Page 8 of Bleeding Hearts (Pine Valley College #3)

CHAPTER SIX

N o one will do it, right?

I scan the churning water. People have died here before.

I know the name of the game is Risk, but this isn’t a risk.

It’s stupidity. It seems everyone around me thinks the same because they are hesitating.

The big lights are off, and I fade into the crowd.

My black hoodie obscures my face and hair, hiding me in plain sight.

I didn’t want Lally to spot me, or anyone else for that matter.

I’m supposed to gather information. I took some pictures and videos and texted them to the Silent Rose chat before the announcement started.

They are trying to control everyone through fear and money, and I think it might actually work, especially if what Leo said is true and they have the ability to do so.

It means I’m basically declaring war on them, but I don’t care as my eyes find her again.

She stands at the front, looking good enough to eat, and all the eyes on her tell me I’m not the only one who thinks that.

Lally has a beautiful, untamable aura. She looks like a pop star but acts like a rock star.

Under it all, though, is a kind, scared, and scarred heart, and that heart will belong to me if we survive the night.

“Fuck it.”

I swear her voice floats to me, as familiar as my own.

Pushing my hood back, I watch in horror as Lally heads to the water and walks into it without a hint of hesitation. Everyone else watches until she goes under, and then it’s like fire lights under their asses and they race to the ocean, not wanting to be left behind.

I can’t see her, and terror races through me. Despite what I promised everyone, I unzip my hoodie and throw it to the sand, kick off my shoes, race to the ocean, and jump in after her.

The water reaches my knees, soaking my jeans. It’s freezing cold and steals my breath. The waves churn as people splash and try to reach the drop-off, fighting each other and the riptide to get there first, but I still don’t see Lally.

She’s been gone too long.

The guy next to me slips and falls under the water with a splash. I freeze, watching as he struggles against the tide, gasping and resurfacing. I reach for him, but he slips away, and then he’s on his feet, gasping and throwing up.

“Fuck this.” He wades back to the shore.

I watch him go for a moment before continuing forward.

My arms move back and forth as I plunge deeper, until the water is up to my shoulders, and I see the people in front of me dunking under.

My toes crest the edge of a drop-off, my body shaking and shivering from the adrenaline and cold.

Taking a deep breath, I plunge under the dark depths in search of her. I don’t care about winning, only about keeping her safe.

It’s hard to see, so I sink deeper, searching for her. She has to be ok. I turn rapidly, blowing bubbles from my mouth before I dive deeper, looking for Lally.

My lungs start to scream, and my arms turn to blocks of ice, making it hard to move. I keep searching, even as my body protests, demanding I resurface, when I swear I see an object below. Ignoring everything else, I push deeper, but my lungs are out of air and I panic.

I look up and kick, trying to get to the surface that seems so far away. I can’t think or breathe when pink suddenly fills my vision.

Narrowed eyes meet mine, and a hand wraps around my neck before tugging me into her embrace. Her other hand waves in the water to keep us afloat as her lips meet mine in a lifesaving kiss. Our eyes lock together as she blows her air into my lungs, all while kicking us to the surface.

She keeps both of us alive, our lips pressed together until we burst through the top of the water. I pull away, coughing and spluttering as I gasp for air, my whole body frozen in fear and cold.

“Are you okay? Alice!” she shouts, holding my face. “Alice, answer me,” she begs, panic in her voice.

“I’m okay,” I rasp, my voice hoarse.

Her eyes shut for a moment as we bob, and then they snap open. “What the fuck were you thinking?” she roars.

“I was coming after you,” I whisper, the ocean almost swallowing my words.

“You fucking idiot. Don’t be so stupid, Alice. You’re better than that.” She drops her hands, and I instantly miss their warmth. “Don’t risk your life for mine. I’m not worth it.”

“You are.” I gulp, struggling to stay afloat as water splashes over my face and chest.

She shakes her head again and goes to swim past me when I catch her arm. “Lally, I’m cold.” My teeth chatter. “I don’t think I can make it.” I hate how weak I sound. I’ve done everything to be strong, to never need anyone to save me again, but here I am, depending on someone.

Her lips thin as she looks around. Gripping my arm, she yanks me after her and starts to swim hard. “Lally, please, slow down.” I kick my legs.

“I need to win. I have to win.” We fight the riptide that tries to pull us back, and my legs finally start to work as I cling to her. I help as much as I can, and we finally make it to knee depth. She releases my arm, running her eyes over me as the crowd screams and cheers.

“I have to win, Alice. Don’t get in my way. I won’t always be around to save you. Go home to your family.”

She stands and wades out of the water as I watch her, still kneeling. “You are my family,” I whisper as violent shivers rack my body. I get to my feet as she slams an object down onto a table I didn’t even notice.

“First place, Lally Stewart,” comes the mechanical voice.

Someone swears and trips past me, running to the table and setting a second object down.

“Second place, Cole Smith.”

I reach the shore and look for her. I catch sight of her back as she moves through the crowd that parts for her and heads toward the exit of the beach.

I shiver violently, my teeth chattering together. My hair is stuck to my face and neck, and my clothes cling to my skin, only making me colder. The sand sinks under my feet as I watch her walk away from me again.

She’s always doing that. I know her back better than her face at this point.

She saved me, though, and she seemed genuinely terrified when I was struggling. Despite how it could have gone, she risked her life and her spot at number one to save me.

It has to mean something.

“Third place, Samantha Owens.”

Swallowing hard, I pick up my hoodie and wrap it around me. It doesn’t do much, but it’s better than nothing.

A scream splits the air, and I spin, my eyes wide as I scramble across the sand with the running crowd. Everyone stands at the edge of the water, watching others swim hard to get to shore and secure their placement.

None of them notice the body floating face down.

“Are they dead?” someone croaks.

“Someone save them!”

No one does, all focused on beating the others to the beach. Dropping my hoodie, I wade back in. When I reach the person, I hesitate with my hands outstretched before I grab them and turn them over. I cover my mouth and stumble back to my ass as the water surrounds me.

Their eyes are open, wide and unseeing, and their lips are blue.

They are dead.

Risk has claimed its first life.