If she bailed.
I frowned and shifted on my board. She would likely bail. That抯 what life was about, though, wasn抰 it? That抯 what I always told her. Something pinched in my chest but I ignored it. Hannah wasn抰 a glass doll that couldn抰 be taken out of the case. That抯 what we were doing together, showing her she could get messy and fall down and still be okay.
I sucked in a deep breath and nodded once. 揙kay.?
Her eyebrows lifted with her smile. 揙kay??
That smile of hers filled my chest with warmth and made me feel like a fucking king. 揗hm. Let抯 go.?
We paddled to the area where I抎 hang out while she rode waves. It was louder over here since the waves were bigger, and she chewed her lip, but there was determination in her eyes. Pride hit me straight in the heart.
I knew it. Under all that shyness, buried under all those books in her brain, was the heart of a fucking lion.
揌ave at 慹r, bookworm. You got this. Trust yourself.?
She nodded eagerly. She waited, watched a wave approach, and paddled as it caught up with her. Her arms dipped into the water in quick succession. She was so much stronger than a couple months ago. I thought about us laughing in the car yesterday about the entire town organizing a search party for her. She had laughed so hard tears rolled down her face. She was gasping for air. Two months ago, she would have disappeared into the ground with humiliation. Now, she just laughed about it.
That put a big smile on my face as I watched her paddle.
I didn抰 care if the town knew we were fooling around. Let them. Let every guy in town know to stay the fuck away from Hannah because she was mine.
Mine?
The thought jolted through me. Mine. Of course she was mine.
Hannah glanced over her shoulder at the wave. Her hands flattened on the board as she readied herself to snap up.
A bad feeling hit me. I shook my head. It was too early. The wave was going to?
The wave crashed over Hannah and she disappeared under the surface.
Fuck. Fear rattled through my veins.
I paddled hard, my head pounding with blood as my heart raced.
揌annah!?I called, eyes darting around. Where was her board? 揌annah!?
Fuck. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck. My throat knotted and my heart was about to explode. This was my fault.
She gasped for air behind me and I whipped around. Blood dripped down her forehead. She blinked the water and blood out of her eyes and her chest heaved hard for air. Her board floated behind her, tethered to her ankle, and she reached for it.
In a shot, I was at her side, pulling her to me and inspecting her forehead while she coughed up water. My hands threaded in her wet hair, tilting her head to study the cut.
揃umped my head on the bottom,?she gasped. Her hand rested on her board, smearing another streak of red.
It wasn抰 too deep. 揇id you lose consciousness??
She shook her head and I studied her eyes. When our gazes locked, my heart jumped into my throat. Her eyes were wide but her pupils looked normal.
I grabbed her hand. Her palm glowed with bright red scrapes, leaking blood.
Rage rocked my veins. Fuck. She was hurt and it was my fault. I never should have let her do this. She wasn抰 ready. I pushed her too hard and now she was hurt. She might have a concussion.
Another wave approached.
揥e have to get out of this area. Get on your board, baby. I抣l tow you.?
She shook her head. 揑抦 okay, Wyatt. I can swim.?
My jaw tightened. 揋et. On. Your. Board. Now.?My voice was harsh and demanding and her eyes widened before she hoisted herself onto her board with one hand, keeping the scraped hand out of the water.
When we got to shore, my heart was still pounding.
揕eave the boards here,?I told her, my hand wrapped around her arm and pulling her towards the surf shack with urgency.
She was hurt. She could have internal bleeding. She could have fractured something in her forehead or cracked a rib. Even if her pupils looked normal, she might have a concussion. She needed to go to the hospital.
揥yatt, I抦 fine, really.?She laughed lightly. 揑t barely hurt.?
I ignored her protests and pulled her all the way to the surf shop. Thank fuck my truck was here today. I yanked the passenger door open and pushed her in, taking care with her hand.
揥here are we going??She laughed in disbelief when I reached across to buckle her seatbelt. 揅an I take my wetsuit off, please??
揧ou can take it off when we get there.?I checked she was fully inside before I slammed the door and hurried to the driver抯 side.
揋et where??she asked when I got in and started the engine. I backed out and threw the car in drive.
揟he ER.?
Her head fell back with a huff. 揥hat? Wyatt, no, I don抰 need to go to the ER. I抦 fine.?