Page 71 of Mila: The Godfather

Two.

Three.

I counted in my head while I was being pushed down, and yet the air wouldn’t reach my lungs.

Only water did.

I can still feel the burning sensation in my lungs because of all the water I swallowed. Right before I fell unconscious, my sister Arianna pulled me out. The strong arms that were holding me down were no longer there but my sister’s.

That’s all I remember about that night.

That and her eyes.

My older sister was an expert at concealing her pain, but in that moment, she let the tears fall.

She cried for me. I think I never saw her cry before or after. Just that time, and it will stick with me for the rest of my life.

A sudden squealing sound brings me back from the present and away from thoughts that hurt me. This morning, Riagan woke me up early because he wanted to show me something. He didn’t tell me what. He only asked me to wear a bathing suit and put lots of sunscreen on.

Now, we’re here.

In his stunning 35’ yacht, not far from the shore, just enough that the water is deep.

The sun is blazing today, and the water looks so blue it has me beaming with eagerness to jump in it. My past trauma with the water didn’t get the best of me. My sister, Kadra, made sure to teach me how to swim and what to do if I ever found myself in a situation where I could drown.

I’m no longer afraid of the water.

Especially not here in these magical, enchanting-looking waters of the Caribbean, where loud squealing is coming from sea creatures. Looking at the sweet dolphins now, I can’t help but smile from ear to ear. My favorite animal. “Riagan…” I gasp at the same time as I look over my shoulder where I’m standing on the deck, holding onto the lifeline and watching as he walks my way after making sure the yacht stays in place.

I don’t know much about boats, but I make a mental note to ask him all he knows about them later. Riagan is, once again, shirtless, with his impressive muscles and tattoos on full display. I notice that his skin has a golden hue now, and his hair looks like caramel in the sunlight. He takes the last step towards me, and I have to crane my neck to look at his face. Our height difference is ridiculous, but I don’t mind it one bit. In fact, I like it more than I should, but Riagan is my friend now. Friends like things about each other, right?

Keep telling yourself that…

Hush… I kindly reprimand the sometimes-sassy voice in my head.

“Do you like it?”

Do I like it?

“This looks just like the movies!” I jump excitedly, making him chuckle softly. I think of every wildlife that lives under this water. A world of its own. Every type of sea life and the ones that haven’t been discovered yet. The sea is infinite, and I truly believe there is more to it than we have been taught.

“Tell me one of your fun facts, Mila.” His gentle voice gets me out of my head, and all my attention is now on him. Tell me a fun fact… I always offer them, but no one truly asks for them.

Until him.

I blurt out the most recent one I learned. “Did you know that bottlenose dolphins swallow fish heads first so the fish’s spines don’t catch in their throat?”

“Clever little fuckers.”

I smile at that. “They are so smart and very chatty!”

“How so?”

“They have some of the most elaborate acoustic abilities in the animal kingdom.” I explain while looking at his face. I try not to get distracted by that face. It’s been happening a lot. When I look at him, I lose focus and control of my thoughts. My new friend is dangerous, and it has nothing to do with how skilled he is with his gun. It has everything to do with his beauty and his…heart. Call me naive. Call me young. But life has taught me to see the good in everyone, even when it’s really, really hard. Riagan has a lot of goodness in him. I see it in the instances when I find myself lost in his gaze. Yesterday, he said that I shine, but I don’t see myself that way. He does. He shines and he doesn’t even realize it. Maybe it’s only with me? And that thought makes my heart beat faster. It shouldn’t but it does. A shake of the boat reminds me that I got lost in my head again and lost my train of thought because of Riagan. Clearing my throat, I smile sheepishly. “As I was saying… dolphins make a variety of sounds including whistles, clicks, squawks, moans, barks, groans, and yelps.”

“That I did not know.” I watch as Riagan looks away from me and toward the two dolphins swimming happily at sea.

“Now you do!”

---