Stealing Kisses

Chapter 31

Faith POV: 

For the first time in our history, Tim is taking me on a date... a true, old fashioned date. He told me to wear something nice and to be ready by six o'clock, but he didn't offer anything more. I stare in the mirror at my long white sundress, wondering if it's too fancy or not fancy enough. I run my hands over the fabric, remembering wearing it for my last album photoshoot. I put on a pair of wedges, stuffing flip-flops in my purse. 

I drive to the address he texted me, recognizing a few of the turns. I pull up to the property, feeling slight disbelief. I pull onto a gravel road, seeing rolling hills. A house should be nested among the hills, along with a barn and horses roaming the property, but it appears as if nothing has been built here... yet. 

I see his truck parked by a pond, leading me down the road. I pull up beside his truck, fighting a smile as I see a blanket laid out by the pond with wine and a picnic basket. He emerges from his truck, opening up my door for me. He wears a bright white dress shirt and jeans, his shoes laying beside the blanket. He lifts me out of my SUV, making me laugh, as he carries me toward the blanket. 

"You look stunning." He says as he sets me down. I smile toward him, before sitting down. He pours two glasses of wine, before sitting down beside me. "So, you recognize the spot?" He questions. I grin, nodding as I look around the pond. 

"The house would be right there, right?" I let out, motioning toward the hill behind us. He nods, smiling toward it. In every single memory, we've had a house on this plot of land. "God, it's beautiful." I release, smelling the magnolia in the air. He takes a sip of his wine, before looking my way. "What?" I say, as he shrugs. He pushes my hair behind my ear, before looking around the property. 

"I don't know. It's just, I see everything a little clearer here." He lets out, as I smile his way. "Do you ever just wish that we could disappear into that world for a little bit?" He asks quietly, as I shrug in response. I watch the sun begin to set over the hill. 

"I do." I release after a moment's thought. 

"I remember we skinny dipped in there." He says, looking at the pond while I laugh. He keeps his eyes on the water, before standing up. He begins unbuttoning his shirt, as I watch him carefully. 

"You did not get me out here, all dressed up, to go skinny dipping." I say, as he kicks off his jeans. He pulls down his boxers, and starts confidently toward the water. 

"I'm perfectly fine swimming alone." He shouts, before jumping off a small dock. I watch as he rises to the surface, smoothing back his hair. He watches me, seeming to have a standoff. "You're really not going to jump in?" He lets out as I shake my head. He frowns playfully, narrowing his eyes at me. I reach for the zipper of my dress, pulling it down, before standing and slipping it off. I start toward the water, hearing him pipe out. "I'm pretty sure skinny dipping occurs buck naked." He says, as I cock my head, fighting a smile. I unhook my bra, tossing it on the blanket along with my underwear. "Much better." He remarks, as I step onto the wooden dock. I jump out as far as I can, attempting to splash him. 

The warm water of the pond is now ice cold, as I hang upside down, trying to pry off whatever is keeping me locked in. Tim emerges, pulling on what appears to be a seatbelt. He pries at it, before trying to tear the buckle. It refuses to give way, as he swims up. 

Panic hits me as I start to worry he's going to leave me to drown. He returns a moment later, trying now to force the belt over my head. It is far too tight to budge, causing him to grow frantic. He grabs my legs, trying to pull me through, but he simply can't. He goes up for air once more, before the car suddenly shifts. 

He is in a frenzy, searching the car for something he can use to cut the belt. He grabs a rough shard of glass, repeatedly dragging it along the belt. It slowly begins to fray. He struggles to catch his breath. He tears the last piece, quickly grabbing me and pulling me up above the rising water. He gasps for air, watching me closely. 

"Faith, breathe..." He says, while I'm limp in his arms. He looks down, noticing that we'll have to duck underwater to get out of the flipped over car. He breathes deeply, knowing that he needs to get me to land immediately so he can begin CPR. He clings to me tightly, before taking one last breath. He dives down, quickly going to the busted out window that allowed the water in. The current fights him, as he gets his waist through the window. The car shifts again, this time moving entirely since we no longer weigh it down. He tries to push off the car, before feeling his foot catch on the window. The car begins to roll, crushing his leg against the bottom of the river. He tries to free his ankle, but the pain is excruciating. His hands slip off of me, causing him even more panic. The current pulls me away, out of his reach, as he remains stuck at the bottom of the river. 

I flail, feeling disoriented in the water. I don't know which way leads to the surface, as I panic, inhaling a mouth full of water. Tim pulls me above water, wrapping his arms around me as I try to gasp for air. He rests a hand on the back of my head, supporting me like a child as I cling onto him. I cough, as he holds me against his chest.