“Yeah, just for a bit.”
Naturally, when in Ashbourne Island, one should take a stroll by the beach, so Thelma went to the bathroom to change into a beach dress.
The two of them came out one after the other. There weren’t many people on the beach; it seemed this area wasn’t public, and only a few hotel guests were around.
Thelma lagged a step behind Sam Noah. Although she kept her head down, her gaze occasionally fell on his back. She noticed that the muscles on his back moved rhythmically as he walked. Though his waist was narrow, he looked solid and powerful.
Powerful? Thelma quickly shook her head; she felt she was getting worse and worse.
When they reached the beach, Sam Noah asked her, “Do you want to go swimming?”
Thelma shook her head. “I’ll wait for you over there; I’m afraid of getting tanned.”
“That’s fine.”
Not far away, a few beach umbrellas were set up, prepared by the hotel. Thelma walked over and sat down on a lounge chair, watching as Sam Noah stepped into the water. A few girls in their twenties stood not far from her, and when Sam Noah walked past, she saw them excitedly pointing and whispering about him.
She looked at the man; he was tall, handsome, and had an outstanding demeanor, which indeed seemed to attract attention. Thelma felt a strange pang in her heart; she thought she was being petty.
Sam Noah’s swimming skills were quite good. She watched as he swam into deeper water, agilely diving into the sea, sometimes disappearing beneath the waves and sometimes floating on the surface.
Thelma thought he was amazing. She didn’t know when it started, but she always felt he was impressive no matter what he did; even swimming made her think he was incredibly skilled.
However, just as she was admiring his rising and falling figure, she suddenly noticed that the agile silhouette weaving through the waves had vanished. After waiting for a while without seeing him surface, her heart began to feel uneasy. She hurriedly ran over to check; the water had reached her ankles and calves, and the waves were a bit strong, making her hesitant to go further. She looked at the empty sea surface, growing more anxious.
He wouldn’t have gotten into trouble, would he? Thelma’s fingers began to tremble unconsciously. Just as she was about to call for help, she heard a low voice behind her, “Looking for me?”
Her body stiffened suddenly. She turned around to see Sam Noah standing right in front of her, and she let out a sigh of relief.
Sam Noah observed her expression; he noticed her worry transform into joy upon seeing him. He walked towards her step by step, smiling meaningfully, “Were you worried I got into trouble?”
There was no threat or pressure in his tone; he approached so calmly that his aura instinctively made her want to step back. The sand beneath her feet was soft, and she lost her balance, about to fall backward.
Thelma gasped, but a strong arm reached out just in time to catch her. He slightly bent down, holding her steady. The sunlight shone above him, creating a halo around him that momentarily dazzled her eyes. She almost felt as if he and the light had merged into one.
Thelma suddenly recalled a passage from the Bible: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”
“Are you okay?” Sam Noah asked.
Thelma finally came back to her senses. She realized she had been staring at him and felt a bit embarrassed. She adjusted her hair to ease her awkwardness and said, “I’m fine, thank you.”
“Help! ! Quickly save my child! Please save him!”
The cry from not far away caught their attention. Thelma looked over and saw a woman in a hat stumbling towards the water. Her companion sensed something was wrong and hurriedly pulled her back. In the direction she was running, a child was being swept away by the waves, seemingly crying out, but the sound of the waves drowned out his cries.
Thelma noticed that the child was about the same age as Tyler. The woman was being held back, watching helplessly as the child was pulled further away, and she suddenly began to wail in despair
