I almost closed my eyes, but I refused. I was going to look that fucker in the face, not giving him the satisfaction of my fear.
This was it.
We fell away from each other, but I kept my eyes locked on him.
I love you, Em. I love—
I crashed to the surface, white flashing behind my eyes and every nerve in my body sizzling like the end of an open wire. I floated, feeling the fade, the echoes quieting as I drifted further and further away.
White, white…and gone.
But then, all of a sudden, pain wracked through my body, my neck, and every joint, and I popped my eyes open, sucking in a huge breath.
It wasn’t air I drew in. Water filled my mouth, and I thrashed, looking around and seeing the ocean—above, below, and all around.
We’d landed in the water. Not the rocks.
I started choking, and I didn’t have time to take inventory of my limbs or where Martin was. I had to breathe.
Kicking my legs and crawling with my arms, I popped through the surface, sputtering water and coughing as I tried to clear my lungs. Finally, I took in one big gulp of air, hearing the wave behind me. I twisted around, and I didn’t have time to take another breath before the wave crashed down on me.
I was pushed under the water, carried with the current, and I looked down, seeing the abyss below.
I tilted my eyes up, seeing the moon through the water.
A sob lodged in my chest, reaching for the surface, but I couldn’t get to it. I knew this feeling.
The weight of the cinderblock around my ankle, feeling the slack stretch, and the sudden jerk as I was yanked down, and no matter how much I flailed and how hard I swam, I couldn’t outpower it.
I swam and swam, fighting for the top before the waves pushed me into the rocks, but then something grabbed my foot, and I kicked, seeing Martin pull himself up and lock an arm around my neck.
Bubbles poured out of my mouth as I growled, feeling us sinking as the air expelled from our bodies.
I struggled and fought. What the hell was he doing?
But I knew.
He wasn’t giving himse
lf up, and he was taking me with him.
I twisted and thrashed, trying to pry his arms off me, but without any leverage to push off, we just kept falling.
I bit and hunched forward, trying to throw him away from me, but my lungs tightened and screamed, and I just wanted to open my mouth and take in air, but as I looked up, I couldn’t see the moon anymore.
I couldn’t see anything but the black as the cold covered us, swallowing us up.
Em.
I kept my eyes on the surface as it grew farther and farther away, my body part of the depths now. Too far gone to go back.
Just like the SUV filling up when we crashed into the river. Knowing it was only moments.
The air was gone, I could feel the fight in my chest for oxygen, and the cool comfort of the water.
I closed my eyes. Do you still want to hold me? she asked.
I could hear her in my head. I love you, Will.