The boat bobbed along lazily while Tru slathered on her sunscreen. She had just finished eating a delicious lunch and had entertained the idea of going back for more flirting with Matt, but decided against it. It would be too desperate and Tru was not a desperate woman by any means. She took off her halter-top, glad that she had worn her bikini underneath. Then she slid out of her shorts and climbed to the end of the boat, steadying herself before she pulled off a perfect swan dive into the water.
The water was cool against her skin instantly rejuvenating her mind and body. She surfaced a few feet from the boat. Then cut across the water in the direction of the rocks figuring she could get a decent workout as well as a better view. At first she swam overhand above the water, but unfortunately she was out of shape. So she dove under, knowing that it would take less energy.
She was almost to the rocks, when a glittering object caught her eye. She surfaced for air, then dove back under. The water stung her eyes, but she continued until she reached the bed of the lake. At first she thought it was just a necklace that was tangled in a clot of branches and allege. But as she reached out to try to untangle the necklace she realized that she was face to face with a decomposing body. Tru's heart lurched as she stared into the unseeing eyes before her. She tried to scream but her mouth filled with bitter lake water. Flailing her legs wildly she swam as fast as possible to the surface. It seemed like years until she broke the surface, sputtering and coughing up water. Then she began to scream, her cries shattering the otherwise placid lake.
Tru had been around lots of dead bodies before, obviously, but this one had taken her by surprise. She frantically made her way to the rocks, wanting more than any thing to get out of the water. The water that had once seemed like a million glittering diamonds now seemed like it was boiling with malice. She could almost feel her skin peeling off, she had to get out.
When she reached the rocks she hauled herself up, ignoring the sharp pricks of pain as she scrambled to safety. She was almost to the top when one of the rocks under her foot gave away. Then only thing she had time to do was let out a scream before the ground gave away and she was pitched head first into the water. She felt a white hot flash of pain, and then she only saw darkness.
Jack had been aimlessly wondering around for most of the day trying to come up with ways to rectify the situation he was in. The real reason he was in Clarkdale was to deter Tru from answering her calling. Her father had sent Harrison on a wild goose chase to keep him distracted while Jack took care of Tru. Jack didn't want to hurt Tru, he had grown quite fond of her over the past few years. It was no secret that she couldn't stand him, that she tolerated him only because there was nothing she could do about him. He shook his head he didn't have the time or energy to try to analyze the dynamics between the two of them. He knew what he had to do, even if he liked her. What wasn't to like, she was strong, intelligent, passionate, and though he tried to deny it countless times breathtakingly gorgeous. Recently he had found himself thinking about her all the time, he'd even had a few x-rated dreams about her. He chalked it up to not being with a woman in a long time. He sighed and went back to his earlier train of thought.
He had just come up with a suitable plan, when a scream jarred him from his preparation. He waited for a moment thinking perhaps it was just in his head. A few seconds later he heard it again, this time he took off in the direction of the lake without hesitation. By the time he reached the rocky ledge it was too late. He looked over the edge just in time to see a very familiar brunette topple headfirst into the murky water below.
He ripped his shirt over his head and dove in after Tru. The water stung his eyes, but he looked around frantically, the dark water making it difficult to see. His lungs burned for air, but he ignored it. Then he saw her floating lifelessly not five feet from him. He swam as hard as he could, then wrapped his arm around her waist propelling them both to the surface. He took in huge gulps of air, and began making his way to the bank. A sense of relief washed over him as his feet smacked the ground.
"Come on Tru, just a little bit farther." He grunted
He slid his hands under her and carried her the rest of the way, then as gently as he could he place her on the soft sand and kneeled beside her.
"Tru, come on wake up." He checked her pulse, slow but steady.
He gently shook her, fearing he'd break her if he shook her too hard.
Tru's eyes flickered and she began coughing up water.
"That's it darlin, open your eyes." His soft tone even took him by surprise.
Tru's eyes opened and she moaned.
"What happened?" She croaked.
"You took a nasty spill, but your going to be just fine." He replied brushing the wet strains of hair from her face. She moaned again, and her head lolled to the side. She was unconscious. Jack scooped her up, and began making his way to his cabin.
a/n: Thanxs for all the great reviews, you guys inspire me to keep going. ;) I promise the next chapter will be up faster since I almost done anyways. Thanx again.
Reese