Adam’s stoner buddy, Tyson, hops on the jet ski next to them. Please let Adam use some common sense. Just this once. Considering this is my brother, I’m already removing my valuables from my pockets.
I have a feeling in my gut something bad is going to happen. Sure enough, right before I’m about to remove my shoes, Tyson rides too close to Adam’s jet ski. The sound of metal scraping is faint compared to the two guys shouting at each other. Both try to overcorrect and cause angry waves to push at each other. Adam loses control. The two jet skis flipping barely phase me compared to the sight of flowing pink material and brown hair that’s floating above the water. Sugar’s body is flying up in the air in slow motion; yet, I blink and her body has disappeared beneath the water. Her scream of terror has my heart racing. I dive off the boat and immediately begin kicking and pushing my arms and legs as hard as I can.
Adam’s head emerges, and I hear him gasp for air. He croaks out, “Sugar? Tyson?”
I head underwater and instantly find her. She’s unconscious and sinking, with her arms floating above her head. Her hair is fanning out everywhere, as well as her soft pink dress. I hurry to her as fast as I can. I push harder, but my heavy jeans and shoes are weighing me down. Please be okay is my only thought at the moment. My arms wrap around her and hold her tight to me.
She reminds me of a siren, or an angel. Sugar doesn’t seem real or human. I pray that I’ve reached her in time. Doubt and guilt begin to set in. Why didn’t I interfere? Why didn’t I yell out? I could’ve stopped this!
I push us above the surface, and I inhale a lungful of oxygen. I hate how still and limp she is in my arms. People are yelling from the shore, but it’s Fran who takes off running into the water to meet us.
Please be okay. Please be okay, my mind repeats as I bring her to the shore. She’s still not breathing, so I try mouth-to-mouth. Her lips are soft but cold. Fran is screaming and crying. I like and respect Fran, but she should’ve known better than to let her on a jet ski with Adam. Not to mention that Adam is a twenty-two-year-old asshat, and Sugar looks like she’s still in high school. Which she actually was not that long ago.
My record of guilt goes back to playing. It seems to be stuck on repeat. What if I was too late? I should’ve stopped them. I knew Adam couldn’t be trusted. This is all my fault.Luckily, a medic arrives. Someone must’ve called for help as soon as it happened. The medic on duty is Robert Smith, and my confidence in him is what gives me the willpower to allow him to take control of the situation. I make room for them, but I don’t leave. I can’t. I have to know she’s going to make it.
“Rob,” I wheeze out, “she wasn’t under water that long, maybe a minute…two…shit…it feels like it happened so fast but took me forever to reach her.”
Robert ignores me, of course. He’s focusing on Sugar, as he should be. The sweetest and most beautiful sound is when she coughs and gasps for air. I watch her blink and then take in my wet clothes.
She looks right at me and says, “Sir, can I have your name now?”
Robert chuckles at our odd encounter. He probably chalks it up to her being a tourist and nearly drowning. He points to me. “That’s the one who rescued you. You’re a hero, Ashley King.”
A hero would’ve prevented the whole thing from happening. Before I can say anything to her, Adam pops his head in between us. He throws all kinds of apologizes and excuses her way. She bats her eyelashes at him and gives him a smile that has me struggling to catch my breath. I know now that I was too late to save her from Adam.