𝐈'𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐃 || 𝐙𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭

Chapter 17 - Back to Shore

  Isn't it silly, now that you know?  

Breathtaking. It's the only word that came to mind as he lie there on the sand before me. The sun shone down on his shaggy brown hair, making it light up auburn. I had the sudden urge to push a stray strand off his forehead but stayed my hand. He needed rest after what he'd been through. My heart clenched in my chest then as what just transpired came back to me.

If I had decided not to go back for him, if I'd been just a few seconds later... I felt my stomach twist, the thought making me almost physically sick. I-I almost lost him today. What would have I done? I couldn't just... I sighed, feeling tears prick my cocoa orbs at the idea of him dying.

I couldn't just be without him. And as I glanced down at his unconscious form on the ground...I was forced to admit to myself...I cared for him. I deeply cared for Zane Bennett. More than I had anyone before him.

All of a sudden, his body shook and he began to cough up water. I suppressed the urge to run to his side, instead standing over him breathing a sigh of relief. His brown eyes blinked open then, scanning his surroundings in confusion before his gaze landed on me.

"It's alright. You floated up, I dragged you to shore," I lied through my teeth, feeling a bit guilty at not telling the truth.

But it had to be done. I couldn't divulge our secret. He shook his head, briefly glancing at his boat that I'd went back for and dragged out here as well.

"But I- I went down. I couldn't get out!" he said in confusion as he sat on the ground.

"Somehow you did," I shrugged, pacing in the sand with my arms crossed over my chest, "You're lucky,"

"There was something down there," he began to say slowly, standing up, "Something...I don't know... Did you see anything?"

I shook my head 'no' in response. Not a total lie - it's not like I could see myself after all. He walked closer to the shore then, gazing out across the deep blue water.

"Yeah? Well, I saw something. And I'm gonna find out exactly what it was." he vowed in determination.

Fear and dread rose up inside of me and I felt my heart clench in my chest as my eyes widened.

Oh my gosh...what had I done?