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As I came to, I realized I was lying on my back, the sand from the shore digging into my wet skin.
There was an unbearable pressure on my chest as someone pressed it repeatedly while screaming my name.
How did I get here?
The last thing I remembered was diving beneath the water and then…nothing.
I couldn’t resist the urge to cough, feeling water pour from my mouth and run down my jaw before I greedily drew in enough air to fill my burning lungs.
“Dream? Open your eyes. Please, baby. Let me see your fucking eyes!”
The sound of Rowdy’s frantic voice had me rushing to obey. At first, all I could make out were shapes—blurry, chaotic shapes closing in around me. I blinked, breathing in more air—as much as I needed to feel like I wasn’t two seconds from death.
Slowly, my vision cleared until I could make out Rowdy leaning over me and dripping water everywhere. I was so tired. I wanted to close my eyes and sleep, but Rowdy looked like he’d lose his shit if I tried.
“Mmmm,” I groaned. “What—”
The sound of someone sobbing drew my attention away. It took some effort to turn my head enough to follow the sound.
Demi was standing a few feet away, crying uncontrollably and being held back by Roc, who was also staring at me as if someone had died.
Joren and Golden were busy keeping the crowd back, making sure they didn’t try to film me and post it later for views.
Surprisingly, it was Jada who had remained close. Her light skin was now deathly pale as she stared down at me like I was a ghost who had come to haunt her.
I couldn’t look away from her any more than she could me. Her gaze traced the lines of my face over and over like she was seeing me for the first time.
I felt something warm and wet pooling near my hairline and pressed my fingers to my temple. Hissing from the pain, I drew my fingers back and examined the blood mixed in with my foundation that had mostly washed away from the water.
Oh, right…
Jada was probably staring at my birthmark.
I wasn’t ashamed of it, but lately, I’d started wearing makeup to hide it. Being Rowdy’s girl had thrust me into the spotlight, and the first thing strangers usually asked me about was the star-shaped discoloration on my face.
My condition had only made me easier to spot in a crowd, leaving no doubt in their heads regarding my identity.
I forced myself to look away from Jada and turned to Rowdy. “What happened?” I croaked.
Rowdy, who was soaking wet now, closed his eyes and drew in a shuddering breath before answering. “You drowned, Atlas.”
My lips parted just as his eyes opened, taking the breath I’d only just acquired when I saw they were wet with unshed tears. It was the fear mingling there that made him look uncommonly human.
I knew right then I never wanted to see it again. I wanted the man, not the legend, just…not like this.
Still, there was no way I’d drowned. Rowdy must have been mistaken. I’d been swimming since I was five.
And then I remembered what happened after I’d plunged beneath the water.
How I’d sunk to the bottom, feeling the air in my lungs dissipating the longer I lingered. How I’d looked to the surface and salvation but saw only my father’s and mother’s ethereal faces and decided to stay with them a little longer.
Even when my lungs had begun to burn, and I knew I’d stayed too long, I still didn’t swim for the surface. I’d let myself drift away until all the pain, grief, and uncertainty of where I belonged finally, blissfully, stopped.
It was yet another truth I would have to take to my grave.
But as I stared up at Rowdy and the growing suspicion in his gaze, I wondered if he knew my secret.
After learning that I’d hit my head on some underwater rocks—which might have explained my hallucination—Rowdy took me to the hospital, where I was admitted for observation. I not only suffered a concussion but had technically died before Rowdy rescued me from the water and performed CPR.
