Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(33)

The turquoise waters called to her as she walked down the long stretch of sandy beach that was behind the resort she’d been forced to visit over Christmas break. Her mother had surprised her with tickets to St. Tropez during their nontraditional Thanksgiving dinner at Summit Bluffs’ newest fusion restaurant. The old Cami would have been thrilled with having dinner as a family because it was something they rarely did, but the new Cami—the post-storm Cami—would have rather sat up in her room with a bucket of cold fried chicken and a Pretty Little Liars marathon.

“Aren’t you excited?” her mother had asked as they were taking their first-class seats on the plane. “I know how badly you wanted to go to St. Tropez last summer.”

Did she? Did she really know how badly Cami had wanted to be on the beach last summer? If she’d been on that beach, she never would have met and lost Kyle, she never would have been out in the middle of nowhere during the worst storm Calumet County had ever seen, and she sure as shit wouldn’t have been sitting there begging for the Xanax she’d stolen from her mother’s purse to kick in.

“We are going to have a great time,” Theresa had insisted. “You and me on the beach. Maybe a daiquiri or two?” her mother nudged her with a chuckle. “Just us girls going wild.” She winked. As if tempting her with permission to drink as a minor was going to be the cherry on top of her mother’s pseudo spring break fantasy.

“Can’t wait.” Cami had forced a smile and tried not to roll her eyes. She’d been trying really hard to be the daughter her parents wanted, but nothing about the trip—or her life for that matter—was making her feel better. Feel whole. She’d lost too much to feel whole.

And she couldn’t stop thinking about what the announcement on the last day of school meant for her. Brantley Cooper was staying at Summit Bluffs for the rest of the year. She tried hard to ignore how positively elated that made her feel.

So as her mother sat at a poolside bar, flirting with a bartender half her age, Cami sneaked off to the beach. The warm waters rushed up over her feet, then her ankles, as she made her way further and further into the water. The sun kissed the line where the water met the sky. Its color deepened to an angry mix of pink and orange before it started to disappear into the water completely.

Must be nice.

Cami felt some of the tension in her body ease with every step she made out into that water. Her soft, yellow sundress floated up around her hips as the water embraced her legs. Taking in a deep breath she inched further out, digging her feet into the sand below, and matching the setting sun’s pace. What reason did she have not to fade away with the sun? She could just keep walking until it was too late to turn back. Out to where the choice was taken away from her.

She hated being at school, hated most of the people she had to deal with on a daily basis and, most of all, hated feeling so pathetic all the time. Quickly splashing her face with water to drown the tears that streaked it, she continued her walk to salvation. At least if she was gone, she wouldn’t have to worry about the stupid weather or if she was happy.

Because she did.

She worried every day about if she was going to start being happy again. The thoughts of seeing the one person that made her completely and totally happy beckoned to her. She could be with him again. Or at least she hoped. It would be a sick and twisted, cruel fate if there was no afterlife with him. If he wasn’t waiting on the other side to greet her. To save her from herself.

She wondered how long it would take her mother to notice she was gone? An hour? A day?

She looked back at the beach. The resort crowd from the day had all left the beach. The only person she could see was hundreds of feet from her and more concerned about throwing a stick to his dog to even glance in her direction.

As the water rose past her shoulders, she took in a deep breath before letting herself be completely submerged. Willing her body not to fight it, she let herself sink. The last few beams of sunlight teased her from above when she opened her eyes and looked up.

Just let it out. Let it out and breathe in.

She waited to see him again. To hear his voice like she had the night of the storm. Surely he’d come for her. Letting a few air bubbles escape her lips, she begged her body to just let it all out. Her scream echoed under the water and her body tensed.

She wanted nothing more than to drink in the water and let her fill her lungs—to really just let go once and for all.

But…she couldn’t. A voice finally spoke to her, but not the one she was expecting. Just like the sunlight begging her to come up for air, a warm, penetrating voice summoned her.

“You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.” Brantley’s voice felt like a whisper in her ear, even underwater. She could feel her lungs begging for air. As quickly as she’d let herself sink, she moved her arms and kicked her feet thrusting her body to the surface and taking in a much-needed breath. “Come on, Prom Queen. It will all be okay. You’re going to be just fine.”

“Am I?” she asked between pants.

When her body had finally soothed itself, she let her head fall back into the water. Stretching her legs out to float on the surface, she looked up at the dusky sky and wondered if she would ever really be okay. The tide carried her toward the shoreline, but she felt like the pieces of her that she needed to feel complete were still out there under the surface of the water somewhere.