Page 36 of The Other Brother

I’m aware some other bystanders are saying stuff to me as the crowd disperses, giving me praise, but I don’t really hear it. I’m trying to calm my breathing and stop the godforsaken shaking.

Cody drops to his haunches next to me. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I manage to reply. My voice doesn’t sound like mine. It sounds like a strung out version of mine.

I wipe a hand across my forehead then realize my hand smells like vomit. Standing, I lurch to the water’s edge and crouch down to rinse my hands in the water.

Cody’s right there by me as a wave comes in, washing over my ankles and wrists.

Another wave rolls in. And another.

I remain hunched over, still trying to process everything that happened. It feels like a surreal dream.

“Come on, let’s get you home,” Cody says finally. He reaches down a hand to me, and I take it, letting him pull me to my feet, shuffling up the sand with him to where our boards lie abandoned on the beach.

Picking up my board, I take a deep breath, straighten up, and clear my throat.

“Well, that was quite the adventure,” I say when we hit the path. I’m trying for a casual, cool tone and a matching expression, but it withers when I meet Cody’s intense gaze.

“You…” Cody begins, his eyes dropping to study the path in front of us.

“What?” It’s like the events of the afternoon have destroyed my filter, so I can’t hide the neediness in my voice.

“You were incredible,” he says the words in a half-whisper as if he’s telling the sand some incredible truth. He lifts his gaze to mine and speaks again in a stronger voice. “You were absolutely incredible.”

My entire body tingles at his praise. I take a deep breath before I answer him.

“I just did what I had to,” I say.

He doesn’t speak as we walk the rest of the path.

When we reach the house and start stripping off, I suddenly realize how tired I am. My arms feel like deadweight as I reach behind me to grapple with the zipper of my wetsuit. I can’t quite tug it at the right angle to get the zipper moving.

“Let me,” Cody says gently.

“Thanks.”

The puff of his breath against my neck causes the hair there to rise. He carefully unzips my wetsuit, and I step out, shuddering although it’s not cold.

I’m feeling a deep, existential tiredness that I’ve never felt before.

As soon as we make it inside, I stumble to the couch.

Cody heads straight to the fridge then returns to me.

“You need sugar,” he says, handing me a can of Coke.

“What happened to you?” Mel rolls her eyes as she sorts junk mail on the counter.

Cody fixes her with a glare. “Ryan just saved a kid’s life.”

Mel stops still, her eyes widening. “What?”

“He saved a kid from drowning. Rescued him on his surfboard and gave him CPR and everything until the paramedics arrived.”

Her mouth drops open to match her eyes. “Seriously?”

“He was amazing,” Cody says quietly. “A total hero.”