“I’m not. I swear,” I tell them, my voice pleading.
Austin considers me for a moment. His expression is amused, but I don’t know if it’s in a good or a bad way. Then he chuckles to himself, and for a moment, I think he’s going to release me.
He extends his arm away from his body, pushing me further over the edge of the pool.
No.No!“Austin, please!”
“It’s too late for apologies, Cece. You should have kept your mouth shut before. I lost my spot on the team because of you. I won’t make the mistake of believing that lying mouth of yours and let you take anything else from me.”
“Please. Austin, I don’t know what happened with the team,” I tell him. “But I can help you fix it. Let me help. I won’t tell anyone!” Tears fall down my face. He’s going to kill me. This isn’t just some sick game to mess with me. He’s actually going to go through with it, and for the first time in months, I realize I don’t want to die.
With almost measured slowness, Austin lowers me back to the surface of the pool, his cruel eyes never leaving mine. “Austin. Please.” I beg, kicking with everything I have. I’m desperate to stay afloat.
“Goodbye, Cecilia.”
“No!”
I take one last breath before my head is pressed beneath the surface, and like before, I kick and twist, desperate to get free. But unlike before, only a handful of seconds pass before the hand holding me down is gone.
My heart clenches, knowing this is probably my last chance. Without missing a beat, I dive deeper and swim for the other end of the pool. I have to get there before Austin does. I have to reach the other side first.
My chest squeezes, lungs burning, but I’m almost there.
A body crashes into the water above me and strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me tight against a hard chest.
“No!” I scream, the word muffled underwater.
I was so close.
I flail in his hold, tugging at the material of his shirt to get him to release me, but his grip on me tightens. I let loose another scream of frustration and air bubbles fan out in front of me.
Keeping me in his arms, he kicks his powerful legs and pushes us toward the surface. It only takes a moment for me to realize Austin isn’t dragging me deeper. That we’re getting closer and closer to the light up above. I still in his arms, letting myself be dragged to the surface as I try to slow my racing mind and think. Austin isn’t wearing a short-sleeved shirt like whoever is holding me. He’s wearing a long-sleeved polo with the sleeves shoved up to his elbows.
I twist to look behind me, but my hair floating around me obscures my vision. Whoever has me now isn’t Austin. Heart soaring, I begin to kick alongside him, propelling my body forward. Our heads break the surface, and he lifts me up, shoving me into the arms of another guy who waits by the edge of the pool.
I’m dragged over the ledge, my thighs scraping across the concrete floor, but I hardly notice. I choke and sputter, coughing out the water in my lungs. “Are you alright?” Despite the familiar voice, I shy away from his touch when he reaches for my shoulder and turn to look back at the water.
Felix lifts himself from the pool before tearing his waterlogged shirt off and tossing it to the side.
“I’ve got her,” Julio says beside me. “Go help them.”
I follow their line of sight to see Gabriel straddling Austin’s chest as he delivers punch after punch to Austin’s face. I flinch with each hit Gabriel lands, a part of me wishing he’d stop. Deacon isonly a few steps away, squaring off with Parker and Gregory and blocking their path to the exit.
“On it,” Felix says, sprinting into the fray.
“You okay?” Julio asks, concern coloring his voice. He pulls out his phone and dials a number.
“There’s been an attack,” he says into the receiver. “PacNorth University. Campus pool. A girl was almost drowned.”
He pauses to listen.
“Yes— His name is Austin Holt.”
Another pause.
“Six three, white male. Blond. Blue eyes. Two accomplices. Yes.”
He grimaces. “Parker Benson and Gregory Chambers.”
