Page 4 of Between Never and Forever
I don’t remember swimming out. I don’t know if I even did. He probably dragged me the whole way. I saw how his eyes held so much determination, so much fear in that moment that he would have been propelled to do almost anything.
I put my life in their hands because a body shifts into survival mode and trusts who it must. Deep in my bones, I knew I could trust Dex.
He found the hole in the ice the car had broken through, and they maneuvered me up onto it. We were lucky it didn’t break under our weight. Others weren’t as lucky.
So fast a life could be taken.
So fast a person could become a hero, a victim, a survivor, or a villain.
Dimitri pulled me close as I shook from either the freezing temperature or the adrenaline coursing through my veins but he grabbed Dex with his other hand. “You’re not going back in.”
“I’ve got to find them.” Dex’s eyes were wild. “I’ve got to.”
He dove back through that hole in the ice as I heard blood curdling screams all around us.
They were mine. Me, screaming for him to come back, screaming and crying and fighting Dimitri as he pulled me to safety and lifted me up to carry me away from the lake.
Lightning struck and thunder rumbled over the sound of sirens approaching. When the cops and ambulance got there, they had to sedate me.
I remember the icy rain on my face, the lightning in the sky, and the rumble of that thunder before I blacked out.
* * *
“Keelani.”My dad’s calloused hand was in mine as he took me home from the hospital the next day. I heard the disappointment in his voice. “I’m glad you’re okay but the local news is starting to trend.”
Right. He wasn’t glad. No one sounded that dejected when they were happy. “Last night was—”
“A complete tragedy. You shouldn’t have been…” He took a deep breath and pulled his hand out of mine to turn into the driveway. He didn’t move to get out once he shut off the ignition, and instead, his hands tightened on the steering wheel. He put his forehead against it before he looked up at me with his tired brown eyes. “You’re so lucky to be alive, Kee.”
I glanced away when I saw the tears in his eyes. My father didn’t cry much. He was too big of a man, too stoic in the collared shirts and flannel tees that he wore with his khakis every day. “I know I’m lucky.”
“The town’s reporting on you and Dex, though. I won’t ever be able to thank him enough for saving you, but the media is painting a picture of the two of you as a couple now. He’s the hero who saved you, then went back for his brother and his friends. Your manager… Mitchell at Trinity Enterprises thinks the narrative will spread to national outlets and hinder your brand if they don’t intervene.”
“Dad,” I whispered, my eyes cutting to his fast. “You can’t…”
“You all had a high blood alcohol levels. Kyle lost his life, and Gabriella is in a coma. If she comes out of it, she won’t be able to walk for months, Kee. She was dating Dex, but he saved you?” He asked the question like he already knew the answer. My heart beat rapidly as my mind scrambled for a response. He tsked. “You’re a public figure. You’re contractually obligated to be with…”
It wasn’t in writing, it was only a verbal instruction, but we all knew the truth. Trinity Enterprises wouldn’t allow me to be with anyone other than Ethan.
Gabriella was supposed to be the one Dex saved. Not me. And because he did that, he’d outed us to the world. They painted him as a hero at first, as the boy who dragged the girl he loved out of that water to save her. They said he loved me, that he risked his life for mine.
“Trinity is working on changing the narrative,” my dad concluded.
“Dad, what does that mean?”
“It doesn’t matter, Kee!” He smacked the steering wheel in frustration and then put his forehead against it. “They get to do whatever damage control they want. And you need to agree because otherwise you’re in breach of a very big contract that we can’t pay back.”
I stayed silent. The contract and record label were things I didn’t want to work out, but I knew what the money meant for the family.
“I spoke with Mitchell.” Of course he’d spoken with my manager. “They’re willing to give us a bit of a bonus if you move to Nashville—”
“Nashville?” I screeched. “Dad, I can’t leave you and Mom. What are you talking about?”
“I’ll take the bonus and work on some things. Get you back here as soon as I get a bit more money.” He mulled over his options, but I knew what it would come down to. My dad always tried to save everything by going to visit the casino or by placing a bet with a bookie that never worked out.
“What if I just do more shows?” I asked even though I didn’t want to do that.
He shook his head and looked out the window at our small house. “We need this for your mom, Kee. The stroke she had… She can’t work anymore, and with the bonus, I can get her some medical care.”
