He surfaces a few feet away, gasping for air.
Relief is short-lived as something jolts him, yanking him back under.
“CULLEN!”
I fight the current, swimming hard, reaching him just as his head breaks the surface.
“My shorts are caught on a branch,” he gasps, his green eyes wide and frantic.
I’m panting, my chest on fire. The swift current is draining me fast, and it looks like Cull is spent, too. He’sstruggling to free himself, but the more he thrashes, the more the branch pulls him downward.
“Hud, what are we gonna do?” Cullen shouts, his voice climbing. “It’s all tangled around my legs!”
His nose and mouth keep dipping below the surface, his eyes flashing with fear each time he struggles to keep his head out of the water.
“Try to stay above the surface,” I wheeze. “I’m gonna try and rip your trunks.”
Taking a deep breath, I dive. The current tugs at me, and the murky brown water is nearly impossible to see through. My hands trail down Cullen’s ribs, trying to stay connected. He kicks me by accident, but I grab his leg and follow it down to the tangled branch.
I yank hard. The tiniest tear forms.
Cull stops thrashing, his body motionless. He’s beneath the surface. Eyes closed, and body limp.
Terror hits me like a freight train.
No… NO!
Grabbing the mesh liner, I yank with everything I’ve got. The fabric gives, freeing his legs. Wrapping my arms under his shoulders, I pull us both to the surface. We break through, and I suck in air, dragging Cullen through the water.
Once we make it to the bank, I collapse, chest heaving.
Cull doesn’t move.
I roll him to his side and start pounding on his back. “Come on, man, breathe. Please. Breathe!” A knot tightens in my stomach, my already ragged breathing turning into short, harsh pants.
Cullen twitches, then shudders. He coughs, heaving up brown water until he’s gasping for air.
Relief slams into me. I fall beside him, heart hammering and lungs on fire.
He turns to me, eyes wide and glassy. For a second, the whole world… stops. The thought of almost losing him slices through me, fierce and fast.
I watch his chest as it expands with air, suddenly realizing… he’s naked, his trunks lost in the river.
My eyes flick down before I can stop myself, my cheeks heating before turning my head away. Swallowing hard, I force my gaze back to his heaving chest. Then up to his wide, green eyes.
God, I hope he didn’t notice.
Cull smiles, then bursts into a manic, breathless laugh, catching me off guard. “Holy shit, that was a close call! How the hell am I supposed to explain coming home bare-assed to my mama?” He shakes his head, still laughing from the shock and adrenaline.
I sit there, stunned, watching him tie a striped towel around his waist. My chest is still pounding from fear, but it’s also filled with relief… and something else.
It’s intense and foreign. Nice but scary.
My heart stutters, butterflies taking flight.
Oh, wow.
My world tilts.
