Stand Close 3 (Stand Close New Adult Romance Series) by Sabrina Lacey Page B
Authors: Sabrina Lacey
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drama’s in her already. It’s not my fault I bring it out.”
“Jack!” Jenna groans, irritated. “You know, I used to like you. Before I got to know you, that is. Why don’t you give Rue a break? She needs you guys. Didn’t you ever stop to think that you’re all she has?”
Feeling the sting, I swallow, but lean on my anger for support. “She’s made it clear she wants nothing to do with us. Or are you forgetting the limo?”
Jenna rolls her eyes. “Yeah, she said those things because you’ve done everything in your power to make her feel like she’s beneath you. How would you feel if…no. You can’t even begin to know what that feels like, can you? You get everything you ever wanted. Well, Rue…” she stops and looks to the pool. Staring at it a few moments, her eyes shifting from annoyance to concern as she searches. “Wait. Where’s Rue?”
I turn and glance around the pool deck, but she’s not there. There are people standing in the shallow end with their backs to us, talking. I take a few steps toward the pool, a feeling of foreboding drifting up from my subconscious. A dark shadow in the deep end appears as I get close enough to see over the side. I run up. Yell her name. Yell it again.
Jenna joins me, staring over the side, frozen as she tries to understand what’s happening. Urgently I ask her, “Can she hold her breath for a long time? Is she fucking with us?”
She shakes her head, a thin line of distress deepening between her eyebrows. “No. RUE! COME ON! You’re scaring me!”
Terror slams into me as Rue’s body sways unnaturally to the side like the water owns her now. “No,” I whisper, my heart pounding loudly as I dive in to save her. Swimming as fast I can, I fasten an arm around her waist and use my feet to push off the bottom of the pool. The water fights me, but I’m stronger and I kick my legs hard against it. Under here, it’s like time disappears. With her hanging heavily under my arm as I swim, asking myself, What have I done?
Crashing through the surface, I gasp hard for air and yank Rue up as high as I can, her head hanging lifelessly, chin pressed into her chest and eyelids closed, with water cascading over them. “Grab her!”
“Oh my God. Her lips are blue!” Jenna pulls her up as I push from underneath. As she eases her friend’s head onto the limestone, she begins to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Rue! Come on baby! Don’t die on me! Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done...”
I leap out of the pool, skinning my knees on the cement as I skid to her side. Grabbing her chin with one hand and plugging her nose with the other, I breathe heat and air from my lungs into hers. After six breaths, I beg, “C’mon, Rue. C’mon,” turning her over onto her side as water reluctantly pours out of her. But it’s not enough. No heartbeat. Grabbing her nose and mouth again I persevere, and through Jenna’s desperate, repeated prayers, I hear Sean and Alec joining us, asking frantically, “What’s going on?” as a small crowd surrounds us, whispering. I don’t hear them. I don’t see them.
The only thing I see is my sister dying in my arms.
Trying to get her heart to beat, I pound with both hands on her chest, yelling at her, “Rue, Dammit! You’re a fighter! FIGHT!” before I grab her nose and mouth again. On the seventh breath, my prayers are answered and water bubbles up, making me choke as she coughs into my mouth. With both of us hacking, I turn her onto her side again. This time a geyser comes out of her mouth, and I’ve never seen anything more wonderful. Her ghost-white hands grope the air like she’s clawing her way back to life. Alec grabs both hands and holds them securely, looking at me with questions in his eyes as I repeat, “Breathe Rue. Breathe!” She tiredly locks eyes with me, coughing and taking in her own oxygen, fear in her bloodshot eyes. Sean’s stunned, blinking with gratitude. Jenna’s crying
“Jack!” Jenna groans, irritated. “You know, I used to like you. Before I got to know you, that is. Why don’t you give Rue a break? She needs you guys. Didn’t you ever stop to think that you’re all she has?”
Feeling the sting, I swallow, but lean on my anger for support. “She’s made it clear she wants nothing to do with us. Or are you forgetting the limo?”
Jenna rolls her eyes. “Yeah, she said those things because you’ve done everything in your power to make her feel like she’s beneath you. How would you feel if…no. You can’t even begin to know what that feels like, can you? You get everything you ever wanted. Well, Rue…” she stops and looks to the pool. Staring at it a few moments, her eyes shifting from annoyance to concern as she searches. “Wait. Where’s Rue?”
I turn and glance around the pool deck, but she’s not there. There are people standing in the shallow end with their backs to us, talking. I take a few steps toward the pool, a feeling of foreboding drifting up from my subconscious. A dark shadow in the deep end appears as I get close enough to see over the side. I run up. Yell her name. Yell it again.
Jenna joins me, staring over the side, frozen as she tries to understand what’s happening. Urgently I ask her, “Can she hold her breath for a long time? Is she fucking with us?”
She shakes her head, a thin line of distress deepening between her eyebrows. “No. RUE! COME ON! You’re scaring me!”
Terror slams into me as Rue’s body sways unnaturally to the side like the water owns her now. “No,” I whisper, my heart pounding loudly as I dive in to save her. Swimming as fast I can, I fasten an arm around her waist and use my feet to push off the bottom of the pool. The water fights me, but I’m stronger and I kick my legs hard against it. Under here, it’s like time disappears. With her hanging heavily under my arm as I swim, asking myself, What have I done?
Crashing through the surface, I gasp hard for air and yank Rue up as high as I can, her head hanging lifelessly, chin pressed into her chest and eyelids closed, with water cascading over them. “Grab her!”
“Oh my God. Her lips are blue!” Jenna pulls her up as I push from underneath. As she eases her friend’s head onto the limestone, she begins to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Rue! Come on baby! Don’t die on me! Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done...”
I leap out of the pool, skinning my knees on the cement as I skid to her side. Grabbing her chin with one hand and plugging her nose with the other, I breathe heat and air from my lungs into hers. After six breaths, I beg, “C’mon, Rue. C’mon,” turning her over onto her side as water reluctantly pours out of her. But it’s not enough. No heartbeat. Grabbing her nose and mouth again I persevere, and through Jenna’s desperate, repeated prayers, I hear Sean and Alec joining us, asking frantically, “What’s going on?” as a small crowd surrounds us, whispering. I don’t hear them. I don’t see them.
The only thing I see is my sister dying in my arms.
Trying to get her heart to beat, I pound with both hands on her chest, yelling at her, “Rue, Dammit! You’re a fighter! FIGHT!” before I grab her nose and mouth again. On the seventh breath, my prayers are answered and water bubbles up, making me choke as she coughs into my mouth. With both of us hacking, I turn her onto her side again. This time a geyser comes out of her mouth, and I’ve never seen anything more wonderful. Her ghost-white hands grope the air like she’s clawing her way back to life. Alec grabs both hands and holds them securely, looking at me with questions in his eyes as I repeat, “Breathe Rue. Breathe!” She tiredly locks eyes with me, coughing and taking in her own oxygen, fear in her bloodshot eyes. Sean’s stunned, blinking with gratitude. Jenna’s crying
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