by Cee Smith
Stolen Donor
Copyright © 2015 Cee Smith
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
First ebook edition: March 2015
Edited by: Erica’s Editing Services
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Soundtrack
About the Author
I’ve always liked swimming. I like how the water feels when you first submerge yourself, submitting yourself to its calm strength. How the body can be both soothed by its calm presence and paralyzed by its shaky waters. How there’s another world that exists below sea level—one where our air is the ocean’s water. I like the feeling of weightlessness, of being suspended in water. There’s really no other feeling like it.
When I was little, I used to watch The Little Mermaid and imagine myself as Ariel, under the sea. I even liked when Ursula sang. My mom had this plastic black fruit bowl that looked like drippings of ink running down into the bottom of the bowl. When Ursula’s song would come on, I would run into the kitchen, dump out the contents of the bowl, and then run back into the room flipping the bowl over my head, my blond hair fraying as I strutted around the room singing into a brush.
As I grew older, I liked water for other reasons. My otherwise cream-colored skin becomes lightly bronzed as the rays from the sun reflect against the water to coat me in the color no tanning bed can replicate, my hair adopts the perfect beach wave, and it keeps me in shape, highlighting the contours of my body.
My twin sister, Jessa, never had the same affinity for water that I have, but that didn’t stop her from tagging along to all the destination spots that claimed the best surfing, wake boarding, snorkeling, and kayaking. Whatever involved water, we were there. Which was how we ended up in Queensland, Australia.
Every year for spring break, I convinced Jessa and our friend Adam to travel with me to places we had never been, luring them to do things we’d never done. This would be our last spring break before graduating. Our last opportunity to cut loose and have fun together, just like old times, before our lives took us on separate paths.
I didn’t realize that spring break would be our last for other reasons. I didn’t realize that the one thing that gave me clarity could also make me feel so lost, but that was all before he pulled me from the shadowy depths sequestering me in his dark world.
I don’t know why I had let Adam talk me into scuba diving at night. The only explanation could be that we were day three into spring break in Queensland, Australia, and near one of the best spots in the world for scuba diving, the SS Yongala. We spent the last couple days doubling up on our introductory course so we could log the requisite hours for our license, which luckily we passed since we had already bought the tickets garnering us a seat and dive tutor for the SS Yongala.
Dave, the lead diver and presumed captain of the boat, stood at the helm while the other diver, Mark, helped load the last of our gear aboard the boat. The pink rays of the setting sun splashed across Mark’s bald head like blood in water.
“I think we got everything, Dave. I’m ready when you are,” Mark shouted over the motor of the boat. He looked back at me before continuing, “Have you ever dived Yongala?” Mark asked as his algae-colored eyes pierced me with their intensity. I knew the question was directed to all of us, but his eyes meant for only me to answer, seemingly shutting out my sister and Adam from his questioning.
“No, it’s actually our first time in Queensland. We just got here three days ago.”
“Ah man, you’re in for a real treat. Yongala is definitely something special. Let me get you guys some maps to look at before we touch down.” He moved to the front of the 30-foot boat, and I watched while he rooted around next to Dave. I could get used to these Aussie men. Mark and the captain were all kitted out before we got on the boat, and his neck to toe wetsuit definitely screamed “Welcome aboard,” hugging every contour of his lean physique.
“Earth to Hailey,” Adam said waving his hand in my face, his jerky movements making me jump. He was doing this on purpose to embarrass me, somehow finding joy in making me feel awkward around the opposite sex.
“Adam…” Jessa said, her voice raising an octave by the time she reached the end of his name. And this is why I loved Jessa—aside from her being my twin. She was the yin to my yang, the peanut butter to my jelly, the mustard to my ketchup.
We had grown up with Adam since we were toddlers, making him feel more like an adopted triplet. But as we got older, it seemed those familial lines had thinned. The lines were clearly defined for me, but Adam still teased me like a child with his first crush. I had finally accepted that he had more than brotherly love for me, but I still couldn’t find the words to address this. And that’s why I loved Jessa, because she had the finesse to jump in and smooth things out for all of us. Now, if only I could get her to have the much needed conversation with Adam.
Though we originally grew up together as neighbors and friends, Adam became our adoptive brother after our parents died and Adam’s parents, the Bartholomews, took over as our guardians. Adam had always been the brother we never had, but we had all grown closer over the last ten years, forging a steel-like bond. That was probably another reason why I allowed Adam’s crush to continue; I couldn’t afford to lose anyone else in my life. It was too devastating the first time. Adam’s words cut into my morose thoughts.
“It looks like lover boy’s coming back. Quick! Hide your blushing cheeks.”
“Adam, you’re such a jerk. I should start busting your balls whenever you seem remotely interested in someone. I honestly don’t know why I don’t,” I ended my tirade looking between the two of them, hoping to pull Jessa further on my side. She just shook her head at us, her hair floating against her arms. As the wind picked up, the ends of her strands curled against the rubber suit.
“Ay, here we are.” Mark came back with maps waving in his jubilant hands as his eyes skipped across the three of us. My eyes reached across the few feet to take in Adam’s reaction to Mark’s reappearance. When Mark turned back around to look at me, I watched Adam’s eyes take on a skeptic look while he plastered on a fake smile. His slouchy face brightened a bit once Mark passed out the maps between us.
“
Here’s a map of the shipwreck as well as some fish that you may spot while you’re down there. Among the list, you’re most likely to see barracuda, sea snakes, and sea turtles,” he said, towering over me while pointing at the corresponding sea creatures displayed on my page. When he finished, I looked up, and it looked like a spotlight was on inside of his mouth—all I saw were perfect, straight white teeth. His tan skin glowed against the black wetsuit, as the fading sunlight glinted off his blond eyebrows. I flashed him a smile that seemed to amp up his enthusiasm. At least, I liked to think it was my smile.
“I’ll help you finish suiting up in about five minutes when we get a little closer to the dive point. Do you have any last minute questions?”
I had questions, but I didn’t think they’d be appropriate because I was sure he meant questions regarding the dive. My questions involved whether or not he was single and if he had any free time before our vacation was over and we had to return back to the states. Maybe he could give me an insider’s tour of Queensland.
We had one more week of vacation before we had to return to our last ever midterms, and I wanted to completely relax and have fun before our lives were nothing more than studying again. Just thinking about pulling an all-nighter had my eyelids feeling heavy.
“Yea, matey, I’ve got a question,” Adam raised his eyebrows more to me than to Mark. I so don’t want to hear this.
“What does this say—bull shark? Well if one of these swings by and happens to make a meal out of Dave or, better yet, you,” he said with overemphasis, “would you like us to retrieve any limbs lost or should we just worry about trying to save you?” He chuckled lightly to himself, while avoiding the death glares that Jessa and I shot him.
Adam was moving beyond being simply annoying and was starting to piss me off. His comments were totally passive-aggressive and they sent the wrong message, confusing people as to the extent of our relationship. Instead of looking like the brother he was, he looked like he was intimidated by Mark’s interest in me. If I had taken the time to analyze this, I’m sure I would’ve found that Adam was the main reason why I’d never had a real relationship. I didn’t know what would upset me more—if he were purposely acting this way or if it was unintentional and he was just oblivious to how his actions affected me.
Mark’s chest inflated and his shoulders squared up as if he was going to let loose on Adam for being such a prick, but before he got a word in, I reached out for his forearm, breaking the tension that had his muscles bundled beneath my hand. I couldn’t feel his skin through the wetsuit, but the body heat that he emitted warmed me in all the right places.
“You said we should get suited up, right? Can you help me?” The storage bench I sat on housed all of my gear—my wetsuit and fins, as well as my other accessories. When I realized I had his attention, I hopped up from the seat, bending over as if I was pulling the items from the bottom of a well and not a two-foot-deep storage bin. I grabbed the items, taking my time to let his eyes trace over every curve of my body not covered by my white string bikini.
His eyes were still glued to my backside when I turned around; he gave me a flirty smile as if to say he wanted to be caught. I unfolded my wetsuit, and he helped me in, touching me lightly on the shoulders before closing the zipper running above my shoulder blades. Though I couldn’t feel his touch, I imagined it. I imagined what it would be like to be completely bare to him, to feel his strong hands run against my skin, setting my nerves on fire. I imagined what it would be like to lay beneath him, to let someone like him finally in. To finally lose my virginity. I was a 22-year-old woman about to be a college graduate and had yet to lose my virginity.
Jessa lost her virginity, during our freshman year at Cal Poly, to her first boyfriend, making it a rare milestone that we didn’t share together. It was just another reminder that our lives were moving forward separately. When she told me that she was thinking of going all the way, I was like her cheerleader telling her to do it, but I never expressed to her my own desire to trade in my V card.
Jessa and Adam followed my lead and began pulling out their deep-sea armor. I could feel the excitement in the air like the pregnant pause after lightning has struck. This was definitely one of our more exciting adventures, and I was slowly beginning to see the appeal of diving at night. There was something that seemed so magical about being in a creature’s natural habitat, watching as it scurried about, undeterred by an outsider in its home.
I plopped my fins down against the slick floor, drops of water splashing up against my wetsuit, clinging on for dear life. Before I put them on, I took a moment to close my eyes and feel everything around me, hear everything around me. I just wanted to take a mental snapshot of this moment. Jessa, Adam, and I had shared many moments together, some just as magical as this one, but something about it felt bittersweet, like it was the end of an era.
There was a slight breeze that felt like warm hands on my face. The boat jutted through dark arms of water that felt like they were pulling us everywhere and nowhere, the boat breaking through, leaving a white foamy trail like froth on a latte. I could hear Jessa and Adam’s breathing harden as they maneuvered into their gear, unassisted, since it appeared Mark was finding every possible accessory that he could help me with—double checking my tanks, checking my lights, fastening my goggles to the top of my head. He was fixing me up like a seamstress, and it was the final fitting before my wedding.
“Since it seems my sister is completely decked out, I think the rest of us could use some help,” Jessa said, breaking through the snow globe of happy thoughts drifting against my still form. Her eyebrows were quirked and mouth downturned as she tried wiggling into the suit that was fighting against her struggles.
“Speak for yourself. Actually, I think this is the perfect example to demonstrate that women are the inferior race.” Adam’s jester-like smile topped off his words like a cherry on a sundae. Thankfully, Jessa was still struggling, otherwise she would have blown a gasket over Adam’s words. He always did know how to get a rise out of her.
In a lot of ways, this is where we differ. While many consider me the sweet and sprightly one, Jessa is the fiery, passionate one. Although, her appearance could be deceiving. I thought it was the freckles that made her look sweeter than she actually was—they looked like tiny footprints marching across white sand. Her long chocolate brown locks and hazel eyes made her look exotic. Her smile held a smirk quite naturally between full cheeks that held a natural blush, like those vintage dolls with a swirl of pink stained on their faces. In a way, she almost looked frail with her tall, lean body and loose limbs.
Jessa finished up the remaining touches while Mark moved on to double-check Adam’s suit and tank. Mark gained a few brownie points from me. Sure, it was his job to make sure we were all properly fitted before diving, but considering that Adam had been a bonehead from the time we stepped foot on this boat, I wouldn’t put it past anyone to want to see him suffer a little. Hell, even I wanted him to suffer a little. I thought of all the ways I could scare him once we were underwater; he definitely deserved it.
Once we were all decked out and ready to go, Dave pulled the boat to the dive point while Mark did a quick run-through of hand signals and touched up on safety precautions. Since Jessa was closest to the jump-off point, she was first in line to exit the boat, followed by Adam, and then myself. Jessa sidled up to the edge of the boat giving her hands a slight shake before she clamped down on the railing.
A quick glance passed between her and Adam and then her and myself before her hand released the metal rails, waving one last goodbye before she plummeted into the water. Her body floated briefly along the surface like a fishing bob before she dipped beneath the water.
Adam followed quickly behind her, giving me a parting wink before he joined her in the still black waters. I was up next, and I gave a sheepish smile to Mark as I walked to the edge looking over the water to spot two flashes of light sinking beneath the surface like a sinking car. If I didn
’t love water, the sight of them sinking would have triggered a sense of panic in me, but more than anything, I wanted to join them. I looked behind me one last time, my eyes roaming across the expanse of Mark’s body from his calves up. By the time I met his eyes, he gave me a wink that hit me like a starting gun, forcing my body to leap into the water.
Despite the frigid temperatures, I was shielded pretty well from the water’s chilling effects. My suit and water-beanie did a good job of containing my body heat.
My flashlight speared through the water, highlighting bubbles trickling from Jessa’s and Adam’s tanks, as my body slowly moved closer to their location.
After I dropped the fifty feet to the uppermost portion of the SS Yongala, I moved closer to the perimeter of the ship in an effort to see the coral up close. Between the neon colors, the pitch-black water, and the shadow of the ship, I felt like I was in some haunted aquarium, watching as fish dipped in and out of the spotlight affixed to my head. Being down here was like playing nighttime tag, as I was only able to catch mere glimpses of fish before they were gone again.
I could feel creatures of the sea move past me indifferent to my existence in their realm. Barrels of fish moved across the light like long streams of ribbon cutting through the water, looking like planes skywriting across the clouds. I was swept up in my attempt to follow them. Each one moved distinctly but as part of a bigger unit and I, their adopted passenger, followed as if their undisclosed mission were my own.
I swam deeper, my hands sweeping across the rusted metal of the boat as I moved around it, watching large groupers creep between pockets of foraging fish. Thick strands of floss slithered through the light up ahead; the body of a jellyfish parachuted aimlessly through the coral that jutted from the rusted metal of the ship. There was so much life and activity this far down, and I could only imagine what it was like during the day. I may have to tell Adam to schedule a day dive as well—there’s too much to explore for just a thirty-minute venture. It’s so peaceful down here.
