Page 26 of Our Final Game

Tyson hears me. “It’s fine,” He says, walking close to its mouth. He crouches down cautiously, examining the surface.

“Shit, we might have to swim across. It doesn’t seem too deep, so it should be okay,” Tyson sighs. He looks pissed, and I feel my cheeks burning. I really don’t remember there being a river on this map. I shift on my feet a bit when he looks back at me, his expression now unreadable.

“Yeah, I guess we have to. It’s getting dark.”

“Alright,” is all he says before walking up to the bank and stepping into the water. He keeps going until the water is up to his neck and starts swimming across. I’m still standing at the river’s mouth as I watch him quickly reach the other side.

Of course he’s good at that too.

My heart thrashes in my chest as I begin to wade into the water. It’s ice cold against my skin, and my body instantly freezes up a bit, but I try to ignore it and keep going. Tyson is already fully out of the river, and now I wish I had gone in at the same time as he did. I gasp as the water rises past my chest and try to start swimming, but the waves slam back against me. I feel like my body is trying to push past an invisible, immovable wall.

I feel so stupid as a wave pushes me under, and I quickly try to swim back up. I didn’t want to tell Tyson this.

But I can’t swim.

“Rohan!” I think I hear him on the other side of the river, “Rohan!!” He sounds scared. I’ve never heard him sound like that before. He always seems so untouchable, indifferent, so sure.

Like nothing could ever crack his armor.

I come back up gasping for air, but there’s water in my lungs. My heart is beating so fast, my body is trembling. The panic is overtaking my mind. I can’t think straight. I can barely even see, and it feels like the waves are getting more and more aggressive.

“Fuck! Rohan!” Tyson shouts again before I hear something splash against the surface of the water.

I try to cry out to him before the river drags me completely under. Everything feels like it’s fading away around me. I can’t breathe. My body feels so light.

My eyes slip closed. All I can see around me is darkness.

Tyson.

Chapter 12

Tyson

Idive back into the river, which is much wilder than when I swam across just a few moments ago. Pushing my body as hard as I can against the waves, I go back under and see Rohan’s lithe form floating deeper to the bottom of the river. I swim as fast as I can to him and grab his hand, pulling him against me. I bring us both back to the surface and pull him out to the other side, laying him flat on his back.

My hands shake as I try to remember what to do. I used to work at a summer camp for kids, but shit, it’s been a while. I check his pulse; he’s not breathing. Pinching his nose, I press my mouth to his and blow breath into him quickly. I come back up and start to press on his chest.

“Fuck, Rohan, please.”

Press.

Press.

Press.

I’m pushing against him as hard as I can, but he’s still not coming to or breathing. My heart is caught in my throat. I lean down and breathe into his mouth again before doing more compressions, counting quietly to myself.

“Rohan … Baby, please…” I choke.

On the next hard push, Rohan coughs, water spilling from the side of his mouth. He sucks in air before whimpering a little.

His head lolls to the side, “Mmm, Ty…” He groans.

I gather his torso into my arms. “What the fuck were you thinking, Ro?!” Tears burn at the corner of my eye, threatening to fall.

Shit.

He’s so cold to my touch, and the sun has completely set. I need to get him out of here. We won’t make it back to town. I pick him up, holding his body close to my chest. He feels so light in my arms as he snuggles against me, seeking heat.