AllFreeNovel
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Her mother didn’t listen. She kept walking, getting smaller and smaller in the distance. “Papa? How are you here?”
Her father gave her a sad smile. “I can’t stay.”
“Wait. Just . . . wait!” She took another step forward, only to be sucked under the water. She kicked and struggled to the surface, sucking in a gasp of air. “Help me, Papa!”
He frowned. “I can’t. I’m not here anymore.”
“Papa, please. I love you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.”
Instead of replying, he turned and walked the same way her mother had. The only other person left on the beach was Link.
Her arms grew tired. No matter how hard she fought, the shore got farther and farther away. She screamed for Link. “Help me! Link, I can’t get to shore.”
Link just stared at her with sadness burning in his eyes.
“Link! Please!”
Her arms grew heavier than lead weights, sinking her lower. She screamed, but no sound came out. The last thing she saw before the darkness pulled her under was Link shaking his head and turning to walk away.
“Emma?” Jasmine’s voice cut through her dreams.
Emma jolted upright, holding a hand to her racing chest.
Jasmine’s brows drew together in concern. “Are you okay?”
Emma gathered her wits and nodded. “Just a bad dream.” Her throat stung as if the saltwater she’d swallowed was real. Reaching for the bottle of water on the side table, she forced a shaky smile.
As she swallowed a few sips, Jasmine shifted next to her on the bed. “Dinner’s ready. You haven’t left the room all day, so I’m assuming you haven’t eaten. Why don’t you join us?”
The last thing Emma wanted to do was be around people and pretend she had it all together. But if sleeping led to more dreams like that, it was the better choice. “Sure. I’d like that.”
Jasmine smiled and stood. “Okay, come down when you’re ready. We’ll wait for you.”
Emma waited for her friend to leave before she went to relieve herself in the bathroom and splash some cold water on her face.
Ding!
She grabbed her phone, not expecting Link’s name to flash on her screen.
Link: What do you think about having the celebration of life at The Shipwreck?
Her heart sunk. She hated that a part of her still held out hope that the other night had meant more to him too. All they had left between them was their shared grief now.
Emma: He’d have loved that.
Link: Found this on his phone. *Picture attachment*
Emma clicked the photo, and a younger version of herself appeared on the screen, laughing in Link’s arms. Both of them were covered in mud from head to toe. Their dad had an unimpressed expression beside them with his arms crossed.
Emma stared at the picture, letting the memory wash over her. Link had taken her mudding with a four-wheeler he’d restored. He wouldn’t let her drive, so when he’d stopped to pee in the woods, Emma had climbed to the front and hit the gas.
Emma steered towards the field. I’ll show him. She peeked over her shoulder in time to catch Link’s shocked expression morph into something a lot like disbelief tinged in anger.
“Get back here!”
Emma ignored him and laughed as he chased her. She’d let off the gas just enough for him to catch up and then gunned it. Link kept hollering. She was laughing so hard, she could barely see in front of her.
“Emma, STOP!” Link’s voice changed from protective-big-brother-who-was-pissed-he’d-been-outsmarted to actual fear.
