Daring the Bad Boy (Endless Summer)(14)

Don’t panic, don’t panic.

The words rang in my head as my feet brushed the muddy, gooey bottom—how deep did I fall, jeez—and I kicked my legs out as hard as I could, aiming for the top of the water. I opened my eyes but I could see nothing but darkness. Not even the light of the moon could penetrate the murky water, and I spread my arms out, trying to remember what Kelsey told me about diving underwater. Then I took a breath.

Big mistake.

Water slipped into my mouth and I pressed my lips together, my lungs positively aching. Oh God. I was probably going to die in this lake. Barely into my summer camp experience and I was a total goner. I’d never get a chance to flirt with Kyle wearing my favorite bikini. I’d never get the chance to kiss him—or anyone for that matter. Heck, I wouldn’t even get to experience Dane giving me mouth-to-mouth because he wasn’t here. He was in his cabin sleeping, like I should’ve been.

Pushing aside the negative thoughts, I told myself to get a grip.

It felt like the water was pressing on my chest, and I struggled against it. Imagining I was a rocket shooting through space, pushing upward, high in the sky. Up was my goal, air was my goal, the dock was the ultimate goal, and I closed my eyes, told myself, I can do it. I can do it.

Oh God, I don’t think I can do it.

They say when you’re about to die, your life flashes before your eyes in a sequence of events, from the time you were born to the here and now.

But I saw none of that. Just the murky water and Presley’s smug face and Kyle staring at me like he couldn’t believe I’d jumped off the dock.

I showed him, I thought. I showed all of them.

And now I was going to die. Just like that time when I was four. I’d almost died then, but I guess my moment was now.

I sank down, down, down. Giving in. Giving up. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t hardly move, but then I felt arms wrap around me.

Strong, well-muscled arms.

They tugged me upward with little effort, and my body became weak as I slumped against an equally well-muscled chest. My head broke through the water and I took a deep, painful breath, coughing up water as I floated on my back, my savior loosening his grip on me but not ever letting me go.

I clung to him, curling my arm around his, breathing hard as I pressed my fingers into his skin. He was real, solid and warm, and for the briefest, craziest moment I thought it was Kyle who saved me.

But it wasn’t.

“You okay?” My hero’s deep voice sounded right by my ear and I shivered. Between coughs, I nodded, and his arm tightened around me once more as he pulled me along with him, closer to the dock.

“Oh my God, is she all right?” I heard Kelsey shriek from her perch on the dock. My ears were plugged, every sound muffled like I was still under water, and it was weird. Whoever was dragging me along with him answered with a gruff yes and then, finally, my feet were touching actual ground.

I found my footing, the water lapping against my waist, and I glanced to my left, my newfound hero standing beside me, though he was looking in the opposite direction. For a fleeting moment as I stared at his chest, I thought it might be Dewey, the lifeguard from the pool. Rescuing dumb me from a midnight dare jumping into the lake sounded like something he might do, but I realized quickly that this guy was much more muscular than poor gangly Dewey. Then I even thought it could be Dane, but there’d been no Australian accent. And he wasn’t as tall as Dane.

The moment I tilted my head back and saw his face, recognition dawned. It was Jacob. The jerk who told me he was going to write me up for sneaking out with everyone else.

Great. The rudest boy at camp just so happened to save my life. I hoped he wasn’t one of those types who expected me to be indebted to him for the rest of the summer or whatever.

I looked away and coughed, water filling my mouth so I had no choice but to avert my head and spit it out. My cheeks felt hot, and I couldn’t believe I was embarrassed, but old habits died hard, I guess.

He said nothing, just grabbed my hand and walked/dragged me the rest of the way out of the water, until we were standing on the sandy beach. I heard feet thumping on the dock and I glanced up, watched in disbelief as the majority of my so-called friends and the boys from B7B ran off the dock. Not a one of them had stayed behind to see if I was okay.

Not a single one of them.

Were they scared they’d get in trouble? Would Jacob rat me out? He was the director’s nephew, after all. I needed to say something to him. I didn’t want to get in trouble. I didn’t want to be sent home, and I’m pretty sure he had the power to make both things happen.

Before I could say anything, though, Jacob grabbed my shoulders and gave them a little shake so I’d look up at him. His eyes were dark, his mouth set in a grim line, and he bent his knees a little so our gazes were even. “You really all right?” he asked, his tone firm.

I’d quit coughing, but my voice still came out slightly wheezy. “I’m fine.” My bones felt like jelly and I thought I might pass out from lack of oxygen, but yeah. I was great.

He squeezed my bare shoulders with his big hands, his fingers sliding over my thin bikini straps, and I realized I’d never stood this close to a boy before with so little clothing on. A shiver moved through me, and I tried to take a step back for much-needed distance, but he wouldn’t let me go.

“That was really stupid, jumping off the dock like that,” he said, his deep voice now full of irritation.