I slap my hand against the poolside, marking the end to the realm of our competition. Winded in the attempt, I fix my hair from my eyes, no doubt expecting the pouting twenty-five-year-old to proposition me for another round.
I whip my head for her, and a cold shiver shoots down my spine, mingling with the beads of sweat on my forehead. I scan the pool's wave-like surface, desperate for the sight of her. Panic grips my chest like a vice, squeezing tighter with each second. I don't see her.
Her float is there. But no Abbie.
A barreled pang strikes at my ribs. The minor thought of Abbie drowning claws in my mind, filling me with pure dread. Horror flashes in my eyes as I frantically pace. The pounding of blood in my ears drowns out all other sounds as I swim toward the exact spot where I last laid eyes on her, finding no trace.
I ascend, breaching for air, and it's rough in my lungs as I shout, "Where is Abbie?!" With pain evident in my voice, everyone's awareness seizes.
A hush falls over the pool grounds as everyone becomes aware of the missing swimmer. Above, Psyra drops her phone over her shoulder and stalks anyone who may have seen her friend, my expressive howl conveying what we fear.
Diving straight back to the depths, I free the forces I held back from our race to scour its shadowy bottom.
It's too fucking dark down here. Aesthetics aside, making a swimming pool pitch-black is the most absurd design choice possible.
"Kaiser! We could lose you too!" Astor, our lifeguard, decides now's the best time to convey that tidbit. My mind races, vowing to drag his head under and keep his ass there if Abbie isn't safe.
She was right beside me—she was right fucking beside me and gaining momentum.
As much as I can't stand the fuckboy right now, Gus's right. My heart is pounding at near-light speed, and it's not helping her if I can't get it together.
As heat consumes every inch of my body, I burst up for air and slam my fist at the pool's surface. I draw in a deep breath before diving back in. My hands thrash through the depths, creating a whirlpool. My throat dries in the darkening waters, but the lights beneath turn on, assuredly from JP's intervention above.
Time stands as fear threatens to restrain me. The minute I find her silhouette, my stomach plummets to my feet. Images of her shadowed form from the auditorium and our encounter flash behind my eyes. Heart-shattering devastation pierces my soul. My blood runs cold, and it takes everything in me not to break into a wail in the depths.
Abbie, no! Fuck no! Not her!
Abbie's hand is stretching up toward her lifesaver. Her once lustrous black hair tangles with the water, and the vibrant glow that adorned her face has faded.
My chest squeezes from her eyes—the light that danced within those big mischievous brown orbs drew me in like a moth to a flame. They're extinguished, leaving a hollowness that sends a hard shiver through my spine.
Moments later, Melanie and Grace, one of her friends, yank us both up, but not without a fight from me.
Grace's movements are efficient enough for me to believe that she'll reach Abbie's unconscious form. She's faster and hauls her up within seconds.
Without another thought, I avoided Melanie's grab and cut through the water to the girls with renewed urgency.
Nearly above, my arms scarf around Abbie's limp shoulders, pulling her close. Waves crash against us as I fight against the water's resistance, refusing to let it claim her.
On the poolside, I close in on Astor, hovering over Abbie as Grace helps gently set her on her back. His stupid face contorts with uselessness.
My focus narrows on the woman I can't bear to witness, and my glare ices at Melanie, assessing her as I charge over.
The minute Astor decides to do his job, something demonic switches in me, engulfing my muscles like a storm.
"Get your greasy hands off her!" I shove him back, and he loses balance falling tailbone-first into the deep end. As if I was going to let an incompetent buffoon give his diagnosis.
"Help!" Astor whines, his voice high-pitched as he flounders like he can't see up from down. "I can't swim!"
Grace dives in to retrieve him while everyone else quietly shares the same line of questioning in their eyes at once. Who. The. Fuck. Made. Him. Lifeguard?
JP sails beside me, her gaze pained and wet as I check Abbie's pulse against the floor.
My face runs cold as more dread washes over me. There's no hint of her heartbeat, and breathing becomes an afterthought to take in for me. The weight of her cold body in my arms shatters me into billions of shards. I have only milliseconds to bring her back before she succumbs entirely.
Compressing her chest with locked fingers, I go with the recommended beats over her heart. "One. Two. Three."
I arch her head, lift her chin to open her airway, and pinch her nose before crashing my lips against hers. Delivering air, I alternate between them and my chest compressions in appropriate ratios. My frown creases, aching against my face over hers. Panic rises through me like a fever, but I can't lose it here—not yet.
JP covers her face, suppressing her anguish as another minute passes. She alerts me an ambulance is on its way, but I can't hear.
"Come on, Abigail!" I plead. "Our match isn't over!"
With my voice breaking, Melanie reaches out to place her hand on my side as if for me to call it in—and if she does, I'll fucking lose it. I'll break her in half with my bare hands.
But JP is quick in my periphery before that happens. JP intercepts, positioning herself between us, her nostrils red and flaring like a goddamn dragon she's wronged. Her accusatory finger points high toward Melanie in her pants, but the words don't leave her trembling lips. JP shakes her head in a mix of loss and disbelief.
As if reading her unspoken thoughts, Melanie crosses her arms over her chest in defiance. She lifts an eyebrow in a challenging manner before huffing and storming off toward the women's locker room.
A faint moan trickles from Abbie's lips, and I reel back in time for her to expel vomit and water. Her gasps for air sing in my ears.
JP fumbles back to us, bringing her to sit up in my momentary rest. Facing JP, we share a heave of relief. She lifts her eyebrows in a not-so-subtle smirk, hinting at me in a way I'm not ready to discern in my state.
I let out a shaking lungful, my arm rising to cover my face laying against the concrete as I try sorting the remnants of my sanity together.
JP pats Abbie's back as she coughs more, and she rolls against her, losing consciousness for the second time. The rest of the onlookers watch in awe and relief as Abbie breathes in and out on her own.
I reach to cradle her in my arms, bringing her up to hurry out.
The chill of water clings to our bodies. Breathless, grief threatens hold of my chest toward the infirmary as I carry her. My gaze fixes on Abbie, unwilling to let her out of my sight, while JP guides us in the corner of my eye down the outstretched halls.
Meeting her drifting eyes, I know the connection between us here has shifted. The bond hits me like a throat punch, and god-fucking-dammit, how scared I was to see her that way.
"I'm aware this isn't the best time for this, Xalton," JP gives a self-deprecating sigh. "But Melanie had two hairpins before one went missing." She signs, bringing up her fingers. "Before she gave Abbie the float she was using. She caused... what happened."
Of-fucking course, she caused what happened.
My snarl emits a heat that vibrates throughout my cold skin, heating me.
Melanie tries to ruin everything I... hold dear. It's been half a year since we broke up, but to go as far as to murder Abbie?
The scars under my bathing suit serve as my intense reminder of exactly what the headmaster's daughter is capable of. A shudder roars through me as hatred manifests into a separate thing scraping at my stomach.
A soft snore from my little rival brings me back, and my chest aches in ways foreign to me.
I close my eyes for a second, and before I'm fully aware, we've reached the infirmary. Resting her on one of the open beds, I turn my back to leave without a second glance.
JP's about to chase after me, but the doctor wheels around in her chair, arguing that Abbie is about to wake.
I slide my fingers through my hair for the millionth time today. I saved her.
I saved the life of someone who was trying to ruin me. I think back to the nightmare that seized me when I gave CPR. The prime terror of losing her is fresh in my mind. How did I let myself get this close? How did this infuriating woman worm into my head while simultaneously forcing loose my darkest thoughts?
I press my trembling palms against the rough wall of the corridor. My teeth grind, fighting against the torrent of anguish overtaking me.
Whatever that was and whatever this is, I can't let her weaken my resolve any more than she already has. In this stupid twist of fate, I was her protector. Not only did I bring her back—a death that would have benefited me, if I failed to revive her, nothing would have stopped me from diving back in and following her to the afterlife.
My body rises and falls, preventing the chaos from surging within. It's like I'm in a maze of my own making without seeing how to escape it. A veil lifts in me, exposing warm threads that weave the makings of my aching heart. She was so cold—I couldn't bear it.
The weight of finding her like that crushed me harder than anything I could interpret. I grip the collar of my chest, slamming the side of my fist against the wall.
An uncharted wilderness of pain forces me to come to terms with what she means to me.
What she's always meant.
I love her.
My hands remain trembling. Every piece of her I've come to know peels back the layers of a mask I didn't know existed. I had to count off prime numbers during her little strip tease, revealing her tiny orange bikini.
What I have for her is starting to surpass her wrongs.
I swallow as the pain welling inside me threatens to engulf my rationality again.
I've prided myself on my ability to be detached and maintain control in any situation. But from the moment we met online, she's captivated my every thought. Keeping me awake each night, I anticipated her next moves until I'd pass out with her jammed in my mind.
But deep down, I know better. I can't afford to go through this turmoil again. I take a breath, fighting to regain what's remained of my composure. I have goals to achieve and a challenge to win. No matter how my body reacts to her, I need to resist it.
Pushing myself off the wall, my fist throbs as I rest it in my pocket. If I want to survive her, I need to remind myself of the pain loving someone causes.
Memories of the many nights I spent in tears live behind my gaze as I stride down the campus corridor. I'd stay up late, questioning why my mother even had me if she was going to abandon me all alone in that big house.
Love or anything near it has no place in my world. I came to that conclusion long ago, and nothing's ever going to change it.
The large part of me that's curious about Abbie's effect on me is purged from now on. I won't let it dictate my actions anymore. With a final shake of my head, I vow to bury those emotions deep, locking them away for good.
This event changes nothing.She's my prey and nothing more. Just like all the others.