Page 49 of Unraveled

“Notalwaysbut thanks.” She scrambled down from the chair and took off down the beach at blazing speed for someone with such short legs.

I glanced around, hyper-focused now that it was just me watching this section of the shore. The minutes ticked by, and the crowd grew a little thinner as the heat of the day approached, people heading back to homes, hotels, and the shade of their umbrellas.

Eventually, I relaxed some in my seat when I saw Emma heading back, but when several more minutes passed and I was still up here alone, I glanced around to see where she was.

Oh, fuck me. Of course. Why not stop and talk to your new boyfriend when I’m covering for both of us?

I was so going to give her shit when she got back. Making a mental note, I turned my attention back to the ocean just in time to see a Jet Ski and a windsurfer almost collide.

I shot up straight, instantly on high alert, and watched as the windsurfer angled away just in time. But the Jet Ski over-corrected when the driver swerved, and it took a harsh jerk in the choppy water, the girl riding it thrown forward over the front. Her legs slammed into the handles, forcing her to fling face-first against the hood of the Jet Ski before tumbling into the water.

I didn’t even wait to see if she resurfaced. Grabbing the rescue buoy from the back of the chair, I raced across the sand, thrusting my legs through the shallow water until I could launch myself into a full-powered swim.

The girl still hadn’t resurfaced, and I knew with the way she’d hit her legs, they were probably numb and keeping her from coming up. And that was if she hadn’t been knocked out when she hit her head.

The thought made me push through the choppy water faster, hoping I made it to her in time as I sliced through the irritated ocean. My one relief that she hadn’t been that far out.

When I reached the vacant Jet Ski, I looked around, still not seeing a sign of her, but now I was even more confused as I spotted the windsurf board floating stranded just a few feet away.

Shit.I dove below the surface, now wondering if I’d missed something and needed to look for two people.

The saltwater stung my eyes as I kicked downward, twisting around to look in all directions, and it only took a few seconds to find the missing windsurfer already swimming back up a few feet away. As soon as he saw me, he pointed down to the right, and I jerked my head in thanks as I kicked harder into the deeper water.

Just a few more strokes and I could see the girl’s faint form ahead, already noting that she wasn’t struggling. I hurried to reach her, and taking one last, strong stroke, I wrapped an arm around her, a sliver of relief hitting me when she moved her arms enough to try to hold on.

I adjusted now that she was moving, sliding my arms under hers and flipping her over with the buoy between us, and she scrambled to cling to me, grasping at my neck and shoulders like a spark had ignited in her now that she knew someone was with her.

Adjusting her again, I started kicking upward, my eyes burning from the saltwater even worse than my lungs were starting to from lack of air. But ifmylungs burned, then the girl’s had to be on fire.Or already filling with water. I kicked faster.

The trip up felt longer than the way down, and I burst through the water’s choppy surface, greedily sucking in air. The girl began choking up water and gasping, her body ridding herself of the saltwater.

I took a quick glance around to see if Emma was coming to help, only to discover her busy on the shore with the first aid kit and what looked like a possible stingray incident.

Of course. Itoldher shit always goes down.

“I need to get you back to the shore to look over you,” I explained as I swam us over to the Jet Ski. “I knowyou’re probably in shock right now, but I need to know if you think you lost consciousness at all, even for a few seconds.”

Her head started to dip down before she answered, and I hollered, “Come on. Stay with me. I need to know about your injuries, so I know how to help. Did you lose consciousness? Other than a few seconds ago?”

“Um. No, I don’t think so,” she croaked, her voice sounding like an eighty-year-old chain smoker. “My head’s pounding…” She paused to suck in a breath. “My lungs…and throat…burn…and I couldn’t…feel my legs.”

“How about now? Can you feel them at all now?”

“Some. They hurt.”

Good. That was a good sign. Better than if they were still numb. I’d still need to take a look, though. We reached the Jet Ski then, and I hoisted her up before positioning myself behind her. The girl coughed and groaned, leaning back against me as I slid an arm around her to keep her steady, her body already swaying. Something about her seemed familiar, but her face was hidden behind a curtain of plastered wet strands, making it hard to tell.

“Your lungs and throat burn from the salt,” I explained in her ear as I drove us to the shore. “When we get in, I’m going to check you over, and I’ll be calling a paramedic team out, so they will probably want to take you to the hospital for a more thorough check.”

She shook her head. “I trust you.”

“It’s policy that I call it in. Especially since you hit your head. I can see surface injuries, but the ER will be able to tell you a lot more.”

I killed the engine when we reached the shore and quickly scooped her up to carry her in, careful with her legs, and she reached around my neck before resting her head against my shoulder, her soaked strawberry strands cold against my skin.

“Thank you for saving me, Tucker. I knew you would. I knew you had to care,” she whispered with that gravel voice in my ear.

What the hell? What kind of comment is that?

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