Page 87 of Love Is: Two Bodies One Soul

The stars of the ballet arrived next. Two powder blue fish dancing along in what seemed like a gentle courtship. Moving thoughtfully around each other, exploring, touching and not touching, looking and not looking. Kissing and not kissing. Like shy lovers. Lexie thought of Owen. She thought of the last few nights. Owen, sharing his past life, had been an act of love, even if he had not recognised it. It meant he trusted her. And you couldn’t have love without trust.

Thinking of Owen made her want to return to him. She must have been away long enough. She rose to the surface, and dragged the snorkel and mask from her face, leaving them to hang at her neck. She smiled, satisfied that she’d got more than enough footage. Owen would be pleased. She shook the water from her hair and let her thoughts linger on him. Making plans. She’d take her morning’s work back to him; ask him how his writing had gone. Perhaps she’d make them a quick snack and then back to the water together. A swim … and maybe something more.

She turned in the water, expecting to see Owen, but he wasn’t sitting in the camp, typing in furious concentration. There was no campsite. It wasn’t the home beach.

Fear grabbed her. I’m not where I should be! No time to think anything else. A massive wave crashed over her. She was pushed down by the weight of water, going under, swallowing the sea as she sank. A rushing sound in her ears. Aqua foam all around her. Bubbles, her own precious air bubbles, frothed in front of her eyes. Time and distance had vanished.

Choking on saline, Lexie flailed her arms and legs, fighting to reach the distant surface, and finally, she broke out into the sun, spluttering, coughing and gulping for air. For the first time in her life, drowning had been a distinct possibility, and it was a shock.

She looked at the strange beach.

Tall cliffs, topped by a steep incline covered in jungle, looked familiar and she realised the last time she’d seen this beach, she’d been with Owen, almost at the top of the jungle-covered mountain that shielded their campsite. She’d almost fallen. Owen had saved her and there among the vines, up against a rocky outcrop, they’d made love. How could she ever forget the view from that lofty spot? Relief swept through her at the thought she could not be far from the campsite and Owen.

Struggling with tiredness and a current pulling her back out to the deeper ocean, she began to swim ashore. Just keep going. The beach seemed a little nearer. You’re a powerful swimmer. Owen had said so. She could do it. She swam on, planning what she would do once she reached land. A walk – only a short one – to the home cove. Not that far, a bit of a climb over some rocks and then safety, their campsite – Owen.

Halfway there! She clung to thoughts of Owen. When they were together again, she’d tell him what she felt for him. It must be love … it was too strong to be anything else. The beach was nearer. Not long now – just a little more power. Keep going. She switched to front crawl to increase her speed. Then a sharp pain, like an electric shock, flashed through her right thigh, searing the flesh all the way to her hip. She screamed and swallowed water, going under for a second time. Something pale and diaphanous drifted past her. It looked like a wedding veil. Crazy! She must be a hallucinating because of the pain. Choking, she surfaced. tears streaming down her face.

She’d been bitten. Were there sharks in this water?

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