by S R Dyble
"I could ask you the same question!" Nick shouted back at him over the howling wind. "There's a storm coming, why would you take her out in this weather?"
"Because he's trying to help me, which is more than you're trying to do!" I shouted at him.
He studied my face as rain started speckling my skin, then he turned his attention back to Dixon.
"Take us back now," he ordered.
"No! Take your orders elsewhere, you think you can just barge on here! I don't need you and—"
"Getting yourself killed isn't going to bring your parents back, Lilly!" Nick shouted at me as the boat started rocking harder from side to side in the growing waves.
His words pierced my chest like bullets. His face blanched and he looked as if he regretted what he'd said. It began raining harder, and I mean, really raining hard. Before too long I couldn't tell where the edge of the boat ended and the water began.
"We need to head back. Sweetheart, I'm sorry," Dixon said as he rushed back towards the cabin. Although I could still see the bay and the pier, we had travelled quite a way out and now in the open water, the boat started taking a pelting. Not only from the waves but from the rain.
"Grab a hold of something!" Dixon shouted from within the cabin.
I tried to hold my balance long enough to grab something. On my way to the railing, I could have sworn that I'd seen something bobbing in the water.
"What is that?" I said, nearing the railing. I wasn't sure if it had been a figment of my imagination. The wind and the pelting of the waves against the boat meant no one could hear me. I could feel Nick's eyes watching my every move as I stared at the tops of the waves in the distance. I thought I could see the edges of another boat being tossed and turned in the water, but I just wasn't sure. As I took a step closer to the railing, it disappeared within a wave. I didn't have the chance to search for it longer. A wave hit the side of the boat, lifting water over the side and ploughing into my legs before knocking me off balance until I fell backwards onto the deck.
"Lilly!" Nick roared as the boat turned and I slid across the deck, trying to grab a hold of the railing as I disappeared beneath the waves and then into another wave. Within seconds I was completely submerged in water, trying to fight against the current. I gasped, swallowing a whole load of water. With my eyes wide open and feeling the sting of salty water, all I could do was push and space my arms out, trying to swim to the surface. As my body weakened under the assault of another wave, my eyes felt heavy as did my body as I continued to fight. It dawned on me then as I continued to fight for my life, that this could be it. That maybe I wasn't going to get out of this situation. It filled me with pure adrenaline as I fought harder. Then I saw a shape moving towards me in the water and with his cheeks filled with air, Nick came swimming towards me.
He grabbed a hold of me just as we were both brought further under by another crushing wave. He didn't let go of me, despite the pressure pulling us apart. Once the wave had passed, he kicked his legs, pushing us up until I saw the surface of the water.
I spluttered and coughed, spewing water out as we met the surface. Only to swallow a load more as another wave hit over our heads. I wasn't sure how, but Nick had found a red doughnut-shaped life-ring, attached to a thick piece of rope. He roared as he threw it over my head.
"Hold on!" he shouted.
Above the waves, I could see Dixon's boat and on the deck, Dixon stood pulling the rope with all of his strength. I didn't let go of Nick as he gripped onto the ring. As we were pulled along, another wave took a hold of us. We were still being pulled by Dixon and now I could reach out my hands to feel the boat. We were being pulled towards the back of the boat, a lowered deck allowing Nick to climb on, pulling me with him. Although the water still had a hold of us, we were able to grab something and heaved ourselves up onto the deck. Nick gripped my thighs, pushing me further onto the boat as I coughed and spluttered some more. Dixon got a hold of me and dragged me further up onto the boat. Then I frantically searched for Nick and he rushed to me, holding onto my body as he stared at me.
"You both okay? I've gotta steer the boat before the bloody thing capsizes!" Dixon yelled and Nick nodded at him. I sat up and spluttered out more water as he rubbed my back.
We were both drenched to the bone and I felt my body becoming cold. In front of me, I could see Nick speaking to me, but I couldn't hear a word. Everything became a blur as my body shook.
"You're going into shock," Nick said, pulling his top off. I wondered what he was doing until he pulled me against his chest.
"Stay close to me, your body needs to stay warm."
Once the boat pulled back up to dock, Nick lifted me in his arms and carried me off of the boat.
"I've called a paramedic to come check you both out," Dixon said, rushing off the boat to tie various parts of it to the dock.
"Nick, the waves are—"
"Don't worry, I've got you."
The waves were overlapping the dock, covering the wooden beams and knocking Nick's balance until eventually, we reached higher ground.
Within a second, a paramedic pulled up and rushed over to help me out of Nick's arms and to their van to check me over. Once I was sitting on the back of the ambulance, a big foil sheet was wrapped around me.
I wasn't feeling cold anymore, the warm weather had taken care of that. Nonetheless, I did as the paramedic said and Nick stared at me before making his way back to Dixon to help. A second later a lady appeared out of nowhere, scaring the shit out of me as the paramedic continued checking my observations.
"Pardon my nosiness but were you just saved from the sea? I heard two reporters were missing."
I frowned at her but answered her question.
"The two people are still missing. They're my parents… I went looking for them."
The way her eyebrows raised made my frown deepen.
"You're their daughter?"
Just as I was about to answer, she shouted, making me eardrums vibrate with the water still swishing around in my ears. I felt as if I was still swimming in it. Or drowning, more like…
"Alan!"
Skittishly, I awaited this Alan she'd called after and not too long after, he appeared but behind a big black camera. I had been such a fool. My parents were damn reporters, how did I not sniff her out?
"I'm not doing an interview."
"What about when you feel a bit better? There's no rush. We really want people to know about this and the danger."
"I'm sorry, love, but I know why you want this interview, and it's not to warn people of the danger. It's to make money from the drama happening here. My fucking parents are missing, I am not doing an interview until they're found."
"I think you'll find…"
I rubbed my fingers against my temples and looked down at my legs. My head was pulsating and just as my body was relieving itself of some of the anxiety associated with nearly drowning, this bitch was revving it back up again.
She continued her rambling on until—
"She said no," a harsh voice spoke and I stared up to see Nick still topless and glaring at the reporter.
"Well, we could always interview you…" she smiled, edging closer and admiring his perfect chest.
The deeper Nick stared at her, the more awkward it became until eventually his dark expression warned her off and she walked away.
"Thank you," I said and he nodded, looking me over as if to check I was okay.
"Not just for that. You saved my life."
Again, he nodded.
"I'm sorry for putting you in danger."
He sighed and glanced away. "Forget about me, Lilly. You could have been killed. Don't ever do anything so reckless again, do you understand?"
"I have to find them, Nick."
"Then do it without killing yourself. I promise I'll help you, but only when it's safe."
"You'll help me?"
He looked at me, his face softening. Silence lingered as he stared at me.
"Why did you take your top off to hold me?"
"Survival lesson 101, you were freezing. I had to heat you quickly, it happens a lot faster without drenched clothes in the way."
"You kept my clothes on. Why didn't you take mine off?"
What the hell was I saying?
I rubbed my head again, feeling ridiculously stupid and embarrassed.
He smirked. "Have you had your head checked for concussion yet?"
It was hard to drive back to a beach house and settle down inside without my parents being safe. I wanted to camp on the beach, not eat, and stare at the sea until they returned. I knew that wasn't going to happen, but I sat as long as possible on the beach, staring at the stars when they came out. I felt eyes on me and as I turned to glance back at the house, I saw Nick standing in one of the windows, watching me intensely. His eyes didn't sway from mine until eventually, I looked away.
What seemed like minutes later, a warmth covered my shoulders and I placed my hands on the jacket placed over my bare skin. Nick sat down on the sand beside me, remaining silent and staring out at the sea.
"It's beautiful," I said wholeheartedly, and for a few minutes we both stared out at the moon reflecting onto the sea.
"How long are you gonna stay out here?"
"I know it sounds mental, but to walk away from the sea makes me feel as if I'm walking away from them. I can't sleep in a lavish house while they're lost."
"Then I'll stay with you."
"No," I objected.
"I'm staying with you, Lilly. Forever if I have to."
For a second, I forgot that this lad was the same lad that had broken my heart. I leaned towards him, the familiar feeling of safety returning. Our shoulders brushed until a ping sounded and my eyebrows lifted. I was quick to shift away, feeling like a fool. Nick pulled out his phone and I sensed the regret he felt at the distraction.
"Lilly…"
I stared at him then, not prepared for the news I was about to receive.
"They've been found. Your parents, they're alive."
Nick couldn't drive me fast enough to the hospital, although he sped far over the speed limit, with my parents being air-lifted to the hospital. Gripping anywhere that I could, the wind smacking at me full force as it invaded the open car, lifting my hair and whipping it around my face.
I still couldn't believe it. My parents were alive and I was going to see them.
"Who contacted you?"
"Delta. I told you, the second something happens we'd know about it."
"I can't believe they're alive."
"Yes, Lill'. They're alive."
He smiled and I noticed his hand shifting as if he was going to reach over and place it on my leg. Instead, he placed it back on the gear stick and switched gears quickly before revving the car even faster. Thank God the roads were empty. It was past midnight and Nick made short work of weaving around any cars left on the roads. He had incredible skills, I'd never seen anything like it. As I stared at him longer, something tugged at my chest. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that his driving was incredibly sexy, or if he'd recently saved my life, or if it was the fact that I still couldn't shake Nick, no matter what he did. My chest still did a little flip at the mere sight and smell of him. Being in Australia practically stuck to his side was torture. There was no way in hell I was gonna shake him unless I spaced myself away from him. He saw me looking and answered my gaze with his intense stare that made me look away.
"Watch the road, you're gonna get us killed," I said, trying to disguise the fact that my eyes were clearly loving all over his body only a few seconds earlier.
Once at the hospital, he stopped abruptly at the front doors and stared at me.
"You should stay here," I said.
Keep distance from him, Lilly.
"What? I can come inside with you and—"
"You don't know my parents, Nick. Thanks for getting me here so quickly, but you should stay here."
I got out, shutting the door behind me and chancing a look at his face.
"Or I can get a taxi back..."
"Don't be stupid," he said, not looking at me. "Go."
As much as I wanted to get to my parents, I stared as Nick sped off towards the carpark.
I navigated myself around the hospital the best I could until a nurse led the way to where my parents were situated in a private room together.
"How are they?" I asked, breathlessly.
"They're surprisingly well. They're extremely lucky. We've run some tests and we're gonna keep them here for a couple of weeks. Just as a precaution, they've been under some extreme conditions, the fact neither of them has pneumonia is a miracle in itself."
The moment the nurse opened the door for me to walk in, and I thanked her, the room turned silent and my eyes dared to skim over my parents as they both laid slightly upright, staring at me.
"Lilly," my dad breathed as tears began threatening my eyes.
They both looked freshly clean and groomed but they were horribly tanned.
"Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" my mother said, directing for me to come towards her with her hands.
Once at her side, I wrapped my arms around her and tried not to sob into her chest.
"I came the second I heard that you were missing."
"Lilly, we're fine, darling. It's all been blown well out of proportion," my dad said.
I let go of my mum to look at him, not understanding how he couldn't see the severity of this.
"Dad, it's not nothing. You could have been killed, you're lucky to be alive."
He kept silent as I flicked my eyes between them both.
"We're both fine, sweetheart," my mum said.
"The nurse told me you're both lucky to be alive, she said you're lucky you don't have pneumonia. Stop pieing this off, will you?"
Again, silence.
"We need to find out when they're gonna discharge us so we can get back to work," my dad said, sitting up in the bed.
There was something about him that wasn't right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He looked almost bewitched.
"What!? You've just been rescued after a first stupid attempt and you wanna get back to it?!"
"Just try to remember this is our life, sweetheart, this is what we do..." my mum said.
Her words hit me central and it made me look away to not shed a tear.
This was their life.
I gulped away the lump in my throat.
"We're sorry we scared you sweetheart, but we really are fine. Once we get out of this place we'll come home a little bit and—"
"What?" my dad said, urging my mum to look at him, his face full of disapproval at what my mum had just said.
My father definitely wasn't himself. This story had consumed him, his hunger to prove he could complete this task. He didn't even see me standing here. I stared into my father's eyes, remembering how he'd cradled me as a child and told me how much he loved me. He couldn't see the hurt he was causing. I nodded, trying to defuse my emotions long enough to talk to them.
"The nurse said you should be able to leave in a couple of weeks, once they're sure you're both okay," I said, taking steps to leave. I had to because once I turned my back to them tears began their journey down my face.
"Lill'?"
I didn't turn back around to face her, just stood still and waited for my mum to speak.
"Will you stay? Where have you been staying?"
I nodded, knowing I'd follow them around the world if they'd asked me to.
"I've been staying with a friend at the beach. It's about two hours away from here."
"I didn't know you had friends in Australia?" my dad asked.
That's because you hardly know anything about me these days.
"Okay, well, take care of yourself. We love you," my mum said.
I nodded and left quickly, emotion rising in my throat that I tried to hide as I left through the hospital hallways and out of the front door. I wiped my face and took deep b
reaths as I found a spot beside the wall, knowing I needed to compose myself before finding Nick. I heard cars driving past behind me on the road and leading into the hospital but I didn't turn around. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.
"Lilly?"
I closed my eyes, praying I hadn't just heard what I thought I had. I made the mistake of turning instantly to look. I saw Nick parked to the side of the curb, looking at me. His face was serious and full of concern as his eyes met mine.
"Get in," he said gently.
I pulled myself together in a second and wiped at my face to walk to the car and get in. As he drove, silence lingered and I could feel the anticipation building.
"Are you okay?" he asked first and I nodded.
"What happened?"
I shook my head, determined not to talk about this.
"Nothing. They should be ready to leave in a couple of weeks."
"Come on, Lill'."
I sat uncomfortably and kept my eyes focused outside of the car as the breeze ran through the car and around my shoulders, lifting my hair.
"They asked me to stay, but they already made plans to return to their report once they're discharged, so I might as well go home."
"Return to their report, you mean go back out there?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I guess so."
"But they nearly just died and scared the shit out of you!" he said, more forcefully.
Nick did his best to stare at me whilst concentrating on driving, and I did my best to avoid his eyes at all cost. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Look, why don't you stick around until they're ready to leave?"
"What, why?" I looked at him then.
Something was apparent in his eyes, but I wasn't sure what.
"We were friends before all of this, Lil'. Before I fucked up. You stick around and it could be fun, it's what you need. Australia is a place of adventure, and maybe you need that, too."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"You hated it here, you left here to get away," I told him.
"I left with my brothers to get away from our father. Australia will always be my home, and I'm trying to work on seeing it as that instead of a place full of bad memories."
