Luna Zahra

Chapter 10 - Stay

I had no clue how much time had passed in that immense darkness, but suddenly, my eyes fluttered open.

I gasped, taking in a deep breath only to be triggered into an intense coughing fit. My lungs felt like they were on fire. My ribs ached; my eyes burned. Why was it so fucking bright in here?!

It was so terribly bright and white wherever the hell I was, that my eyes not only burned, but were taking forever to focus. I started to panic from not knowing where I was or what the hell was going on, which only threw me back into a coughing episode.

It wasn't until my coughs died down that I realized I was laying in a bed, and there was someone saying something to me. The room was finally starting to come into focus, allowing me to see my surroundings. This must have been the infirmary.

"Zahra! Calm down! Lay back down! Please lay back down, you're going to hurt yourself! Someone get a nurse!" the voice was absolutely frantic, speaking fast and loud but in a deep, authoritative tone.

Seconds later, I realized it was Ryder.

My head snapped to the side to see him standing on the left side of the bed, his hands firmly placed on the mattress as he pleaded with me to calm down. Responding to his command, two nurses ran into the room with syringes in their hands, ready to knock me out if necessary.

Ryder raised a hand, silently commanding them to stop and wait for further instruction.

"What the hell is going on?" I finally asked, my eyes wide and wild.

The sound of my own voice startled me. It was strained, crackly, and nearly inaudible. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

Silence filled the room, "You don't remember?"

Ryder looked down at me, his turquoise eyes filled with fear and concern. I stared back at him and shook my head.

"Zahra..." he hesitated. "You were drowning. You almost died."

I froze. Drowning? Dying?

And then the memories hit me like a ton of bricks.

Surfing. Going out farther than I should've. Trying to catch a bigger wave than I was ready for. Being thrown off the board, unable to reach the surface. Fighting with the waves and the current, only to fail. Running out of air.

Ryder reached out and gently touched my arm, making me jump.

"How am I alive?" I finally asked. I really needed to know because I knew I should be dead. I felt it. I remembered it.

That's when one last memory flashed through my mind – the very last thing I remembered before blacking out...the hand. The hand on my wrist – I'd felt it. It was the only sense of comfort I had through that entire ordeal.

It suddenly all made sense.

"You saved me," I said to Ryder. It was a solid statement, not a question.

Ryder sighed, looking at me with sad eyes, "Of course I did, Zahra."

"Why?" I questioned once more. "Wouldn't your life be much simpler without me?"

The question was harsh, but sincere. I knew I had to be a huge pain in Ryder's ass.

He was quiet, seeming shocked by my question. He stared at me as if he wasn't sure if he'd heard me correctly, or perhaps, was wondering if I'd lost my mind.

"Of course I saved you," he responded a bit louder. "Why would you even ask me that? You're my mate, Zahra. There's hardly anything I wouldn't do for you. There's no way in hell I'd ever let something happen to you. The moment you were thrown off that board, my heart felt like it stopped, but I waited. I waited a whole minute hoping you'd resurface on your own, because I knew damn well that if I started out there to grab you, and you came up out of that water on your own, you'd be pissed. You'd think I saw you as defenseless or weak. So, for you, I waited, and now I can't stop kicking myself in the ass, because if I hadn't waited, you might not be in this damn hospital bed."