I hear the low growl of white water ahead, and then Topper’s voice cuts the air like a whip.
“Paddles ready! Left side, lean in!”
And just like that, the river stops pretending to be gentle.
float easy, fall hard
DUKE
The paceof the water picks up, and I catch Roxanne fiddling with her chin strap. Her knuckles are white.
“You good, Trouble?” I call.
No answer and she stiffens.
Not good.
Topper shoots me a look. He sees it too. We exchange glances silently agreeing to keep our eyes on her when we can.
We drift into a narrow stretch. The banks are lined with slick, half-submerged boulders, worn smooth by decades of river cutting through stone. The noise rises, a steady roar building in the background like a warning. I angle us left, dodging a jagged snag.
“Brace!” Topper shouts.
It all happens at once. Topper plants his paddle hard while Allie shifts instinctively to counterbalance. The river jerks harder than expected and the front left slams into a hidden boulder with a gut-punching crack.
The raft tips and my gut drops. A wall of water crashes over us, blurring my vision. I hear a splash and a cry.
“Roxanne!” I yell as I shake the water from my face just in time to see her go airborne. Her helmet strap flapping loose, arms flailing, and then she disappears into the churning river.
“Swimmer!” Topper shouts.
Allie’s in too, bobbing, coughing, but still visible above water. Her helmet’s on tight and she’s doing everything right, just as Georgia instructed her.
“Topper!” I bark.
“Got her!” Topper grabs the side of the raft, reaching down and hauling Allie up in one precise move. She’s gasping and holding her chest.
“Where is she?!” Allie shrieks, coughing, still soaked. “Where’s Roxanne?”
“I don’t see her!” Leo’s panicked voice pierces through the chaos.
I’m scanning everywhere, my pulse hammering in my ears. Then I see it—Roxanne’s helmet floating down the river.
The current keeps dragging us forward.
Where the hell is she?
No. Not her. Not now. Not like this.
Then, a flash of her blue button-down in the eddy near the bend. Her arms limp, hair floating around her face like a halo.
I dive before I can even think. The cold hits like a punch. My lungs seize, but I kick, push, and slice through the current. When I reach her, I lock my arm across her chest, twisting her around. Her skin is like ice.
“I’ve got you, Trouble. Hang on.”
I fight the river with everything I’ve got, her deadweight dragging me down. My legs burn. My shoulders scream, but I don’t let go.
If I lose her …
