Johnny & I : The Island by Daria Paus (hardest books to read txt) 📕

here," he said, and I immediately knew he wanted to hear more. I nodded, forcing my voice to sound normal as I went on. “I was on a vacation. It didn't turn out quite as planned; the storm came out of nowhere."

He nodded. "Yeah."

As he made me talk about myself, it surprised me that he seemed genuinely interested in my life. I even found myself telling him about Bella, my mare that had died just weeks before I’d gone on the well-needed vacation.

"She was a racehorse?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"Gosh no! As much as I've come to fancy the Derby, I'm more of a cowgirl—without the cows and in the wrong state it seems."

He chuckled.

"Bella was a quarter-horse, but precious nonetheless." She’d been my friend for so long, and I missed her so badly I hadn't wanted to buy myself a new horse.

∞∞∞

The coffee was long gone, but I’d lost track of time. Somewhere along the way, I’d started to feel less self-conscious in his presence, allowing me to enjoy the conversation. A smile crept to my lips as I thought about the absurdity of the situation.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to ask for more coffee, a sound from outside broke the silence that had fallen between us. My mouth closed and my eyes shot toward the window.

Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, I turned my gaze to Johnny.

“Did you hear that?”

The moment I asked, I noticed that same frown on his face. Instead of replying, he looked out through the window as well.

We both cringed as the crashing noise once again reached our ears.

“That’s not natural,” I stated the obvious and he nodded slowly.

“Fuck!” He jumped up, the sudden movement making my heart leap into my throat. I stared at him with big eyes, not knowing what to expect.

He flashed me a quick apologetic smile, then gestured toward something out there.

“The boat. The lines must’ve come loose.”

During the few seconds it took me to understand, he’d crossed the room and stopped in the doorway.

He hesitated. “I shouldn’t be asking you, but—"

I got to my feet, expecting him to continue. When the words never came and he looked down at his feet, I felt like shaking him, but settled with a sharp, “What?”

“I guess I need your help.”

The smile that spread across my face made him scoff.

“Don’t look so happy, I’m fucking risking your life.”

I gulped, and the smile disappeared.

“I’ll help you,” I said, despite knowing he was right. "Of course I will.” And really, I would have agreed to anything if he’d asked me to. How could I say no when he looked at me with those deep, dark eyes begging for help?

"Let's go, there's rope in the shed."

I hurried after him as he ran back up the corridor and out the front door.

The wind stole my breath and almost knocked me down as I stepped outside. Struggling to breathe against the suffocating air pressing against my face, I grabbed the door frame for support, clinging to it as I hesitated. Images of the accident flashed through my mind and my pulse quickened. Johnny didn’t stop to wait for me, and as I saw him moving toward the beach, my belly twisted into a tight knot.

5

The Storm

“Get off the boat!” I could barely hear my voice in the howling wind, but called out to him. “Come back! There’s nothing—" The spray of water cut me off, and I stumbled away from the surf.

Wiping my eyes, I tried to locate him. “It’s too dangerous!”

Why didn’t he listen to me? I’d warned him, tried to stop him, even. He’d ignored me, saying he would be fine. But as I watched the massive wave making its way toward the deck of the vessel, I knew he’d been wrong. The storm drowned my screams to get Johnny's attention and before I could think, the water rushed across the deck, knocking him down with its force.

The boat rolled uncontrollably with the wave, threatening to break the lines holding her—the lines we’d just secured.

I watched the water rush across the sea like an avalanche of foam sliding effortlessly with the wind. I stood, motionless and gaping while my mind tried to catch up with reality. The wave hit the shore, exploding upward in a violent spray of wetness. Scrambling to get away, I slipped and tumbled down onto my back. Sprawled like a starfish in the sand, I watched the black clouds swirl across the sky. The sound of something breaking, drowned out the thunder of my own heart and I rolled out of the way just in time to escape the falling palm tree, tumbling down inches from my legs.

I wanted to scream, to get up and run as far away as I could. All I could do was crawl away from the tree and wipe water out of my eyes while I waited for Johnny to give up.

The boat slammed into the pier, the impact making me want to press my hands to my ears.

It took a moment for my mind to grasp the obvious—Johnny was gone. Seconds ago I’d had my eyes locked on him, wishing he’d come back. Now I couldn’t see him. I sat frozen to the spot, frantically trying to decide what to do when I spotted him. My heart skipped a beat and my breath caught in my throat. Without anything to hold on to, Johnny wasn’t going to make it out of the water by himself.

I was on my feet in a flash, spinning in circles to spot anything that could help him.

An abandoned rope tossed aside next to the pier caught my attention and I fell down in my hurry to get it.

It’s been years since I’d tied a knot, but my hands worked on autopilot, fastening the rope to the fallen tree. Before I had a chance to stop and think, I grabbed its other end and threw myself into the sea.

The