Australia - An Ashton Irwin fanfic

Chapter 10

As I sunk deeper into the water, I felt an arm swing around my waist and try to swim us up back to the surface. Their legs kept getting tangled in mine as they kicked around in a fast beat. I tried to move my legs to the beat of theirs, but my body was unresponsive. I could feel my head bumping against their shoulder with each push out of the water they took. 

Our heads were finally out but I didn't react to the air that my lungs were desperate for. My heart pulsed loud in my ears, getting slower and slower with each one-armed breast stroke my savior was attempting.

"C'mon, stay with me," a male voice pleaded and I instantly knew it was Ashton. He came back to save me; he was my savior. "You're gonna make it, Juliette," his voice cracked as he choked the words out. I heard him sniffle as we slowly made our way to shore. Was he crying or was he just trying to keep water from getting in his nose?

My feet started to drag against the sand as he walked on to the shore, still tightly hugging me close to him. He laid me down on the bed of sand and placed his ear on my chest, trying to listen for any sign of a pulse. His wet curls tickling against my chin, making me want to giggle but I couldn't. I could feel my body shutting down; getting colder and closer to death.

"No, no, no, Juliette. Damn it, stay with me!" and he placed his hands above one another on my chest and started compressions. "One, two, three, four, five, six," he counted with each press. I felt my lungs trying to dispose of the water. "Come on lungs, you can do it." 

He got all the way to thirty-two until I finally coughed up the warm salty-water and gasped for air. "Oh thank fucking, God," he said and embraced me in a hug. I heard him sniffle again as he rubbed my back, comforting me.

"I thought I lost you," he said whispered so I could barely hear it. His tears rolling from his face down to my back. It never failed to amaze me how much of an impact I made on him in only three days. It seemed like we'd known each other for years now and couldn't bare the thought of being without each other. But was that a good thing or a bad thing?

He pulled out of the embrace and rested his hands on my shoulders, staring me in the eyes with worry. His eyes blood-shot from both the salt water and crying. "Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded, too afraid to let anything in or out of my mouth. I felt like there was still a gallon of water sitting in my lungs. He looked down and shook his head, combing his fingers through his hair. "I just don't understand why you didn't tell me you couldn't swim. I wouldn't have gone that far out if I knew. We were almost a mile away from shore!" He looked back up at me, his eyes looked pained. "Why didn't you tell me, Juliette?"

I opened my mouth letting the air inflate my lungs. "I could just tell that...that you really wanted to do this and I didn't exactly think I was going to fly off at any time. I wasn't paying attention when you said to hold on so don't blame yourself, Ashton." I looked at him and shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry."

He sighed and creased his eyebrows together. "I was just scared that's all. Don't apologize." He stood up and held his hand out to me. I grabbed it and he pulled me up, his arms pulling me a little too strong and since I was a little lightheaded, I ended up bumping into his chest. "You just can't keep yourself off me, huh?" He winked following along with a laugh. I smiled at the fact he was back to his cheeky-self.

He led us back to the dock to grab our clothes, never letting go of my hand as we walked. He said he recognized his neighbor swimming and asked him to bring the jet-ski back to its post so we walked back to his car.

"Where we off to next?" I asked, putting my shirt on as he sat in the driver's seat

"You're not exhausted of this day?" he looked surprised and confused.