Determined to lean on him as little as possible, Torie took his arm gently, and hopped as much as she could. It was tough going on the soft sand of the shoreline and the distraction of Anthony beside her was enough to keep her off balance. She wasn't going to argue with him about whatever he thought needed to happen next. Even this cabin idea was only temporary. She could probably ride side saddle if they took it slow. Perhaps they should have just gone back to the estate.

Lost in the focus of trying not to put too much weight on her ankle, Anthony's whispered question startled her and she lost concentration, stepping wrong on the broken ankle and down she went. She cried out in pain, hitting the ground on her hands and knees, tears springing to her eyes. Torie bit down on her bottom lip hard, trying to contain the whimper that threatened to follow, but she collapsed to the sand on her hip anyway, sighing heavily.

"Just perfect." She grumbled, wondering if it would be too dramatic to just flop down on the ground and lay there for a few minutes. At least the distance from him gave her a little clarity. This would be a whole lot easier if it wasn't him pulling at her heart strings and confusing her even further. She'd been halfway to over him this morning and now she was drowning in futility.