Miracle Cutie (Amelia and Benjamin) novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40 Out of the Mountain

“Grab a bite before leaving-”

Before Benjamin could finish his words, a tear-streaked chubby face came into view.

He hadn’t noticed when Nina started sobbing.

She was a petite thing and had been walking on her own, keeping a bit of distance from Benjamin.

That was how he missed the fact that she was crying until now.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

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Benjamin’s ruggedly handsome face remained taut. Automatically, his gaze swept over her small frame. “Are you hurt?”

Nina stayed silent, just letting the tears plop down.

As she bawled, she even lifted her hand to wipe away her own tears.

This tough-yet-vulnerable sight of her tugged at Benjamin’s heart for a brief moment, catching him off guard.

He’d just begun to get acquainted with Nina, someone he hardly knew. Benjamin wasn’t quite at ease being close to her, but he knew his new gig.

He was a dad. This was his kid. He had to look after her.

Thinking this, Benjamin wasn’t having any more of her sulking.

He scooped her up and checked her over.

While he was doing it, Nina kept tugging her chubby feet back.

Spotting this, Benjamin plopped her on a rock, then crouched down and slipped off her shoes.

The sparkly little sandals with bows that Nina adored were all beat up.

One of the butterfly wings had fallen off.

As he took off the shoes, he saw blisters on the top of her chubby feet, and the heels were all pink.

Those little feet looked so forlorn.

Sniffing hard, Nina could no longer stay quiet.

She wiggled her feet and whimpered in a teary, babyish voice, “Foot… ouchic.”

The mountain trail was a tough one, and Nina had been pooped out for a while.

But she’d been holding it in, not wanting to tell Benjamin.

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She’d finally reached her breaking point.

Looking at those little feet, even a cleanliness freak like Benjamin had to step in.

“Hang in there,” he murmured, eyes down.

With one big paw, he could hold both her feet.

He gave the soles a gentle rub.

Nina felt really good from the rubbing.

But even though she was comfy, more tears welled up.

Benjamin stopped his rubbing and asked, “Still hurts?”

Nina shook her head, not saying a word.

Seeing this, Benjamin gave her feet another little rub.

After that, Benjamin washed his hands and fetched her some food again.

The compressed biscuits were yucky, even worse than Amelia’s cooking.

Nina choked on a bite, and her whole chubby face went beet-red.

Benjamin, usually so cool as a cucumber, got a shock.

Without caring about getting dirty, he stuck his finger in Nina’s mouth and fished out the biscuit bits.

This scare jolted both Benjamin and Nina.

She flat-out refused to eat the biscuit.

She cried and chucked the biscuit away, then wrapped her arms around Benjamin’s neck and wailed like there was no tomorrow.

“Alright, it’s all good now,” Benjamin cooed softly, trying to calm the hysterically crying chubby baby.

His large hand gently patted Nina’s back, yet it quivered slightly.

So fragile. This little one is just too delicate.

Recalling Nina’s near-suffocation moment earlier, Benjamin felt as if the fleshy bundle in his arms was a precious, easily-breakable crystal figurine.

Such a tiny, vulnerable being… how could I possibly take care of her?

Knowing he had zero experience with such tender infants, Benjamin picked up the pace and headed out of

the woods.

He trekked on until evening, while Nancy had several breakdowns from exhaustion along the way,

She was itching to make a run for it.

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But one icy glare from Benjamin told her that if she dared to flee, she’d be a goner in this godforsaken

forest.

Just when Nancy was about to hit rock bottom and couldn’t take it anymore, a crowd appeared in the

distance.

The wail of police sirens filled the air.

There were cops, folks from the Graham family, and Amelia.

Nina, in Benjamin’s arms, had conked out.

Having nothing to eat, being hungry and worn out, plus not feeling well, she’d fallen asleep ages ago.

At first, Benjamin was all thumbs holding her, but now he was as natural as could be.

“Nina! My Nina!!!” Daniel, who’d been worried sick, spotted Nina from afar.

He let out a yell and charged straight ahead.

At that moment, his brother didn’t even register; all he saw was Nina.

In contrast to Daniel’s wild excitement, Amelia, with her red-rimmed eyes, was also over the moon.

She was dying to grab Nina back into her arms.

But then, she caught sight of Benjamin.

It was the first time in years Amelia had seen Benjamin wide-awake.

Before, when he was lying at home, she was a bit scared, but a motionless, eyes-shut Benjamin didn’t seem half as intimidating.

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