"Good. At least its not Grant. "
Jace snorted. "Aint that the truth. "
I was going to get Della and take her for a walk. The dark beach was a great place to get her alone. Turning, I glanced out over the water and saw Bethy staggering out to the waves. She knew better than that. There was a red flag up. Had been all week. The riptides were intense and it was dark. You dont swim in the gulf in the dark.
"Jace, man, whats Bethy doing?" I asked, afraid to take my eyes off her.
"What is she doing now? She was drinking tequila shots earlier and I cut her off. Shed had enough . . . shit!"
"Shes getting too deep," I said, taking a step toward the water. Jace took off running toward the water. I followed behind him. I heard someone scream from the crowd as Bethys head went under the water. No. This couldnt be happening.
Jace dove into the waves and took off toward her. I pulled my shirt off, afraid it would slow me down, before I dove in after him. I wasnt letting my best friend go into this alone.
Bethys gurgling scream filled the air.
"Relax, baby! Relax. Dont fight it. Please dont fight it. Youll go under and wont have the strength to rise back up," Jace was yelling as he swam toward her.
I saw him grab her just as the deathly pull of a rip current grabbed him. This wasnt happening. No.
"I need you to take her, Woods!" Jace yelled over the waters roar.
"Give me both your hands!" I shouted.
"No! Take her. I got this. Take her, dammit! Its strong!" Jace yelled.
How was I supposed to take her and leave him out there? "Come with me, Jace!" I demanded.
"Woods, listen to me---" His head went under and he came back up as he held a panicking Bethy in his arms. "You have to take her or well all die. Im not gonna let her drown. Help me!"
I nodded. I had to do this. He could get out of the current. He was strong and he was smart. We had grown up knowing how to fight rip currents. I reached for Bethy as she screamed Jaces name.
"I love you," he told her as he let her go. She cried as she clung to my arms.
"Dont say that!" I yelled at him. "Youre getting out of this. Dont fucking say that. "
"Just get her out of here!" he yelled, pushing her away from him and toward me as he held on to her arm.
I could feel the pull getting closer. If I stayed here much longer I was going to get pulled into it, too. I wrapped my hand around Bethys arm and pulled her out of the current, then tucked her under my arm and I started swimming back to shore.
Rush came swimming up to us and relief surged through me. I was going to be able to help Jace.
"Give her to me," Rush said as he reached for Bethy.
"Go get him," she cried as Rush pulled her from my arms.
I didnt wait for them to leave before I turned back around to get Jace.
But Jace wasnt there.
I glanced back at the shore to see if hed made his way back up there and Id missed it, but all I saw was Rush carrying Bethy out of the water.
I turned back to the dark waves. I was met with silence. Nothing.
He was just here. I just saw him. He isnt gone. It didnt happen that fast.
I went under and forced my eyes open in the salty water, but all I could see was the darkness. I needed light. I reached around me, feeling for anything. My lungs started to burn. Kicking up, I broke the surface and took a deep breath. I heard my name from the shore. They were yelling for me. I also heard Jaces name. I couldnt go back without him.
I went back under. I had to find Jace. I couldnt lose Jace. Not like this. Not now. We were supposed to be grumpy old men together. I fought back the panic starting to set in with each second that I couldnt find him. I swam underwater and fought the pull of the current as I reached out for some sign of him. Anything I could get my hands on.
When my lungs couldnt take it anymore, I swam back to the top, only to be taken back under by a wave before I could breathe. I wasnt going down like this. I had to find Jace.
Two arms grabbed ahold of me and jerked me to the surface as I started gasping for air and coughing.
"Dammit, Woods. Come on. Youre gonna drown in this. Hes gone, man. Hes gone. Im not letting you drown, too. " Rushs words sent a shock through my system. Hes gone? No. No! He isnt gone. I fought against Rushs hold on me.
"Stop it! Della is up there in a crumpled mess, crying. Do you want to leave her? Is that what you want? To leave her like this?"
Della. Oh God. Della. I couldnt leave her. But Id lost Jace. I had lost Jace.
Rush pulled us out of the waves and when my feet hit the sand he let me go. We stood there staring at each other and breathing hard. We knew what had happened and what we were going to face. I would have been gone, too, if Rush hadnt come after me. I would have left Della behind.
I turned to see her getting up from the sand where she had been on her knees. Her face was red and soaked with tears. All she said was, "Woods," before she threw herself into my arms.
I watched in a daze as Blaire stood holding a hysterical Bethy. Sirens wailed in the distance. Sobs and cries filled the beach. And I stood there. Della clung to me. Her sobs eased but her hold never did.
Rush walked over to take his crying son from Nans arms. He held him to his chest, and although he wasnt crying the loss and pain were in his eyes.
Me . . . I just felt empty.
Page 42
Della
I had thought that I knew terror. That I knew fear. I had seen my mother lying in a pool of her own blood. That was fear. But seeing Woods out in that water going under and not coming up---that had been all-consuming terror. Nothing compared to that. Nothing.
Jace hadnt come back up, though. My chest hurt so bad I couldnt take deep breaths. Jace was gone. I had seen it happen, and the broken sobs coming from Bethy as Blaire held her on the sand only ripped through me harder. I couldnt imagine that. That had almost been me. That could have been me on that sand, knowing the man I loved wasnt coming back to me.
&
nbsp; Woodss body shuddered and reality started to hit me. The idea of losing him had been all I could think about. But hed been out there for a reason. He had gone to save his best friend. Hed watched his best friend be pulled under, unable to save him.
I tightened my hold on him. How was he going to survive this?
Bethy continued to wail and Woodss body went stiff. He was strung so tight he was trembling.
"Get her the fuck out of my sight!" he roared. I jumped back, startled by the angry hate that laced his words. His eyes were glaring and focused on someone behind me. I turned to see that he was looking at Bethy.
Blaires face went pale and Bethy cried harder.
"I said to get her selfish, trashy ass off my beach! Now!"
I swallowed hard and watched as Bethy looked up at him with big, pain-filled eyes.
Rush was behind Blaire, helping Bethy stand up. I heard him telling her they needed to take Bethy somewhere else. Woods was yelling at Bethy. He was blaming her.
"Woods?" I was almost afraid of the man in front of me. He swung his gaze to mine and there was an emptiness in them I couldnt reach.
"She killed him," he said simply.
Maybe she had. She had gone into the water and almost drowned. Jace had died saving her. But she had been drinking.
"She loved him," I said.
Woods shook his head. "No. She didnt love him. You dont do what she did and call that love. "
I glanced back and saw Blaire lead Bethy up to the boardwalk. The cops would want to question her. She wouldnt be able to go far.
"Woods, she lost him, too. We all did," Thad said as he stood watching Woods, afraid to get too close.
"I lost him because he wanted me to save her worthless, drunk ass. I did what he wanted and I lost him. " Woodss voice was cold and emotionless.
Headlights lit up the beach as ambulances and police cars arrived. Paramedics swarmed the stretch of sand and I watched as they were told by several of the people at the party what they had seen. A paramedic approached Woods.
"You were one of the people who were in the water?" he asked.
"Yes," Woods replied.
"We need to check you out," he said.
"No. "
I watched as the paramedic started to argue and stepped between him and Woods. "Hes fine. If I think he needs medical attention I will make sure he gets it. Please, he needs to be left alone. "