Realizing the danger, I bellow orders over the wind, commanding the crew to take shelter in the wheelhouse. Steven and Sebastian follow my instructions.
When I catch Nash’s eyes, he’s still next to the crane, having only just unclipped himself, concern etched on his face. He probably knows I’m on the brink of freezing in fear. He takes a step toward the wheelhouse, but the boat lurches violently to the left. We all lose our footing, and Steven and Sebastian fall to their knees behind me. Still, I don’t let go of the wheel, pulling myself up and throwing all I have into it, stabilizing us, managing to level the boat after a heart-stopping moment. But when I look back to where Nash was,he’s gone.
No, please, no.
My heart plummets. I rush out of the wheelhouse, fuck the danger, my eyes scanning the turbulent water as I grip the railing. Then I see him struggling, swept away by the relentless waves, his arms flailing, his screams barely audible over the storm.
Adrenaline surges through me. “Nash!” I shout, my voice hoarse. Panic and determination collide within me as I grab alifebuoy. Throwing it toward him with all my might, I keep my eyes locked on his struggling form, praying he’ll reach it in time.
The storm rages on, each second stretching into an eternity. The fear is overwhelming, but I can’t let it consume me. Not now. Nash needs me. I need to be the captain they all rely on, the one who brings them home safely.
I promised Sloan I’d bring him back.
But Nash is being swept away with no chance of grabbing the buoy, and I know I have to act fast. It’s a split-second decision.
Nobody gets left behind.
I’m not going to lose another brother like this.
I struggle to tie a rope around my waist with shaking hands.
Hunter managed to get Saylor back. I can make sure we don’t lose Nash.
Steven comes out from the wheelhouse, trying to talk to me, to stop me, but I’m adamant. “Get the wheel and keep the boat close!” I yell at him, already feeling the force of the storm pulling us away from Nash. “Tell Lio… fuck… tell Sloan and Hunter I’m sorry,” I shout over the howling wind, my heart pounding in my chest.
Without a second thought, I turn and leap into the churning waters.
The shock of the cold water is like a punch to the gut, making me lose my breath, and I have to hurry back to the surface to take a deep breath. The sea tosses me around mercilessly, a human caught in a washing machine of waves. For every inch I gain toward Nash, the rope around my waist yanks me back two, the boat drifting further into the storm. I can barely see him anymore, and panic holds its icy grip around my throat, making it even more difficult to keep breathing.
I’m not going to make it to him with the rope.
And he’s wearing those damn bibs, which are probably pulling him under fast.
In a desperate move, I grip the rope and pull myself loose.
Free from the tether, I push through the waves, every muscle straining as I swim toward Nash. When I finally reach him, he’s floating, unconscious, waves crashing over him. The next wave hits, and he doesn’t resurface. I take a deep breath and dive after him, just able to grip his sweater and pull. I slip my arms under his and kick hard to bring us to the surface again, where we finally break through with a gasp. Pulling Nash’s head back over my shoulder, I mutter, “I’ve got you.”
Keeping us both afloat is a struggle as the storm rages around us, showing no signs of mercy. The ice-cold water quickly saps the feeling in my arms and legs. Somehow, I manage to remove Nash’s bibs while still holding him afloat, and he’s ten times lighter, making it easier to tread water, but when I look up again, my heart sinks even more.
The boat is barely visible anymore. We’ve drifted miles apart.
As we’re tossed by the relentless sea some more, realization dawns on me.
This is it.
Our parents are going to lose two more sons.
I think of Lio, who’s now going to be an orphan just when I got my shit together to start being a good dad for him. At least I know he will be fine with Hunter and Sloan by his side.
Hunter, who’s already suffered so much loss and barely made it out the other side.
This is going to break him.
Then, my thoughts drift to Sloan.
Fuck.Why did I hesitate to tell her I love her?
I’m so fucking glad she did. I would hate myself even more if I was going to drown without having told her.
