Chapter 17

Alex POV

I decided to invite Riker and his siblings over for lunch today since there was no school. Katelyn had texted me and told me that the school had been vandalized over the weekend. Most of the windows were broken and the school would reopen next week.

I was trying to stay busy and keep my mind off my grandfather. Everyone was coming over in 15 minutes. That was just enough time for the pizza to finish cooking. I had decided on making pizza again since everyone had loved it so much.

15 Minutes Later…

I ran over to open the door when I heard them arrive. Everyone sat down at the table on the porch. Ross helped me bring out the pizzas.

Riker POV

During lunch, I got up to go to the bathroom. On my way through the porch door, I collided with Rocky. His arm hit me in the stomach.

"Ah!" I screamed.

"What?" Asked Rocky.

"Nothing! Uh, you just scared me," I said.

"It didn't sound like I scared you. It sounded like I broke your arm or something. Did I really hit you that hard?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Ok…"

When I came back from the bathroom, Rocky kept giving me these weird faces. I was worried he knew something.

After lunch Rydel suggested we all go down to the beach. It was warmer today, so the water might not be so cold today. Everyone went back to my house to get changed, while I stayed behind to talk to Alex.

"Hey, aren't you going to go get changed?"

"Alex, I can't."

"Why not?"

"They'll see my stomach. If they find out this happened to me…"

"I just don't really understand what the big deal is. It was an accident. Things happen."

"Well…

"What aren't you telling me?"

I didn't know how she always knew when I wasn't telling her something.

"Ok, I used to have this girlfriend back in Colorado. She used to hit me and stuff. She threatened me so I kept it hidden from my family. Rocky walked in on me changing one day, and then my whole family knew what was going on. I broke up with her, and I haven't had another girlfriend since. I almost went out with this one girl, but right before I was going to ask her out, Rocky found out and threatened me about dating her. He didn't want anything to happen to me like before, even though it was a different girl. When we moved here, and I met you, you were all I could talk about. One night, Rocky and I were talking. I told him I was going to ask you out, and he wasn't totally on board. I made him feel guilty about dunking you in the lake so I could ask you out without him saying anything. If he sees what happened to my stomach, it won't matter what I tell him. He will suspect that you did it. The rest of my family will probably believe me, but I don't think Rocky will."

Alex looked at the ground. I could tell she was trying to take it all in, but she was having trouble.

"That's… crazy. So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't think there's anything I can do right now. I just have to wait for it to heal. I was so worried last night that Rocky knew something, but… I don't know… I'm stressing right now…"

"Wait. What happened last night?"

"He was tossing me a can of soda, I missed, it hit my stomach, and I made a strange noise, trying not to scream. After what happened today with me walking into Rocky, I'm scared he suspects something."

"So if he found out, do you think he would try to break us up?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I do."

"Would you let him?"

"I would try not to. But I mean, if he convinces our parents, they could threaten to kick me out of the house if I don't break up with you."

Just then, I heard knocking on Alex's door. Alex opened it.

"Hey, are you guys coming down to the lake and go swimming or what?" Asked Rocky.

He sounded like he knew something. My heart started racing faster and faster.

"Uh no actually, we're not," I said nervously.

"And why not?"

Rocky sounded like he was interrogating us. I started feeling light headed.

"Well, I convinced Riker to let me take him out for a kayak ride," said Alex.

Thank goodness she could think under pressure. But a kayak ride? I was a little scared to go swimming sometimes, but this was different. When you're swimming, you're close to the shore. For kayaking, you're out in the middle of a lake!

"Really!?" Exclaimed Rocky.

He knew I was afraid of this kind of stuff.

"Yeah…" I said.

"Well good luck. He's a lot to handle," Rocky said to Alex.

"Oh, I think we'll be fine," said Alex.

Rocky left, closing the door behind him.

"Kayaking!? You could pick anything in the whole world and you pick kayaking!?" I shouted at Alex.

"Sorry! I thought that our excuse should be water related. Then it wouldn't seem like we were making one. I wanted him to think "Oh, they wanted to go swimming, but then thought of the kayak and decided on that instead." But you better get your butt over to your house and put on your swimsuit so it doesn't seem like we're procrastinating or anything. Go! Hurry!"

I ran over to my house and put on my green swimsuit and a white T-shirt. I ran outside and met Alex at her front door, and walked to the beach with her. Everyone was already in the water when we arrived. Ellington jumped off the raft and swam in to help me carry over Alex's kayak.

"You guys be careful," said Ellington.

"We will," said Alex.

Ellington helped me carry the kayak over to the water.

"Thanks," said Alex.

Alex sat on the kayak and looked at me.

"Well get in," said Alex.

"How? Where? It's just a big piece of… Plastic?"

"Uh, just sit on the front of it with your legs in the water."

"Are you sure that's safe?"

"Yes! Get on!"

I walked through the water to the tip of the kayak. I tried sitting on it, almost tipped it, but eventually got on.

"Ready?" Asked Alex.

"Uh, yeah…"

Everyone was watching us as Alex started paddling out, Rocky especially. As soon as we got out of earshot, I spoke to Alex.

"Alex, I have to tell you something," I said.

"What's up?"

"Uh… I have a fear of water. Like, a really big fear! I mean, I can swim and stuff but not for very long."

"You seemed fine when you jumped off the dock that one day."

"Well that was different. I was close to the shore where it was safer. Kayaking, we're out in the middle. We're minutes away from the shore. I don't know if I can swim that long or that far."

Alex POV

I could tell Riker was tensing up the further we got from the shore. I was watching him closely. He was gripping the edge of the kayak so tightly, his knuckles were white.

"Riker, if it makes you feel any better, I can swim at least half a mile, and the kayak floats. I think we're pretty safe."

"I know. And seriously, I would have never gotten on this thing with anyone but you. Even though like, I'm the guy and you're the girl, you make me feel safe. Well, safer than when I'm with my siblings. I know that sounds strange, but if I went kayaking with Rocky and we tipped, I would be scared he would joke around and not take me seriously if I said I needed help."

I stopped paddling for a few seconds and turned to look back at the Lynch's. Riker noticed I stopped and looked back too. Rocky was staring at us.

Rocky POV

I watched as Alex and Riker got further and further from us. Something was up. Something was just not right. Riker would never agree to go kayaking. He was afraid of the water!

"Earth to Rocky!" Ross shouted as he splashed me.

I turned around to face him.

"Huh?" I asked.

"What's wrong?" Asked Ellington.

"I'm just worried about Riker and Alex," I said.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," said Rydel.

"No. I mean, not about them kayaking. Well, kinda…" I said.

"What do you mean?" Asked Ryland.

"Didn't you guys notice how weird he was at lunch? He's been acting weird around the house too. Coming home late and stuff. He's not telling us something. Something's wrong," I said.

"Rocky, he doesn't have to tell us anything. He's 18. He can do what he wants," said Rydel.

"Rydel! He's on a kayak! He's afraid of the water! This is not normal!" I shouted.

"Rocky. Calm down," said Ellington.

"I can't! I'm worried about him!" I shouted.

"Why?" Asked Ross.

"I think it's something with Alex…" I said.

"What do you mean?" Ellington asked.

"You remember his last girlfriend? How she treated him? What she did to him? I think Alex might be doing something similar," I said.

"Rocky, that's crazy. Alex would never do something like that," said Ellington.

"I know it doesn't seem like she would, but it didn't seem like his last girlfriend would either, and look what happened," I said.

"I don't see anything wrong with him," said Ross.

"Well, I thought of that. What if he's hiding it? Or it's covered up by his clothes? There could be bruises or cuts on his back or chest," I said.

"Don't you think Riker would tell us if something was going on?" Asked Rydel.

"He didn't last time," I said.

"But he knows what it's like to be in a relationship like that now. I don't think he would continue with it, knowing what happened last time. And with his old girlfriend, he was miserable all the time. When he comes back from Alex's, he's in a great mood. I think you're just paranoid," said Ellington.

"Then tell me how he's on that kayak right now!" I shouted back.

"I don't have an answer for that one," said Ellington.

"Exactly! What if he went kayaking to avoid us? What if Alex is blackmailing him?" I said.

"Rocky, Alex is not that kind of person! I know her better than you do! She wouldn't do that! And did you forget that Riker asked her out!? Alex didn't ask him, he asked her! She told me she was reluctant to say yes, but felt bad, so she agreed to give them a chance!" Ellington shouted back.

"Ok, well what if she's hurting him because she wants him to break up with her?" I asked.

"Rocky this argument is endless! No matter what we say, you're just going to come up with another "what if". Alex would never do anything to Riker, and I think you just need to give him some space. It's not your problem. There's not even a problem though, because Alex didn't do anything!" Ellington shouted.

Ellington POV

I watched as Rocky stormed up the street, heading home.

"Alex would never do anything to Riker, right?" Asked Ross.

I suddenly remembered something. Yesterday when I had gone to Alex's, Riker had passed me while leaving her house. Was that blood on his shirt? No, that couldn't be it. Could it?

"No, I don't think so. But I still don't understand why he would agree to go kayaking," I said.

I looked out across the water. Alex and Riker were rounding a corner and were almost out of my view.

Alex POV

"How much further do you want to go?" I asked Riker.

"Uh…"

"I know you're nervous, but just try to calm down. Would you let me take you to the other end of the lake? It's not that far. You can see the other end after we get around that bend," I said.

"Fine, let's go. But are you sure we'll have enough sunlight?"

"I think so. We'll probably get back just as the sun is setting."

I kept paddling up the lake. I saw a motorboat coming our way. I knew it would make some waves, but we would be fine. Well, I would. Riker would probably freak out. But we weren't going to tip.

"Riker, that boat's going to make some waves, but we'll be fine. It won't tip the kayak. Are you ok?"

"Uh, yeah."

I stopped paddling and watched the waves get closer and closer. The smaller waves came first. Riker scooched back, now sitting between my outstretched legs. He looked back at me, worried.

I sat completely still with Riker, waiting for the waves to stop.

"See? We were fine," I said.

"Yeah."

"Now scooch back to the tip, and let's keep going," I said.

I kept paddling up the lake toward the other end.

"Ok, ready to turn around?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I sighed. Riker was giving me 1 and 2 word answers. He wasn't relaxing and it was driving me crazy!

"Riker, please. Try to relax. What's the worst that could happen?"

"I don't know. I'm trying Alex, really I am. I've never done anything like this before though," said Riker.

I kept paddling up the lake. It was getting darker faster than I thought it would.

"Alex?"

"Yes?"

"Did you bring a flashlight?"

"No. Why?"

"Because it's getting really dark."

"We'll be fine, Riker," I said.

I kept paddling closer and closer to the shore. We were about 15 minutes away from the shore, when the motorboat came back. It didn't see us at first, so it had gotten within 20 feet of us. I watched as it swerved and whizzed away. I watched Riker as he started panicking.

Riker was completely freaking out now. The waves were huge and hard to balance on. They were getting larger and larger when…

Suddenly, I was underwater and I couldn't see anything at all. It was pitch black, and I couldn't get to the surface…