Page 138 of Need You Now

“She’s in the lake,” Beau stutters, his eyes wet and terrified. “She fell—I tried to grab her, but—”

A harsh gasp wrenches out of Seth and he shoves Beau away. He falls to his knees at the edge of the dock. His eyes scan the dark water, the rushing current, his soul ripping in half. “Lacey!” He screams her name into the wind, his throat raw, ragged.

Nothing. Silence.

He’s going in. After her. To the goddamn bottom if he has to.

Seth braces himself on the dock, preparing to push off when a strong hand grips his shoulder.

“I’ll get her,” Luke says, his eyes terrified—for Seth and Lacey both.

“Fuck you, man,” Seth grits out. “Let me go.” He struggles against his brother’s tight hold, frantic, desperate to shake Luke loose when there’s a sharp explosion from the water.

Lacey.

She’s gasping for air, shooting to the surface, reaching out with a faint cry. Seth, whip-quick, lurches for her. The fastest he’s ever moved. By some miracle, he manages to grab her wrist. With all his strength, he pulls her up onto the dock, where she collapses, facedown, her matted hair pooling around her face.

She’s still. Too still.

A burst of fear, of clawing panic, has him scrambling.

And then Lacey moans in pain. Harsh coughs wrack her body as she chokes up water.

Relief sucker punches Seth. She’s breathing, her cough the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard.

“Thank God,” he says hoarsely. He rolls her over, gathering her slender frame in his arms, sucking in a breath at the shock of cold, at the harsh tremble of her body. Her white dress, now sheer, clings to her skin, her nipples dark through the gauze.

Luke drops to his knees, ripping off his jacket and draping it around her.

She lets out a small moan but lies there, eyes closed. The stillness of her body in his arms, the blue of her lips, has Seth scared shitless. “Open your eyes, princess,” he urges, sweeping hair away from her pale face. “Please open your eyes. Talk to me, Lacey.”

With effort, she does. Her lashes flutter as she meets Seth’s gaze. “S-Seth,” she whispers.

“I’m here.” Anguish wrecks Seth’s voice. “I’m here, Lace.”

“C-c-cold, she rasps, her voice weak. Her teeth chatter.

“I know you are,” he says, fighting the knot in his throat. “We’re gonna get you warm, okay? You’re gonna be okay.”

Closing in on Lacey’s other side is Sal, having somehow made it out of Griff’s arms. Her face tense, her eyes scouring her sister intently, she places fingers on Lacey’s neck to check for a pulse. Her eyes snap up to Beau. “How long was she in?”

Only Beau stands frozen, staring down at Lacey.

Seth’s jaw tightens. If it weren’t for Lacey freezing to death in his arms, he’d kill him. Beau would be in that fucking lake.

Getting no answer, Sal shouts over at him, “How long, Beau?”

“T-t-two minutes,” he stutters, squeezing his eyes shut. “Maybe three.”

A small groan escapes Lacey, hitting Seth hard like a bullet in the chest. Clutching her tight in his arms, he leans in close. “Breathe,” he whispers, willing her breaths less ragged. “Breathe for me.”

The dock vibrates with movement. Seth looks over. Jace and Griff come skidding to a stop, their faces tense and worried.

“Should we take her to the hospital?” Griff asks, staring down at Lacey, both hands on the back of his head like he wants to start pacing then and there.

Sal, taking her concentration from Lacey, says, “It’s quicker to get the doctor. It’s a two-hour drive to Gatlinburg.” She turns back, wiping hair from her sister’s face. “She’s breathing. We just have to get her warm.”

“I’ll go,” Luke says. His eyes wild, he hustles off the dock, followed by Jace.

Sal glances sideways at Seth, tears bright in her eyes. “We have to get her inside. Fast.”

The urgency in Sal’s voice has Seth’s gut churning.

Seth curls his arms underneath Lacey, lifting her up. He sucks in ragged breaths, fights back tears as he runs for the house. His heart near to bursting. He’s holding his entire world in his arms and he doesn’t know what he’ll do if he loses it.

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