "I shielded most of it with my elbow, so it wasn't deep. It's healing well, and stitches weren't needed."

Then, he lightly pinched her cheek, trying to ease her mind. "Don't fret about it."

Feeling the warmth from his touch, Raegan looked away, trying to hide her flustered mind.

Mitchel, finding her reaction amusing, teased her, "Come on. You're not concerned about me?"

He seemed confident in her answer.

Defiant yet embarrassed, Raegan retorted, “Who cares about you?"

Yet, Mitchel, catching her avoidant look, found her denial charming.

Holding her face gently, he asked softly, "You're sure you're not worried about me?"

His deep gaze reflected Raegan's blushing face, her pulse quickening.

With a gentle tap on her chin, Mitchel teased, "You always denies your feelings..."

His teasing tone heightened Raegan's embarrassment. "Stop making assumptions!" she blurted out, trying to get up to escape the increasingly heated atmosphere.

"Why rush off?" Mitchel grabbed her hand, causing her to tumble onto his lap inadvertently.

"Ouch!" Raegan exclaimed.

The warmth from Mitchel's legs was intense, stirring an unexpected reaction in Raegan to pull away.

Yet, Mitchel's grip brought her closer, positioning her sideways against him.

Caught off guard, Raegan instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.