I took a deep breath and jumped over the edge, a slight unnecessary running start out of habit. The cliff rushed by me in a hurry and I was plunged deep into the icy water at the end of my travels, a shock to a system that finds little shocking anymore. I open my eyes under the surface and Jacob grins at me and waves. I rocket to the top, swallowing seawater along the way. I always have had issues with water I can't see to the bottom of, as if something might grab me. And there he is now. My own personal boogieman, disguised as my much missed and always beloved former husband.
I'm not dumb. I know it's a trap. A trap my brain is conditioned to set, as ordained by the memory thief in order to feel useful.
He takes my legs and shoves me upward, toward the light and my head breaks the dawn. I start coughing up water and do a slow circle around, three hundred and sixty degrees. My legs tread a frantic tide, my hands shake. My dress billows up around my shoulders and I wait for my throat to stop spasming before I set off for what seems like such an easy trip around the point, back to the beach when the boys are in the water. Alone it's a thousand miles. Alone it's dark and Jacob is under there somewhere even though that's ridiculous.
A huge splash behind me and Lochlan's red curls are hardly wet when he surfaces.
We cooling off the hard way? And without a buddy?
I needed a shock to the system.
So I'll let you rewire the taillights. But I won't tell you how. It'd be safer than flinging yourself off this fucking cliff every time you have a bad day. You don't need to know how it feels, Bridget. You only have to not follow him down. You follow me instead. It worked before.
And with that he turns and begins to swim away, knowing me well enough to know that I will panic and keep up with him out of fear.
You weren't there.
Sorry I had my head in an engine. Trying to finish this one off so we can get ours. He's still flipping campers like mad. Each one he says is ours. He lies so easily sometimes it worries me more than I worry myself.
It's not your fault, Lochlan.
Oh, I know that. Sam wasn't paying attention.
We're not speaking all that easily.
Oh, really?
Nothing major. I just bumped Diabhal back to third and relegated the baby preacher to the outfield. This time he noticed.
I can speak with hi-
No, I'll talk to him tonight.
I'll be nearby.
I know.
Better? Refilled your veins, heart and lungs? Think you can go a couple days before you do that again?
I shrug as I shiver. The water's fucking freezing. I don't think I'll do this again for a bit.
We have a pool.
It's not the same.
Don't tell Caleb that. He spent a fortune on it for you.
