Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
His skin is pale and he seems so young in this moment. A sob crawls its way up my throat at the unfairness of this entire situation. He wasn’t supposed to die like this.
I force the panic away and start chest compressions. In high school, I learned CPR my senior year, and I’m trying desperately to remember the motions. When I decide I’ve done enough compressions, I blow air into his lungs and then start over again.
I’ve failed him.
I’m the fucking boss around here and I should have been the one to go down there or stop them. Instead, I let four of our people go and only one has come back breathing.
“Please,” I beg, choking on tears. “Please breathe.”
I can sense others near me, but I don’t dare look at them. I’m too focused on trying to resurrect Tyler from the dead.
Hope reemerges from the water, cursing and crying, drops a plastic first aid box onto the cement, and then she heaves Tyler’s backpack down beside it. She kneels next to me, fingers feeling for a pulse at Tyler’s throat, and shakes her head.
With a roar of frustration, I beat my fist hard on the center of Tyler’s chest and then my lips are back on his, forcing air into his stubborn body.
He twitches.
Then gurgling resounds from his chest before he vomits seawater out. Elation surges through me as Hope helps me turn him onto his side. He continues to heave out an endless amount of water, his entire body convulsing. I stroke my fingers through his hair, whispering assurances that he’s not alone.
He’s alive.
Hope clambers to her feet and then shakily makes her way up the steps to where Kyle is lying. “You monster!”
He groans and sits up on one elbow. “What?”
“You left them there and gave us no warning!”
What the hell is she talking about?
“Brian was dead by the time I left the break room,” Kyle snaps back. “The other two were missing. Was I supposed to die looking for them?”
Hope swings her fist, clipping Kyle in the jaw. He jumps to his feet, fisting his hands, but thankfully, Gerry steps between them.
“Enough,” Gerry barks. “This entire thing is fucked, but it’s no one’s fault.” To Kyle, he says, “Did he drown?”
Tyler starts to softly cry and it breaks my fucking heart. I half pull him into my lap, ignoring the searing pain in my side. I’m sure it’s bleeding like crazy again, but holding him right now is more important. He nearly died.
“Shh,” I croon, voice shaking. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
He clutches onto me, burying his head into my shoulder. I stroke my fingers up and down his bare back as I attempt to keep up with the conversation going on with the others.
“Does it matter how?” Kyle throws back. “He’s dead.” Elise starts crying hysterically, which earns the wrath of Kyle. “Shut the fuck up, Elise! You’re useless, goddammit!”
Hope flings herself at him again, but Gerry grabs hold of her before she can do any damage. She points an accusing finger at him.
“I saw his half-eaten body!” Hope screams at him. “There was a shark down there and we didn’t get so much as a warning!”
Kyle has the decency to look ashamed. His brow furrows and he glances down at his feet. “I wasn’t sure what I saw. I saw blood and Brian was dead.”
“There was a shark,” Tyler croaks out, breath hot against the side of my neck. “I saw it. It attacked Brian.”
My stomach roils violently, threatening to purge what little food I have in it. “And Frannie?”
Tyler shakily sits up so his bloodshot eyes can meet mine. His bottom lip wobbles as he shakes his head.
“No,” I whisper. “Frannie can’t be gone.”
He squeezes his eyes shut and shudders at the memories plaguing him. “She got pinned. I wasn’t strong enough.” He reopens his eyes, darting them back and forth as if trying to get me to understand. “I tried. I really tried, Kellen.”
Pain lances through me at the loss of one of my only friends. But having this young man break apart in my arms distracts me from my grief.
“It’s okay,” I stammer out. “You did good. You’re still here.”
His body relaxes against mine. “I’m so sorry.”
“Me too. Come on. Let’s get you back up top and warmed up.”
Hope shoots daggers with her eyes over at Kyle. He’s apparently done with their fight because he goes back to his garbage bag loot to remove the contents. Elise rushes over to Hope, hugging her tight.
“Gerry,” I grunt. “Can you help?”
Now that the situation is contained between Kyle and Hope, he jolts into action to assist me with Tyler. Together, we half lug him up the stairs back over to our spot. I gingerly sit down, well aware that I’ve fucked my wound up some more, but attempt to ignore it the best I can.