It was just before sunset, and the air around the wreckage was still. You and Natalie had slipped away from the camp, saying you were going to gather firewood, but really, you just needed space—from the others, from the chaos—and from the weight of surviving.

Natalie had always been someone you could talk to, even before the plane crash. Her calm steadiness made things feel less terrifying. As you sat together near a shallow stream, the tension that had been building between you for days finally bubbled to the surface. Her eyes lingered a little longer on yours. Her hand brushed against yours. You leaned in and then that’s when Travis appeared.

“What the hell is this?” he snapped, voice sharp with something deeper than frustration.

You pulled away instinctively. Natalie froze.

“Travis—” you started.

“You think now’s the time for this?” he interrupted, glaring. “We’re out here barely surviving, and you’re—what, flirting? While everyone else is freezing their asses off?”

You stood up, defensively. “It’s not like that.”

“Sure it isn’t,” Travis spat. “You’ve always had a thing for Natalie, huh? Even before all this. Can’t go a day without making it about you.”

Natalie stepped between you, her voice tight. “Stop it. Both of you.”