“I was alone. You were gone. I was running out of air in this little pocket near the windshield. I tried opening the car door, but it was blocked. I realized I was going to die. I was trying to make peace with it. And yet—I don’t know—I knew you would never leave me. I knew you’d come back and find me and save me. I just knew it. I don’t know how much time passed. Probably only a few seconds, but it felt like forever. Then you were thumping on the windshield to let me know you were there. Somehow you dislodged the car and got the door open, and I was able to get out. I swam to the surface and made it to the riverbank. I thought you were right behind me. But then I realized you weren’t coming up. You were still under the water. Thank God someone was there. A man from a nearby farm had seen the accident, and he’d already called 911. I could hear the sirens. I screamed to him that you were still down there, that you must be trapped. He went in after you. He found you by the car, with the seat belt wound around your ankle. He had a knife and was able to cut you free, but by the time he got you out, you weren’t breathing. The ambulance was there, but I could see in the faces of the paramedics that they didn’t think you were going to make it.”

I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it. “The farmer who cut me loose. What did he look like?”

“Look like?”

“Did he look like me?”

A curious smile crossed her face. It was an odd question. “A little bit, I guess. You’ll get to meet him. Once you have your strength back, we’ll drive down there and thank him together. His name is Harvey Bushing.”

I laughed, which made me cough.

“What’s funny?” Karly asked me.

“Life. Fate. God.”

She was still holding my hand. We sat silently, as an echo of horror rippled over both of us and slowly receded. I watched Karly open her mouth to say something more, then close it again. Her eyes filled with tears. It was a dam bursting, letting out guilt and shame and remorse. I knew how she felt, because I’d felt all the same things.

“Dylan, what happened before—what I did—”

I squeezed her hand. “Stop.”

“I’m just so sorry. Please, please, say you can forgive me. If I hadn’t been such a fool—”

“Stop,” I said again.

“I love you. I love you so much. You’re my world. What I did, how I betrayed you, I can’t believe that was me.”

“Karly.”

She clamped her mouth shut and wiped her face. Her messy blond hair dangled across her cheeks.