Crosby was at my side in a second. “Whoa. Slow down there. You need to sit.”

“I have to make sure Bell is okay.” The world wavered again, and then suddenly, everything went black.

And I didn’t feel anything at all anymore.

29

BELL

Voices shouting on the beach had me drying my eyes and forcing myself to stand. It was probably just kids. My friends and I had used the beach as our hangout all throughout high school. But the last thing The Catch needed was underage drinking going on a stone’s throw from our doors.

I pushed open the door of the workshop to find that night had descended. I blinked against the darkness, trying to get my eyes to adjust. I didn’t see any huge group of teens on the beach, only a few guys, one who looked to be passed out. Great. “Excuse me, this is private property. You’re going to have to move the party down the beach.”

“Bell?” The worry in Crosby’s voice had my spine stiffening. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. What’s going on?” I jogged towards the figures. My breath froze in my chest as my eyes focused on the man in the sand. Still. He was too still. And there was blood trickling from a wound on his forehead. “Ford?” The name felt as if it were made of a million tiny, frozen razor blades.

I sank to the sand. My hands moved rapidly over Ford’s fallen form yet not touching. I was too afraid that any contact would cause more damage. “Is he breathing?” I didn’t recognize the voice that asked the question, it was as foreign to my ears as a stranger’s.

A hand rested on my shoulder. “He’s breathing, Bell. And the EMTs are on their way.”

“The sheriff?”

“He’ll meet us at the hospital.”

I reached out and gently took Ford’s hand in mine. It was cold, too cold. Tears stung the backs of my eyes. This was not happening. Any second now, I’d wake up and realize that this was all some horrible nightmare. But the seconds ticked by, and no daylight streamed in. “What happened?”

A throat cleared, and I glanced up to see that the third man was Griffin Lockwood, and he was soaking wet. “I was walking back to my boat and saw two guys fighting in the surf. I thought it was just a couple of drunk tourist idiots, but I yelled, and one guy took off.”

Sirens sounded in the background, and my gaze snapped back to Ford. “They’re here. They’re going to help you.” They had to. I would not lose him, too.

“He’s going to be fine, Bell.”