by Summer Rose
Suddenly, despite my defiance at giving Kaleb the satisfaction of watching me struggle, my basic instinct for survival set in, and I found myself jerking for breath even after surrendering to the darkness.
I wanted to live, I realized. Even if it seemed selfish – and I had decided minutes ago that dying was the better option –I still wanted to live.
Water gurgling out of my mouth. I pushed and pushed, the trauma of being unable to swim fading away as I managed to come up for air and take some in before falling back in.
The nicer part of my subconscious patted me on my back, “Good girl, you don’t have to wait around for someone to save you. Do it yourself,” she urged.
Perhaps it was those words or the will to live still burning through my veins, but somehow, I found the strength that my tired limbs needed and waded through the water once more to come up for another bout of air.
“Help,” I managed to scream with my already coarse voice, unsure if I was loud enough to draw someone’s attention. Quite briefly, I caught the look of panic on the eyes of the man that stood watching me at the edge of the cliff, and I screamed again.
“Katrina Dawson, this is not how you die,” a voice that sounded suspiciously like my father’s flowed through the undulating waves of the lake, and I agreed with it.
“I am going to live,” I thought with fierce determination. Alas, things don’t always go as we plan. It was one thing to be determined; it was another to possess the strength for that determination.
The adrenaline that previously coursed through my veins seeping out, I fell back into the water helplessly. I could feel that I couldn’t make it out now, not by myself.
The taste of salt on my tongue made me realize tears were falling from my face as images of the boy I loved flashed before my eyes. It is true what they say: When you are about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes, and Mason… Mason was my life.
I whispered his name just as I heard a plop in the water. Arms enveloped my body, and I heard a voice call my name, but I was too far gone. I wanted to go with those arms that offered me a warm embrace and rest. Arms that wrapped me in a comforting hug with a scent unusually like Mason’s.
Maybe I was being saved once again – ironic considering I had vowed to save myself only moments ago.
My eyes opened for a brief second, and bright blue eyes, much similar to the color of the water rushing in the lake, stared back at me. I decided then that there was nothing wrong with being saved, not when my savior was…
“Mason…”
CHAPTER TWO
T he endless chatter of whispers roused me from my not so peaceful sleep, shrouded in nightmares, and I opened my eyes to see familiar faces. My nose wrinkled involuntarily at the sharp smell that filled the hospital. One would think with how much I had frequented them since I arrived at Redwood, I’d be used to it by now, but I still wasn’t.
“Bebé, you’re awake.” The sound of my mother’s relieved voice when she came to sit by my bedside calmed me, and I allowed myself to be pulled into her warm embrace. However, it wasn’t her eyes I saw first.
And standing before me in all his glory – gorgeous blue eyes dripping with emotions that ranged from fear and pain to relief – was Mason. I watched Mason’s stance go from rigid to relaxed in seconds as he released a sigh.
My lips lifted into a smile that soon turned into a wince when I realized it was cut and a little bit swollen. Still, he returned the smile, an action that lifted my spirits immediately. I knew then that I was forgiven for the kiss Aaron and I shared. I guess almost dying would do that.
My eyes trailed to meet green ones that stared back at me with relief and admiration, “It’s good to have you back, Kat,” Aaron whispered. I nodded my head slightly in agreement before proceeding to stare into dark eyes that followed my every move.
“You scared us for a moment there, Katrina,” Jake said with a smile, although I could still see the fear lingering in those inexplicable dark eyes of his.
I don’t know how long I laid there watching all three of them while in my mother’s arms, but it was quite satisfying until they turned around and began to leave.
“Wait, where are you going?” I asked, hurriedly sitting up even though it hurt. The thought of them leaving – especially Mason – scared me.
Gently, my mom pulled me back to lay down. Her fingers brushed my hair lovingly, “It’s okay, honey, they’ll be back. The doctors said it’s not wise to have too many people in your room at once,” she explained, and I calmed down.
My eyes followed Mason as he came to sit by the edge of the bed, too, taking my bruised hand in his. “I’m right here, Kat, I’m not going anywhere,” he said, his eyes full of undeterred promise, and I believed him. His soft lips met the back of my hand, and I felt my eyes close shut at the beautiful feeling. By the time they flew open, the three of them were gone.
Sighing, I turned to my mom, really looking at her, and I immediately felt horrible. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. The woman staring back at me wasn’t the woman I had grown to know. She wasn’t the cheerful, carefree, always full of life and incredibly social wife of a wealthy man. She looked so tired like she had ten years of her life ripped away with no choice, and I knew I was the cause of that. If only I could stop attracting evil occurrences. “It’s all my fault,” I looked away, swallowing back hot tears.
She pulled my head back and planted a lingering kiss on my forehead.
“Never say that again,” she admonished with a sad smile.
“None of this was your fault,” she said, taking my hand and rubbing it against her cheek.
“I should have listened to you when you told me you were being followed. I should have taken you seriously, and maybe all of this wouldn’t have happened.”
I shook my head, “You didn’t know, mom. How long has it been?” I asked, knowing from how tired she looked that I must have been unconscious for days.
“Two weeks.”
I gasped, “That long? You must have been so worried,” I stated the obvious.
She nodded anyway, “It took a while before the boys found you at the border. Thankfully, the sheriff’s partner – who happens to be friends with Aaron’s parents – offered to help them with the search unofficially since you couldn’t be declared missing yet.”
“They found that horrible man just watching you drown in the lake…” her voice caught, and I squeezed her hand to remind her I was here and safe. “He tried to run, but they caught him anyway, and Mason jumped to the rescue, but they were almost too late,” she crumbled into sobs.
“Mom, it’s okay. I’m safe now.”
Sniffling as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks, she said, “Your heart stopped twice, Katrina. I thought I’d lost you just like your father. I thought you were gone…”
Quickly I found the strength, despite the pains and aches my body was feeling, and sat up to pull my crying mother into a hug as I whispered consoling words into her ear. “It’s okay, mom. You won’t have to worry about me anymore, I promise.”
I didn’t know how long we stayed in each other’s arms, and I didn’t care. At some point, the boys came to say their goodbyes, promising me they would be back. Still, I refused to let go of my mom, and we spent the rest of the day in each other’s arms with her caressing my hair gently and singing the lullaby she used to every day when I was a kid.
And to think for a moment in that dreaded water, I had thought dying was the best choice. It was a good thing my wish hadn’t come to pass because the thought of my mother alone without me was too painful to bear.
I watched her fall asleep with a ghost of a smile on her lips and decided I wasn’t going to waste this second chance fate had gifted me. I would live my life to the fullest, if not for anything but her sake.
CHAPTER THREE
M ason Welsh appeared at my doorstep three days later with a large bouquet of flowers, that was any girl’s dream, clad in full suit attire. He announced that
he wanted to take me out on a date, and I had thought we were going to the fanciest restaurant in Redwood, especially since he told me to dress nicely. However, where I found myself was even better than I could ever imagine.
There I stood in the clearing, in the middle of the woods not too far from Aaron’s house, in a pretty red dress my nosy mom had picked out for me. She insisted I wear it instead of the leather jacket and jeans I had initially picked out.
The place the boys and I had come to claim as our spot was now different from what it used to be. The very regularity of it that provided us with calmness and quiet was moot as it now looked like something out of a fairytale. How the boys pulled it off, I’d never know.
Lights twinkled from the trees, illuminating the trail of red roses that led to the picnic-style arranged dinner. Food of all sorts and wine occupied the blankets laid on the ground, and soft music flowed from the vintage music box that sat right in the middle. The evident glow of the full moon provided its own natural ambiance. Surrounding the feast were tiny jars filled with fireflies that added their own glory to the gorgeousness of the scene before me.
Mason held his arm out, and I slipped my hand in it and let him lead me toward dinner. We took our seats opposite each other and spent the next few seconds quietly staring into each other’s eyes, his bluer than mine.
“This is amazing, Mason. Thank you,” I whispered with a sweet smile as if speaking louder could ruin the moment.
His smile, broader than mine, illuminated his handsome face, and his hand came to rest in my styled hair. “You are worth this and more,” he said before pulling back. “Of course, I can’t take all the credit. The boys helped too.”
I chuckled, thinking about how grumpy they must have been.
“What’s funny?” Mason asked with a smile and a glint of curiosity in his eyes.
“I was thinking about how hilarious you three must have looked trying to catch a bunch of fireflies.”
I covered my mouth as another fit of giggles threatened to escape, the image of three boys running around the woods and swearing loudly at their failure swirling in my head.
Mason’s laugh enveloped me. “Hilarious indeed, and they have made it very clear that I owe them,” he said.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, I was overwhelmed by guilt, and it must have shown on my face because he took my hand quickly and asked what was wrong. “I’m sorry… about Aaron and me, it truly meant nothing,” I said, my eyes lowered. We hadn’t spoken much since I landed in the hospital and got discharged, and I knew I owed him an apology.
“Shh,” Mason began as he shook his head. “I know that now,” he said and pushed his dirty blond hair back in frustration. “God, I was stupid to get so angry. If I hadn’t left the way I did that day, you wouldn’t have ended up struggling for your life in that lake for so long.” His face twisted into a pained expression, and I knew he blamed himself for what happened.
Uncaring of the things that stood between us, I crawled to his side and wrapped my arms around him in a hug, inhaling his scent, which never failed to calm me. “You did nothing wrong, Mason Welsh, you hear me? You did nothing wrong,” I stubbornly declared until he nodded. I then pulled back and took his soft yet demanding lips in mine.
I had shared at least one kiss with all three boys, and each of those moments had felt different, but none felt as powerful as when I kissed Mason. With Jake, it had been an intense, raw passion that drove us. With Aaron, I had been accompanied by a sense of calm and safety. However, everything felt whole when I was with Mason, and things were how they should be. It was how I knew we were meant to be.
Our lips molded together perfectly, my heart beating faster, and I had never felt more alive than when he touched my bare skin.
At first, the kiss started slow, like we had all the time in the world to taste each other. But then it grew into something demanding and passionate. Mason’s fingers found their way into my hair, pulling off the pins my mother had so carefully attached to style it into a side braid. My long blonde hair flowed freely over my shoulders.
Our foreheads met, and he cupped my face in his hands, whispering the word ‘beautiful’ over and over again. I knew what I wanted then. I began to unbutton his shirt, eager to feel his warm, hard body against mine, eager to make love to him under the twinkling stars and audacious moon shimmering from above.
Clothes gone, our hands roamed each other’s body, seeking to be even closer than we were if that was possible.
He lowered me on the blankets, food forgotten as we surrendered to the magic our love created. “You own my soul, Katrina Dawson,” he whispered and wasted no time in joining us together so that we became one.
CHAPTER FOUR
B eing back in school was both strange and incredible. Strange because, coupled with missing a lot of schoolwork, once again, the whole school had heard what happened to me, and I was receiving a lot of stares, some more pitiful than the others. However, things were incredible because it wasn’t just Aaron and I seated at our usual table in the cafeteria anymore; I had my boys back.
Things were easier since Mason takes me to school instead of my mom to “protect” me, but we had only garnered more attention. Of course, being the girlfriend of the school’s quarterback would do just that.
With a shy smile and a blush that attracted a lot of teasing from the boys, I opened my mouth and let Mason feed me his fries.
“Good girl,” he whispered with a wink that sent my insides into an override of tingles.
However, my attention was soon yanked away by the sight of the sulking female that passed by our table, her eyes filled with longing. I turned to watch Jake’s gaze follow her before it returned to his half-empty plate.
“You should talk to her, Jake,” I said, remembering how he had broken up with Noelle to defend my honor.
Scowling, he replied, “I’m fine.”
My hand found his while Aaron and Mason simply watched on like it was none of their business. Boys, I rolled my eyes.
“You are not, Jake. Anybody from a mile away can sense your despair. As much as I don’t appreciate the things Noelle said to me, you both love each other, and seeing you unhappy saddens me. Please, Jake…”
I widened my eyes and pushed my lips out in a pout that had Mason snickering but quickly silencing when I glared at him.
“Okay, I’ll talk to her. Just never do that again, please,” Jake groaned like he had seen the most horrible thing in the world, and he threw a fry at me.
“Shut up,” I mumbled.
“Hi Aaron,” someone said, and I turned around to see a red-headed girl with porcelain skin wave with a deep blush before walking away toward a table of giggling girls.
I turned to my friend with raised eyebrows, who had now conveniently found interest in the food before him. “Who is she?” I asked no one in particular, trying to get Aaron to meet my eyes. Still, if the red tinge at the tip of his ears meant anything, it was that I wouldn’t be getting what I wanted anytime soon.
“Aaron’s girlfriend,” Mason snickered again, but thankfully his reply caused Aaron to lift his face in shock.
“No, she’s not,” he denied quickly, looking so cute that I had the sudden urge to pinch his cheeks, but I didn’t.
I turned to the table where the girl sat with her friends and caught her staring at Aaron, but she quickly averted her eyes when she saw me looking. “I think she likes you,” I said, turning back to Aaron. “You should ask her out.”
“Yeah, buddy, you should. Maybe that will get you to stop coveting my girlfriend,” Mason said, clapping him on the back.
“Mason,” I said with a gasp, but I was the only one overreacting, it seemed. Aaron slapped the back of Mason’s head in return, calling him a fool. I rolled my eyes again, thinking about how easy it was for boys to make up. “Ask her out, Aaron,” I insisted before pointing to a silent Jake. “And you! Talk to her,” I ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” they both chorused, and I let out a sa
tisfying smirk.
Seconds later, my eyes met Mason’s, and I knew what he was going to say even before he opened his mouth. I was already shaking my head in disagreement.
“Come on, please,” he pleaded, knowing full well how difficult it was for me to resist his soulful eyes.
“What’s going on?” Aaron asked, looking between us, as well as a curious Jake.
Stabbing at my plate, I mumbled, “Mason wants to throw me a party at his parents’ mansion for my birthday.”
Jake nodded in approval, causing me to glare playfully at him. “When is it?”
“In two weeks,” Mason piped in, ignoring the stink eye directed at him from me.
“Aaron?” I turned pleadingly to the only friend I knew would take my side, but to my surprise, even he nodded in agreement. “Oh, come on. Even you too?”
“A lot has happened these past few months, Kat. You deserve some celebration,” he said, and I couldn’t help but agree with him.
Despite my reluctance due to how introverted I was, I couldn’t deny that we all needed a reason to celebrate. It could be a way of putting everything behind us and looking forward to a new beginning.
“Fine,” I declared, rolling my eyes with a smile when Mason let out a loud whoop.
Back at home, I retired to bed with a smile just minutes after Jake had climbed up my window to inform me that he and Noelle were back together. His face had brightened with a grin – a stark contrast from the saddened expression he wore earlier at school – and I was genuinely happy for him. Noelle and I may not see eye to eye, but as long as she made Jake happy, I was willing to try to be civil with her.
*****
“Kat! Oh, Kat, I’ve missed you,” someone said as they wrapped their arms around me. I looked up and stared into the eyes of Liam Eddison.
“What… What are you doing here?” I asked with shock written all over my face as I struggled to breathe. “You should be here, you shouldn’t…” I began to step back in fear even as he approached me.