As soon as I’m out of sight of the dining room, I jerk my heels off—
And run.
I know Rafe is going to be hot on my heels and I doubt running will actually help me, but in my panic it’s all I can think to do. My bare feet smack against the polished floors as I go, sliding when I take a corner too sharp. I can’t hear anything over my heart beating in my ears or the gasping breaths I’m sucking in, all my attention on trying to figure out how to get the hell out of this giant maze house.
Hearing the tapping of shoes pounding behind me, I launch myself at the nearest door praying it’s unlocked. It swings open and my feet hit the smooth rock of the cement walkway outside, slapping as I keep running without a clear direction of where I am going. Seeing a building, I sprint through the sand toward it and open the door, tumbling inside. Trying to throw it shut behind me it bounces back, hitting a hard body coming through the entryway. I turn to run again but my arm is caught before I can get away, my back slammed backward into Rafe’s chest. I’m in full blown panic mode, my mind screaming for me to get away. I start thrashing in his arms, but he pins me to his chest with an arm around my waist and a hand digging into the hair at the base of my skull.
“Sssshhhh, Sssshhhh…” His thumb rubs along my neck, still gripping my hair in his palm as he tries to soothe me. “Why are you running, Ember?” His voice is low in my ear, hot breath puffing along my cheek as he holds me tight against him. “Where did you think you could go that I wouldn’t find you?”
Now that I’m not running in terror I can smell salt in the air, can see the docks bobbing in front of me. I’m in the boat house. A few more feet and I would have fallen right into the water. My chest is heaving as he holds me, my heart thumping in my throat.
“Did you forget the rules, my sweet girl?” His hand tightens in my hair, angling my face back so I’m forced to look back at him. “Did you forget who you belong to?”
I swallow hard, breathing in every exhale that blows into my face. Rafe is breathing hard from having to chase me and I feel a small amount of satisfaction with that. “No—No, I didn’t forget.”
He hums and it vibrates against my back, shaking the terror loose from my ribs. “Then explain to me what that was back there, because your actions speak against you.”
“Your dad is an asshole.” He chuckles but it only holds a hint of humor, the way his arm tightens around my waist reminding me he’s still waiting for a real answer. “I was just comforting you. I didn’t—I didn’t mean to start something.”
“Let’s get one thing straight, Ember. I do not need comforting. From you or anyone else. I don’t need anyone’s pity. I’ve done just fine dealing with my father on my own for the last twenty-eight years of my life. I don’t need any help now, especially from you.”
Especially from you. I don’t know why that hurts so much to hear, but it does, burning around my heart.
“And thanks to your stunt back there, I’ll be an even bigger target for my father.”
My stunt?! How dare he. I did nothing but try and show him kindness when everyone else in that room was vile and he wants to blame all this on me? The thought makes me clench my teeth, all the anger and hurt I’ve been keeping trapped inside, starting to bubble up under my skin like poison. “My stunt?!” I don’t mean to yell but it comes bursting from my chest, loud and bouncing off of the walls. “My stunt!” I start to jerk in Rafe’s arms again, my skin crawling like I need to get away, like I need to have my own space or I’ll combust.
Rafe drops me from his grip, more out of surprise at my yelling than my actual struggle, I think but I take advantage of it, whirling around to face him. “You did this, not me!” I point at his chest when I say it, my hand shaking. “I’m sorry that your dad is a fucking asshole. I’m sorry that he’s turned you into one as well. I’m sorry that you don’t know how to accept comfort like a normal fucking person, but I didn’t start that back there. I, being the kind fucking person that I am, just wanted to reassure you that one person in that room, me, didn’t believe those things he was saying. That you had one person in your corner.”
He takes a step toward me and I back away, pulling my hand from his reach when he grabs for it. “Ember, sto—”
“No, you stop!” I’m so sick of not being heard. So sick of keeping everything to myself. “My mom was right. I am naive. I am too kind for this world. But I’d rather be hopeful and sell my trust for pennies than be a monster like you.”
Rafe reaches for me once more but I jerk away, stepping back again. My heel rocks off the end of the wooden platform and I realize too late that I’m teetering on the edge of the dock, my arms swinging to catch myself. I see Rafe reach for me but he’s not quick enough and my back hits the cold water before he can grab me. I’m sucked under almost immediately, my arms and legs instinctively fighting to get me back to the surface. I don’t know how to swim. That thought sends me into another panic, my face barely breaking the water's surface as I try to scream. Gasping for air I can barely see in the dark that I’ve somehow pushed myself farther from the platform edge, my head sinking back under even as my arm reaches for it.
Two arms wrap around my middle and I cling to them, my limbs still lashing around as my head rises from the water. “I’ve got you, Ember. I’ve got you.” It takes a second for my brain to register the words, my lungs fighting between coughing and breathing. I cling onto him, my fingers digging into any part of him they can gain purchase of, my legs wrapping around his waist as he brings us over to the platform's edge.
One of his hands grabs onto it holding us in place, while his other rises from the water to push my hair back from my face. He grabs my chin, eyes scanning my face as I stare up at him, shaking. “You’re breathing. You’re fine.” I nod even though I don’t think he was actually saying it to me, but more to himself. His palm leaves my chin, pressing my face into the crook of his neck by the back of my head. I close my eyes against his skin, starting to shiver. I didn’t notice how cold it was until now. “Why the fuck don’t you know how to swim?”
I don’t realize he actually wants an answer until he pulls my face back, lightly shaking my head with his hand. I shrug. “I’v-v-ve n-n-never h-h-had t-t-to l-l-learn.”
“Fuck, you need to get out of here.” Removing his hand from the platform we sink a bit and I scramble to grab onto him, making his nose dip under the water for a moment. Rising, he grabs onto me, wading in the water to keep us up. “You need to let go, Ember. I won’t let you go under. I need to lift you onto the platform.”
I nod, hearing what he’s saying, but it's hard to make my body listen. I slowly pry myself from him, forcing myself not to grab for him when he moves me. With hands on my hips he boosts me up and I grab onto the ledge, pulling myself up with his help. I lay on the wooden planks as Rafe pulls himself up, my head lolling to the side to watch him. His shirt has come unbuttoned at the collar and over his belly, hanging wet and plastered to his skin.
I start to get up and he stops me, a cool hand pressing to my chest so that I can’t sit all the way up. “I got you.” His arms wrap around me, one under my back and the other under my knees as he lifts me up, bringing me up to his chest as he stands. One of my palms splays over his chest, the only evidence he’s as cold as I am being the hard nipple beneath his wet shirt.
“I’m not sorry.” My voice is croaky and hoarse from the sea water, the three words burning my throat. Now that I’m not as angry, that my panic has subsided I can’t believe I actually yelled at Rafe. I never yell at anyone. I can’t believe that I called him a monster straight to his face.
His heart pounds against my ear where my head is resting, his voice loud when he speaks, “Shut up, sweet girl.”