Page 64 of Revenge Honeymoon

“Paddle harder!” Carson boomed from the back of the raft. “We don’t want to get stuck on that boulder.”

Emily looked up and saw a massive rock the size of the Empire State Building in their direct path. While they headed straight for it, she gripped her paddle and prayed.

“Paddle, Emily.” Newly minted ‘friend,’ Daniela, sat across from her on the left side. “Carson told everyone on the right they need to paddle.”

As if Emily didn’t know this. But she couldn’t move. She was stuck. Arms frozen. Eyeballs frozen. Everything fucking frozen.

In slow motion, the raft began drifting toward the right side of the massive boulder.

“Paddle harder! We’re almost around it!”

Emily’s muscles unfroze for some reason. She leaned toward the water, meaning to dip her paddle in and pull her weight as a passenger on the Ride from Hell. But she rearranged her body a little bit too far to the right. One butt cheek landed on the edge of the raft. The side dipped as the raft pushed up against the rock. The front of the raft rose up in the air. Ruby grabbed onto the rope that ringed around the edge of the raft and leaned forward. Emily did not and plopped into the raging water.

The last thing that ran through Emily’s mind before she landed in the river:

Possible Model’s Chubby Friend Dies in River Accident

Water filled her mouth, and she sputtered and coughed. Her adrenaline spiked, and she promptly forgot everything she learned from her guide. The raging water ripped her paddle out of her hands.

“Point your feet downstream!” Carson yelled as the raft continued down the river without her. “Then swim for shore!”

Yes. Right. The safety briefing:

Let the life jacket do its job. Don’t struggle. Lean back. Nose and toes to the sky. Point feet downstream. When in calmer water, swim for the shoreline or wait for another raft to pick you up.

The crazy waves carried her in a zigzag pattern downstream. Her feet hit a rock hidden under some white water, but other than that, she managed to escape the head injury she had been certain was inevitable. As the river quieted, pure relief was injected into her bloodstream.

She’d survived.

She’d live another day.

And wasn’t that the most thrilling thing that had ever happened in her life?

Okay, maybe Ruby was onto something with these adventures.

Group One’s raft was still visible downstream, but she knew she would never catch up. Poor Ruby. Hopefully, she was having fun without her.

In calmer water, she was able to roll over on her stomach and swim toward shore. The heat of the day beat down on her. Once she got out of the water, she should be dry in no time.

As her feet hit the sandy bottom, she heard another raft full of cheering and happy cruisers pass through the massive rapid she’d survived.

She turned to wave and catch their attention. They should be able to give her a ride.

“Emily!” a familiar voice called.

Max lifted his paddle in the air and then pointed to the stranded Emily on shore.

* * *

Emily hesitated. She hadn’t been expecting Group Four to reach the rapids before Group Two. What had happened? If she knew the raft held Max and the Weird Twins, she would’ve hidden behind some bamboo. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in a raft with those people.

But too late now.

The guide for Group Four had already instructed his raft to slow themselves down by paddling backward against the current.

“Swim out to us,” the guide said. “We’ve got you.”

Emily hesitated for a moment. They weren’t that far from the starting point. Could she walk along the shore and make her way back to the bus parking lot and avoid Max altogether? She eyed the thick bamboo that lined the shore and slapped at a lazy mosquito who had come out of hiding in the heat of the day to find a meal.

---