Chapter 57
CECILIA
Islice through the water, arms pumping as I near the wall. Flipping underwater, I kick hard, hurtling myself forward. I slap the tile, pausing to see my time on the overhead clock. A smile stretches my lips. A personal best, even exhausted.
Adriana would be proud. She was right to convince me to join the team. I love this. I love the competitive nature of the sport, even when I’m only competing with myself, and today more so than most, I need the distraction.
My head’s been a mess since we got back from Sun Valley this morning. I thought the bus ride home would give me time to think, but all it’s really done is give me more time to drum up questions I don’t have the answers to.
Things are changing with Gabriel and I. After last night, I don’t know, it’s like something has shifted, and I can’t figure out whether or not that’s a good thing. Hence, being here at the pool despite not having practice today.
I hoped the extra time to myself would help me sort through some things, but aside from pushing myself to the point of physical exhaustion, I haven't accomplished much else.
Reaching for the edge, I push myself half out of the pool when a blur of motion catches my eye.
Cruel fingers twist into my hair, dragging me back, and I cry out only for my shriek to die as my cheek slams into the concrete.
Pain explodes across my face.
Someone wrenches my head back, and I thrash in their grip. My eyes water, making it hard to see, but I blink through the pain, and little by little, Austin’s twisted face comes into view.
I open my mouth to scream, but right as I do, he forces me under water, choking off my cry for help.
Bubbles race past my face while I scream before clamping my mouth shut.
I writhe, panic and the need for air battling within me. Darkness swarms my vision.
How long can I hold my breath? Two minutes. Maybe three if I’m lucky. I haven’t really tested it in a while.
Austin releases me, and I explode upwards, gulping air in ragged gasps.
Relief washes over me, but it’s short-lived when my eyes rise and lock with Austin’s. “Miss me?”
His fingers twist in my hair and he shoves me back under.
My struggles are weak, terror and adrenaline filling my veins. I kick with everything I have, but it’s the end of the day. I’ve been here for over an hour, and my body is tired. I have little fuel left in my tank.
Panic grips my chest, making my movements erratic and with no real direction.
I can’t breathe.
My lungs burn as I struggle to fight the overwhelming urge to take a breath. I’ll drown if I do. I know I will.
But as each second passes, the urge to breathe hammers into me.
The back of my throat burns. I claw at Austin’s hand on my head, my short nails digging into his skin. Despite my efforts, all it seems to do is piss him off more, enough to shove me down harder.
He’s going to kill me. He’s really going to kill me.
Changing up my tactic, I stop trying to reach the surface and instead, dive downward, aiming for the darkened bottom of the pool. But Austin knows what I’m trying to do because his fingers tighten their grip on my hair, keeping me from moving out of reach.
He has complete control over me, and again, I am powerless to stop him. Powerless to keep him from hurting me.
Angry tears sting the backs of my eyes to mix with the chlorinated water.
It’s not fucking fair. Why is this happening to me? What did I ever do in my life to deserve this?
Austin drags me closer to the edge, making sure to keep my head firmly beneath the water. His entire forearm is in the water now. The rolled sleeves of his shirt soaking wet.
My side scrapes the pool’s wall, and I twist in his hold, reaching for the ledge. My fingers scrape along the concrete lip, but I can’t get enough leverage to drag myself up.
He’s too strong.
My fingers slip down the smooth tiled surface, and I hear the muffled sound of Austin’s laugh.
He’s enjoying this. This asshole is going to kill me, and he’s going to do it with a freaking smile on his face.
Anger begins to override my logic. My lungs burn. Ache. They demand I take my next breath. But as soon as I do, it’s game over. I won’t let him win. He’s taken enough from me. He can’t have this. He can’t have my life.
I slam my fist into his forearm. I rake my nails down his skin.
Fuck!
My vision darkens at the edges. I swipe at the hair tangled around my face before reaching up and feeling my way across my head to Austin’s hand again.
Digging my fingers beneath his, I try in vain to pry his hand open.
When that doesn’t work, I sink my short nails into his skin again, giving the task everything I’ve got until his laugh cuts off and he curses above me.
Fuck you, Austin Holt. Fuck. You.
The weight above me vanishes, and I swim for the surface. As soon as I break it, I gulp down a lungful of air. Coughing and gasping through each breath. My hair sticks to my face, making it impossible to see, but all I can think about is getting as much air into my lungs as possible.
“Bro, we need to leave,” someone says.
“Relax and go watch the door,” Austin responds.
Less than a handful of seconds pass before fingers tangle into the dark strands of my hair again.
“No!” My eyes latch onto Parker’s—who’s standing across the room, watching the door like Austin ordered—for less than a second when a hard strike slams into my already injured cheek. If it wasn’t for Austin’s grip in my hair, I know I’d go crashing back beneath the surface.
I cry out, the sharp stab of pain making my head spin.
Don’t pass out. Do not pass out.
“You think you can hurt me?” he screams, jerking me close. Half my body hovers out of the water as I kick furiously to get away. “You think your pointless struggles can help you get away?” Austin shakes me like a rag doll, and my heart leaps into my throat.
Come on Cecilia. Think.
“Don’t do this.” He likes it when I beg. When I break. I just have to give him what he wants and maybe he’ll let go. Or at least give me the opportunity to get away. “Please. Austin. I didn’t mean—“
He stops shaking me and pulls me closer, my upper half now out of the water and over the pool’s concrete edge. I try to get my leg over the lip, but his hold won’t let me.
With an almost gentle touch, he pushes my hair out of my face with his free hand, and I blink back my tears.
Cruel blue eyes meet mine.
“Are you sorry?” he asks.
“Yes.” I swallow hard and choke out my words. “I’m sorry,” I tell him. “I’m really really sorry.” I’ll say whatever he wants to hear if it means getting out of here alive. “To both of you.” I direct my words toward Parker, too. If I can’t get through to Austin, maybe I can get through to him.
The door opening reaches my ears, and I crane my head, hoping the sound means someone will help me, but instead of help arriving, it’s Gregory Chambers who steps into the room.
No. Dread fills my gut, but I refuse to give up.
My eyes flick toward the clock. Pool hours are almost over. The janitor should be by within the next half hour to lock up. Only, I don’t have half an hour. I have minutes at best. I need to buy myself enough time for help to show up.
With shaking fingers, I bring my hand toward his face.
Austin latches on to my wrist before I’m able to make contact.
I wince when he squeezes, my bones grinding into one another, but I school my expression.
“I wasn’t going to hit you,” I tell him.
His eyes are guarded. “I’m done fighting you.
I don’t …” I hiccup on a sob. “I don’t want to fight with you anymore. I don’t want to fight with any of you.”
He watches me carefully through narrowed eyes but releases my wrist.
Parker shifts on his feet. “Holt, we need to—”
“Shut up,” Austin snaps, his eyes never leaving mine.
Stealing my breath, I press my hand against Austin’s smooth cheek, keeping my expression blank of the emotions I’m feeling as I say, “I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to …” What? Shit. Think of something.
I wet my lips and try a different tactic. “I don’t like that you’re mad at me.”
It sounds weak, but my words seem to do the trick. Some of the anger leaves Austin’s gaze, and the corners of his mouth quirk into an arrogant smirk.
He eyes me curiously but doesn’t shove my hand away when I stroke his jaw.
Swallowing hard, I decide to push my luck a little bit more.
I need him to let me out of the pool. If I can just get on my own two feet, I can make a run for it.
I’ll have to get past Parker and Gregory, but I’ll figure out how to do that after I’m out of the water.
“We don’t need to be at war with one another,” I tell him. My voice is soft. Whispered, “Nobody needs to know about this. You can let me go and we’ll just pretend it never happened. I promise. I won’t say anything to anyone. You have my word.”
“She’s lying,” Gregory says.
“I’m not. I swear,” I tell them, my voice pleading.
Austin considers me for a moment. His expression is amused, but I don’t know if it’s in a good or a bad way. Then he chuckles to himself, and for a moment, I think he’s going to release me.
He extends his arm away from his body, pushing me further over the edge of the pool.
No. No! “Austin, please!”
“It’s too late for apologies, Cece. You should have kept your mouth shut before. I lost my spot on the team because of you. I won’t make the mistake of believing that lying mouth of yours and let you take anything else from me.”
“Please. Austin, I don’t know what happened with the team,” I tell him.
“But I can help you fix it. Let me help. I won’t tell anyone!
” Tears fall down my face. He’s going to kill me.
This isn’t just some sick game to mess with me.
He’s actually going to go through with it, and for the first time in months, I realize I don’t want to die.