Afterglow

drown

Lachlan:

"Kat!"

The words escaped my mouth in a flurry of fear and surprise, and the last thing I saw before she sank underneath the cold water was her terrified brown eyes reflecting the white snow and ice in the sunlight.

I moved like a man possessed, reaching into the water to try and pull her out immediately, but her body had floated down and off to the side of the hole that she'd fallen though, too far away for me to reach. 

The ice creaked and groaned beneath my weight, and a few fissures and cracks grew beneath my legs but I didn't care, not if it meant that I could get her back.

"Lachlan!  Get away from there, you're going to fall in too!"

I didn't listen to whoever was yelling at me.  Vera was off to the side crying and screaming Kat's name and the guys were standing a good way's off, watching with crossed arms not even trying to help.

Assholes.  I would save her myself, then.

"Please!  Get her out!"

"I'm trying!"  I yelled to Vera as I pulled my skates off quickly and began slamming the sharpened pick into the thick sheets of ice beneath me.  It was harder than I thought considering that the further she floated away from where she had fallen through, the ice grew even thicker.

"Come on!  Come on!"

"Why are you even risking your life for her?!"

"You don't know anything!" I roared at who I knew was Jenna.  I didn't have time for her in that moment, or ever.

At one point, my hand slipped on the blade of the skate and sliced my hand open but I didn't care.  I saw only white ice and red blood and the image of her brown terrified eyes repeating over and over in my head.

I had to get her.  There was no way that I couldn't.

And then the ice gave way.  The amount of relief I felt was insurmountable, but I didn't have time to rejoice, not yet. 

Finally, Taylor dropped down to help me scoop some of the ice shards away from the makeshift hole I'd created and I nearly froze as still as the frozen water around us when I couldn't immediately make out her form. 

"Where is she?!"

A shock of dark brown hair floated into view.

"There!"

I plunged my head and upper body down into the shocking water and pulled her limp and freezing body out, sputtering and hyperventilating, but she was breathing.

She was alive.  She was breathing and she was alive. 

I stroked her chilled cheeks, gazing at her beautifully auburn streaked raven hair, at those warm brown eyes that reminded me of home, her gorgeous full pink lips that were suddenly blue from the cold.

But she was alive.  I watched her chest heaving up and down.  She was definitely alive.

My forehead met hers as I stroked her hair over and over while shouting orders to the others.  Their questions didn't matter, all that mattered was that she was alive, and that she was okay.

And I was not going to let her go another second on this earth without knowing that I wanted her to be mine, but first I had to make sure she didn't lose an appendage, or worse, out in the biting cold with her wet clothes still hugging her shaking frame.

One step at a time.  First I'd make sure she was alright, and then I would show her just how badly I needed her, how wholly and entirely that I craved her very presence.