Love in the Limelight (Astrid and Elio)

[I know what you mean," said one audience. "It's more like... I can't quite put my finger on it!]

[Do you reckon Nathan could be Astrid's brother?]

[Pfft, Nathan with a sister? His profile says he's an only child. Astrid sure knows how to stir the pot. She's calling him 'Bro Nathan' like they're best buds.]

[You got something to say? Have you ever seen how Nathan treats Astrid? Is it our Astrid who's seeking the limelight?]

[I swear some people just can't stand to see Astrid do well. They've got to come with their snide remarks. Our Astrid gets fans because of her talent, not about throwing shade like some folks I know!] There was tension in some comments.

The debate between Astrid's fans and haters was heating up in the comments. Suddenly, in the middle of the group, Karin stumbled and nearly fell forward. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Naylor, quick as lightning, caught her in the nick of time.

Karin was flushed and wasn't feeling well. "Why didn't you say you were sick?" Naylor scolded.

Biting her lip, Karin murmured, "I didn't want to slow everyone down. Besides, the cold weather makes the fever feel better, you know?"

Watching Karin's frail figure, a wave of sympathy rose among some of the online crowd. [Now that's what I call ladylike. Unlike Astrid, who's practically Superman in disguise, making the men feel emasculated.] [Karin's so sweet and considerate. A real team player, way better than Joana ever was.]

[She's sweating buckets, poor thing, without a single complaint.]

[Astrid was major in medicines, right? Didn't she notice Karin's condition?]

[One nation can't have two queens. Before Karin showed up, Astrid was the darling of this team. But now that Karin's stealing her thunder, you think she'd care if Karin's sick?]

[Seriously, what's wrong with you? Why is it on Astrid to notice Karin's illness? She's been leading from the front. If Karin doesn't speak up, how the heck is Astrid supposed to know?]

[I'm at my wit's end here. My girl Astrid's become the scapegoat for everything. Anything goes wrong, and it's her fault!]

While the fans were still arguing, Karin insisted, "I'm fine, really. Let's keep moving."

"We better find some shelter before this rain gets any worse," someone pointed out as they looked up at the darkening sky.

Astrid glanced back and placed her hand on Karin's forehead. "Check your temperature. Here's some emergency fever reducer. But remember, only take it if your temperature exceeds 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, it could make things worse."

"Thanks," Karin smiled gratefully at Astrid. "Let's go. I can keep up."

Karin was adamant about continuing, so the group moved on, slowing their pace to accommodate her.

But before they could find shelter, the rain began to sprinkle down, rapidly cooling the mountain air.

Nathan quickly shed his jacket and offered it to Astrid. "Check this out, it's waterproof. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Very cool, but so is mine," Astrid replied, handing the jacket back at faster pace. "Mr. Naylor, there's a rundown shack up ahead. Let's check it out."