Chapter 52 Lily
FIFTY-TWO
LILY
“Trinity, should we move here? Look at this ocean.” Leonidas staggers on the beach, gesturing to the dark ocean with the half-empty bottle of champagne. “What are we doing with our lives? This is everything.”
She jumps on his back, nearly sending them both to the ground, and a laugh bursts out of her mouth. “You need to marry me first.”
The two run off down the shoreline. Amelia and Levi fall back with Elijah and me.
“I agree with him. After the tour is done, I’m staying here,” Elijah shouts, almost tripping on nothing in the clean sand. He chuckles at himself, and his pupils dilate, covering his entire irises. He’s looking at me, but it feels like it’s right through me.
A knot forms in my stomach.
“The tour is over tomorrow,” I remind him with a light laugh, hooking my arm through his so he stays close.
Falling into my embrace, he weighs me down with half his body weight.
Since when does he get tipsy this fast?
The beach is empty, not a single soul seen but us.
The midnight sky is dotted with tons of bright stars, and the ocean laps roughly, wave by wave, sending a ghost of salt in the air that tickles my nose.
The lights are off in the Drakos house, telling us all that Stella and Elijah’s mom must be sleeping.
“Let’s go swimming!” Amelia squeals, running past us with Levi. Submerging themselves into the waves with laughter that bounces through the quiet air, like a song.
Trinity and Leonidas join them a second later.
“Do you think this is a goo—”
Elijah, who is unstable and shouldn’t be holding me over his shoulder, fireman-carries me while running to the roaring ocean. I yelp, slapping his back to put me down. My upcoming fate makes my body lock up and freeze.
Then the cold hits.
“Oh my God!” I yell, gasping as my head emerges from the depths of the ocean. My clothes stick to my body like a second skin.
Elijah pops up beside me, laughing and swiping water from his eyes.
“This is the best night ever!” Trinity exclaims, swimming over until all of us are huddled, laughing and splashing each other.
I kick my legs rapidly to keep me above water, but it feels difficult after all the drinks I’ve had.
Salt rushes through my nose when Trinity sends a splash of water in my face. Trying to not show my annoyance, I push water back in her direction.
That starts a war.
Bodies jump onto bodies, trying to fake drown one another. Waves drag us up and down. Laughter and yelps hurt my ears before the roar of the ocean muffles my eardrums.
Hair sticks to the front of my face, blocking my vision.
All of us become one.
The fun stops when a wave almost sends me deep into the water.
Kicking up in panic, I gasp and cry out as salt burns my eyes.
The ocean seems angry. Like it’s telling us we shouldn’t be in here.
Not having any energy left in my lungs and cold seizing my bones, I huff and puff back to the shore as fast as I can, the wind biting my skin.
When I press my knees to the sand, a cough travels its way from the bottom of my throat, and I spurt out salty ocean water. Wincing at the taste and the burning in my eyes, I attempt to rub away the pain that’s making me unable to see.
“Lily, are you okay?” I hear Amelia’s concerned voice.
She runs up to me from behind, rubbing my back softly, which is plastered with my uncomfortable shirt.
“The ocean got a little rough for a second.” I wince, twisting and falling on my bum.
She sits down beside me, and we watch everyone stagger out of the water and waddle to us in their saggy, twisted-up clothes.
“That was crazy.” Trinity laughs, lying down on the sand near our feet. “Let’s do it again.”
Leonidas nudges her face with a toe, laughing down at her, and he pulls off his wet shirt. Levi falls next to Amelia and kisses her cheek sweetly.
I close my eyes and pucker my lips, waiting for my boyfriend. “Elijah, where’s my kiss?”
I’m met with cold wind.
Wind that feels more like a slap in the face.
I pop open my eyes in terror, seeing the ocean that looks more like a horror movie. I scramble up, panic-struck.
He’s nowhere to be seen.
Oh my God, I can’t see him.
“Elijah!” I scream so hard that the salty wind cuts my throat like glass.
The waves keep crashing in—strong, unapologetic, cruel. Like a robot, I start moving toward the dark depths.
He was just there, laughing, swimming, and now he’s gone.
I spin around and see Leonidas standing further up the beach, his face white, his eyes wide.
“Did Elijah go into the house?” I yell, my voice cracking, hearing blood rushing in my ears. “LEONIDAS, where is he?!”
He doesn’t answer me, just starts sprinting toward me, and runs into the water. Amelia and Trinity sit frozen on the beach, hugging their knees to their chests, bursting out in sobs. Levi leaves them, wildly looking up and down the beach.
“ELIJAH!” I scream again, stumbling further. Cold submerges my thighs, water splashes my eyes, tears stream down my face, clouding my vision. “This isn’t funny, Elijah. Where are you?!”
Leonidas yells, strangled, “ELI!”
“Elijah!” Hands go over my mouth, holding back the vomit trying to come up. I scream, “Baby, where are you?!”
Oh my God.
Oh.
My.
God.
The ocean doesn’t answer. It keeps rushing in and out, like nothing is happening.
Like it didn’t swallow him.
Swallow my drunk boyfriend.
I knew we should have never been in here in the first place. Why didn’t I stop him? Put up a scene?
I’m sobbing now, frantically rushing through the water, looking for his body. Leonidas and Levi powerfully move, their panicked energy radiating through the air.
I fall to the sand, and waves lap at my body as I grip my chest. “Please,” I plead at the sky, my teeth chattering so hard that I might chip a tooth. “Please don’t take him from me too. I need him!”
Two sets of arms envelop me, and Amelia and Trinity’s sobs rack my body.
“Do you see my brother?!” Leonidas screams, voice hoarse, breaking. Terrified, he scans the water, turning in circles.
I can’t look at his fear because it makes everything real.
Until I see it.
Floating, lifeless.
“NO!” A roar rips through my throat as I run to his still body.
It’s too still.
Leonidas spots him, and his breath hitches. Behind me, I hear Amelia’s scream, raw and heartbroken.
Leonidas gets to him before me, yanking and cradling him to his body. I don’t need him to tell me with words if he’s okay. I see it on his face.
I know what he’s about to tell me.
And I can’t breathe.