Zayden didn't get a reply from Angela, so he pulled her away slightly to see her tear-stricken face. His heart clenched at the sight of her pain. "Angela," he called, alarmed.
"I broke my ankle," she sobbed. "I don't think I can walk. It hurts a lot." Her voice wavered as more tears fell from her eyes, shimmering like droplets of sorrow.
Zayden groaned softly, then held her steady as he knelt to examine her injury. His touch was gentle as he ran his fingers along her swollen ankle. "You can't walk now, can you?" he asked, looking up at her with concern in his eyes.
Angela shook her head and wiped her face with her trembling hand. She felt both fragile and embarrassed, standing there unable to support her own weight. The throbbing pain in her ankle was matched only by the vulnerability she felt.
"Princess or piggyback?" he asked with a soft smile, his voice attempting to soothe the tension between them.
