He sees the panic in my eyes. “Just breathe.Breathe.In andout.”
It’s not a request — there’s a steel undercurrent in his words. An unmistakable order. I find some comfort in the authority he’s exerting. Staring into his eyes, at the pretense of composure he’s arranged on his features, some long-ingrained childish instinct kicks in, the same one that suggests I seek out an adult in a crisis because, surely, an adult will know what todo.
Of course, I’ve known since I was ten years old that it’s bullshit. Truthfully, adults rarely know what to do any more than the rest of us — they usually just hide their panic a little better. But, in this moment, I don’t care. Staring up into the eyes of the man who singlehandedly tore me from death’s clammy embrace, I can almost pretend things haven’t totally fallen apart at the seams. That my life hasn’t begun to resemble the opening act of my least favorite Tom Hanksfilm.
He knows what to do. He’ll fixit.
Rain falls steadily on my face as I pull in a shaky breath, throat still burning from the seawater, and watch lightning flay the sky. I flinch when thunder shakes the air a few seconds later. The storm is still raging all around us. A wave crashes over the side of our raft, dousing us both. A terrified bleat bursts from my bruised throat as I contemplate what will happen if weflip.
I can’t go back in thatwater.
“Hey,” he murmurs, recognizing my terror. “I’ve gotyou.”
His hands move from my arms to my face, brushing wet strands of hair from my eyes. I don’t shift from his lap, where I’m cradled like a child after a nightmare. Under any other circumstance, I’d be embarrassed to be this close to him. But now, still reeling from the crash, all I feel is numbterror.
“I’ve got you,” he repeats, a fervid promise. “We’re going to survivethis.”
I hold his eyes and pull in another jaggedbreath.
“Do you understandme?”
“I…” The word catches in my sore throat. I clear it and try again. “I hearyou.”
“Good. Can you situp?”
My head bobs in his hands, anaffirmation.
He’s infinitely gentle as he maneuvers me into a sitting position with my back braced against the inflatable wall. I bite back a protest when he releases me, feeling far safer in his hold. He’s my only touchstone in thismaelstrom.
I press a hand to my aching temple. “I… I don’tremember…”
“You were passed out when I got to you, so you might’ve hit your head, but I don’t see any blood…” He’s crouched close by my side, scanning me intently for further injuries. “Your wrist was still wrapped in the raft lines. If not for that, and your life vest…” He trailsoff.
I’d bedead.
I clear my throat. “I don’t think I hit my head. I just… ran out of air. When we crashed, it was so dark beneath the surface. I couldn’t tell which way was up. I couldn’t—” I bite down on my lip to contain my words — words I don’t dare let myself speak, about the small hand that was ripped from mine. I can almost still feel her tiny fingers, the ghost of a griplingering.
The grip of aghost.
I couldn’t holdher.
“Is anyone else…” I can’t ask, but I must know. My eyes move around the expanse of empty raft and I think I already have my answer, horrific as it maybe.
There were fifteen people on board, including the crew. Surely, others made it out. Surely, it’s not just the two ofus…
“You’re the only one I found.” A crease appears between his eyes and he seems to steel himself. “Sofar.”
He scrambles back to the edge of the raft, clutching the lifelines when a massive wave threatens to capsize us. I grab hold as another hits, pitching us violentlysideways.
My stomach turns insideout.
I focus on my savior instead of my own panic. He’s leaning against the inflated wall, eyes squinting into the darkness. There’s no sign of the jet in the water, nor any of the other passengers. It’s hard to see anything at all, except during the brief moments when a bolt of electricity lights up theworld.
Adjusting my grip on the safety lines, I pull myself to his side and help him look. At first, there’s nothing. Nothing but rain and relentless swells of ocean, foaming white at the crests. But then, a flash of color in the distance — something yellow. A single daisy petal floating in a vat ofink.
“There!”
My voice breaks on the word as my hand flings out, pointing madly as thunder boomsoverhead.