Page 3 of Only the Beginning

“I’d really appreciate that,” I smile, and Holly leans over to unlock the passenger’s door.

“After all, someone told me it was March, so you can’t be out in wet clothes in this weather.” Holly teases.

I look over and realize she’s thrown her hair up in a ponytail. She catches me staring and brushes her hair back nervously. I chuckle just as anxiously, and she flips her sunglasses on her face.

“Can you punch in where you live?” She asks, handing me her iPhone in a shiny blue case. Our fingers brush gently, hers just as cold as mine. I type in the address as she turns on the heat.

“So, you swim often?” I ask, attempting to break the awkward silence.

“Is that a pickup line?” She giggles.

“No, just making conversation with the woman whose life I saved.” I tease. It felt weird saying those words aloud. It was honestly just a right place, right time situation. Anyone in my position would have done the same.

“You frequently save lives?”

“Uh, no. I work in finance, so definitely not.”

“Finance man by week, superhero on the weekends, I see.”

“Something like that,” I mumble.

“Is this you?” She asks wide-eyed as we pull up to my parent's house. I was used to that response. It was abeautifulhouse. A little extravagant for my taste, but it was a good place to grow up.

“Yeah, well, my parents. I’m visiting for the weekend.” I add. I didn’t want her thinking I couldn’t afford my own place.

“Nice,” she mumbles. Suddenly my mouth feels really dry, and I’m not sure if I should ask her for her number or not. I decide not to. She doesn’t need the person who saved her to appear a creep.

“Well, thank you for the ride.” I smile.

“Thanks for saving my life,” Holly chuckles.

I nod and hop out of the jeep. She waits until I unlock the front door to pull away. My mom is the first to see me when I walk in.

“Daniel? I thought you were going for a run. Please tell me that isn’t sweat.” She looks at me, horrified.

“No, I, uh, actually ended up taking a little swim.” I lie and slip out of my sneakers, deciding to finish getting undressed upstairs.

“It’s March! I know you’re a grown man, but maybe wait until summer to go on any more swims.” My mother was always an overprotective worrier.

“You’re right, no worries ma,” I assure her.

There was something about Holly I wanted to keep to myself. My mom would praise me and my good humanity, but I didn’t want that. I did what anyone would’ve in my position. It was just lucky timing.

As I strip down, getting into the shower, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever get to see Holly again.

ChapterThree

Idon’t tell anyone about almost drowning. I’m sure that it means something, but I just want to put it behind me, and I can’t if I talk about it. My family would freak out, and I can’t talk through their worries.

It’s been almost two weeks, and I’ve been thinking about it less and less. I still have nightmares most nights, but it wasn’t like they woke me up or anything. Sometimes I still think about Daniel and wonder what would’ve happened if I wasn’t such a chicken and asked him out that day. I probably wouldn’t be thinking about any of this at all, except Daphne texted again, asking if I was coming hiking with them next weekend.

Not that I didn’t want to go. I always had fun with them, but I also felt a little out of place. Daphne and her husband, Marshall, and our other friends, Louis and his wife Liz, were all paired up. When I hung out with them, my singleness became more glaringly obvious. They all swore I wouldn’t be a fifth wheel, but it was one of those inevitable things.

This time, all Marshall and Daphne’s kids were coming. The issue was this time we were heading up the mountains and staying nearby water. Not that I was afraid of the water, but I knew I wasn’t ready to go in yet.

‘Do I have to swim?’I text Daphne.

‘Nah, the kids and Louis might, but I’m not.’

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