Page 9 of Backstroke

I force a smile, grateful for her understanding. “Thanks, Rowyn. I think I’ll stay inside for now.”

“Actually, I think that’s a great idea,Fallon.“ He smiles, like the cat that got the mouse.Of course he picked up on my name. Why of all people am I on his radar? Just because I hurt his pride earlier?He moves away, but grabs my hand to pull me along. I dig my heels into the floor, but the effort is futile.

“I’mnotgoing outside,“ I stress. Something akin to amusement flickers across Remy’s face, but it’s gone in an instant, replaced with determination. I know he can sense my fear. It’s radiating from me in waves. Instead of listening to me, he lifts me over his shoulder in one fluid motion and begins heading outside.

“Put me the fuck down, you asshole!” I scream, but he only laughs. Kicking and screaming have zero effect on him. In fact, I think it spurs him on. The partiers split ways, allowing the king of the house to come through. No one tries to come to my rescue, and I feel my anxiety rising, tears threatening to spill.

“Didn’t I tell you that your mouth was going to get you in trouble? Well, you’re about to cash the check you wrote,” Remy slaps my ass, and my cheeks flame from embarrassment. This dress is too short for the position I’m in. And I’m not even going to let my mind wonder why the hell his hand felt so good there.

“Remy! Let me down, I swear…” I trail off when I see the glistening water of the pool. Fear clogs my throat, making my muscles tense. I lose the fight as I prepare for the inevitable.

“I bet her fat ass will drown,” someone laughs, then more people start laughing and yelling for him to throw me in. A crowd forms around us, and everyone is cheering him on at my expense. Tears spill down my cheeks as I shakily cling to his body. The mascara burns my eyes, making my vision blurry. I wish I could see Lyndsy or Rowyn.

“Please,” my voice quivers.

“Dunk her! Dunk her! Dunk her!” The crowd begins to chant, and I can feel the tension in my body rise to an all-new level.

“Come on, Remy. Throw her in! Show the bitch who you are,” a male voice booms beside us. I glance over to see Mr. Red Flags leading the crowd. A sadistic grin forms on his face when he looks over to me. My stomach curls and vomit begins to rise.

“Fuck off,” Remy growls, and for a moment everyone quiets. He slides my body down his front, placing me on my feet. Somewhere along the way I lost a heel, so my balance is off, especially after being upside down.

“What’s the matter, Remy? Going soft?” the same asshole eggs him on.

My body shakes as I attempt to straighten my dress, when suddenly firm hands grasp my shoulders.

In a flash, I’m gulping for air as the water around threatens to pull me under. As I fall backwards, my head hits something and the pain radiates through my skull. Water fills my lungs and blackness falls over my eyes. The irrational fear overwhelms me, carrying away my ability to swim. My childhood incident left me permanently scarred, both physically and mentally. I feel my body sink deeper and deeper into the abyss, and my mind goes back to that day. That fateful day when everything changed in an instant.

Darkness collides with my mind and I drift off, knowing I’m not strong enough to save myself this time.

Four

Remington

“What the fuck, man?”I shout at Emerson, pushing him back hard enough that he falls to his ass. The dick dared to play with my new toy. Hewilllearn his place at this school, and especially on my team. Most of the party attendees have gathered around the commotion with people gasping and pointing. My breath catches when I see blue hair sinking to the bottom of the pool. A trail of red swirls through the water, causing my reflexes to amp up. Kicking off my shoes, I dive into the cool water straight to Fallon.

The cold jolts my senses awake, sweeping away any buzz I had going on. My arm circles around her waist, and I push off from the pool floor, using my free hand to swim us to the edge of the pool. Nix is there waiting to pull Fallon up.

“Party’s over. Everyone get the fuck out!” Gray booms, making everyone push and shove to leave. I push Fallon’s limp body up to Nix and he pulls her over the edge, laying her gently on the concrete. I place my hands on the edge, hoisting myself up from the pool as my drenched clothes stick to my skin.

“She’ll be fine and home in no time,” Gray insists, probably to her friends.

“Remy! She’s bleeding!” Nix calls over from where he’s kneeling beside her.

Something in me snaps, and my insides scream when I see him touching her. If it was anyone other than Nix, I would probably knock their fucking teeth out. No one is allowed to touch her but me. Her intoxicating allure from this afternoon coupled with her smartass jabs tonight have me entranced in the most unusual way. The tumultuous storm of desire and possessiveness is building inside me. Fallon just became my new obsession, and there’s not a damn thing she can do about it. Her unwillingness to submit to me stirs a tempest within me. My little blue-haired mystery poses a challenge for which I won’t back down.

She’s mine to bully.

Mine to torture.

Mine to shatter.

Crawling to where she is, I assess the situation. Her head is bleeding badly, but the cut looks superficial from what I can see at least. The only light outside is coming from the pool. Fallon lies lifeless on the ground, not moving an inch.

“Fallon! Can you hear me?” I jostle her shoulder to no avail.

“Fuck, she’s not breathing, Remy!” Gray stammers. I press my head against her chest, realizing he’s right.

Gently I tilt her head back, lifting her chin. I open her mouth, applying pressure just behind her jaw on either side of her head. I pinch her nose, pressing my lips against hers. The cool metal of her lip ring sends a jolt of electricity through me. My lips tingle as I blow my breath into her lungs. Her chest rises but she doesn’t begin breathing on her own. I try to ignore her soft, plush lips and focus on her helpless body before me.

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