Catching my eye, he dragged his hand from one hip across my stomach to the other hip, his fingers brushing the top of my coral shorts. The butterflies ricocheted off my ribs. He tugged again. “See? All safe.”
I took a deep breath and looked at where his fingers were still touching me. Heat seared through the cotton of my shirt, warming my skin and igniting my blood. The corded bracelets were hanging on his wrist, one blue and white, one green, and one shades of tan. Mixed in with those was a royal blue elastic band. My fingers circled my own wrist, where I usually wore my hair tie. I had a white one on today, but I was missing my blue one from my night at Grady’s. I reached out and touched it. “Is that mine?”
He pulled his hand away. “Yeah. I found it in my bed after you left. I wanted to remember to give it back to you.”
I looked at him expectantly.
“What?” He shrugged. “It looks like you’ve got another one.” He turned and walked to the boat, leaving me watching after him in confusion. Did he not plan on giving it back then?
Minutes later, I was airborne.
He was right. It felt exactly like floating. Like I was a balloon and he was a little kid running as fast as he could, watching the balloon shadow his every move. I spotted my cottage and the Wreck. Hell, I could even see the next two islands from this height. It was beautiful. Freeing. A seagull flew by, and for a second, we soared side by side.
From here, the water looked benign. From here, it was hard to remember there were creatures with sharp teeth and poisonous barbs and strong jaws just waiting for their next victim. From here, West looked like a little toy Lego man in a bathtub, scooting over the surface.
Idly, I watched the boat make a wide U-turn.
The sail puffed and snapped once, hard, as we changed directions. The sail lost speed. I wasn’t falling, but I was moving closer to the water at an alarming rate. My heart climbed into my throat, and my pulse doubled. Biting my lip in trepidation, I bent my legs and tucked my knees toward my chest, trying to escape the upward rush of the water.
The ocean no longer looked innocent. Angry, frothing waves reached up to snatch my feet and pull me in. A fish jumped to my left, and I shrieked. Why the fuck was it jumping? Was it trying to escape from a shark? I drifted closer and closer, and I closed my eyes, unwilling to watch any longer. The breakers roared as they rushed toward the shore, calling for my sacrifice. A fine spray misted my legs. I whimpered.
When my feet dipped in, I snapped my eyes back open.
This was it. I was going down. I clawed at the straps above me, trying desperately to climb higher, to get away. The water swallowed my legs to just above my knees, and I felt my eyes burn with unshed tears. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. It was like one of those nightmares where you know you’re not going to make it, and everything starts happening in slow motion.
I felt a tug from my hips, where the umbilical connected me to the boat. I wasn’t sinking any farther. Another pull brought me a foot higher, until the water was only at my ankles. Something brushed the underside of my foot, and my whole body shuddered. And then I was soaring again, flying high like a human kite.
This time, I couldn’t appreciate the view. Tears flowed from my eyes, and I just wanted this stupid ride to end. I sucked in huge lungfuls of air, trying to hold in the ugly sobs that threatened to erupt. The wind whipped tendrils of my hair against my face, small stinging lashes that seemed to mock me. Some strands clung stubbornly to the tears trailing down my cheeks.
As I came to a stop back on the beach, I grabbed at the harness around my middle, scrambling for the release. I sank to my knees, unable to figure out the clasp. Josie hurried to my side to assist me and looked at my face with concern.
“Hey,” she whispered. “What’s wrong? Did something pinch you or
I took a deep breath and looked at where his fingers were still touching me. Heat seared through the cotton of my shirt, warming my skin and igniting my blood. The corded bracelets were hanging on his wrist, one blue and white, one green, and one shades of tan. Mixed in with those was a royal blue elastic band. My fingers circled my own wrist, where I usually wore my hair tie. I had a white one on today, but I was missing my blue one from my night at Grady’s. I reached out and touched it. “Is that mine?”
He pulled his hand away. “Yeah. I found it in my bed after you left. I wanted to remember to give it back to you.”
I looked at him expectantly.
“What?” He shrugged. “It looks like you’ve got another one.” He turned and walked to the boat, leaving me watching after him in confusion. Did he not plan on giving it back then?
Minutes later, I was airborne.
He was right. It felt exactly like floating. Like I was a balloon and he was a little kid running as fast as he could, watching the balloon shadow his every move. I spotted my cottage and the Wreck. Hell, I could even see the next two islands from this height. It was beautiful. Freeing. A seagull flew by, and for a second, we soared side by side.
From here, the water looked benign. From here, it was hard to remember there were creatures with sharp teeth and poisonous barbs and strong jaws just waiting for their next victim. From here, West looked like a little toy Lego man in a bathtub, scooting over the surface.
Idly, I watched the boat make a wide U-turn.
The sail puffed and snapped once, hard, as we changed directions. The sail lost speed. I wasn’t falling, but I was moving closer to the water at an alarming rate. My heart climbed into my throat, and my pulse doubled. Biting my lip in trepidation, I bent my legs and tucked my knees toward my chest, trying to escape the upward rush of the water.
The ocean no longer looked innocent. Angry, frothing waves reached up to snatch my feet and pull me in. A fish jumped to my left, and I shrieked. Why the fuck was it jumping? Was it trying to escape from a shark? I drifted closer and closer, and I closed my eyes, unwilling to watch any longer. The breakers roared as they rushed toward the shore, calling for my sacrifice. A fine spray misted my legs. I whimpered.
When my feet dipped in, I snapped my eyes back open.
This was it. I was going down. I clawed at the straps above me, trying desperately to climb higher, to get away. The water swallowed my legs to just above my knees, and I felt my eyes burn with unshed tears. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. It was like one of those nightmares where you know you’re not going to make it, and everything starts happening in slow motion.
I felt a tug from my hips, where the umbilical connected me to the boat. I wasn’t sinking any farther. Another pull brought me a foot higher, until the water was only at my ankles. Something brushed the underside of my foot, and my whole body shuddered. And then I was soaring again, flying high like a human kite.
This time, I couldn’t appreciate the view. Tears flowed from my eyes, and I just wanted this stupid ride to end. I sucked in huge lungfuls of air, trying to hold in the ugly sobs that threatened to erupt. The wind whipped tendrils of my hair against my face, small stinging lashes that seemed to mock me. Some strands clung stubbornly to the tears trailing down my cheeks.
As I came to a stop back on the beach, I grabbed at the harness around my middle, scrambling for the release. I sank to my knees, unable to figure out the clasp. Josie hurried to my side to assist me and looked at my face with concern.
“Hey,” she whispered. “What’s wrong? Did something pinch you or
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