Page 31 of The Trip

Her cheeks are streaked with mascara as she spews out a mouthful of water.

“Throw her a line,” Nojan shouts. “And have her grab the boat hook.”

“It’s okay, Gigi,” I yell from the back of the cockpit. “Get ready to grab a rope!”

“We need to slow down!” I call out as the middle of the boat sails past her.

Gigi coughs before gasping for air while we speed by.

“We’re going too fast.” I’m filled with the same helplessness I felt when my raft carried me away from Courtney when she was sweptunder by the Sol Duc’s current. I move to the edge of the deck and grip the stanchion with one hand as a wave pushes Gigi away from the hull. Within seconds, she’s more than ten feet from the boat.

I scoop up a coiled blue rope near my feet and toss it over the side. “Grab this line!”

The end of the rope hits the water a few feet from Gigi. She reaches for it as Adam extends the boat hook over the side. Emma throws another line, but a gust of wind catches it, tossing it back at the boat before it hits the water.

Adam turns to the captain. “Turn thirty degrees starboard. I can’t reach her.”

As Nojan turns the wheel, my eyes widen at the large swell growing in height beyond where Gigi is struggling to reach the sinking rope.

“Big wave coming—watch out!” I shout seconds before the swell engulfs the top of Gigi’s head.

“Court—” I hear myself scream as she disappears beneath the waves. “Gigi!”

“Shit.” Beside me, Emma stares into the water. “She hadn’t reached the rope yet.”

I hold my breath as the wave crashes against the side of the boat.

“Hang on,” Nojan yells.

I clench my grip around the metal stanchion, sinking to my knees for stability as water sprays onto the deck. Beth cries out behind me as she’s thrown back. She catches herself on the table as the boat rocks to either side from the wave that just pummeled us.

“Who has eyes on Gigi?” Nojan asks.

Through my salt water–sprayed sunglasses, I scour the rolling waters for a sign of Gigi surfacing. “I can’t find her.”

“Wait, there she is!” Emma points beyond the back corner of the boat.

My eyes follow Emma’s finger to see Gigi’s wet hair and inflated life vest rolling over the top of a swell. “Oh, God.”

Gigi’s previously flailing arms are no longer moving, and her eyes are fluttering closed. She looks to be on the brink of unconsciousness, her life vest the only thing keeping her afloat.

Adam sucks in a deep breath before he dives off the rear starboard pulpit.

Chapter Twelve

Present: Day Three at Sea

Transfixed with horror, I watch Adam swim after Gigi through the rough ocean, my breath stagnant in my lungs. Captain Nojan steers us closer to the two in the water, and the boat tilts.

“Keep eyes on them,” Nojan orders.

Beth joins Emma and me on the edge of the deck.

“We’re coming for you, Gigi, just hold on!” Beth yells as Nojan turns sharply in their direction.

Gigi disappears under a swell. Beth squeezes my hand, and I grip the shroud beside me to keep my balance as we watch Adam dive to reach her.

As the swell rolls beneath our boat, I spot Adam surface with Gigi tucked under his arm.