Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 34938 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34938 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Thrashing my arms, I can feel myself sinking deeper and deeper. The pool cover, just seconds ago out of reach, is now tangled in my arms and pulling me down below the water. My arms are useless as I try to swim my way to the surface, and the blue sky disappears as the cover floats over my face. I twist around, trying to extricate myself, but the more I struggle the more confused I become. Which way is up? Which way is down?
Suddenly my chest is on fire. I need to breathe, but I can't. I can feel my lips starting to peel apart, and in my head I'm begging them to stay closed.
Don't open! Don't do it!
No! This isn't happening! This can't be happening!
Now I’m panicking. There’s no strategy to get to the surface, just frantic movements, trying to wrestle off this sheer nylon that’s wrapped around me. My fingers grab and pull, but the pool cover is like a cocoon, wrapped tightly around me. The seal of my mouth finally breaks, and water gushes in like a crashing wave. It fills my mouth and my nostrils and begins to slip down my throat.
Don't breathe! Don't breathe!
But it doesn't matter how much I beg my body to ignore the desire and urge for oxygen, it doesn't matter how much I command my lungs to shut down and refuse passage to the liquid. I need air to live, and that's what my body is demanding.
I suck in a full gasp of water and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Water is now filling my lungs, and as I continue to fight, I watch the faint light above me as it fizzles out to blackness. There is no noise, and I feel the struggle leave me, as I sink without any resistance to the bottom of the pool.
Out of the darkness, Kent's face begins to form. It's blurry, coming in and going out. He's bright, with an explosion of light behind his head.
A halo. . .
Focusing my eyes, I blink a few times, and realize his lips are pressing against mine. He's giving me mouth to mouth, blowing air deep into my chest. He pulls back, lowering his ear to my mouth, listening for a sign of life.
Placing his lips over mine again, he stays there for a moment, not pushing air into my body, but just resting there.
I'm fully alert now, well aware of his face and his hands holding my head, and his lips. His lips. . . They're warm, tender, and this doesn't feel like him giving me air. It feels like something else, something more personal, more intimate. Like a kiss.
The urge to cough hits me, so I roll to the side and cough loudly, pool water pours out of my mouth in a never ending stream. Kent pulls away to give me space, and sits back on his heels.
“Are you all right?” he asks, concern smothering his face as he holds my shoulders and supports my back.
“Yeah, I think so.” Attempting to push myself up, Kent helps, lifting me easily. “I can't believe I was so stupid. I shouldn't—”
“Stop,” he says, cutting me off. “You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just so happy you're all right, had I been any later—”
“Don't, you saved me.” Smiling, I look down at my hands. “I'm lucky you were here. I definitely didn’t want to drown today. That would have been the start of a truly shitty day.”
I'm trying to lighten the mood. I can see the concern on his face still and the guilt he's harboring as if this is his fault. And honestly, I’m freaked out. I don’t want to acknowledge the severity of the situation.
“Some first date,” I say playfully.
Kent chuckles, his laugh sexy and soothing. “If you wanted to know what it felt like to kiss me, you didn't have to do this. This is going a little overboard, no?”
Laughing, I can't help but smile. “Right, I'll keep that in mind. Don't go to the extreme. Got it.”
Kent laughs again, and climbs to his feet. “Let me go get you a towel.” He turns and goes into the house. I take a moment to smooth down my wet hair and take a couple of good breaths. You’re okay. You’re okay, I keep repeating to myself. My heart rate returns to a normal rhythm as I gradually calm down.
Kent returns quickly carrying a towel. “I'm just really happy I got here when I did.” There’s genuine relief written all over his face.
“You're my angel,” I say, gripping the ends of the towel as he wraps my shoulders.
“I don't know about that. I can be a lot of things, but what I'm thinking is far from being an angel.” Kent winks as he moves in front of me, and helps me to my feet.