Something bad happened, I just know it.

Tori chewed on her thumb nail as she stood at the security entrance into the camp. Maybe a thousand feet down the road, she could see some large machinery stopped. Military men were talking to the drivers and a lot of paperwork was getting exchanged. She frowned and squinted her eyes. There was definitely a backhoe, and possibly an excavator, and then a few pieces she didn't recognize at all. And in the midst of it all was Organizer Amie, talking animatedly to everyone.

The camp security guards had no clue what was going on, they hadn't heard anything about new construction in the village. Tori glanced at her cell phone, but there had been no messages from Landon, not since before he'd gone to bed the night before. He wasn't the world's best communicator, but she'd texted him about a bazillion times. She'd expected him to respond out of sheer annoyance by now, at least to tell her to fuck off.

One of the pieces of heavy machinery fired to life and started rolling down the road. She watched it for a second, then turned around and started walking back into the camp. It was almost five o'clock and tensions in the camp were high. There were rumors they were getting shut down, that people were going to be transferred to different sites. No one was talking openly about it, not wanting anyone from the village to hear.

It was all depressing. Sure, she'd been dreaming of home and warm showers, but she hadn't wanted it to end like this – people were still sick and dying. Her and Landon were just starting to fall for each other. There were so many chapters left unwritten. She'd been busting her ass to become a better person and to make the world a better place, it wasn't fair to end like this.

“When you frown, you become significantly less hot.”

A deep voice rumbled so close to her ear, she actually squealed and lashed out with her fist even as she skittered away.

“What is wrong with you!?” she shrieked, smacking repeatedly at Landon's chest. “You want to give me a heart attack?”

“I guess it would be best case scenario if a heart doctor was the one to give you the heart attack,” he pointed out. She glared and hit him once more for good measure.

“Where the fuck have you been? You haven't answered any of my messages, it's almost night time, I was freaking out!” she yelled at him. He shrugged as he pulled out a cigarette and put it between his lips.

“I've been busy,” was all he said while he lit up.

“Busy? You've been busy? Too busy to make a phone call?”

“Not really, just busy enough to not pay attention.”

“You're an asshole.”

He blew a stream of smoke over her head, then wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

“Yeah, but you like me anyway.”

“'Like' is going a bit far. Tolerate would be better.”

“Fine. Can we go to the tent so you can tolerate my dick for a while?”

She couldn't help it – Tori burst out laughing.

“You're literally the worst. When did you get back? Why were you gone so long? What's up with the construction stuff?” she asked, pressing her hands to his chest and looking up at him. He was looking back towards the camp exit, squinting at the machinery as it rolled towards the village.

“I just got back maybe half an hour ago. Amie met me down at the crossroads, I left the Jeep with her, walked up here. I'm late because when I hired a crew to come dig the new well, I didn't realize they'd want to come today, and that's what -”

“Wait,” Tori dug her fingernails into his chest. “A new well? You got the money?”

He frowned and didn't look at her. Just kept taking drags on his cigarette.

“Kinda. They're getting ready to downsize the camp so they wouldn't allow me to speak to any of the investors,” he started explaining.

“Yeah, everyone's talking about it today.”

“Shitty, right? Just a simple fucking well. So I said fuck it and decided to take care of it myself.”

“Holy shit, Landon. You used your own money to save this place?” Tori was stunned. For him to do something so selfless ... he'd said he'd been wanting to turn over a new leaf. Apparently he'd really meant it.

He didn't respond for a while and she almost felt bad. Doing nice things didn't come naturally to Landon. He didn't like attention or praise. She'd probably embarrassed him.

“I didn't ...” he let his voice trail off. The ashes on his butt grew long, so he flicked the whole thing away. With a sigh, he immediately took a fresh cigarette out of the pack. “I mean, it's a simple fix to a shitty situation. Looks like we're going home early, kid.”

Her heart was absolutely bursting for the surly, taciturn, ridiculous, beautiful man in front of her. Just starting to fall? She was an idiot. She was past falling for him and well into “I want to share my life with this person” territory. She didn't want to say that, though, and make him feel any more awkward. So she leaned into him, pressing her face to his chest and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

“You did good, doc,” she whispered. “And I can't wait to go home with you.”

He stayed stiff for a second longer, then she felt him relax. His arm stayed tight around her waist while he continued to smoke with his free hand.

“Me either, Tor. Me either.”

*

THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS were a whirlwind. Besides paying for a new well to be put in, Landon had also made arrangement for a water purification station to be built, and had purchased filters for the homes with running water in the village.

Sure, Thailand was in general drastically cheaper than the United States, but Tori shuddered to think of how much everything had cost. How much of Landon's savings was being used for this? He'd probably mortgaged his Twin Estates building. She found herself staring at him, all moon eyed, overflowing with pride and emotion. If he caught her, he inevitably scowled and shooed her away, or flicked his cigarette at her, but she didn't even care. There was nothing he could do to upset her anymore.

Now it was just a matter of fixing up the remaining sick people. The old well had been destroyed, no more contaminated water. A large batch of supplies – most likely the last – was brought into the camp to help wrap everything up.

Landon had turned into a bundle of nerves. The stress of everyone rushing around seemed to be getting to him. He snapped more often and more easily than ever before, which was really saying something. He was going through his cigarettes at an incredible rate. As their own departure date drew near, Tori even realized he'd lost a fair bit of weight since they'd arrived. The Edenhoff twins were lean by nature. Wiry. But if Landon lost anymore weight, he'd be well into scrawny territory.

“Slow down,” Tori insisted one night as he tore around the tent, packing up all their stuff. Clothing was shoved indiscriminately into bags, her stuff mixed with his.

“We're leaving in two days,” he replied, stubbing a butt out into an overflowing ashtray. “How did you collect so much shit in just a couple weeks!?”

“Okay, it's been more like a month,” she corrected him. “And it's not really that much 'shit', it just looks like a lot when you're cramming it into a suitcase without folding anything.”

“Well, if I don't fucking do it, it won't get done,” he snarled. She frowned.

“Seriously, chill the fuck out. You've been like a giant girl PMSing these last couple days. Is this what withdrawal looks like? Because it ain't pretty,” she snapped. It was a low blow, but Landon never shied away from those. He always seemed to appreciate the ugly truth.

“No,” he growled, still not looking at her.

“So you've been using?” she checked. That earned her another glare.

“No.”

“Then what's up? Do you want to stay? We can stay,” she offered. “Are you nervous about going home? We don't have to go back there just yet, I'll tell Liam I need more time. Is it Liam? Is it rehab?”

He let out a groan and sat down on the bed next to her. He had a fresh cigarette between his fingers, but he hadn't lit it. Instead he chucked it onto the file cabinet before laying on his back.

“It's everything,” he breathed.

Tori frowned and laid down next to him.

“So tell me about everything,” she urged.

He was silent for a long time and she held her breath. The Landon she'd gotten to know in Bali, the one in Thailand, he was a different man from the one in San Francisco. Would he turn back into that guy? Would he still want her, once he was back in the land of easy women?

As if he could read her mind, she felt his hand come to rest on top of her own. Then he slowly twined their fingers together and squeezed tightly.

“You still gonna like this asshole when we get back?” he asked in a low voice. She smiled up at the tent above them.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I really didn't want to like you at all, you know. You didn't play fair. You had to turn out all decent and honest and life-save-y.”

“I didn't try to.”

“I know. That's the best part. You're just a good person, deep down.”

“I don't think I am,” he breathed.

“Pity, because I know you are.”

He abruptly started rolling and shifting around. Moving so he was hovering over her, bracing himself with one arm. He used his free hand to smooth some stray hairs away from her forehead. She stared straight at him while his gaze wandered over her face and down to her neck.

“I don't deserve you, Victoria,” he sighed. She smiled at the use of her full name.

“No, but you got me anyway.”

“My consolation prize.”

“Watch it.”

He bent down and kissed the hollow of her throat. The act was so gentle, so unlike him. Then he turned his head to the side and laid down completely on top of her, almost crushing her with his weight. She could feel his breaths against her collarbone.

“The best prize,” he whispered. “I really don't deserve you, but ... I'm so fucking thankful for you. You saved me, Tor. I didn't even know I was dying, and you brought me back to life.”

Tori blinked away tears and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Yeah, well,” she struggled to find the right words. “I was lost, and you found me, so I guess that makes us even.”

“I guess that makes us the perfect match,” he countered, and she smiled.

“Perfect.”

God, if they got any mushier, she was going to puke on herself. Or blurt out that she was in love with him. Thankfully, he didn't give her a chance. He raised himself up and kissed her hard on the lips. She squeaked in surprise, then moaned as his tongue swirled through her mouth.

His hand moved heavily over her breasts and she was glad he was finally going to work out some of his stress on her body, but then they were interrupted. There was the sound of hurried footsteps just outside their tent and they both paused.

“Dr. Edenhoff!” a man's voice shouted.

“Christ, what!?” Landon barked, moving to kneel over Tori and pulling at her tank top.

“You're needed in the crisis tent!” the man referred to their version of an E.R. A separate tent where serious cases were taken, also nicknamed The Tent of Death. Landon paused with the fabric bunched up under her breasts.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Dr. Sarawut had a heart attack!”

Landon got off the bed and Tori scrambled to push her shirt back down before he could open the entrance. A short male nurse stood outside, nervously twisting his hands around his wrists.

“I just saw him two hours ago, he was fine,” Landon said. The other guy nodded.

“I know. He was doing a run into the city, was asking if anyone needed anything. One minute he was laughing, the next he was on the ground. They started doing chest compressions when I ran for you.”

“Tor, I -” Landon started to yell, but she was already on her feet.

“Go,” she urged, gesturing. “Do what you do best. I'll finish in here.”

He nodded and stepped through the opening. She went to their suitcases, determined to separate everything and pack it neatly, when he came rushing back in. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, but he kissed her before she could make a sound. Yanked her close so every inch of her was pressed against him.

“I had to do that,” he said when he finally pulled away. “We were having a moment. I'm shitty at moments, but I wanted you to know I was aware. You're important, but this ...”

“This is life or death,” she laughed, pushing at his chest. “And that's important, too. Go. I'll be here after you save his life.”

“You're the best,” he said, then he planted one last rough kiss on her mouth before rushing out of the tent.

Me. The always late, always second choice, can't keep a job, can't focus, drinks too much chick, I am head over heels with a frickin' gorgeous doctor. A life saving doctor. A good humanitarian doctor. ME. I don't know what I did to deserve this, but holy shit, I am so grateful.