Page 142 of When Hearts Remember

Nova.

I like the nickname.

“Hold on to me. I’ll just swim us out a little bit, okay?”

Nodding, I throw my arms around his neck and shriek when my body sinks.

“I got you. You’re safe. I got you.” He grips me tightly as I hug him like a koala to a tree.

Slowly, my muscles relax, and we wade to the middle of the pool. My feet can’t touch the bottom. If I let go of him and don’t swim, I’ll drown.

But somehow, the panic doesn’t rear its ugly head.

Because he’s here. He’ll take care of me and protect me.

“Ready for more?” He smiles softly, his wet hair falling over his eye.

Unbidden, I brush it back and his nostrils flare. “Let’s do this.”

We spend the next fifteen minutes floating. He slowly eases me away from him—my hands sliding down to his shoulders, his biceps, then his forearms. Eventually, only our fingers are touching, and there’s a wide gap between us.

“Look at you treading water. Doing just fine on your own. I’m barely holding you.”

His encouragement spurs me on, and I take a deep breath. “I want to try swimming on my own.”

Ethan scans my face, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “You sure?”

I nod. “I want to try it.”

“You know the strokes, Lexy. You can swim. Just remember that. This is just the same as the kiddie pool. I’m here andnothingwill happen to you. Whenever you’re ready, let go of my hand and swim to the edge.”

My pulse clamors in my ears, and I blow out another breath.

One.

Two.

Three.

I let go.

My body plummets. The water swallows me whole.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Stop lying. Why did you have to be so nosy? You have a death wish, don’t you?”

There’s so much rain. I can barely see in front of me, the water cloaking the windshield, the wipers completely useless.

“Give it to me. I know you have it.”

“No!”

Bright lights blind me. Headlights in my rearview mirror. I swerve but the car spins out of control and free falls into inky darkness.

I scream.

Water rushes up my nose, my arms flailing.

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