The Divorce

57

"Wh-what are you doing here?" I asked when Kyle didn't respond.

A mini puddle of water was forming under us and I tried sitting up, the stupid fabric of my dress tangling around my legs, and because it was wet and stuck to me, making me almost trip and fall back in again.

I placed why hands on the ground trying to stabilise myself.

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked, his focus on me. His arms came around my shoulders and went up and down my arms, like he was trying to see if I was hurt. Or maybe he was trying to warm me up as I noticed I was shivering uncontrollably, my teeth chattering.

All I could do was look behind him at Gabriel who was no longer there. 

Where did he go? 

I swear for a moment I thought I saw Gabriel's arm in front of me in the water, before the hand around my waist pulled me out. I should have known that it wasn't Gabriel's arm because moments ago when it was wrapped around me, it felt completely different.

And it was like my body was telling me because the side of my waist hurt. 

I took a step forward, putting my hands up almost like I was deflecting all of Kyle's questions. As well as flicking his hands off my body with that motion. 

"I'm fine," I snapped, regretting my tone instantly as confusion went across his face. 

It was a lie because I was not fine.

Everything hurt.

My sprained shoulder hurt even more, to the point where I felt like it was pulsating all over the nape of my neck. My right breast hurt from where someone elbowed me, it hurt so bad I felt like the wire in my bra had snapped, poking me.

My ankle cried in agony at me standing, because when I fell into the pool, for a brief moment I did touch the floor. And my knees, well I was pretty sure the dress would be stained crimson by the end of the night.

So I was not fine, but right now to get Kyle to stop talking I was fine.

There was also a weird tightening sensation all across my sternum, was I having a heart attack?

"Are you sure, I saw the stampede push you in!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked, avoiding his comment about the 'stampede'.

I jumped, quite visibly when another arm touched my elbow, and was surprised to see Gabriel had returned with towels, and a staff member next to him carrying a medical kit.

"Oh my god what happened?" 

I ignored the staff member as they opened up the kit but grabbed the towel from Gabriel, using it to cover me and the horrible dress that was sticking to me like cling wrap. I was very glad that no more than one or two wedding guests saw me. If they all did, I would die of humiliation.

I would have jumped back in to drown probably.

My throat, nose and eyes were all still burning, but all I could focus on was Gabriel.

He was standing more than a metre away from me, his outstretched arm handing Kyle a towel as well.

His eyes didn't look at me until another minute and the old Gabriel with the blank stare was back.

Kyle wrapped the towel around himself, shivering as he took a step forward. 

Subconsciously I took a step back. Just a small one but I wasn't sure if he noticed it. I didn't mean to, I just needed...space. 

"I uh, I'm going to head to the room. I need to sit," I managed to croak out in the silence. 

"But we need to apply these creams," I looked down at the staff member that had opened the kit, holding a range of things.