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“There’s nowhere to go,” I point out, eyeing the cliff at her back. She kicks a few stones down the cliff face when she shifts her weight, eyeing the two of us warily while calculating her next move. “Let’s not make this more difficult than it has to be, okay? You know you have to come back with us. This is only delaying the inevitable.”
I hate watching her fight with herself the way she clearly is now, hate knowing there’s a reason for her to stay away and wishing I knew what that was. I open my mouth, prepared to offer help, when all at once the ground shifts behind her.
I see it all unfolding before it happens. The skittering, sliding rocks. The way her boots slip as the ground gives way. The river rushes in my ears and would drown out the sound of her scream if she had time to make a sound.
There is no time. Her eyes go round and her mouth opens, but nothing comes out. I lunge forward, my hand outstretched to take hold of her, but it’s too late. She’s gone.
5
NATALIE
Every single fiber in my body hurts. From the crown of my head all the way down to my pinky toe, everything is in tremendous pain. Every tiny movement is a struggle. My clothes pulling me down deeper into the dark river. I force my limbs to push on, to push past the thousand needles sticking in my skin.
Another wave of freezing water pulls me under. I hold my breath and paddle back to the surface as fast as I can. I have to get to the shore. Now. I won’t be able to do this much longer. I have to push past the pain, the fear, the shock, and swim my ass back to land.
When my lungs finally fill with air again, my chest hurts so badly I can barely suck in enough oxygen that I desperately need.
Fight, Natalie, fight!
Every muscle in my body aches, but I push through, fighting my way to the shore. My vision starts to go black. I fight against that too. Using the very last strength I can muster up, I paddle to the edge of the river until I finally feel gravel beneath my feet. I’m so exhausted. All I want to do is go to sleep. My mind is already halfway there, dancing on the edge of unconsciousness.
My eyes close as I drag my heavy body onto a rock. My fingers dig into the mud, and my mind goes numb. I’m barely aware of the water rushing past me, the wind howling around my ears, and two male voices screaming my name in the distance.
“Natalie!” Griffins sounds worried, almost frantic and heavy footfalls follow his voice. My whole body shakes, and my teeth are rattling together painfully.
“Nat!” Dallas yells. I think they’re closer now or maybe further away. Hell, I don’t know anything other than I’m about to pass out.
“Nat!” Someone touches my limp arms and starts pulling me out of the freezing water.
I want to open my eyes, but the ten-pound weights on my eyelids refuse to budge. More hands tug on me, pulling on my clothes and feeling around my neck.
“She’s breathing, but we need to get her somewhere warm,” Griffin’s voice meets my ear, his warm hands are on me as if to check for injuries. I want to tell him I’m fine, but honestly, I don’t know what I am. Not that it matters since I’m still shaking so badly I can’t talk.
“First, we need to get this off her,” Dallas’s stern voice booms through the air before my boots and jacket come off. My jeans and sweater go next, leaving me in only my underwear. I don’t stay that way for long because the next thing I know, they force my arms into a warm and dry jacket and drape something else over my bare legs.
“I’ll carry her. You lead the way back to the cabin,” Griffin says, his voice a little calmer now.
“We need to head up that way,” Dallas orders.
Griffin lifts me up, cradling me against his chest, while icy water drips from my skin and hair.
The journey back to the cabin drags on forever. We stop a few times. Dallas and Griffin take turns carrying me while I remain useless and in and out of consciousness. By the time I’m finally able to pry my eyes open, my body has gone numb. That scares me more than the pain.
“She’s coming to,” Dallas tells Griffin before giving me his full attention—his steel-gray eyes inspecting my face. “We’re almost back at the cabin. Hang in there. We’ll get you warm soon.”
“I can walk the rest,” I croak, not sure if I actually can.
“We left your boots by the river,” Griffin points out. I glance over at his sweater, wet from carrying me, and realize he wrapped his jacket around my legs.
