Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
With our fingers entwined, I grab her and pull her toward me. Her pupils grow large as my hand cups her jaw, and I bring her mouth to mine.
There are so many words I want to say, but I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair. Instead, I kiss her, telling her with no words what I feel.
Phoenix opens to me. Her small hand unclasping and wrapping around my neck. She kisses me with the same desperation I feel, pouring all her emotions into me.
Time stands still as we kiss, and then it’s only when she’s panting against my mouth, and her heart is beating against mine, that we pull apart.
“Do you think they will find us?”
“Yes.”
“And if they do …?” Her voice dips to an inaudible octave. Rescue. Making it out of this. That was never something either of us thought would happen. What does that mean if we do? For us.
41
Phoenix
I want to ask him.
But then I remember he made no promises for the future.
“Alaric …”
“Yeah?”
“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but with the chance of—”
“Don’t.”
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think it was my father who betrayed you,” I say before I can regret it. “And I know that nothing I say will convince you, but the man I know, the man I have come to care for, the man I-I …” The words I have never said before sit heavy in my chest. I weigh out what to do, what to say, but in the end, I don’t know what will happen. We might have heard a boat, or maybe we were hallucinating; this could be my last chance, so I do it. I cut into my chest and give him my heart. “The man I’m falling in love with would find out the truth.” His eyes are wide. I don’t expect him to say anything back, but it’s as if he can’t speak at all. Then he blinks and swallows.
“And if it was him?” he says through a clenched jaw, words tight … and a part of me dies. I know he made no promises, but a part of me breaks anyway.
“Then I will understand,” I say, my voice low and sad.
He looks down at his hands, clenching them into fists. He opens and shuts them, and then relaxes, his gaze finding mine. “Dove …” he says, but then a loud sound has us both jerking upright.
It’s getting closer. The sound is getting closer.
Whatever Alaric would have said is forgotten as he springs into action and pulls down the top. It’s a risk to let this much water in, but it’s a risk worth taking.
As soon as it’s mostly down, and the rains pounds against us again, the sound is clear as day.
In the distance, gaining speed, is a small motorboat.
They found us.
We’re saved.
I fall into Alaric’s arms, fresh tears finding their way out.
We are saved.
* * *
They bundle Alaric and me up in towels on a fishing boat. We both shiver as we try to dry off.
It was a whirlwind of activity as we were rescued.
But now, as the boat heads toward land, I can’t help but shake.
I’m not even sure why I’m shaking.
Cold? Nerves? Both.
We don’t speak as we get closer and closer to the land in the distance. I’m not sure how long it’s been since we got on the boat, but Alaric was right. Eventually, we would have found land, but whether we would have lived through the storm had the fishing boat not seen us is a different question.
A question we thankfully will never have to answer.
Other questions linger on my tongue, but I don’t have the energy to ask them.
I know that when we were first rescued, they took Alaric to the captain where, I have to assume, he tried to reach his men.
He doesn’t tell me what they said.
I don’t ask either.
I don’t know what will happen when we hit land, but I’m too afraid to find out.
Things happen fast from that moment on. One minute, we are on the boat, and the next we are docking.
Where Alaric’s men await.
I’m shocked to see Cristian is one of those men, but I’m not shocked to see he’s the only one from the yacht crew.
The rest must all be dead.
If Alaric knew this already, he didn’t tell me. Actually, he hasn’t said anything at all to me since we got on the boat.
I feel like my tongue is heavy with questions, but none will leave my mouth.
Did he know most of his men died?
Was his yacht ruined? Not that a material item would matter compared to the lives lost, but I still want to know.
Maybe that’s why he hasn’t spoken to me.
Maybe he still thinks this is my father’s fault. Maybe he’s blaming this all on me. That his men are dead because I stowed away on his boat.