Chapter Seven

“You’re really okay with leaving? We have some time,” Willa asked again while they walked back to the road. “My mom said we could stay out until one tonight.”

“It’s fine, Will, really.” Lee had the flashlight and was leading the way. She turned it off when they came to Sparrow Road and began the short walk down to the water. Lights were off now and cabins were mostly dark and quiet.

“Because you really didn’t get to hang out that much and you were the one who wanted to go.”

“Willa, honestly, I don’t mind.” In truth she was looking forward to some alone time with Willa. “All those guys are idiots anyway.”

Willa snorted a laugh. “I’ll say.”

Lee kicked at a stone, listening as it skittered down the gravel road. “What they were saying when I got there, um, did that bother you?”

“Did it bother you ? I mean, that they think you’re gay?”

Lee stopped at the junction of Lakeshore Road, turning to look at her. Her heart pounded in her chest. As scared as she was, she needed to say it and she needed Willa to be the first one to hear it. “It didn’t bother me. I think they may be right.”

Willa’s eyes widened, shining in the moonlight. “Really? I mean, how do you know you like girls? I mean, sorry, I just…”

“It’s okay. I don’t know how I know. The same way I know I like swimming and potato salad and Xena, I guess. It makes me feel good.”

“The same way I know I like ghost stories?”

Lee’s brows knit together. “Yeah, I guess.”

Willa smiled. “Okay.”

“Okay? That’s all?”

“No. That’s not all.” Willa stepped forward and placed her hands on Lee’s shoulders.

Lee sucked in a breath. If she thought she was scared a minute ago, it paled to how she felt now. Her legs trembled and her breath hitched. She had convinced herself the first time was a dream.

“Are you okay?” Willa asked, their lips nearly touching.

“Yes.” Lee breathed, closing the last inch and touching her lips to Willa’s. She sighed at the softness and the gentle way Willa’s mouth moved against her. Willa’s hands slid down her arms and gripped her wrists gently placing Lee’s hands against her hips and Lee’s belly somersaulted at the feel of her.

Willa paused again and checked in. “Okay?”

“Yes.”

Lee felt tears prick behind her eyes at the okay-ness of it all when Willa’s lips found hers again and she relaxed against her, their breasts brushing against each other. Her belly fluttered and there was a pulsing tingle between her legs. Lee thought she might explode under the pressure of all the sensations and pulled away with a gasp.

Willa’s mouth curved up into a knowing smile and she opened her mouth to speak, but her gaze was drawn to something behind Lee. “What is that?”

“What?”

“I think there’s a boat out there still.” Willa picked her way down to the shore next to the boathouse, pointing out to the water just past the floating dock. “There.”

Lee moved to stand with her and switched the flashlight on again. The beam was weak that far out but lit up enough of the shadowy object to recognize one of the silver canoes, on its side and partially submerged. “Uh-oh.”

“Sharon Danforth is going to have a bird.”

Lee swept the beam back and forth over the water between the two docks and froze, her whole body going rigid. “Oh, my, god.”

“What?” Willa gasped.

“There’s someone in the water.” Lee kicked out of her shoes and stripped off her sweatshirt. “Will, go get help!”

“Lee, don’t.” Willa grabbed her arm.

“Go, Will. Now,” Lee shouted, splashing into the water up to her knees, hearing Willa take off down the road, yelling for help. She dove in.

She bumped into the body in the water before she realized she was right on top of it and came out of her stroke, gasping with exertion and fear. The body was face down, the skin cool and pale even against thin, light-colored pajamas.

She kicked hard, keeping herself upright as she struggled to turn the body over. She knew it was a girl as soon as she touched her and saw the mass of light hair fanning out over the surface and then across the girl’s face.

She gripped her across the chest like she’d been taught and side-stroked into shore. Through water streaming down her face she could see lights were coming on in several houses, doors banging open, and grown-ups pulling on sweatshirts and robes were running down to the shoreline to meet her.

Lee swam in until she could stand. She was breathing hard and gripping the girl under her arms, dragging her a few more steps before she heard the splash of feet in the water and the girl was pulled from her arms.

She staggered onto the bank and dropped to her knees in the grass, panting and shaking. She didn’t know who wrapped a blanket around her. She heard the frantic counting of someone beginning CPR, and the shouting of someone to get to a phone and call 911. There were noisy feet running up and down the gravel road all against the background of worried, panicked murmuring.

Her head jerked up at Willa’s anguished scream.

“Emily! Oh, god, Emily! Is she breathing? Oh, god, please, help her.”

“Someone go get the Dunns!” a voice shouted.

“I’ll get them.”

“I’ll go to the Chandlers.”

“We need someone out on the road to wait for the ambulance.”

“I’ll get my car.”

She didn’t remember anything after that.

Lee’s mouth was parched, her head ached, and her eyes felt heavy and burned when she tried to open them. Sunlight streamed in the window lighting up the room. She was in her parents’ room and she frowned in confusion before it all came rushing back. Fear crushed her chest and made it hard to breathe when she sat up. “Mom?” she croaked and cleared her throat. “Mom!”

Margaret Chandler flung open the bedroom door and raced to her daughter’s side, gathering her in her arms and holding her tight when Lee began to shake and sob. “Shhh, honey, it’s okay. I’m here,” her mother whispered and smoothed a hand over her hair.

“What happened? Was it Emily? Is she okay?”

Lee felt her mother tense and heard her sharp intake of breath.

“Yes, sweetheart, it was Emily.” Her mother’s voice trembled.

Lee pulled away, her eyes burning with tears. She met her mother’s own tear-streaked face. She looked past her mother to see her father, usually so strong and cheerful with his endless dad jokes and boundless energy, leaning in the doorway. His shoulders were slumped and eyes bright with grief. “Dad?”

Her father’s face crumpled and he began to cry. She had never seen her father cry. “Emily died last night. They did everything they could. She’d been in the water too long before you found her.”

“No.” Lee shook her head, looking between her parents, desperately. “I walked her home. She was at home.”

“We know,” her father said. “She was home. Her mom saw her to bed. She didn’t know Emily had left the house again. She didn’t go through the front door.”

Lee blinked at him through her tears. “Willa’s…win…window. I sometimes went in and out that way.”

Her father wiped tears from his face with the back of his hand. “I don’t know, baby,” he whispered.

Lee leapt of the bed, her father’s pajamas hanging off her ridiculously. “I need to see Willa.”

“I’m so sorry, honey.” Her mother wept. “You can’t.”

“What? Why?”

“She’s gone,” her father explained. “Their mother went with the ambulance last night and Willa and her father drove back home. The Danforths are going to pack up and close their cabin and drive their things back for them.”

“When can I see her?”

“I don’t know, honey, but we need to get back, too. I can’t reschedule my surgery and…” Her mother reached for Lee’s hand. “We’ll call them, okay?”

“Soon?” Lee pleaded. “I need to see Willa.”