Read Online Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amy A. Bartol
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I inhale deeply before muttering, “Shh...you’re interrupting my revenge plotting.”
“If you survive this, I’ll insist that you learn to swim,” he says, sounding annoyed as Jax wades to us with a line, circling us.
“If I survive this, I’m killing you,” I reply dryly, feeling the rope tense, drawing me tighter against Trey’s warm body.
A small smile touches his lips at my comment. “How do you propose to do that?” He gazes into my eyes as Jax knots us together.
“I’ll let you spend some sleepless nights worrying about that,” I reply, my teeth beginning to chatter as the cold water is chilling me to the bone.
“You’re as securely tied as I can make you,” Jax says next to us. “Kricket is becoming hypothermic, Trey. You should go now, we’ll follow close behind.”
“Look at me, Kricket,” Trey orders. When my eyes meet his, there’s something in them that wasn’t there before, an intensity that he hasn’t shown before now. “Inhale as much air as you can, then let it out. Do that a few times.”
Nodding my head, I take in a shaky breath before letting it out.
“Again,” he says, encouragingly. I do it again. “The next big inhale I want you to hold it, then, we go,” Trey says, breathing with me.
“Okay,” I say, feeling every fiber of my body shaking in his arms.
Breathing in, he lets the ropes and my arms hold me to him as he dives us under the water, swimming down to the light beneath us. I gaze around in wonder as creatures that I’ve never seen before swim around emitting light. A current begins to develop, weak at first, but in just moments it catches us, pulling us both with unbelievable force and propelling us forward. Wrapping his arms around me, the water tears at us, beating us as we spiral like a corkscrew.
Feeling like an earthworm in a flash flood, I’m hoping to hit a sidewalk soon even if it will probably mean that I’ll be squashed by some kid’s bike tire. My lungs burn as the urge to inhale is warring with common sense. Bright, intense light is shining through my eyelids, making them almost red. But black spots are slowly blocking out the light.
Hugging Trey to me desperately, I shake my head, trying to force myself not to inhale the water all around me. But, I can’t hold on. Inhaling deeply, the water chokes me. Digging my nails into Trey’s back, I struggle against him, knowing that I’m drowning. The current is slowing down as the light is fading around us. My entire body begins to relax as I open my eyes, seeing Trey staring back at me beneath the water, and then everything just goes black.
CHAPTER 6
FOLLOW YOUR EYES
I hear his voice...it calls my name in the dark as pressure on my chest turns into a burning agony in my lungs. Coughing, a gurgling sound emits from me as my eyes flutter open and I’m being pushed on my side while I retch water onto the sandy ground.
Inhaling a deep breath and coughing again, my wet hair clings to my neck as my entire body shakes from trauma. Intense, violet eyes peer down at me from above as Trey says my name again.
“So lost,” I whisper, closing my eyes and feeling like the tide is going to sweep me away, back into the water. Trey picks me up in his arms, pulling me to his chest. He strokes my back hypnotically.
“Here, Trey, put her down. I need to—okay, take it easy,” Jax says defensively. “I just want to make sure…” Jax trails off. “At least let me cut the rest of the rope off of you two.”
Feeling a gentle tugging on my abdomen, the rope eases away from me, allowing me to breathe more deeply. My eyes flutter open briefly. My cheek rests against something warm and solid. I look up from Trey’s chest to his chin. He sits down wearily, leaning against a rock with me on his lap.
“What was that?” I ask in a low, gravelly voice.
“Thin spot,” Trey says, touching my cheek with the back of his fingers.
Jax sits next to Trey and eyes me, clearly wanting to snatch me from Trey to
“If you survive this, I’ll insist that you learn to swim,” he says, sounding annoyed as Jax wades to us with a line, circling us.
“If I survive this, I’m killing you,” I reply dryly, feeling the rope tense, drawing me tighter against Trey’s warm body.
A small smile touches his lips at my comment. “How do you propose to do that?” He gazes into my eyes as Jax knots us together.
“I’ll let you spend some sleepless nights worrying about that,” I reply, my teeth beginning to chatter as the cold water is chilling me to the bone.
“You’re as securely tied as I can make you,” Jax says next to us. “Kricket is becoming hypothermic, Trey. You should go now, we’ll follow close behind.”
“Look at me, Kricket,” Trey orders. When my eyes meet his, there’s something in them that wasn’t there before, an intensity that he hasn’t shown before now. “Inhale as much air as you can, then let it out. Do that a few times.”
Nodding my head, I take in a shaky breath before letting it out.
“Again,” he says, encouragingly. I do it again. “The next big inhale I want you to hold it, then, we go,” Trey says, breathing with me.
“Okay,” I say, feeling every fiber of my body shaking in his arms.
Breathing in, he lets the ropes and my arms hold me to him as he dives us under the water, swimming down to the light beneath us. I gaze around in wonder as creatures that I’ve never seen before swim around emitting light. A current begins to develop, weak at first, but in just moments it catches us, pulling us both with unbelievable force and propelling us forward. Wrapping his arms around me, the water tears at us, beating us as we spiral like a corkscrew.
Feeling like an earthworm in a flash flood, I’m hoping to hit a sidewalk soon even if it will probably mean that I’ll be squashed by some kid’s bike tire. My lungs burn as the urge to inhale is warring with common sense. Bright, intense light is shining through my eyelids, making them almost red. But black spots are slowly blocking out the light.
Hugging Trey to me desperately, I shake my head, trying to force myself not to inhale the water all around me. But, I can’t hold on. Inhaling deeply, the water chokes me. Digging my nails into Trey’s back, I struggle against him, knowing that I’m drowning. The current is slowing down as the light is fading around us. My entire body begins to relax as I open my eyes, seeing Trey staring back at me beneath the water, and then everything just goes black.
CHAPTER 6
FOLLOW YOUR EYES
I hear his voice...it calls my name in the dark as pressure on my chest turns into a burning agony in my lungs. Coughing, a gurgling sound emits from me as my eyes flutter open and I’m being pushed on my side while I retch water onto the sandy ground.
Inhaling a deep breath and coughing again, my wet hair clings to my neck as my entire body shakes from trauma. Intense, violet eyes peer down at me from above as Trey says my name again.
“So lost,” I whisper, closing my eyes and feeling like the tide is going to sweep me away, back into the water. Trey picks me up in his arms, pulling me to his chest. He strokes my back hypnotically.
“Here, Trey, put her down. I need to—okay, take it easy,” Jax says defensively. “I just want to make sure…” Jax trails off. “At least let me cut the rest of the rope off of you two.”
Feeling a gentle tugging on my abdomen, the rope eases away from me, allowing me to breathe more deeply. My eyes flutter open briefly. My cheek rests against something warm and solid. I look up from Trey’s chest to his chin. He sits down wearily, leaning against a rock with me on his lap.
“What was that?” I ask in a low, gravelly voice.
“Thin spot,” Trey says, touching my cheek with the back of his fingers.
Jax sits next to Trey and eyes me, clearly wanting to snatch me from Trey to
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