Page 54 of Derecho

She shook her head, pulling at the edge of her shirt. “I do not. I don’t know a single person who would see me and think that.”

“Yeah, you do. He’s standing right in front of you.” Those damn rosy red lips of hers popped open again, and to stop myself from doing something stupid, I turned, resting my cane on the rocks at the edge of the spring before I lowered myself into the water.

“Jesus!” I breathed out sharply. “It’s colder than I remember.”

“Perfect.” She laughed. “Don’t turn around. I’m almost ready to get in.”

“Scout’s honor⁠—”

Lainey gasped, and I automatically spun around, ready to swim over to her as soon as I saw she was in pain. Her hands were on her belly, and for a second, I knew she hadn’t felt my eyes on her. But whatever had happened seemed to pass, and her face went back to normal. And that’s when her eyes met mine, but only for a second. Because black lace caught my attention at the top of her chest, and I slammed my eyes shut.

“You said you weren’t going to look!” she groaned.

“And you gasped like something was wrong!” I tried to explain.

“Little invader headbutted me in the bladder, and then I got one of those damn Braxton Hicks contractions.”

“Ouch. You okay?” I asked, my eyes on the sky.

“I will be once I get in this…damn…yeah, oh this feels heavenly.”

I heard the water move around her, little ripples greeting my shoulders as I turned around.

“Absolutely no comments on how I look like a manatee right now,” she grumbled, floating on her back with just her face and belly sticking out of the water.

“More like a little island—” A torrent of water rained over me as her arm splashed water in my direction.

“Be nice.”

“I am being nice.” I laughed, swimming closer to her. Her belly sank down into the water, and I was met with her eyes now level with mine.

“Is your leg okay?” she asked, blinking slowly.

“Yeah. It’s fine. I used to do a lot of water therapy in the beginning of my recovery.”

She paused before she asked, “Do you ever talk to him?”

“Who?” My stomach felt like I’d swallowed a rock.

“Dakota,” she whispered.

I shook my head, flipping onto my back and letting my ears dip below the surface of the water. For a second, the cool water grounded me. I let my feet lower back down. Lainey looked like she was trying to study me.

“I have nothing to say to him. He tried to make things right. I forgave him, but I can’t forget. What he was involved in. The danger he brought to my family. He was my best friend, but he’s a stranger now.”

Lainey nodded. “Do you think…” she paused, her eyes softening. “I know you have a lot of anxiety from what happened, but are you…are you depressed?”

Shit. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to think about how I should answer her question.

“I was,” I admitted. “There were days I didn’t want to go on. There were a lot of days in the beginning when I didn’t think I had anything to continue on for.”

“Do you feel like that now?” she whispered.

“No.” It was the truth. “I have a lot of good in my life to live for.”

Her hands ran back and forth through the water, creating little waves as she moved closer to me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“You can ask me whatever you want. And you don’t ever have to apologize for it. You’ve been an open book with me. I can be the same with you.”