Ethan's POV (Bonus Book)

Chapter Forty-Seven

Darkness submerged me and suddenly I was in water – blisteringly cold, dark, and still. 

I blinked rapidly through the thick blur of the water, and then suddenly before me floating, I saw hair. Bundles of dark brown hair sank below me, and then I saw her – Mia. Her hands were seized at her throat as she struggled for breath, her mouth was open, gasping for air that would never come. She was drowning.

My eyes widened, and I kicked and thrashed in the water, wanting to swim to her but I was held back by an unmovable force. I couldn't move. I attempted to scream her name foolishly through the water, but a helpless trail of bubbles escaped past my lips. My eyes burned as I kicked and shook in a futile attempt to try and get to her.

Slowly, as she continued to sink, her hand around her throat weakened before stopping completely. Then her eyes frosted over and became soulless and unmoving.

Numbed by the image, I was submerged once more in blankness, and suddenly my eyes snapped open, my chest heaving up and down frantically.

The moment I took in the lightly lit walls of the cabin around me, I let out a choky breath of relief.

It was a dream. I was just dreaming. Mia was alive. She was alive.

I sat up sharply, still feeling my heart thumping, the anxious knot in my stomach still continuing to twist from the memories of the dream. Seeing beams of light gleam in from the window, I realized it was morning, and I slowly remembered I was still on the camping trip. A camping trip where I'd successfully saved Mia the day before and had not watched her drown. Wait, Mia?

Instantly, my eyes flew over to Mia's bed and my heart dropped through my chest when I found her bed empty. The bed was made, with all the covers neatly folded back and no sign of Mia.

I ripped off my covers and rushed over to her bed. I scanned the covers over frantically, starting to question my reality. Did I make the events of yesterday up? Was she sick? Had she gone to the bathroom and fallen unconscious. Was she-

My questioning stopped sharply when I noticed a folded piece of paper lying neatly on her pillow with the words 'Ethan,' written on it.

I snatched it up quickly and unfolded it before letting my eyes dart over the contents. It read.

'Relax, Ethan. I've just gone to breakfast early with May. I didn't want to wake you.'

P.S. You sleep like the dead. I dropped my phone like five times when I was getting changed and you didn't even twitch. Also, you snuggle with your pillow in your sleep.

My lips lifted higher, in both relief and amusement. As well, as mild humiliation when I got to the pillow part. I had a habit of clutching onto anything I could get my hands on when I slept, hence why I'd stupidly grabbed a hold of her inappropriately that one time we'd shared a bed. Turns out, boobs can feel a lot like pillows. Technically, hers felt a lot better than pillows...but that wasn't the point.

Suddenly I paused. Wait a minute – when I was getting changed. So, did that mean she changed in front of me when I was sleeping....

I stiffened frustratedly, suddenly not too fond of the fact that I was such a deep sleeper. Not fond at all.

Scanning the note up and down one last time with a smile, I quickly moved and pocketed it into my jacket pocket hanging on my bedpost.

What? I kept all Mia's notes, sue me.

Quickly going to the bathroom, I freshened up and got changed before heading to the dining hall with Lucas, Chloe, and April.