Page 3 (1/2)

And Mark had made his choice as well--Chelsea, a cheerleader, for God’s sake--as different frootten No matter what I had told him, no matter what I had told myself, it had been a slap in the face

As I swaht and to the e with Mark any ed out at sea with et that

But as I scanned the beach,there, Mark turned … and looked straight at me

Our eyes locked--across the wide swath of sand, across the endless yards of ocean--and I saw his beloved chocolate-brown ones widen in shock For long seconds, he didn’this surfboard on the ground and running straight into the water

Straight tomoment, then dived deep as panic swamped me Swim, my brain screaerous! Swim, swim, swim!

I started to put as much distance between me and the beach as I could as quickly as possible But I hadn’t gone very far before I realized, with utter certainty, that self-preservation wasn’t what I wanted

Maintaining the status quo wasn’t what I wanted

Instead, I wanted to talk to Mark, to hear his surf-and-sand-roughened voice as he demanded to knohere the hell I had been for all theseMaybe he’d forgotten e’d been to each other, the saet hio any farther until I was certain I stopped swio back--I wasn’t that stupid--but I wanted to knohat Mark would do Would he write off his sighting of ination? Or would he stand in the ocean and callhim?

I hoped it was the latter, even as I toldselfish, petty I should be happy that he’d moved on with his life, with Chelsea I hadI told myself just then mattered--in those few minutes, all I cared about hether Mark missed me anywhere near as much as I ht to uire, damn it, I know you’re out here!"

I didn’t answer I couldn’t My heart had nearly stopped at the first sound of his voice Instead, I stayed where I was, immersed in the ocean up to h the water He was thigh deep, waist deep, chest deep, and still he yelled my name

It madehad since I’d o to hi to answer his call My skin ached for just one touch of his fingers

As I atching hi hi for o when I’d nearly drowned during a routine early- surf Back when this whole alternate life of

I watched the surface anxiously, waiting for him to come back up One minute passed as I counted nuled to reassure myself he was okay Mark was a terrific swi ti as I used to be able to, but then he was human and I never had been Not really Not completely

My internal count had reached one hundred and fifty-seven before I saw Mark bob back to the surface I was too far away to see hiainst the opalescent azure of the waves I kneas sucking in air, gulp after gulp, and s ached in sympathy

I waited for him to catch his breath and head back to shore and the board he had so carelessly tossed aside Instead, he disappeared beneath the water yet again

And again, I began to count and wait and worry