Hook, Line & Sinking (Completed)

19. Aftercare

Hey everyone! Here's the second update of the week. :-) Dealing with a hell of a storm here tonight so I'm all cozy, curled up with a cup of tea and a blanket. Hope you guys are all doing alright!

Much love,

Robin

*

Aftercare

When we reached the McLaren beach I could see that the McLaren family was gathered out on the sand but the Corenths were all gone. They were looking angry, worried and grim in the light of the lanterns they'd set out in the sand. When we breached Dev and Orly ran into the surf to get to us but Matt got in their way somehow, making a really angry feral sound I'd expect from a dog but not a man.

Dev fell back immediately but Orly snapped, "Get your head together! We're just helping!" It took my hands on Matt's back to get him to ease to the side and then he was demanding his shorts and a towel for me and acting like he hadn't almost torn into his own brother just now.

Matt was on two legs and dressed in his swim shorts quickly, not bothered by the need to be completely dry for the change to affect him. He helped me roll the towel around my waist and then lifted me tail and all right out of the water and into his arms. Which took a tremendous amount of power to do (my tail was hella ungainly especially wet). Not just that, as soon as he had me in his arms he started evaporating the water right off my body so that by the time he'd carried me out of the surf we were both dry and the change wrenched through me.

He didn't pause to set me down in the sand but strode through his family and carried me right up the path to his parents house. "You get dressed okay, I'll bring you home," he said, nodding at my pile of clothing lying neatly folded on the patio table. He deposited me gently to my feet next to the table and I struggled to get my shorts on under the towel.

"Matt, you need to get that cut on your chest looked at," I told him right as the others had caught up to us. "I have a first aid kit in my car, I'll take care of it after I get you home," he assured me but I didn't think that was good enough. I caught Clara's eye, "Tell him to get that fixed now. Matt you'll get an infection..."

He gave me a single nod and Clara immediately disappeared into the house to fetch first aid supplies. In the meantime I pulled my shirt on over my head and sat down to struggle into my sandals. Matt was there, bending over my feet to take over the task for me, I let him do it. Too sore and tired to do the task myself easily and not wanting to make a fuss with everyone hovering over me as if I'd fall apart at any moment.

"I'm okay," I said, when I realized they were all staring. "I'm really okay, Matt's the one who's hurt." Matt made a huffing sound but said nothing while Thomas said quietly, with deep anger threaded through his voice: "They are never welcome here again. When first Clay and then Gavin returned bloody... We told them to leave. Josh called us from the boat to confirm they'd left the marina."

"Good," Matt growled as he rose to his feet and perched on the table right next to me, his leg pressing against mine. "We feared the worst when neither of you came back, you guys were at least thirty minutes behind Gavin..." Orly said. "He looked beat up to hell and back by the way brother, it was a miracle the sharks didn't swarm him..."

"Bad luck I guess," Matt muttered and the angry comment actually made me smile. I found his hand and grabbed it, "Yeah too bad huh?" His dark eyes flashed to mine and for the first time since this all happened, since he'd come back from that two week salvage really, I saw a hint of humor.

"You are tough as nails aren't you darling? Took a bite right out of his fucking bicep... Shit and if you hadn't managed that scream I would never have known where to find you." He sounded really proud when he said that and I felt a glow envelope me. I had contributed to my own rescue, I hadn't been a complete damsel in distress.