Office Intertwined⚝

Chapter 10 - Rapid Regrets

Everyone was participating in the competition to cross the river, however, Kass had given up when she slipped and tumbled into the cold water.

She seemed truly carefree as she played in the water, her laughter filling the air. Her light brown hair clung to her shoulders, glistening with droplets from the river. Her green eyes sparkled with joy, mirroring the clear sky overhead. There was an innocence about her as she splashed around, like a child embracing the simple pleasures of life. 

Jason watched, his expression hidden behind a stone set façade.

Time seemed to slow down whenever he stole a glance at her, despite the rift that had formed between them. He pretended to be engrossed in his phone, but his attention was fixed on her. The way she moved, the way her laughter rang out—it was all so captivating. Even though he wasn't participating in the activities, a part of him longed to join her, to share in that happiness.

Jason couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to let go of the walls he'd built around himself, to let the warmth of those moments seep in. But for now, he remained silent, a distant observer to her laughter, secretly cherishing the sight of Kass's unbridled happiness.

He hated being like this. He kept changing his mind and he couldn't come to a conclusion on how he felt. Mixed up, certainly. He hadn't felt this way for an extremely long time, and this time it had hit him even harder.

Kass was enjoying herself as she splashed around with Juliet in the refreshing river. The cool water felt like a soothing balm on her skin, washing away any lingering tension from the previous day. Their playful laughter echoed across the serene surroundings, mixing with the others, creating ripples of joy in the air.

Yet, amid the fun and laughter, Kass couldn't help but notice Jason's intense, unhidden glances in her direction. His attempts at subtlety were rather stupid, but she appreciated the fact that he was watching. She wanted to talk to him, to bridge the growing distance that had formed between them after their argument about the sleeping pills.

But as she stole glances at him, she couldn't help but feel intimidated. His expression was like stone, a façade that seemed impenetrable. He looked unapproachable, distant, and wrapped in a cold exterior. Kass knew that talking to him now might not get the desired results, but she still held onto a glimmer of hope that he would eventually join in on the activities. It would provide the opportunity they both needed to break the silence that had settled between them.

She had started to feel a bit bad about being so snappy with him. She had changed her mind so many times about how she felt towards him but in the end, she didn't want to upset him and wanted things to be balanced between her and him. After all, he was her boss and she didn't want relationships to have a negative impact on her work life. 

As they gathered for the canoeing activity, Kass hoped to partner with Juliet but found herself outmaneuvered by Derek, once again. Left without a paddle partner, Kass awkwardly stood there alongside Jason, both of them avoiding eye contact, unwilling to be the first to break the silence. Jason stared at his feet, refusing to make any eye contact. Tessa, their guide, took notice of their awkward situation and decided to intervene.

With a warm smile, Tessa handed them lifejackets and cheerfully insisted they pair up. She gently nudged them towards a canoe, and although Kass felt a bit nervous about the prospect of rowing with Jason, she complied. As she struggled to fasten her lifejacket, a surprising yet wordless gesture from Jason caught her off guard. He leaned in from behind, his closeness sending a shiver down her spine as he skillfully helped her secure the jacket.

Without exchanging words, they began to paddle, but it quickly became clear that their silent efforts were taking them nowhere. The canoe wobbled, nearly tipping them into the water, and they found themselves rowing in opposite directions. Finally, Kass summoned the courage to break the silence, asking Jason to row in the right direction. 

''Can you row forwards? We have to reach those trees over there.''

The awkwardness lingered, but they had no choice but to communicate if they wanted to make any progress on the water.

After several minutes of awkward struggle between the two of them, they started to move forward.

''You're rowing too hard. We're veering to the le-'' Jason spoke up, but it was too late. They both tipped into the water, Kass letting out a loud yelp.

Kass felt a wave of anger surge through her, and as they both emerged from the water, gasping for breath, soaked to the bone, she let it out."You could've said something!" Kass's voice was sharp, eyes narrowed as she glared at Jason. "We could've communicated better! This is partly your fault!"

Jason's jaw clenched, and he shot back, his tone equally serious, "You were rowing way too hard, Kass. You could've capsized us at any moment! It's your  fault, too."The tension hung heavy between them as they clambered out of the river like two wet ducks.

 Kass shivered uncontrollably, the cold seeping into her bones. Jason took off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders in an attempt to make things better.

Kass said nothing, her anger beginning to ebb. Deep down, she regretted snapping at him again, but at the moment, she was too preoccupied with trying to stop shivering to dwell on it. Tessa, the guide, rushed over to check on them and instructed them to change into dry clothes.

After they had both changed, they found themselves coming out of their huts at the same time. Awkwardly, they exchanged a brief, hesitant look before descending back to where everyone else had successfully reached the shore with their canoes.

Kass was in an emotional turmoil. She needed to patch things up with Jason before she returned to work, but at the same time, she didn't want to look at him after the unfortunate accident of the canoe activity, which was definitely his fault. 

She just felt like staying far, far away from him.