Free Stroke Of Fear by Alla Kar Page A

of the old me. I’m new. Fresh. The water isn’t part of my life anymore.”
       Why is it so hard to breathe now? I take a few large inhales to show myself I can breathe normally. I can’t. It hurts.
       Pressing my free hand against my chest, I bend at my knees. Breathe, Aubrey. Just fucking breathe.
       “Lay down,” Tanner says. I do it, because I desperately want something that’s right in front of me. Air. He grabs my hands like he did when he pulled me from the water and brings them above my head. “Breathe, darlin’. You’re fine. Just breathe.”
       Time slows down; all I can see is two gray eyes staring down at me. The blue specks look great against the sky behind him. Slowly my focus starts to come back. Tanner runs his fingers against my arm. The sensation sends chills against me again. “You there, Aubrey?”
       I nod, running my tongue over my teeth. “I think I can stand now,” I say. Tanner wraps me in his arms and pulls me from the ground. The minute my feet touch I feel my weight carrying me back toward the soggy soil.
       Then I’m in Tanner’s arms. The hardness of his muscles mesh into my softness. One arm is underneath my thighs, burning all the way up between my legs. The other is keeping my back straight, my head lying in the crook of his neck.
       Somehow he gets the passenger side door open, and he slides me onto the leather. I let my head fall against the seat while something cool rests against my lips. “Take a drink of my water,” he urges.
       Swallowing the cool liquid, I think about this touching his lips. Now it’s touching mine. I know it’s childish, but th e feeling between my legs is anything but childish.
       I don’t remember closing my eyes, but everything goes black.
    ***
       “Aubrey, wake up. We’re back at the camp.”
       A deep, rough voice travels along my skin, sparking all of my nerves. Slightly opening one eye, I glance up at Tanner.
       “Hmmm …” I moan softly. Tanner lets out a deep exhale before grabbing the back of my neck and slowly moving my head back and forth.
       “You have to wake up. I don’t think it’s a good idea to carry you into your cabin. They’ll think you passed out just by looking at my sexy as hell face.”
       Sighing, I lift my head and look around. We’re in the employee lot. “I’m up, I think.”
       “Can you walk?”
       “ I think so. My body feels normal now.” I press my toes into the ground and slide to a standing position. Tanner’s arm won’t leave my waist.
    I flick my eyes to his. “I’m fine.”
       Tanner keeps hold of me, anyway. When we get close to my cabin, I stop in my tracks. Jake is sitting on the steps, head in his hands.
       “Fuck,” Tanner say s beneath his breath. “Come on, we need to lay you down.” Tanner starts walking, and I’m not sure how I’m moving, because I’d rather by anywhere than near Jake at this moment.
       Our feet crun ching the rock under us makes Jake look up. His eyes widen at first, then I watch as his eyes follow Tanner’s arm around my waist. “What the fuck is going on?” he snaps, jumping to his feet.
       “I was about to ask you the same damn question,” I snap back. “Why are you in front of my cabin? I told you to stay away from me.”
      Jake runs one hand through his blond hair and the other one clenches at his side. “Why are you walking so slowly? What did you do to her?” Jake is screaming now. A few campers have stopped on their paths to their cabins to stare at us.
       “She went with me into town. Not that it’s any of your damn business.”
   Jake takes a step toward us. “Let her go. I’m going to beat your ass.”
       “No,” I screech out. “Do you not see the kids standing around? Go to your room and don’t come back over here.”
       He isn’t listening; he hasn’t since he saw Tanner’s arm around my waist. “Let her go.”
       Tanne r’s chest vibrates with a