AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don’t you dare.” Panic erupts in her voice as she climbs the rail as if she wants to physically stop me. “I—”
“Don’t you fucking say you hate me, Mads. I swear to God!” I clench my hand into a fist and bring it to my mouth as my blood boils.
She freezes, both of her feet on a higher rung of the railing as she stares at me across the water. “You still think I hate you?” Her face is close enough for me to see it crumple as she lets go of the railing. “I don’t,” she chokes out. “I don’t Logan, I—”
Whatever she’s about to say is ripped from her lips and replaced by a scream as the yacht lurches and she’s sent hurtling over the rail headfirst.
“Mads!”
I’m diving through the surface of the water less than a second after it swallows her, breaking the surface again with burning lungs.
“Mads!” I yell.
I push through the water as fast as I can, pistoning my arms to swim to where she went under.
“Man overboard,” is hollered from above, and a life ring drops into the water, followed by a crew member.
I get to where I last saw her and swing my head side to side. What if the yacht hit her after she fell? She could have been knocked out. She could have been swept under the boat. I gulp in air and dive below the surface, my eyes stinging from the saltwater as I search for her and find nothing.
“Mads?” My voice is hoarse as I take another gulp of air, preparing to dive again.
Coughing and spluttering sounds erupt behind me. I spin, my chest caving at the sight of her dark curls plastered to her face as she surfaces a distance away.
“Why are you here? You shouldn’t be here.” She coughs. The fire is back in her voice, no hint of concern she just fell overboard and nearly caused me a fucking heart attack.
I swim toward her, blood rushing in my ears. “I just flew all the way here for a fully clothed swim. Isn’t it fucking obvious?”
She floats, staring at me as the crew member who jumped in after her calls up to the deck and tells them we’re okay.
“Jesus, cut the fucking crap. I’m here for the same reason you are. Because you don’t hate me anymore,” I grit, swimming closer to her.
“I don’t hate you anymore,” she echoes, all fight leaving her voice as her bottom lip trembles and her face pales.
The boiling blood in my veins switches to ice instantly, and I swim faster. “Shit. Are you okay? Did you hit your head when you fell?”
Her lip continues to shake, followed by her voice. “L-L-Logan.”
“I’m coming, baby.”
I rush to close the remaining distance and pull her into my arms. She wraps her legs around my waist and clings as I reach out and grab the life ring with one hand, keeping us both afloat.
“I don’t hate you anymore.” Tears stream down her face. “I don’t… I don’t…” She cries harder, her whole body shaking with the force. I shush her, pressing my face into her hair. “Not even close. I care about you so damn much.”
“Baby.” My heart swells at hearing her finally admit it. Finally—
“And I hate that I do!” she sobs.
“What?” I pull back to look at her tear-stained face and she shakes her head as she looks at me.
“I hate that I care so much. Because it means I have to do what’s right for you. Because I want you to be happy. Ineedyou to be happy.” She sniffs. “Even if it means losing you.”
“You aren’t losing me.” I brush the wet strands back from her eyes with my free hand. “You could never lose me. No one makes me as fucking crazy as you do. And I need crazy to function.”
“You’ll lose everything,” she whispers.
I press my forehead to hers. “If I do, it’ll be worth it if I get you.”
She searches my eyes as the crew member who jumped interrupts us. “It’s not safe in the water here. There are too many other boats that could come past. We need to get back onboard.”
