Don't give up on me ✓

[24] Splash

'There is never a time and place for love. It happens accidentally' - Sarah Dessen

Chapter 24: Splash

If he jumped off a cliff, would you?

Turns out, yes.

Like a complete fool, I threw myself off the cliff after him.  But only because I believed I was superhuman.

Now I sound crazy.

But hey, what's new?

The wind screamed in my ears and resisted my body as it tumbled through the air.  I tried to keep my body upright, though I felt like a rocket crashing to earth.  I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for impact.

Splash.

The waves were a little rougher than I expected.  But they woke me up as I hit water.  Smooth and warm water.  I felt the thrill.

The waves splashed onto my face as I treaded water. He swam towards me with strong easy strokes.

"You jumped," he smiled a crystal white smile.

"Why do you look so happy about that?"

His smile faded, "Because you took a chance."

I lowered myself, so the waves would cover the look on my face. I didn't have a response to that. My arm also hurt like a mother. The bite hadn't fully healed and here I was jumping into sea water. The salt was extra painful.

"You don't realize," he murmured, swimming closer, "But you have a strange control over me." 

"You tease me all the time, you barely notice me at school..."

He closed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You don't feel this?" he asked.

The tingling sensation at every spot where our skin touched? My body was burning alive. The rough waves around us made me want to hold onto him even tighter. He was keeping us both above water.

"I feel it," I said. I was being honest.

If he was my sickness, maybe he had the antidote.

"You came into my life and... you distract me more than I imagine possible. I don't like it and yet I can't do anything about it." As he spoke, his hands stroked my arms, giving me warmth in this cold water. I had been shivering, but his touch was calming.

I didn't move from our position, where my legs were wrapped tightly around him, and our upper bodies were almost touching.

"This can get out of control quickly. I don't even know what side I'm on right now. I don't know if I can trust you. You're one of them." I don't know why I was being so honest with him. I just felt like I should be. "And my life is not in any order right now but you flipped it upside down again."

We were both saying the same thing. Neither one of us wanted this, and yet, we couldn't help but want it. 

"I told you we should stay away from each other," I reminded him.

He looked down at my body against his, my arms and legs wrapped around him, and said, "You're doing a great job."

I laughed and splashed water in his face. He took his hand off me to wipe the salty water off his face and then splashed me back. 

His splash was much larger than mine. I dove underwater to get away, but he swam after me, catching me in his arms. I turned around in the water, my legs kicking to keep moving, but he twirled me back round so that he was on top.