Page 56 of Almost Ours

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Underwater.

Connor was still underwater.

Oh God.

How long had it been?

My stomach lurched violently. I was going to be sick. I couldn’t breathe. My vision tunnelled, narrowing to the jagged hole in the ice, black and gaping.

Where are they?

Connor.

Ryan.

Ryan had jumped in.

When?

Minutes ago? Seconds? It felt like hours. It couldn’t have been. It couldn’t.

What if he doesn’t come up?

The thought struck so hard, so fast, it knocked the air from my lungs.

I can’t live without him.

I won’t.

Panic clawed at my throat. My entire body screamed to move, to do something, but I couldn’t. I was frozen. Trapped in this nightmare.

No. Don’t think like that.

Ryan will save him. He has to.

The ice groaned under my boots as I took a shaky step forward. My heart was pounding so loud it drowned out everything else. I needed to do something. I had to do something.

But what?

What the hell could I do?

I was helpless.

And then–

A splash.

A gasp.

Movement.

My entire body locked up as I stared at the hole in the ice, my nails digging into my palms so hard I barely noticed the sting.

Something was coming up.

A flash of red.

My breath stalled in my chest.

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