Page 85 of Sacred Vow

Zeph smirks. “Well, I know I said that pushing him is only going to send him spiraling, but perhaps a little push won’t hurt.”

A smile pulls at the corner of my lips as the ache inside my chest eases, and as I search deep down inside of me, there’s the tiniest spark of hope, desperately trying to light a fire within me.

“Ahh, shit,” Chloe says with a heavy sigh, shoving her elbow into Zeph’s side. “Now you’ve done it.”

“Done what?” he asks.

“You’ve given her hope,” she tells him, looking at me with sad eyes as though she can already see my impending heartbreak. “There’s nothing more dangerous to a woman in love.”

24

TILLY

The cool morning breeze brushes across my face, and I groan as I grip my blanket and pull it higher, trying to block it out. Only my brows furrow in confusion.

Breeze? Why the fuck is there a breeze on my face? I’m supposed to be tucked safely in my stupid little tent with the zipper secured all the way to the top. The only breeze I should feel is the tang of my own morning breath smacking against the side of the tent and rebounding back at my face.

I peel my eyes open and am instantly hit with the blinding sun, smacking me right in my eyes, and I squint as I try to find my bearings. Am I rocking?

The sound of water lapping alerts me that something isn’t right, and without even giving myself a chance to properly wake up, I sit up, wide-eyed as I stare around me in horror.

I’m in the middle of the fucking lake.

“What in the ever-loving fuck?”

My shitty air mattress barely hovers over the water, struggling to keep me from plunging into the dark depths below, as theedges of my favorite blanket hang over the side, submerged by the chilly lake.

I’m going to fucking kill him.

“ZEPHYR DI-FUCKING-ROZÉ. GET YOUR BITCH-ASS OUT HERE AND TELL ME WHY THE FUCK I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GODDAMN LAKE!”

My throat immediately hurts from screaming, and as my life raft begins to wobble, my hands shoot out, desperately trying to balance myself as my gaze shoots around my mattress, looking for something to use as an oar to row my little boat back into reality.

A laugh echoes across the open lake, and my deathly stare shoots straight over to Chloe and Zephyr’s tent, watching as it’s slowly unzipped from inside. Not a second later, Zephyr steps out into the breezy morning, a stupid smirk on his handsome face as he stretches and rubs his hand up and down his bare torso.

Chloe follows him out, and together they walk right over to the shore, both of them looking equally proud of themselves.

Zephyr has the audacity to look at me as though he didn’t have a damn thing to do with this. “Ahh, shit, babe. What the fuck are you doing out there?”

My eyes widen, anger bursting through my veins. “I . . . I . . . I’M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU GIANT ASSHOLE! YOU PARENT TRAPPED ME!”

“Who me?” he questions, looking around him as though he might be able to find another culprit. “I would never!”

“You’re coming to get me.”

He cringes and makes a show of stretching again. “Ahh. Sorry, Tilly Willy, you’re shit outta luck. Unfortunately, cardio is not part of my daily routine, and babe, I’m looking fucking good. I can’t afford to fuck with that. You’re gonna have to row your ass back here. Or you could always swim.”

I gape at the asshole. “Swim? You think I’m about to swim my ass back to shore?”

“Yeah. I’ve seen you in action. You’ve got plenty of stamina. You’ll be fine.”

“I CAN’T FUCKING SWIM, ZEPHYR. I DON’T KNOW HOW!”

His face scrunches, the slightest hint of concern crossing his features before he shrugs it off. “Don’t bullshit me, Tilly Bardot,” he scoffs. “You know how to swim.”

I stand on the wobbly air mattress. “If I knew how to swim, do you think I’d be this fucking pissed?”

Chloe cringes beside him, her hand brushing against his strong arm. “Uhhh, I don’t think she can.”