Page 77 of Unravel Me

He watches me as I shimmy my body into the wetsuit and push my arms through. He walks up to me, eyes never leaving my chest, and bats my hands away from the zipper. He pulls it up until right over my breasts before hauling it in his direction. I stumble forward, colliding with him before looking up and smiling ear to ear.

“You look so good, you know that right?” I laugh at him with an eye roll before pushing him in the chest to shove him away. I finish zipping up my suit and watch as Sawyer grabs his surfboard and heads back to me, determination written all over his face. He clasps my hand tightly in his before dragging me begrudgingly into the water.

“Shit! Shit! Shit! Sawyer!!” I screech. It’s mid-June but the water this far north is still cold, it’s not the Arctic but damn near close as far as I’m concerned. Sawyer turns to face me, putting his back to the waves crashing not far from us.

“Iv, it’s not that bad, you’ll get used to it. Trust me?”

“Okay, okay. I’ve got this.”

“You do. I’ve got you if you don’t. You’re going to love it.”

Sawyer’s hand on my back breaks me of the memory.

“You remember that day?” he asks.

“Of course I do. I was terrified, you pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I ended up loving it. I did not love freezing in the water though.”

“I warmed you up after, didn’t I?” He winks before pulling me outside where the rest of his family is congregating.

This man is going to be the death of me.

Chapter 31

SAWYER

“Hey guys! We made it, Ivy in tow, just like Mom demanded,” I deadpan to the group containing my family and some friends sitting around the large table outside. “Hey, Dad. How you feeling today?” I say as we approach my father, who’s sitting relaxed in one of the patio chairs.

“Oh, I’m fine. Cut it out. Get your ass out of the way so I can see our girl.” The stroke left him with a bit of a slur, but it doesn’t seem to bother him when communicating and he rarely gets frustrated with himself, at least not in front of us. He’s been the best role model for how to take punches and bounce backfrom life knocking you on your ass. The five of us kids are lucky to have him. I press my hand to Ivy’s lower back to scoot her forward, stepping out of her way.

“Hey, Mr. Craig. It’s so good to see you again.”

“Ivy, it’s good to see you back home.”

“It’s really good to finally be home.”

“C’mere, let me hug you.” Ivy leans down and my dad wraps her in a huge bear hug. I know how much Ivy loved and looked up to my parents, so I can imagine how needed this is for her right now.

“You want something to drink?” I whisper to her.

“Yes, please.”

“Go have a seat, you’ve seen everyone already. I’ll go grab us something.” I lean down, kiss her, and push her forward lightly with my palm on her lower back. She looks up at me like a deer in headlights, her eyes big, round, and nervous. “You’re fine, don’t be a big baby.”

I leave her with my siblings, plus Hannah and Charlie—Reid nowhere to be found per usual—and turn to go back inside the house. Dallas catches me in the hallway on his way outside to join everyone.

“You heard back from Wes yet?” I ask him.

“Not yet, but I’ll follow up with him later. She still being bothered by that asshole?”

“Not sure. She’s relaxed a lot, but she keeps her phone off. I haven’t brought it up or asked if he’s still harassing her.”

“Maybe make that a priority instead of poking her with your stick.”

I shove him in the chest with both of my hands, forcing him to fall back into the wall, knocking down a picture frame. Luckily it doesn’t break.

“Boys! Why? Why? Knock it off!” our mom yells from the kitchen.

“Look what you did now, dickhead, made Mom all mad.” I walk backwards toward the kitchen, pointing at him. “Follow up with Wes. And it’s a log, not a stick.”

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