Page 220 of Filthy Elites

I could cry, I’m so happy.

She won’t feel afraid.

There’s peace in the last moments before you leave.

It brings me more solace than I thought possible to know this is what she’ll feel when the clock runs out. I was so afraid it would be all sadness and fear to be ripped from the Earth before you’re ready to go, but it’s not.

I wish I could be there with her for all the rest of her moments, but I know she’ll join me soon, and nothing will ever part us again.

If I weren’t in a pool full of water, I think tears would be falling down my face. I curl close to my angel, feel the comfort of his powerful wings embracing me.

I close my eyes as we fly out of the pool and above the house, as we soar up through the darkness toward the heavens.

I feel the stars around us, but I don’t look. I nuzzle my face into the neck of my angel and hold him tight, hoping he never lets me go.

THREE

Dare

“Are you guys fucking serious?”

I can’t believe I’m the one to say something.

Me.

I hardly spend my time looking out for anyone else’s well-being, but there is literally a girl drowning at the bottom of my damn pool, and no one is making a move to help her.

An average swimmer might not be able to do much more than toss something for her to grab onto without endangering themselves, but half the seniors on the swim team are here tonight, and we are certainly above-average swimmers.

I look at everyone crowded around, watching the girl thrash wildly at the bottom of the pool. One girl pulls out her phone to record it, but her friend grabs her arm and asks her if she’s fucking crazy.

Scofield from the swim team finally starts to pull off his shirt and move toward the water, but Anae stops him with a sharp, “Don’t.”

I look over at my girlfriend, hiking an eyebrow in disbelief.

She must feel my gaze on her because she looks back innocently. “What? She knows how to swim, she’s just trying to get attention.”

Anae’s fucking crazy, so I don’t take her word for it. I also don’t take her orders like the rest of these assholes, so I peel off my shirt, toss it behind me, and dive into the pool.

The girl is near the bottom when I finally get to her. She’s exhausted her body fighting to get back to the surface. She’s sinking, but I pull her up.

She hasn’t been down here too long, so she hasn’t lost consciousness yet. I’m prepared for her to panic again, to grab at me and try to pull me down with her.

When someone’s drowning and clinging to life, it’s not unheard of for them to drag their rescuer down in their desperation to get back to the surface. It’s animal instinct, a fight to survive. If pulling me down helps you get back up, you’ll pull me down 10 out of 10 times. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves.

I’m not worried, though. I’m the strongest swimmer on the team. If she starts fighting again, I’ll immobilize her and tow her back to the surface, but there’s not a shot in hell she’s drowning me to save herself.

She doesn’t try to pull me down or climb over me, though.

As soon as I bring her in, she hugs me. I’m already caught off-guard, then she nuzzles closer, resting her head on my shoulder.

Before I break the surface, her limbs have fallen away from me and her body has gone limp. Her eyes are closed when I get her head above water, her long dark hair floating like squid ink in the water behind her body.

“Get the fuck over here and help me,” I bark at Scofield and Clemmons.

My orders trump Anae’s, so they hustle their asses over and help me haul the girl out of the water so I can climb out myself.

The girl lies motionless on the tile surrounding the pool.

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