Chapter 556
Chapter 556:
“What’s wrong with them?” I asked, pointing at the shirt and jeans. “Is there something I don’t know about p>
He frowned. “Black absorbs heat. You’ll lose water too quickly. Since we haven’t confirmed a safe water source yet, it’s better not to wear them p>
I gave up and let him choose.
He handed me an oversized white T-shirt and a pair of baggy tracksuit bottoms.
Taking his approved clothes, I slipped behind a tree to change.
When I came back, Ashton was digging holes in the sand with a stick. I shoved my discarded clothes into a laundry bag and ran over. “Anything I can do to help p>
“Pick up a couple of stones. About the size of both your hands put together. Just two to start with p>
I nodded, my mood brightening. It wasn’t much, but at least I could contribute. Ashton added quickly, “Don’t go into the forest. Stay close to the beach. Not too far p>
I turned back, frowning. “Not too far means how far exactly p>
He jabbed the stick into the sand, glanced up at me, and said clearly, “Stay where I can see you p>
I went ahead to search the beach. Soon enough, I found two stones and carried them back. As I turned, I nearly dropped them when I met Ashton’s unblinking gaze. He really had been watching me the entire time. My heart skipped.
Back at his side, I held the stones out. “Here. But what do you need them for p>
“For camp.” His reply was as blunt as ever.
“How do a few stones make a camp?” In my mind, a camp meant tents, not rocks.
He didn’t reply.
Ashton worked swiftly, taking a few stones from the pile he had carried back. He dropped them into one of the pits, then stacked the rest into a small mound, leaving a narrow gap at the center just wide enough for a thick branch. He repeated the process twice more until all three pits were filled with stone mounds.
Find what’s next on;com
Next, he took three sturdy branches he had collected earlier, each difficult to snap, and planted them upright in the middle of the stone piles. I had been watching with real interest until the next step went wrong. He was supposed to pull the branches together at the center to form a cone and bind them with long, tough leaves that would serve as rope. But every strip he tried snapped after only a turn or two.
Without something strong enough to tie them, he couldn’t go on.
Holding the branches steady with one hand, Ashton frowned in thought.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the clothes lying nearby.
He only had two shirts in his suitcase.
If he tore one up for rope, he would be left with a single shirt to wear and nothing to change into.
Yet he didn’t hesitate. He crouched, reached for a gray T-shirt, and was about to rip it when I stopped him.
“Wait p>
His fingers stilled.
I ran to my suitcase, rummaged inside, and came back carrying a box.
Jogging up to him, I thrust it out. “Tear this one. I hardly ever wear it anyway.” His brows lifted slightly, but he accepted the box, opened it, and pulled out the shirt inside.
The rope made from expensive fabric held firm.