It all happens so fast. Drowning is quick.
There is a huge commotion out in the ocean, but I can’t see much. I leap to my feet, and Jonathan does the same next to me. Whatever is happening is happening right where I saw my children swimming just a short time ago. The lifeguard has climbed down from his perch and is running for the shore, but it turns out he’s too late.
Enzo is already coming out of the water holding her.
Suzette turns out to be the person who was almost drowning. She’s clinging to Enzo’s neck as he heroically carries her out of the water. She is still conscious, although her face is pink and she’s coughing. As much as I would like to accuse her of fake drowning, she looks like she’s in real distress.
Enzo lays her down on the sand and gets on his knees beside her. The lifeguard crouches next to her too, but Suzette’s attention is solely on my husband.
“You okay?” Enzo asks her.
“Yes,” she gasps, then starts coughing again. “That was just It was so scary. I’m okay though.” She reaches for my husband’s hand. “Thank you. Thank you for saving me. You’re my hero.”
Oh, brother.
I look over at Jonathan, who does not seem the slightest bit bothered that an incredibly sexy Italian man is hovering over his wife, and she is pretty much drooling over him. Or maybe the drooling is from the near drowning.
“You sure you’re okay, miss?” the lifeguard asks her.
“I’m fine.” She manages to prop herself up on her elbows. “It just felt like my leg got tangled in something, and it was pulling me under. It was terrifying.”
“Maybe some seaweed,” the lifeguard suggests.
“Yes,” Suzette says, although she doesn’t look convinced. I agree that it’s not clear how seaweed could pull someone under the water, but I’m not sure what another explanation could be.
Ada and Nico have come out of the water, looking decidedly shaken by the incident. Ada is hugging herself, and Nico has planted himself at the shore, about ten feet away from us, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Suzette, dear,” Jonathan says, “I think it would be best if we got you home.”
“Perhaps,” she says, “but I don’t want to ruin everyone’s fun.”
“Do not worry about fun,” Enzo says. That’s when I realize she is still holding his hand. Or he is holding her hand. Either way, their hands are very much linked. “You must take care of yourself.”
“You truly saved my life,” she says. “Honestly, I was so scared and you you saved me.”
“Is nothing.” Enzo waves a hand, but he’s eating it up. He loves being the hero. Who could blame him?
Enzo helps Suzette to her feet, and Jonathan reaches out to assist her, but she doesn’t make any moves to go to him. We end up packing all our stuff, because everyone is so shaken and it’s too hard to enjoy a day at the beach at this point. I mean, I could’ve still enjoyed myself, but even the kids look like they want to leave.
Unfortunately, Enzo is helping Suzette, who you would think suffered some kind of leg trauma where she can’t walk anymore, so we end up having to grab most of the furniture ourselves. The kids take one chair each, I grab two, and I manage to stuff the umbrella under my arm as well. It’s not easy going, but somehow we make it back to the cars.
“Thank you again.” Suzette gazes up at Enzo as he helps her hobble to Jonathan’s Mercedes, depositing her directly into the passenger seat. “You saved my life.”
And when she says it, she puts her arm on his biceps. Which, honestly, feels a little unnecessary.
The way she is gazing at him, I feel like if her husband wasn’t a couple of feet away, and I wasn’t standing there staring daggers at her, the two of them would be making out as we speak. Not that I think Enzo would do that to me. But if I didn’t exist, who knows? Suzette is a very attractive woman, and although I dislike her, he doesn’t seem to dislike her the way I do.
“Drive home safely,” he says to her.
“We will!” Jonathan says cheerfully. “Thanks again, Enzo! I appreciate you looking after my wife!”
Is he genuinely thanking my husband for pawing at his wife?
I wish I could say that I’m relieved when they drive away. But it’s hard to ever get rid of somebody when they live right next door to you.
