for, liar

Chapter 51

My feet sink into the bed of sand underwater. I push my arms around and force my head back up above water just in time for another wave to crash onto me. I go under again and try to find my balance. Would I even be able to see under here?

My eyes snap open and everything is dark. I don't know what I expected. This isn't the Caribbean or Fiji so of course the water wouldn't be clear enough to see in.

I stare into nothingness as I sink further toward the sand. I don't know how deep I am into the ocean. It can't be that much. I wasn't too far away from Miles.

I want to blink, but I don't think I can. I can't believe how long I've been holding my breath. I haven't been underwater in so long. Can I just swim back up now?

"Breeeeeee, oh Bree! You're going to get hurt!"

That doesn't sound like Miles. Who the fuck is talking to me?

"Bree, you're a silly girl. Don't you remember what happened last time?"

Last time?

I want to try to talk but there's no way in hell I would be able to. I'm underwater. Who is still talking to me?

"Right behind you, goofball."

I turn my body as much as I can but the current is strong today. A light flickers a few times ahead of me and I see an outline. It looks like a- person?

"Selena?"

"Be careful. You're going to get hurt."

Her face is right in front of me. She's staring at me. I can see her long, curly black hair resting down her slim arms. She's wearing her favorite ruby red lipstick. She still has her nose ring in. She's still wearing the hoop earrings I got her for Christmas six years ago.

"You're going to get hurt."

Why does she keep saying that? I'm fine.

"BREE!"

That voice was much deeper. It wasn't Selena anymore. Large hands reach into the water and yank me from under. The darkness breaks and I feel the sun hit my face. I'm suddenly laying on the wet sand coughing up a shit ton of water. When did I swallow all of that?

"Bree? Are you okay? Bree, breathe." Miles says frantically.

He hovers over me, along with Lauren and Penny as I cough up all the water from my lungs.

"What do we do? Where's the nearest hospital?" Miles asks.

I want to tell him that I'm okay but I can't stop fucking coughing! I wrap my fingers around his wrist and shake my head. He looks at me with his sharp hazel eyes. I can tell he's starting to calm down when he realizes that I'm breathing normally.

"Are you alright, sweetheart? Want us to take you back to the house?" Lauren asks.

I consider it for a moment but decide against it. This trip is supposed to be fun. I'm not giving up that easily no matter how bad I'm shaken up. I just need a second to relax.

"I'm okay." I croak and clear my throat.

Miles' fingers are intertwined with mine. I notice the boogie board is nowhere in sight.

"The board..." I mumble.

"It's fine. We can get another board. I can't get another you."

I look up at him again and nod my head a little. I feel better now but I don't think I can move just yet.

"Can I just sit in a chair or something?" I ask softly, carefully pushing myself up to a sitting position.

Miles scoops me up with ease and carries me over to one of the lounge chairs. He gently sets me in it and pulls another one up next to me for him.

"You scared the hell out of me." He says and drags his hands down his face.

"I'm sorry. I'm just really clumsy, I guess."

He reaches over and strokes the ends of my hair. I'm much more relaxed now that I'm out of the sand and he's touching me this comfortingly.

"I should've waited for you to show you how to do it. That was my bad."

He does not need to feel guilty about this. It was an accident and nothing horrible happened.

"I promise you it is completely okay. I'm perfectly fine, just a little shaken up."

"Yeah, you look like you saw a damn ghost when I pulled you out." He tells me.

I twiddle my thumbs and stare at my lap. "I don't know what I saw." I whisper.

"What do you mean?"

I didn't think he heard me.

"I'm not sure. It was really weird. I was hallucinating or something." I admit.

"Well you were losing oxygen so that makes sense." He says and bites his lip nervously.

"Yeah. You're right."

I lean my head back and stare up at the clouds. Even dreams I've had of Selena didn't feel that real. I don't fuck around with drugs so I'm not really sure what hallucinating actually feels like. If that's what it's like, then I definitely don't want to do anything to cause them. It felt more like sleep paralysis than anything.

I wound up falling asleep in the shade of the umbrella for a couple of hours. Miles and his mom go boogie boarding for the time being and I wake up to Penny setting out the lunch sandwiches and chips. She offers me a plate and a bottle of water, which I accept gratefully.

Miles runs back up shore once he sees the food out. He shakes his wet hair out in the distance and I watch him a little too intensely. I still can't help but stare at him. Does he even realize how bad I want him?

He squats down in the chair next to me. "What's up, sleepy head?"

I smile and crinkle my nose. Penny hands him a sandwich and a Coca-Cola. He thanks her and takes a bite.

"How can a sandwich taste this good? What do you do with it?" He asks.

Penny giggles and hands Lauren her plate when she arrives. "Just put in a little love."

I smile at her cheesy response and take a bite. It really does taste better than an average sandwich. It's got flavor unlike anything my mother cooks.

"Want some Coke?" Miles offers, pointing the bottle towards me.

I shake my head and nod at my water. "I'm good. I don't really like soda. Too much sugar."

He gasps and dramatically jerks the bottle away.

I giggle and shrug. "I'm sorry! If I'm going to consume a bunch of sugar, I'd rather it be more enjoyable and solid, like- cake."

He looks at me with a huge grin.

I wasn't kidding. I don't want to drink my sugar intake when I can enjoy it more with chocolate.

"You know you can make a cake out of coke? It's fantastic." He says.

"Are you offering to make me a cake?" I ask.

He shoots me a thumbs up and takes another swig from the bottle.

Revised;