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What if We Drown 60
The ocean drew a deep breath.Suddenly, and all at once, everything came back to life.The sounds of the twin's spirited words were drowned beneath the roaring in Ashlyn's ears, the jagged sounds of her breathing smothering her. Three steps at most stood between where her feet sunk into the sand and the shifting waves that rolled up on the shore. Three steps, but a lifetime of disillusions.The girls continued their taunts from the water, oblivious to the rising storm that raged inside of Ashlyn.She had no doubt that everyone was watching, and there would be no turning back if she ran from this now. But still, her flight instincts urged her on, the security of the sandy dunes more promising than the mysterious depths that approached.Her hands twisted tightly in the fabric of her dress, and her toes curled and clung to the granules of sand, as she fought to maintain a steady heart and a clear head. Panic and fear thrashed against her from all angles, the thoughts she'd always fo
What if We Drown 61
The water was cold as it kissed her ankles, the softly spoken words dissipating on the breeze that tangled within her curls. A gasp stole from her lungs as she stumbled back, her feet dragging through the sinking sand.That cool kiss hadn't been a part of her memory. She'd felt it, clear as day. Somehow, lost in the memory of that day with her father, she'd lost control of her movements and had drawn too close to the rolling waves.The water continued its ebb and flow, unfazed by the events that had transpired. All while Ashlyn's heart thundered in her chest at the vivid memory that had quickly shifted into the tangible textures she'd just experienced.Twenty years had passed since the last time she'd felt the shifting sand and the foamy kisses, her muscle memory dormant through it all. But with one touch, with one unexpected kiss, her body had responded as though it had only been a day. Her toes had buried into the sand, the granules tickling the soles of her feet when the wave ha
What if We Drown 62
Ashlyn feigned shock when the twins grabbed on to her hands to hold her in place, which only made them squeal louder. She knew that she had been caught and that she would pay for her involvement in such a scheme. A punishment she only pretended she didn't want, for the twins' benefit."Get her," Sage shrieked, her laughter bubbling around her words, as she moved behind Ashlyn and pushed her towards Derek.His arms were about her waist in seconds, the wind escaping her lungs for a moment. Ashlyn leaned forward, her knees brushing the surface of the waters below, in the hope that he would let go, but his hold only tightened further.In one swift movement, Derek turned her in his arms so that her chest was against his. Her feet lifted from the sand below as he held her tightly against his body like a human shield.The twins required no other signal, as they began to splash again, this time coming at Derek and Ashlyn from both sides. Derek turned her from side to side, warding off as
What if We Drown 63
Ashlyn stepped around Derek, her attempts to mask her confusion reflected in the wavy smile she cast towards him before she stepped out of the water and jogged up the beach towards the bonfire. She could feel Derek at her back as he followed behind, his feet shifting in the sand the only sound he made.Ashlyn navigated around the crowd of people seated around the fire, muted words of praise and congratulations for what she'd done reaching her ears.She didn't like being the center of attention, almost as much as she didn't like being in the dark about what was going on. And something had to be going on, it was the only way to explain the smiles that Abel and Kass wore when they looked to her, and Derek at her back.Before she could take her seat beside Kass, Kass gave a subtle shake of her head. Ashlyn's brow quirked, and she went to object when the soft cadence of a young girl's voice reached out to her."Sit with me, Ashwyn," Sage called out around the thumb that she nursed. Ash
What if We Drown 64
As though sensing the turmoil Ashlyn found herself in, Lorraine's eyes widened, and she shook her head."No, No!" She shuffled closer to Ashlyn. "I meant that in a good way." She turned so that she faced Ashlyn, their eyes leveled."I'm sorry, I speak too bluntly sometimes. What I meant to say was that the stories Derek's told us about you do not do you justice. In person, you are more gentle and empathetic than he described. I saw you with the girls before, and I've never seen anyone be so warm and welcoming towards someone they didn't know. I don't think you fully understand just how enamored with you they are." Lorraine paused, both of their gazes peering through the flames to the lively children that lit up the night."And you're gorgeous! He never mentioned before how beautiful you were." Lorraine chuckled, her head snapping back towards Ashlyn.Ashlyn felt the light dusting of rose that rushed to fill her cheeks, her gaze drawn across the crowd, towards Derek at Lorraine's w
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"Why don't you want him to save you? Don't you love him?" Sage looked down at her feet, her words coming out in a broken mumble. The sorrow and confusion that Sage spoke with was a spear to Ashlyn's heart. She didn't even know where to begin on trying to explain the complicated mess that was her feelings.Ashlyn glanced towards Derek, her lower lip drawn between her teeth, as she gestured for him to help. Derek crouched beside Ashlyn and placed a finger under Sage's chin, drawing her face up to look at him."Sweetie, sometimes things aren't that easy. Sometimes the witch uses magic that the prince can't break. Sometimes a person needs to do it on their own, and that's okay too." He turned his head to smile at Ashlyn.Ashlyn listened as Derek chose his words carefully, so as not to shatter all of the magic that they believed in.The childlike innocence that Poppy and Sage believed in caused an aching in Ashlyn's chest. At that moment, she envied them for the simplicity which they s
What if We Drown 66
A voice came then from somewhere in the shrouded darkness, just out of view, announcing that the fireworks were about to begin. When the obligatory safety briefing had been completed and everyone had taken their seats, a little light began dancing across the sand; the flickering flame of a lighter.Seconds passed, then suddenly the light grew tenfold, and a great and wondrous boom fractured the night.One, two, three more booms echoed before the stars were blotted out, and an explosion of red, orange, and green filtered through the darkness, reaching across the skies.Ashlyn felt it as Sage jumped with each bang and each boom, and she felt it when Sage crawled into her lap and tucked her face against her chest. A tiny whimper sounded from the child in her arms. Ashlyn wrapped her arms around Sage, drawing her close, and rubbed her back in soothing motions.Peeking through the tightly wound curls of Ashlyn's hair, Sage watched the display of magical lights while Ashlyn continued to
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Misunderstandings were inevitable, a common occurrence, really.But when Derek turned to look at Ashlyn, there was no misunderstanding in what he had said. His eyes were wide with panic that he'd spoken too soon and were alight with a spark of hope that she now knew the truth. Even so, despite the contrast of emotions in his eyes, Ashlyn knew that he believed wholly in what he'd said.He loved her.Her heart floundered before it was taking off to soar at great heights. Breathless and dizzy from the sudden spike in her heart rate, Ashlyn watched his face, chasing each and every emotion as it passed. Her eyes took it all in, desperate for something, an emotion, to cling to. She was confident that her expression must have mirrored his, processing the what, the why, and the how.The set of Derek's eyes softened as he completed the turn, so he sat facing her completely, his knees touching her thigh.Ashlyn intertwined her fingers tightly against Sage's back, while mentally trying to c
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