Page 84 of Sparks Like Ours

Elle flashed her a smile, her hands resting on top of her board.“That’s why I’m a pro. I spend hours and hours practicing in order to make itlook easy. All part of my scheme.”

“Nope. You’ve always been a prodigy and I’ve always been ahobbyist. Just how things are, Wave Weasel.”

Elle laughed, because the comment mirrored the lightheartedness oftheir entire morning together. “If you’re asking my advice, and I’m not sureyou are, it’s because you chicken out at the last minute and it shows all overyour stance. You edge away from the action.”

“Are you saying I cower in fear?” Holly splashed her.

Elle blinked to clear her vision, and splashed her back evenharder. “I would never say that.”

“Fiction. I can read between the perfectly crafted Elle Britton PRroutine. All right, so the next big one? I’m on it, and I will hold my ground,and my stance, and stick to that wave like we’re in long-lost love.”

“Don’t think too much, and don’t back down, whatever you do.You’re a great surfer, Hol, but you’re in your head a lot.”

“Good point. No thinking. Got it.” She paused and watched thehorizon and her incoming options. “Okay, here comes a big guy. What do youthink?”

“Nope. Let that one go. It’s going to fizzle early. Watch theedges. You can tell.”

“I’ll just rely on your inarguable instinct.”

They stared off at the incoming waves, until a solid, sturdy oneheaded their way. “That’s the one. You ready?”

“Ready.”

“Fearless?” Elle asked.

“Check.” With a funny little salute, Holly was off and paddlinglike a maniac as Elle called after her, egging her on.

“You got this, Hol! Take your time. No rush to stand. There ya go!Yeah! Killing it!”

It was gorgeous, the turn Holly took right off the bat. Nothingtentative about her. She found the barrel and sailed right through it with themost perfect of S-curves. But she didn’t quite make it out in time and thewave, a monster one too, came right over the top of her. Elle winced, knowinghow those things could take the wind right out of you. Silence hit. She swamcloser, waiting for Holly to surface. It was getting to be lunchtime, and maybea wipeout like that was the perfect time to call it a day. Though the firstpart of that ride had been beautiful, and she was ready to let Holly know.

Elle scanned the water for her friend. Nothing yet. She swamfarther out, popping up in the water for a better vantage point, and so she’dbe sure to spot Holly right away. But still no sign. Weird. She was starting toget nervous. Her blood pressure edged up and her heart rate escalated the wayit did when something felt off. Where in the world was Holly? She unleashedherself from her board and dipped under the water, but saw no sign of her.“Holly?” she yelled, once she surfaced. Nothing. Under again, swimming fartherand farther down, until she needed air. “Hol?” She blinked the salt water outof her eyes, ignoring the sting. This couldn’t be happening. She scanned thehorizon, but the nearest people were out of earshot. Down again, this timefarther out. She saw movement to her left and followed it. As she approached asmall reef, there was Holly tethered to it by her leash, which had apparentlygotten caught. Holly blinked at her in terror as she approached. Elle had tothink fast. Holly was still conscious, thank God, but she wouldn’t have long.Elle reached for the safety latch to release Holly from the leash altogether,but the current made it nearly impossible to open. Damn it. She didn’t havetime for this. The clock seemed to tick away at exponential speed. The otherend of the leash was jammed around a rock. She tried again, screaming insideher head, her adrenaline pulsing. She wasn’t going to let this happen, butwithout air herself, she was no good to either of them. Her lungs werethrobbing painfully, stretched to their limit.

Calling on her muscles to move her as fast as possible, she racedfor the surface, fully aware of her enemy, the ticking clock. With a deepinhale, she headed back, more determined than ever. Holly’s eyes had flutteredclosed when she returned to her, which meant time was running out.

The scenario was a nightmare come true, but she wasn’t about tolet it end that way. She could not, would not, lose Holly. Not on her watch.Impossible.

She tugged the leash, wishing to God she’d carried a knife thatmorning, as she’d been known to do in the past when they’d gone out so faralone. She pulled, and yanked, and wrestled the leash, expending all of herstrength. Though she couldn’t break the material of the leash itself, she wasable to move the latch to the other side of Holly’s ankle, giving her betterleverage to negotiate the release.

She gave it a final tug, the last of her energy, and to hersurprise, it opened. Thank God. But they still had to make it to the surface,and getting them both there when her levels were depleted would be a feat. Ellecouldn’t think about it. She ignored the pain in her chest, the numbness in herlimbs, and fought with everything she had to return with Holly to the surface.She looked upward as she swam, focusing on the goal, the sunshine that guidedher way. This couldn’t be the end. If Holly wasn’t okay, she’d never forgiveherself.

She hoped with everything she had that it wasn’t too late.

* * *

“The pain can luckily be attributed to Braxton Hickscontractions,” Kate calmly explained to Gia, Hadley, and Isabel, who’d gatheredin the hospital waiting room, bonded together like one friendship unit.Autumn’s doctor had arrived and assessed the situation while they’d waitedpatiently to hear. They each had their own unique way of dealing with stress,though it was so much more comforting to do it together. Isabel talked nonstopat a high rate of speed, Hadley offered only positive words of encouragementcoupled with the occasional uplifting metaphor, and Gia walked incessantly,needing to release extra energy. To each her own.

“What are Braxton Hicks contractions?” Isabel asked with a worriedsquint.

“They’re basically false labor pains that can hurt just as much.”

“Oh, no,” Hadley said. “Poor Autumn, having to go through all ofthat before any actual labor begins. That doesn’t seem fair.”

“But that’s good, right?” Gia asked. “That means nothing’s wrongwith the twins or Autumn?”

“That part is good,” Kate said. “But unfortunately, Autumn’s bloodpressure has bottomed out, which has the doctor very concerned.”

“Fuck,” Isabel whispered, shoving her hands into her back pockets.“What can that do?”

---