Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
B reathe in…breathe out.
The four words had become a mantra, repeating in her head over and over again, the only thing keeping her calm.
She didn’t dare open her eyes. But anytime those four words faltered for any reason, the water would flash back into her head. The clear blue sky. The reminder of exactly where she sat and how close she was to going over the bridge.
She squeezed her eyes closed, the ache in her head fusing with other pain. The pain across her chest. Her legs. Everywhere.
“Joey…” she cried out softly.
“Help’s coming, Sky. It won’t be long.”
Garfield barked, and the sound took a little bit of the pressure off her chest. Dogs had always been her comfort.
Breathe in…breathe out.
She’d just repeated those words again when sirens sounded, then engines. Her breaths sped up.
Help. It was here. Thank God!
Air was still whooshing in and out of her chest too fast as she heard doors opening and closing. Then she heard the distant hum of conversation. It was like white noise to the buzzing between her ears.
She kept her eyes closed.
Focus on your breath, Sky. That’s your one job.
Another lungful of air—then she heard it.
“Peaches.”
Her eyes flew open, blue sky and water once again filling her view. But this time she didn’t focus on that. She turned her head.
“Becket.” She could have cried. He was here. And just his presence alone took the edge off her panic.
“Yeah, honey, I’m here.”
His warm, calm voice slid over her skin, chasing away some of the chill. “I can’t get my seat belt off.”
“Don’t worry about that right now. My team is here and we’re going to get you out. All I need from you is to remain really still. Can you do that, honey?”
“I think so.” She swallowed. “It was a white van. They were driving really fast and they swerved to my side. Are they here?”
“No. But don’t worry about that either. Focus on you.”
She closed her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“I haven’t been nice to you.”
His soft chuckle made some of the panic in her chest dissipate. “You haven’t been that bad.”
“Yes, I have. I’ve been angry at everyone. Because for a while, I’ve been feeling like the world is out to get me, which”—she laughed, but there was no humor in the sound—“this kind of proves it is. But I took it out on you.”
“Sky. The day you moved in next door, my life got better.”
She almost snorted. “I don’t believe that.”
“It’s true. Fighting with you was the best part of my days…until I kissed you.”
Despite everything, butterflies fluttered in her belly. “I kind of liked our kisses too.”
“Kind of?”
Okay, more than kind of.
She opened her mouth to say that, but another bark sounded, which was closely followed by shouted voices.
Becket rose and turned before shouting, “Teddy, watch out!”
Suddenly, something hit the back of the car.
Her heart jackhammered.
Becket shouted, “ No! ”
Then the car tipped forward, sending her right into the reservoir.
* * *
A dog barked, surprising Becket, and he whipped his head around. The owner of the Nissan had moved back to clear the scene, but as Becket stood up to see what was happening, the dog jumped out of his owner’s arms and ran toward Teddy, who was hunched behind the car, attaching a chain.
“Teddy, watch out!”
But Becket’s words came too late.
The dog hit Teddy at full speed, and Teddy fell into the car. The vehicle jerked. The chain was already attached but the undercarriage wasn’t stable enough. It was the only anchor point.
Becket watched, helpless, as the undercarriage tore right off and the car fell off the bridge.
The splash of the vehicle hitting the water was loud, and it made a fear like Becket had never known slice through his limbs.
A collection of loud gasps sounded around him as Becket yanked off his helmet, jacket and boots.
“Becket, wait!”
He ignored Irene’s shout, sprinting to the edge of the bridge and jumping off the edge.
Cool air whipped over his body as he sliced through the air, the years he’d spent as a Navy SEAL coming back to him. He sucked in a deep lungful of air before his feet hit the reservoir and he sank beneath the surface. Icy-cold water enveloped him, shocking his system. He ignored the urge to escape the cold, forced his mind to go black and his training to take over.
He spotted the car. It was sinking fast. His powerful strokes cut through the water, and he reached the vehicle in what felt like seconds.
Sky’s eyes were closed, and her head was back.
He pulled his pocketknife and sliced through her seat belt. The second it was off, he locked his arm around her chest, maneuvered her out of the car, and kicked toward the surface.
As soon as his head broke through, he sucked in a lungful of air and turned Sky onto her back, then he swam her to the water’s edge. It felt like it took too long, when in reality it was only a few seconds.
When he laid her on the bank, his skin chilled. She was too pale.
He placed the heel of his hand on the lower half of her breastbone, right in the center of her chest, and his other hand on top, interlocking his fingers. He started compressions.
“Come on, Sky,” he growled. “Open your eyes for me.”
He needed to see the pretty blues staring back at him. He wanted her to wake up and yell at him. Scream. Fuck, anything .
When she didn’t wake after thirty compressions, he tilted her head back. Once he’d opened her mouth, he sealed his lips over hers, pinched her nose, and blew a breath into her.
Her chest rose and she started to cough, water spluttering out of her mouth.
Yes!
Relief hit him so hard, he felt fucking weak with it. Quickly, he rolled her onto her side into a recovery position and rubbed her back.
“Easy, Peaches.”
Coughs continued to rack her body. When they finally eased, she looked up at him. “Becket?”
“Yeah, I’m here, honey. Does anything hurt?” He rubbed her arms. Fuck, she was cold. He needed to get her to an ambulance, fast.
“Everything,” she gasped, breaths shuddering.
His teeth ground together. “I’m going to pick you up, okay? Get you to help.”
“O-okay.”
Her teeth started to chatter, her skin not regaining any of its color.
Gently, he slid an arm behind her back and the other under her knees.
“You j-jumped in after me?” she whispered.
He began jogging back up to the road. “Of course I jumped in after you. You would have died otherwise.” Saying the words out loud made acid fill his mouth.
“But you could have died.”
“I was a Navy SEAL. I’ve done a million missions all more dangerous than this, honey.”
At her silence, he looked down to see her frowning at him.
“You still should have—”
“Do not say I should have left you, Peaches. I’m already barely hanging on to my calm.”
Calm? He didn’t have any fucking calm.
There was a small pause. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I’ll always jump in after you.”
Her small intake of breath was sharp and loud. But then a shudder rocked her spine and she nuzzled deeper into his chest. He tightened his arms around her.
He jogged up the hill just as an ambulance and a sheriff’s car pulled up. His brother climbed out of the vehicle. “Becket!”
Becket moved toward the ambulance. “Some asshole came at her car from the other direction. She swerved and went into the bridge railing.”
Jesse cursed and pulled his radio from his belt.
The paramedics pulled out the stretcher. “What happened?”
“Car collision with the bridge railing, followed by the vehicle going into the water. She lost consciousness and needed CPR.”
“How long was she out?” the second paramedic asked.
“Not long. A couple minutes, tops.” He laid her on a stretcher.
“Thanks. We’ve got it from here.”
Sky quickly clutched his arm. “I want B-Becket to c-come with me.”
“Ma’am—”
“I’m going with her,” Becket pressed, the hardness in his voice proving he wasn’t fucking backing down.
The paramedics sighed. “Get in.”