Subject Me To Love [Book Two]

Chapter Thirty-One

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Chapter 31– Healing Rabbit:

"Lilah!"

Jace holds onto me tight; tighter than he's ever held me before. His grip is almost bone crushing and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up with bruises after it.

His strong arms struggle to keep me still as I twist and turn violently in his embrace. A few of the people that were behind us watching the display of entertainment rush over to the railings and peer down at the body of water that engulfs Lilah's small figure entirely. They all murmur between them, the faraway sounds of the emergency services can be heard vaguely in the distance.

"R.A, stop. I'm not letting you go," Jace tells me right next to my ear, his warm breath fanning over the skin of my cheek. His voice is strained, his tone apologetic. I don't know how he's feeling, can't even begin to imagine because I don't understand emotions very well, but I know how he sounds— and it's not good. He's torn, scared.

I stop moving for a few seconds so I'm able to speak. "Don't be mad, okay?" I mumble back to him, my volume not too loud seeing as his head is right next to mine as I take a deep breath.

He seems to be confused for a minute, not aware of what I'm on about. Wha—?"

I jolt my head back with force as he starts to question me, causing me to loosen his grip in shock and probably pain. He hisses loudly and yells out a curse that I'm barely able to hear as I close my eyes and jump.

My stomach lurches uncomfortably as the nausea gets worse mid-fall, but it's nothing compared to the shock that hits me when my body is suddenly engulfed in the freezing cold water.

For a second everything goes quiet. My thoughts, the voices, the loud noise of people's shouts. Everything is silent as I open my eyes to the darkness below the river's surface, not a sound can be heard but the swishing current of the river.

My eyes sting as I look around, the dirty water unclear in the night. I aimlessly spin in circles, my arms moving frantically at my sides as my legs kick. I can't see anything, not even a flash of orange hair or pale white skin. It's muggy and my vision is unfocused.

After a couple of more full-circle turns, I decide it's best to swim back up to the top to try and get a better look that way.

I take in a lungful of air once I'm able to, having lost it all from the shock of hitting the water, and scan the surface in search of Lilah's body. The rain is still falling harshly, but it doesn't make a difference now that my whole entire being is wet. The thunder continues and is now accompanied by the frequent flash of lightening that lights up the dark sky to add more drama to this already dramatic day.

My heart beats in unsteady rhythms as the feeling of the ice-cold water and the overwhelmingly loud noises around me send my mind into overdrive. But I tell myself it's just the adrenaline. I refuse to admit it has anything to do with the state Lilah's in, nor do I entertain the thought that it's because of the unwanted memories of drowning that break through the barriers of my subconscious.

No. Just adrenaline.

The water ripples in the wind and as I'm kicking my legs to keep myself afloat, my foot roughly comes into contact with something sharp.

I've never been in this water before, so I had no clue what the bottom of the river was like before jumping in. While it seems to be deep enough for people to safely jump into without violently crashing into the ground, there are some large rocks that make it dangerous to swim in.