Insufferable: A Dark Erotic Romance Read Free

had done this.
    As my fingertips brushed her own, the questions began. Why hadn’t I cut her off sooner? Why hadn’t I driven faster? Why didn’t I just race toward her and tackle her in the woods when I had first caught a glimpse of her walking ahead?
    This was all my fault.
    “Reach!”
    I could barely speak with the amount of wind rushing into my lungs. Regardless of the quantity, it didn’t seem to buffer my command. Lydia was obeying, trying to reach my fingertips as I angled myself to go faster.
    But it was too late. I knew I wouldn’t get to her before we hit, and her body was already turning sideways while she fought to reach me. Each second brought us closer to possible death and all I could see was the fear beginning to cloud her face. Fear, brought on by me. She would never have had to experience this if things had played out differently. If I had done something sooner.
    A grunt tore from my mouth as I struggled my way closer. My fingers slid through the tops of hers and I jerked with everything I had. The momentum had me spinning and I heard her faint cry as I threw my leg over her hip. I wasn’t even sure if I got a lock around her before excruciating fire seared across my shoulder and cheek. The impact was so unbelievably jolting that my entire body went from agony to black numbness within a slit second. Fog settled in and I could feel the heaviness of my limbs as I tried to force myself to react. No matter how hard I tried, it was like wading through quicksand.
    Cold. Yes … I was starting to freeze from the inside. And somehow I knew I was sinking. Did I even have Lydia anymore?
    Nothing was registering right. The deeper I was being sucked down, the less I was remembering. Everything was disappearing within the haze taking over my mind. I was either about to pass out or already had. Or I was dead. I wasn’t sure. All I knew was I was falling into the pitch black, and I had failed.
     
    ****
     
    “Breathe. Jesus, just breathe!”
    Words drifted in and out as I gagged through the water that exploded from my mouth. Every inch of me was prickling with stabbing sensations and my body seized at the recognition. If I felt, I was alive.
    “Oh, God. Yes, there we go. That’s it. Deep breaths.”
    Weight suddenly lifted from my cheeks and colors blurred as my eyelids opened the smallest amount. Just hearing Lydia’s voice brought back our fall. I tried to piece it all together as I coughed through the burning in my throat, but it was such a blur. The twinges within left me frozen from pain and darkness once again began to beckon me home.
    “I can’t believe you jumped. What were you thinking? Why would you do that? And to … turn us like that. To protect me ?”
    Her sob had me forcing my eyes back open. “I told you ...” Continuing was impossible. Each word was like a knife slicing through my lungs. My throat was so raw. I wasn’t sure if it was from the amount of salt water I’d ingested, the throwing up, or the impact.
    “I have to get help. I have to leave you for a little bit.” Another sob. “I didn’t think you’d do it. I swear I didn’t—” My resulting moan had her hand reaching toward my face. My lids were so heavy I could barely stay awake. “I’m sorry, Jaime. I’m so sorry.”
    “My … phone. Jacket.”
    Lydia glanced up toward the cliff in the distance, sobbing even harder. She stood, swaying in her sodden gown, before she hobbled through the big rocks filling the beach. She faded out as I fought to keep my attention on her. It wasn’t long before my eyes didn’t reopen. If it weren’t for the pain, I might have been out completely, but it was still there, still making each breath intolerable.
    I tuned into where it hurt the most. My shoulder. It was definitely broken. And my leg. Fuck, I was bad off. I knew that as nausea had me heaving again. The tightening of my stomach was like I’d never experienced before, but that was unimportant. Lydia lived. Whether or not I