bay, trying to think. “She loves coming out here to swim at night. She likes to go out past that rock over there.”
She pointed to a huge rock in the water on the other side of the bay. Harper and Gemma had had a few races to that rock, with Gemma always coming out the winner.
“She likes the other side of the bay more?” Daniel asked.
“Kind of,” Harper admitted. “Tourists and boats don’t go out there because of all the rocks, and she likes how deserted it is.”
“So if she was going to take a break, it would be over there.”
“Yes!” She nodded excitedly, realizing what that meant. “When she drives, she parks over there, by the cypress trees.”
It would be faster to drive over there than to walk, so Harper ran back out to her car, with Daniel close behind. To get around the bay, Harper drove as fast as she could, which meant running a few stop signs and cutting across the grass.
Once she got to the beach, she was grateful that Daniel had rescued her flip-flop. The shore was covered in sharp rocks, and it would’ve been nearly impossible to navigate barefoot. Or at least it would’ve been for her. Harper knew the rocks would not have intimidated Gemma.
She made it out to the edge of the shore, past the trees, so she could have a clear view of the coastline all the way down to the cove. Daniel came up behind her and pointed to a blob of black a ways down.
“What’s that?” he asked, but Harper didn’t wait to answer.
She went so fast she tripped on the rocks a few times and fell once, tearing open her knee. Daniel followed her as quickly as he could, but he moved at a more cautious pace.
When she was close enough that she could tell for sure, Harper started calling out Gemma’s name. She could see it was her sister, lying on her back and tangled in something that resembled a gold fishing net. But Gemma didn’t respond.
TEN
Hangover
“Gemma!” Harper screamed and collapsed next to her sister, ignoring the rocks stinging her skin. “Gemma, wake up!”
“Is she alive?” Daniel asked, standing behind Harper and staring down at Gemma.
It really didn’t look good. Gemma’s skin was drained of color, so she looked almost blue. Bruises and scratches covered her arms, and blood had dried on her temple. Her lips were chapped and dry, and seaweed entangled her hair.
And then, even though Harper didn’t really think she would, Gemma groaned and turned her head to the side.
“Gemma.” Harper brushed back the hair from Gemma’s forehead, and her eyes fluttered open.
“Harper?” Gemma asked, her voice coming out in a croak.
“Oh, thank God.” Harper let out a deep breath, and relieved tears filled her eyes. “What happened to you?”
“I don’t know.”
Wincing as she moved, Gemma tried to stand, but the rocks were too uneven. When she started to stumble, Daniel put his arm underneath her legs and scooped her up. Gemma shifted and tried to hang on to him for support, but her arms were too tangled up in the mesh wrapped around her.
“Let’s get her back to the car,” Harper suggested, and Daniel nodded.
Once the realization that Gemma was alive had settled in, Harper wanted to sob and scream at her. But Gemma still seemed so weak and out of it that she didn’t want to interrogate her.
Harper had parked as close as she could get, which meant that she’d parked on the unruly beach grass lining the shore. Daniel set Gemma down on her feet once they got to the car, and she managed to stand up on her own. The mesh was pretty tangled around her, and Harper and Daniel intervened to help her get it off.
“What is this?” Harper asked. “Did you get caught in a fishermen’s net? Is that what happened to you?”
“This isn’t a net.” Daniel shook his head. Once they’d gotten Gemma free from it, he ran it through his hands, admiring the strange texture of it. “At least not any net I’ve ever seen.”
“No, it’s not a net.” Gemma put her hand on the car
She pointed to a huge rock in the water on the other side of the bay. Harper and Gemma had had a few races to that rock, with Gemma always coming out the winner.
“She likes the other side of the bay more?” Daniel asked.
“Kind of,” Harper admitted. “Tourists and boats don’t go out there because of all the rocks, and she likes how deserted it is.”
“So if she was going to take a break, it would be over there.”
“Yes!” She nodded excitedly, realizing what that meant. “When she drives, she parks over there, by the cypress trees.”
It would be faster to drive over there than to walk, so Harper ran back out to her car, with Daniel close behind. To get around the bay, Harper drove as fast as she could, which meant running a few stop signs and cutting across the grass.
Once she got to the beach, she was grateful that Daniel had rescued her flip-flop. The shore was covered in sharp rocks, and it would’ve been nearly impossible to navigate barefoot. Or at least it would’ve been for her. Harper knew the rocks would not have intimidated Gemma.
She made it out to the edge of the shore, past the trees, so she could have a clear view of the coastline all the way down to the cove. Daniel came up behind her and pointed to a blob of black a ways down.
“What’s that?” he asked, but Harper didn’t wait to answer.
She went so fast she tripped on the rocks a few times and fell once, tearing open her knee. Daniel followed her as quickly as he could, but he moved at a more cautious pace.
When she was close enough that she could tell for sure, Harper started calling out Gemma’s name. She could see it was her sister, lying on her back and tangled in something that resembled a gold fishing net. But Gemma didn’t respond.
TEN
Hangover
“Gemma!” Harper screamed and collapsed next to her sister, ignoring the rocks stinging her skin. “Gemma, wake up!”
“Is she alive?” Daniel asked, standing behind Harper and staring down at Gemma.
It really didn’t look good. Gemma’s skin was drained of color, so she looked almost blue. Bruises and scratches covered her arms, and blood had dried on her temple. Her lips were chapped and dry, and seaweed entangled her hair.
And then, even though Harper didn’t really think she would, Gemma groaned and turned her head to the side.
“Gemma.” Harper brushed back the hair from Gemma’s forehead, and her eyes fluttered open.
“Harper?” Gemma asked, her voice coming out in a croak.
“Oh, thank God.” Harper let out a deep breath, and relieved tears filled her eyes. “What happened to you?”
“I don’t know.”
Wincing as she moved, Gemma tried to stand, but the rocks were too uneven. When she started to stumble, Daniel put his arm underneath her legs and scooped her up. Gemma shifted and tried to hang on to him for support, but her arms were too tangled up in the mesh wrapped around her.
“Let’s get her back to the car,” Harper suggested, and Daniel nodded.
Once the realization that Gemma was alive had settled in, Harper wanted to sob and scream at her. But Gemma still seemed so weak and out of it that she didn’t want to interrogate her.
Harper had parked as close as she could get, which meant that she’d parked on the unruly beach grass lining the shore. Daniel set Gemma down on her feet once they got to the car, and she managed to stand up on her own. The mesh was pretty tangled around her, and Harper and Daniel intervened to help her get it off.
“What is this?” Harper asked. “Did you get caught in a fishermen’s net? Is that what happened to you?”
“This isn’t a net.” Daniel shook his head. Once they’d gotten Gemma free from it, he ran it through his hands, admiring the strange texture of it. “At least not any net I’ve ever seen.”
“No, it’s not a net.” Gemma put her hand on the car
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