Pull (Seaside #2)(19)

I propped myself up on my elbows. “I did graduate from high school, you know.”

She patted my hand. Awesome.

“So you want to quit? I mean, you were the one that was banging down my door early this morning begging me to be your friend…”

“I didn’t beg. Rock stars never beg.”

“You must be really lonely if you want me for company.”

Alyssa blushed and looked away licking her dry lips.

“I’ve been watching you.”

Shit. That came out wrong.

Her horrified glance told me I needed to make it better and fast. “I’ve seen you a few times around town and, honestly, ever since you yelled at me, I kinda realized something about myself.”

“Oh yeah?”

I nodded. “I like being yelled at. I like being held accountable. I thought, you know, since you have magic taffy powers, you could probably handle all my shit just as good as anyone.”

She sighed heavily. “I’m not so sure about that.” Without hesitation she jumped to her feet and attempted to dust the wet sand from her body. “Look, maybe this was a bad idea. I mean, can’t you just pay people to be your friends?”

“Do normal people do that?” I asked, incredulous.

She grinned, nearly blinding me with the way her face lit up.

“No, not normal, but you aren’t really normal.”

“I prefer abnormally awesome.”

“Okay, abnormally awesome person I can’t get rid of…

What’s the verdict? We going to quit and walk away friendless, or are you going to get your ass in the water and make me proud?”

I hung my head and cursed. “I’m not a quitter, but you need to at least show me how to do this. I feel like a four-year-old watching an Olympian.”

“Deal.” She held out her hand to help me up.

The next hour went way better than the first. I was actually starting to get the hang of it when a huge wave rolled in. I missed it and jumped off the board. Alyssa was facing me, a huge grin on her face. The tide had started to come in, so the water was up past her waist. Either she didn’t see the giant wave heading for her, or she was going to go for it. At my alarmed look she must have known something was up; she turned around just in time for the wave to crash onto her.

I tried running toward her, but the wave crashed on top of me. I spit out the sea water and swam to where I thought I saw her fall. My eyes burned as I dove into the water. I saw a flicker of something dark. I reached out and touched it. The wetsuit.

With a curse, I pulled her to the surface. She wasn’t moving.

I knew we were close to rocks, but not that close.

My muscles burned as I swam for a few feet then carried her to the shore and put her onto the sand.

“Alyssa?” Frantic, I put my head against her chest listening for any sort of breathing. No sound.

I unzipped her wetsuit and began CPR, breathing into her mouth. I was so freaked out I wasn’t even counting the compressions, just singing the stupid song they taught everyone to sing when learning First Aid.

“Come on, baby, come on.” I breathed in to her mouth again.

A large red gash was bleeding from the top of her head. I needed to get help.

Just as I was getting ready to jump up and attack an old man who just happened by. She coughed up water.

I dropped to my knees next to her and rubbed her back as she coughed the sea water near my legs. Her lips were turning blue. I pulled her into my lap and pulled down the rest of her wet suit and covered her with the towel we’d brought out. I knew she was probably just in her bra and underwear, but she needed heat. It was warm outside, but Oregon water was frigid.

My skin sizzled as it made contact with hers. I wrapped my arms around her tightly and began running my hands fast over her arms.

“You scared the hell out of me.” My voice wavered.

“Sorry.” She croaked. “I didn’t see the wave.”

“No shit.”

She laughed and looked up at me. “I promise it wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Plan?” I didn’t like that her teeth were still chattering.

“To drown so you’d give me CPR.”

“Oh, right.” I tucked her head under my chin. “Actually, you kind of stole my plan.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Maybe I’ll let you save me tomorrow.” My hands froze on her arms as the reality of what I just said hit me. Was that what I was doing? Using her to save myself? No. I wasn’t using her, but I wanted her. I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted another girl.

It had been year since I’d felt even close to this way about someone. The last time I did feel this way, she betrayed me and then died.

Talk about a poor track record.

I sighed and continued moving my hands over her arms.

“So you and Nat?” Alyssa whispered, her voice still sounded hoarse.

“Wow, news does travel fast in this town. To be fair, she was actually on the news with me for like an entire year.”

“Remember, I don’t watch TV.”

“I thought you said you didn’t have TV.”

“I lied.”

It was torture trying to keep my eyes from looking down at her chest, as her breathing slowly came back to normal. I clenched my teeth and looked away.