Page 78 of Johnathan

He wanted to let her get warm, but anxiety was simmering beneath his skin. Watching her go under the water was terrifying. He needed to have her in his arms. He needed to feel her breathing against him.

“Scoot forward, Abby.”

She didn’t open her eyes, but followed his request. He slid behind her, still fully dressed. John wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled down into his chest and buried his face into her hair. She smelled like ice, crisp and clean, but also like the forest. And deep underneath that, there was the slightest bit of lemon. Those fucking lemons. That scent of hers that drove him crazy.

“That scared the life right out of me. I lost at least ten years.”

“You’re too old to be losing years like that,” she teased. He knew that as he pulled her tighter into his body she would feel the tension pouring off of him.

“I shouldn’t have been standing so close to the edge. You warned me that the rocks were slippery. I’m sorry I got distracted. And now we don’t have dinner.”

“Don’t worry about dinner. We’ll pick something up after I take you into urgent care to get checked out.”

“I don’t need to get checked out. I’m?—”

“What did I just say about telling me that?”

“My ass is feeling a lot warmer now. Maybe just put me over your leg and see if you can’t spank out the water in my lungs.”

“That’s not funny.”

“I know I certainly did not die out there, but maybe your humor did? Because that was actually quite witty.”

“You’re being awfully quiet over there.”

She’d been stubborn when John demanded she see a doctor. And in the end, that stubbornness had won out. Abby saw the tension in his eyes, and the way he watched her so intensely when she shifted around on the couch or when she cleared her throat.

“I’m worried. I don’t like that you won’t go see a doctor.”

“John, I know my body. The last thing I need is to leave this cabin to go sit in some doctor’s office for them to tell me I’m perfectly fine. I’m warm. I’m happy. I don’t want my clumsiness to ruin this weekend.”

“This weekend isn’t ruined. But it wouldn’t have even been a problem if I hadn’t insisted on pushing you to go down there. You should have stayed up on the porch, far away. It was selfish of me. I didn’t want to spend any time away from you.”

“Alright. I think that’s enough wallowing for the both of us, don’t you agree? I don’t want to spend another minute thinking about what could have happened. We took a dip in the creek and now we are cuddled up on the sofa about to watch a movie and make out. I can’t complain about that.”

“So now it’s a creek?” The corner of his mouth twitched and she knew he was finally coming around.

“You want to talk about the size of your stream or would you rather focus on the part where I said we’d turn on the TV and ignore it while making out like horny teenagers?”

“The second option please.”

Abby laughed, tucking her feet under her as she snuggled under his arm and placed the first of hopefully many hot as sin kisses on his lips.

The water was so cold. Cold and dark. She wanted to surface. Why… Why couldn’t she? She needed to breathe. Her lungs were burning. She couldn’t tell which way was up.

Open your eyes, Abby.

Open your eyes.

She tried. But all there was was darkness. So much darkness. And the water was thick. Her arms could barely move.

Come on, baby.

It’s time.

You need to open your eyes.

She knew the voice. She trusted the voice. She opened her eyes, and the scream ripped through her vocal cords.

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