She hit the icy water.Waves washed over her head, pulling her under and down the river.The cold temperature shocked her body, making her mind flicker.Water forced its way into her nose and she kicked to the surface.Her face broke through the torrents, and she gasped for a breath.The current dragged her at a rapid pace.Using all her strength, she swam toward the bank, but the river carried her too quickly to let her gain traction.
“Dez!”
She jerked her gaze toward the ravine.Aiden ran along the top, catapulting over fallen logs and rocks as he sprinted to keep up with her.She had to slow down.If she could just grab something and stop herself, Aiden could help her get out.
She stretched for low-lying branches, but her cardigan weighed down her arms and the cold made her muscles weak and clumsy.The rocks.She had to empty her pockets before they sunk her.
A wave came and forced her under.The jolt made her gasp, and water gushed to the back of her throat.
She paddled her arms, pulling herself to the surface.A blast of cold air prickled her lungs as she inhaled.She dug her hands into her pockets and yanked out the rocks, letting them fall to the bottom of the river.Then she tugged at her cardigan, but the blasted material refused to come off.The buttons.Dammit, she still had it done up.
“Hang on!”Aiden’s voice reached her, but with her wet hair around her face she couldn’t see him.
Batting her eyes clear, she blinked.There was a splash close to her.A rough arm caught her waist, hugging her in place.
She didn’t need to turn around.
The terror in her chest eased a little, but they weren’t out of the woods yet.
“I’m going to get you to the riverbank,” he shouted, sounding breathless.“I need you to grab on to whatever you can.Don’t worry about me, okay?”
“Okay!”she shouted over the rapids.
He directed them closer to the bank, but the water still moved them faster than rubber ducks in a water race.He gripped her waist and shoved her toward the ravine.She reached for the rocks and low branches, and her toes touched silt.Water swept her feet out from under her and carried her beneath the surface once again.
No!
Failure punched her in the stomach.If she didn’t make it out, they both might die.She had to fight.Had to get to shore so Aiden could focus on saving himself.She propelled herself to the surface.Aiden was several meters away, fighting the waves.He’d tire out quickly.
She took a deep breath, plunged under the water, and kicked with all her might toward shore.The pressure of struggling against the current used up most of her energy.She needed more air.Resurfacing, she took another breath, but a wave smashed into her face, sending her backward.
Her back connected with something hard.Pain shot up and down her spine.She turned and faced two large boulders in the middle of the river.
She scanned the water, whipping her head back and forth.“Aiden!”
He popped up a few feet away.His gaze landed on hers, and relief relaxed his brow.He swam to her, caught the rock, and positioned himself beside her.He rubbed his hand over his face, wiping away the water.“Holy shit.You scared the hell out of me.I saw you go under and I made it to shore but couldn’t find you.”
Her teeth chattered, shaking her frozen cheeks.
He pressed his chest against hers and wrapped his free hand around her waist.“It’s okay, we’re going to get out of here.”He gasped with exertion as he spoke.
She searched both sides of the riverbank.There had to be a way to get to shore.They’d both almost achieved it.A tree jutted out over the river a ways downstream.Its branches were so low that they trailed in the water.“There,” she said, pointing to the spot.
Aiden squinted in the darkness.
“The branches of that tree are touching the water.If we can reach that we might be able to pull ourselves out.”Her words broke apart with the effort it took to speak them.
He nodded.Rivulets of water ran down his face.“Good eye.I’ll go first, that way I can grab on to you.”
She squeezed his bicep.“Be careful.”
“I appreciate the late-night swim, but I’m ready to head in.”His attempt at humor warmed her insides, giving her hope that they’d make it out alive.He pressed his lips to her cheek.They were a few degrees warmer than her skin.
He kicked away, swimming quickly to the right of the river with the strength of the water behind him.Her insides twisted as she clung to the rocks.Her breath hitched in spasms, shock threatening to take hold of her.She dug her fingernails into the side of the rock that held her in place.The water beat against her back as if blasting from a fire hose.
Aiden reached up and snagged the branches.The river carried his body, but he held fast.He kicked so that he faced her then waved.“Now!”he called.
She broke away from the rocks.The current swept her along, pulling at her legs and ready to drag her under.She had to stay afloat.Kicking, she swam to the right so there was no chance she’d sail past Aiden.
