Unwed 💍

Chapter Eleven: That'll Be The Day

As soon as Izzy's feet brushed the rough sand beneath her, she sprang up on weak legs, wrestling herself out of the man's choke-hold. She spun around to face him—quickly realizing how tight the wet dress was against her body. Gasping, she turned around again, pulling it away from her chest and stomach. With an embarrassed groan, she forced herself to face him again.

He stood waist deep, chest heaving, trying to catch his breath. His dark eyes glared at her, as he tried to wring the lake water out of his shirt. "What were you doing way out there? Trying to kill yourself?"

"Certainly not!" Izzy scowled, sloshing past him towards the shore. She shot him an equally dark look. "I was actually trying to save someone else."

The man turned and followed, his hand coming down on her arm. "Someone else was with you? Are they still out there—in the water?"

Izzy turned. His face was painted with concern. Now that he wasn't glaring, she found he was quite handsome—in a rugged sort of way. He wasn't clean cut and dreamy-eyed like Donny. More like one of those guys from the other side of the tracks that most girl's parents steered them clear from.

"She's safe now," she said, feeling sheepish under his stare.

His eyes glided over her, making Izzy wrap her arms self consciously across her chest.

"What were you two women doing out there?" He questioned, his dark brows dropping as he surveyed the shore.

Izzy had traveled quite a ways with the current from where they'd gone in. She must have rounded the edge of the peninsula. There was no sign of Gloria or Rita.

"Three. Three women, and we were swimming," she quipped, anxious to get back to the other girls. It had to have been an hour already.

"In that?" His eyebrows raised at her current attire.

Izzy's mouth opened to reply, but there wasn't any decent explanation to give. Her cheeks reddened as she turned away, her feet fumbling over the loose rocks on the beach. She prayed that he wasn't staring at her wet behind. The dress was sticking to her. She pulled it away, only to have it glued to her again.

"Not even a thank you?" the man called behind her. "After all, I saved your life!"

Please don't follow me, Izzy pleaded under her breath. The last thing she needed was for the man to see where she was headed. Glancing back, she breathed a sigh of relief as he headed back the other way.

It was slow going as she navigated over the stones along the shore. Her bare feet were throbbing when she rounded the bend and spotted Gloria and Rita on the shore, both looking distraught.

"Over here!" she yelled, waving her hands.

The two turned and looked at her, frozen for a second, their faces pale like they'd seen a ghost. With sudden elation, they raced towards her. "Oh my god, Izzy!" Rita burst out, her eyes red with tears. "I thought you were dead!"

She threw her arms around Izzy, sobbing uncontrollably on her shoulder.

Gloria came up behind them, her eyes swollen—nose red. "I'm so sorry." Her eyes shifted to her feet. "I was joking. I never meant for this to happen—I swear."

Izzy patted Gloria's shoulder once Rita had pulled away. "It's alright," she said simply. "Just please don't ever do that again." 

"Oh, she won't," said Rita, shooting Gloria a threatening look. "I think she's learned her lesson. We were about to go back and report you missing. Think how terrible that would have been! Sneaking out here was a horrible thing to do."