Part 2 (1/2)
Shooting a questioning, and probably panicked look at him, I begged to know, Why? Why are you doing this?
But Tyler just shook his head and pointed a single determined finger toward the surface.
Somehow I understood what he was trying to tell me-something or someone was up there. I don't know how he knew that. I hadn't seen anyone, but that wasn't important.
He was convinced. And he was freaked out by it. Enough so that he had no intention of going back up there anytime soon.
So what then? Did that mean he was willing to die because of it?
He kept his lips . . . lips that had nearly been on mine just minutes earlier, pressed tightly closed as he harnessed his air reserves. But he couldn't hold his breath forever and he'd have to let it out soon.
Then he'd have no choice but to inhale.
His body wasn't like mine.
Mine . . .
My lungs were fine. I had more than enough breath remaining . . . more than enough time.
An idea sparked. Something I'd seen once, probably on TV, which made the whole thing seem more than a little bogus. But maybe . . . just maybe, if there was even an ounce of validity to the concept I could buy Tyler an extra minute or two.
I closed the small gap between us, not completely unaware of how undressed both of us were as our bare skin pressed together. But more than anything, I prayed he'd go along with me. Hoping, if there was anything to this, I could get it right.
Blood rushed noisily past my ears as I strained to reach his mouth, and suddenly the feel of his lips on mine was no longer just a memory. It was achingly real.
Unfortunately, there was no time to savor it.
It took Tyler a second to realize my intention, but when he did, his eyes went wide and he flinched slightly in surprise. Only, now I was the one gripping him and I wasn't about to let him go. I ordered him with my crumpled brow to Be still!
I had to concentrate, to be careful. Mindful. There couldn't be any s.p.a.ce between our lips, not a single gap or opening, or else water would bleed through. The seal would literally have to be airtight, or else I would be breathing water directly into Tyler's mouth and I would drown him. I was already worried I wouldn't be breathing any actual oxygen into his lungs, that all that was left in me was carbon dioxide-a little tidbit I remembered from tenth grade Life Science-and this whole effort would be futile to begin with because carbon dioxide was useless to him . . . just waste matter his body couldn't process.
But I thought when I'd seen this on TV, they'd said there was some oxygen leftover when someone exhaled, and right now some oxygen was better than no oxygen, wasn't it?
When I was as sure as I could be that my mouth was secured over his, I slowly . . . so very, very slowly, and very, very firmly began parting my lips. With my deliberate actions, I directed Tyler to do exactly as I did, at exactly the same rate. I tried to ignore how soft his mouth was, and the way I could feel his pulse beating where my fingertips pressed against his neck.
So far, so good, I told myself, trying to remain clinical about this despite my own rising pulse.
I blinked at him, trying to instruct him about timing, and as if reading my thoughts, as if we'd done this a thousand times before, Tyler blinked back. I ignored my doubts, the part where I knew that the tiniest wince or gasp could ruin everything. I tried not to imagine the worst.
When there was enough of an opening, or what I hoped was enough, I'd intended to exhale, giving Tyler a much-needed boost to his depleted oxygen supply.
But what I hadn't counted on was that he would have to exhale first. He'd been holding his breath for so long that he had no choice but to expel it before he could take in any more.
When he did, he filled my mouth with air. But even worse . . . far, far worse, the seal had just been broken, and it was my fault because I'd dropped my head to keep from choking. And the whole time all I could think was, This is it. I've killed him. He can't make it any longer. I can't save him again. . . .
My eyes squeezed shut as my body struggled not to inhale-to swallow huge mouthfuls of water, even though I probably deserved to die down here.
When I felt Tyler's fingers gently grip my arms, I reluctantly opened my eyes. He was there . . . alive. And not just alive, but grinning back at me.
Grinning!
I had to blink several times to make sense of it. To put the pieces together. Then he held up his hand and gave me the thumbs-up. As if I'd done this. As if I had anything at all to do with whatever was happening.
I was slow, but eventually I got it: Tyler hadn't needed me to be his human oxygen tank. He'd never needed me because he could hold his breath too, same as me. He just hadn't realized it until we were down here.
Beneath my palms, which were now flat against the bare skin of his chest, I could feel his heart pounding. I spread my fingers wide, letting them explore his muscles as the look on his face told me everything I needed to know: Tyler was okay. We were okay.
Then, just when I finally felt my body easing, just the slightest bit, his lips drifted toward mine and I thought maybe I'd been mistaken. Maybe I'd misread the pounding of his heart and he did need me to breathe for him after all.
But when his lips landed on mine, it wasn't for any practical purposes-he didn't need me to save his life or anything. It was just a kiss. An abrupt, waterlogged peck that was over as quickly as it had begun.
I wasn't sure if I should take it as a sign of things to come-the kiss I'd been antic.i.p.ating right before he'd tossed me into the pool. Or if he'd just been swept up in the moment over his newfound skill and gotten carried away.
Either way, my lips were buzzing long after the kiss ended.
When we broke the surface again, Tyler kept his hand closed protectively around my wrist. My heart was still cras.h.i.+ng wildly as I waited for Tyler to give the all clear, although it could just as easily have been the underwater kiss that caused the banging.
”It's okay,” he exhaled, his grip loosening. ”They're gone.”
”They? How many of them were there?” I asked, opening my eyes at last. Before we'd emerged from the water, Tyler had signaled for me to shut them, and as I saw the shards of light flaring back at us from the ripples, I knew why-the glow from my eyes.
At that moment, they'd become a liability, so I'd put my sight in Tyler's hands, letting him guide me to the edge of the pool. I wouldn't admit it, but I'd preferred it that way. My skin tightened everywhere his fingers skimmed my body as he'd eased me onto the rocks. It had been hard to breathe, almost impossible, when I'd slid across him wearing almost nothing.
I watched now as he pulled himself out of the water and crouched on the bank. I'd seen Tyler without his s.h.i.+rt before. A few times. But with his bare chest glistening beneath the moonlight . . . well that was a whole 'nother story. One I wanted to burn into my memory.
He glanced back at me, confusion clear in his eyes. ”Two, maybe? You didn't hear them?”
I tried to remember if there'd been anything, but I shook my head.
”You're kidding? It was so clear. They were so . . .” He reached down to help me out. ”We have to get back and warn your dad.”
I let him haul me up and s.h.i.+vered as the cold night air blasted me. Water dripped in rivulets down my bare skin, puddling at my feet. ”Why? Who were they?”
His green eyes were feverish as he shot nervous glances past me, in the direction of the woods beyond the steaming water of the hot spring. He yanked his jeans from the tangle of our clothes pile and then pa.s.sed me my s.h.i.+rt. ”I don't know. But there was something . . . strange about them.”
”Strange, how?”
”Strange, like-” He frowned. ”I'm not sure how to explain-this is gonna sound crazy-but they were talking in static. Like they were talking over some sort of radio frequency.”
I'd just started toweling off with my s.h.i.+rt when his words. .h.i.t me. ”How do you know you weren't hearing a radio?” I thought of the way Tyler's voice had sounded that night in the desert. Would I have called it static-y?
”I told you it was crazy. I just knew.” He threw my jeans at me and then wriggled into his, not an easy task when you were still dripping wet. ”We need to get out of here in case they come back.”
”Wait,” I prodded, wanting him to explain. ”Like how exactly? Obviously it freaked you out enough that you thought you needed to risk drowning us. Tell me what you heard.” I crossed my arms defiantly, refusing to get dressed until he answered my question.
He glared back at me, but I could tell from the set of his jaw he'd already given in. ”G.o.d, you're stubborn. Has anyone ever told you that?” I bit back a grin because I desperately wished he could remember the first time he'd told me that-that I was stubborn-back when he'd begged me to admit I had feelings for him. My heart had been pounding for a completely different reason then. ”I can't explain exactly,” he exhaled, clearly annoyed. ”But it was like I sensed them before I ever heard them. Like I . . .” He s.h.i.+fted, and his hand kneaded the back of his neck. ”Like I felt their footsteps coming. Then I heard this strange vibrating sound, or, I don't know, maybe I felt that too. But it was like they were speaking in code or something. Like they were communicating in sound waves.” He pursed his lips, looking at me like he was saying, I told you it was crazy.
And it was, but it wasn't the most far-fetched thing I'd heard, not by a long shot. Especially considering that Tyler and I were no longer human and had just held our breath for who knew how long.
”Do you know what they said?”