𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 | an apocalyptic novel ©

Chapter 86

Rescue Me

Valencia

Darkness - I am surrounded by it, There's the rushing of water and I am in the current yet again. My hair is flying around my head. I can't breathe. My whole body feels incredibly stiff and heavy.

Tearing my eyes open, I try to ascend.

My lungs already hurt. Suddenly, I see someone next to me - someone familiar. His dark hair is tousled, his eyes locking with mine. Aidan is here with me. He is here.

And although he doesn't say anything - I doubt he could - I swear I could hear his voice.

"...just breathe for me. Come on... breathe-"

I interlock my fingers with his. He tries to let go of my hands.

No, absolutely fucking not. I don't want him to leave - not again, not now. Desperate for him to stay, I try to mouth the word "No".

My lungs scream at this point. I don't dare to inhale. But instead of leaving, Aidan cups my face and gently presses his lips on mine. His lips feel soft, like the perfect match - it feels like my dreams imagined. I can feel my lungs widening. Aidan is breathing for me - every last bit of air he has, he is giving it to me. My eyes tear up.

"Vally, please... you're the only one I have..." I hear his voice again.

The moment doesn't last long enough.

Aidan lets go of me and disappears in the shadows of the water surrounding me, like disintegrated mist. And he doesn't come back.

But I- My heart cracks.

I can breathe. I can ...

Suddenly gaining new strength, I push up to ascend. Through my blurred vision, I see someone at the surface reaching out to me. My vision goes dark at the corners. I blink,to snap out of this. This time, I have to make it. This time, I can't faint again.

Determined, I reach out to the hand reaching for me. Our fingers interlock and strong arms pull me up. But before I can reach the surface and inhale, I black out.

"Oh, Jesus Christ-"

I gasp for air. I open my eyes. I can't breathe, but I can.

Alive, I'm alive. My lungs strain, I cough up water. I'm trembling, my whole body is convulsing and shaking. Almost sobbing, I try to calm down my heart. My vision clears slowly.

Where am I? I don't know if I asked that question out loud. After a moment, I regained my orientation. I'm here, at the roller coaster, in Manhattan, at Central Park. Aidan hovers over me and lets go of my face as I bend to the side to spit out whatever water is left in my lungs. As I turn back, realization hits me square in the face.

I drowned.

He saved me - saved my life, saved me from drowning.

Aidan.

I wipe my mouth with the completely wet sleeve of my jacket.

Aidan kneels next to me.

I tear up. He saved me.

He looks at me, just as soaked as I am, and smiles - the relieved kind of smile, while I could swear a few tears stream down his perfect jawline.

My eyes tearing up, I reach out to him. I don't want him to leave again. But he doesn't - instead, he pulls me close to him and hugs me so tight that I think he will break my ribs. I hold on to him as if he is my life buoy, as if my life depends on it.

I'm exhausted - exhausted from pretending, exhausted from being someone I am not, exhausted from hiding my feelings.

Suddenly, I finally realize how much I want to depend on him, how much he has done to mean something to me.

We kneel there, on the grass, holding each other.

Nothing else matters at that moment, and I just want this one to last forever.