Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Please, baby, please be okay. Please be okay.
The water is so fucking cold it takes my breath away, but even knowing that, it barely registers. I wade out into it, moving as fast as I can against the current. By the time I’m close to Valen’s car, I’m nearly up to my chest in water. I try to spot her through the windows. When I see a flash of white glowing from the back seat of the car, I realize it’s her ribbon, and I could fucking die of relief.
She’s okay. She’s safe.
“Valen!” I bang my fist on the window behind the driver’s side.
She says something that I can’t hear, looking up at me with panic in her big brown eyes. She has the headrest in both hands suspended above her head. I hold up the rock so she can see my plan and she nods in rapid succession.
“Turn around, baby,” I shout. I don’t want the glass shattering in her face. She does as she’s instructed and then I hit the window one, two, three times before it splinters. I use my hand to knock out any remaining shards so that she doesn’t get cut on her way out, then hold out my arms, motioning for her to climb through.
Vaguely, I’m aware of the sound of sirens in the distance as I reach for her. I grab her under the arms, pulling her out of the window. She slams into my chest, her body melting into mine as we cling to each other. She doesn’t say a single word, burying her face into my chest as her whole body shakes with silent sobs, her fingers clutching my shirt. “You’re safe. It’s okay. You’re safe.” I keep her anchored to me, one arm banding around her waist, one hand on the back of her head.
Her hair is soaked, and she feels like ice in my arms. I need to get her out of here. She needs to get out of these wet clothes and get warm. I trudge through the water, making my way toward the riverbank. Once we’re out of the water, I lower her to her feet, taking her face in my hands, searching for injuries. I notice blood under her nose and a gash on her forehead, but there’s not enough light down here to make out much else.
“Are you okay?” She hasn’t said a single word yet, and it’s freaking me out. She nods, looking up at me with wide eyes, still not speaking.
“Words, Valen. I need words.”
“I’m okay,” she says, but the way she’s violently shivering says otherwise.
We both look over at her car just in time to see it slip beneath the inky black water, the bubbles breaking through the surface the only evidence that it ever happened.
If I got here seconds later…
“Holden!” I hear Shayne’s voice from the road above us as a flashlight shines down in our direction. “Is she okay?” Before I can answer, she’s running down the side of the embankment with Thayer right behind her.
She crashes into Valen, throwing her arms around her neck. I take a step back, keeping my arm around her waist to steady her just in case. “What the hell happened? Are you hurt?” She pulls back, inspecting her like I did seconds before with glassy eyes, rubbing Valen’s arms with the palms of her hands.
Valen shakes her head dismissively. “I’m fine. I’m just really tired. Can we go home?”
Shayne’s eyes flick to mine and then Thayer’s, concerned written all over her face that I’m sure mirrors my own.
“She needs to get warm,” I say before turning back to Valen. “Can you walk?” The sirens are louder now, their flashing lights coming into view near the road.
“Yeah,” she says, but her foot slips in the mud and starts to slide down the embankment when she tries, so I dip down, sliding my arms behind her knees and back to scoop her up, holding her close to my chest. I can tell she doesn’t think it’s necessary, especially given our audience, but her arms wrap around my neck anyway.
“Can you grab my phone? I dropped it somewhere over there.” I gesture to the ground with my chin.
“Got it,” Thayer says.
“I swear I’m fine,” Valen says, tensing up as we get closer to the top of the steep hill. “I just want to go home.”
“You should get checked out,” Shayne says.
“She’s right,” Thayer agrees.
Once we get near the top, Ryan is there, reaching out a hand, pulling me up over the edge with Valen still clinging to me.
“Where the hell did you come from?”
“I heard you yelling across the hall. Came out just in time to see them,” he explains. “You didn’t think to put on any shoes before you took off for a mile and a half long rescue mission?” he asks, shining the flashlight of his phone on my feet. I look down, finding my formerly white socks now a soggy mixture of blood and dirt and leaves.