Page 59 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

I started crying as soon as he said my name.

The two deckhands pulled me toward the boat while Andrew swam next to us. When we reached the yacht, there were more crew members to pull me aboard. A blur of people crowded around as I lay on the swim platform for a moment, exhausted and in pain but, thankfully, alive.

And then I was placed on some sort of stretcher and the crew was taking me down the hall and into one of the staterooms. Andrew and Harper followed the medical crew into the room and got me out of my wet clothes and into bed. Some kind of special blanket was placed over me, which immediately helped me feel warmer, but my teeth were still chattering, and I couldn't stop shaking.

There seemed to be concern about hypothermia, and my temperature was taken on my forehead and in my ear several times by someone who told me he was a medical officer. He also checked my heart rate and oxygen levels every few minutes.

Andrew and Harper tried to talk to me, but I could barely generate a weak smile in return. I was so cold. Gradually, I began to feel warmer, and my tremors eased along with my chattering teeth.

The medical officer gave me a smile and said, "You're doing good. Your temp is coming up. How do you feel?"

"I-I don't know," I said, happy I could at least get some words out. "Better, I think."

"That's what we want," he said.

"You're going to be okay, Lauren," Andrew said, drawing my gaze to his.

"You're wet," I said, seeing beads of water on his face, and his wet shirt was clinging to his chest. "You should change."

"I'm fine. I'll change when I know you're going to be all right."

"You can do that now," the medical officer told Andrew. He turned to a deckhand standing just inside the door. "Can you get him some clothes?"

"Already done," the deckhand said. "Sir, if you want to come with me…"

Andrew hesitated. "I'm not sure I should leave yet."

"I'm doing okay," I told him, my voice stronger this time. "I'm not shivering so badly. You should change."

Before he could move, Victor stepped into the room, his blue eyes dark with concern. "How is she doing?" he asked the medical officer.

"Much better. Her temperature is out of the danger zone, but she should get checked out at the medical center in Avalon."

"Does she need to be flown to an LA hospital? I've got a helicopter on standby."

My eyes widened at Victor's question. "I don't want to be flown anywhere," I said. "I'll be fine when I warm up."

Victor ignored me, focused on the medical officer's response, not mine.

"We'll be back at the harbor in fifteen minutes," the man said. "If she maintains this level of heat and oxygen, she should recover quickly."

"All right." Victor let out a heavy breath. "What happened, Lauren? How did you end up in the water?"

I licked my salty lips, not sure how to answer that question, and I was suddenly very aware of everyone in the room: Andrew, Harper, Victor, the medical officer, the deckhand by the door, and now Bennett was squeezing into the room, too. I could hear chatter in the hall. There were probably more guests and staff hovering outside the door. They all seemed concerned and worried about me, but was all that worry about my welfare or about what I might say?

"Lauren?" Harper pressed. "How did you fall in?"

I didn't like her question. Everyone kept assuming I was the problem. I'd fallen off the horse. Now I'd fallen off the yacht.Did they really think I was that clumsy?Anger rose within me as I realized how close I'd come to dying, and it wasn't my fault. Someone had pushed me off the platform. They'd taken advantage of my unstable, woozy condition and given me a shove.

And that was after Allison had told me to go downstairs to use the restroom, after I heard two men talking about something in one of the staterooms, and maybe one of those men had seen me stumble away.Had I heard something I wasn't supposed to?At this moment, I wasn't sure of anything, because it was all a blur.

But they were waiting for an answer, and as the seconds ticked by, I knew I had to say something.But what if whoever had pushed me into the ocean was standing in this room?

God! I didn't want to believe that.

But how could I trust anyone?

"This is concerning," Victor said. "Her level of confusion. Maybe we need to get her to Los Angeles. Andrew, what do you think?"

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