Wake (Watersong Novels) Page 9

  Harper thought about arguing with that, but she just nodded. The urge to panic was all but taking over, and it was hard for her to keep from sobbing. She did need somebody less frantic to help her.

  Daniel went belowdecks and came back up a minute later. A minute that felt like hours to Harper. Hours she spent staring out at the dark sea around them, wondering if Gemma’s body was floating out in it somewhere.

  “Okay,” he said as he pulled a T-shirt over his head. “Let’s go.”

  He jumped onto the dock first, then took Harper’s hand to help her off the boat. When he’d fished her flip-flip out of the water, she’d protested, but Daniel insisted that it would slow her down if she had to hobble around without it.

  “Where do you want to look?” Daniel asked as they walked up the dock, back toward land.

  “I think we need to check the shore.” She swallowed hard, realizing what she was suggesting. “She may have washed up…”

  “Is there a certain part that she likes more?” Daniel asked. “Maybe somewhere she would have gone to rest if she got too tired for the ride home?”

  “I don’t know.” Harper shook her head and shrugged. “I thought she might’ve gone to your boat, since she trusts you. But … I don’t know. I have no idea what she could’ve been doing out all night on the water.

  “Well, I do have ideas.” She sniffled and rubbed her forehead. “The only things I can think of aren’t pretty, though. She has no good reason to be out here. Gemma would only stay if something bad happened or if somebody hurt her.”

  “Hey.” Daniel touched her arm, causing Harper to look up at him. “We’ll find her, okay? Just think about places she would go if everything was all right. What does Gemma do out here? Where does she go?”

  “I don’t know!” Harper repeated, exasperated and terrified. She looked away from him and out at the bay, trying to think. “She loves coming out here to swim at night. She likes to go out past that rock over there.”

  She pointed to a huge rock in the water on the other side of the bay. Harper and Gemma had had a few races to that rock, with Gemma always coming out the winner.

  “She likes the other side of the bay more?” Daniel asked.

  “Kind of,” Harper admitted. “Tourists and boats don’t go out there because of all the rocks, and she likes how deserted it is.”

  “So if she was going to take a break, it would be over there.”

  “Yes!” She nodded excitedly, realizing what that meant. “When she drives, she parks over there, by the cypress trees.”

  It would be faster to drive over there than to walk, so Harper ran back out to her car, with Daniel close behind. To get around the bay, Harper drove as fast as she could, which meant running a few stop signs and cutting across the grass.

  Once she got to the beach, she was grateful that Daniel had rescued her flip-flop. The shore was covered in sharp rocks, and it would’ve been nearly impossible to navigate barefoot. Or at least it would’ve been for her. Harper knew the rocks would not have intimidated Gemma.

  She made it out to the edge of the shore, past the trees, so she could have a clear view of the coastline all the way down to the cove. Daniel came up behind her and pointed to a blob of black a ways down.

  “What’s that?” he asked, but Harper didn’t wait to answer.

  She went so fast she tripped on the rocks a few times and fell once, tearing open her knee. Daniel followed her as quickly as he could, but he moved at a more cautious pace.

  When she was close enough that she could tell for sure, Harper started calling out Gemma’s name. She could see it was her sister, lying on her back and tangled in something that resembled a gold fishing net. But Gemma didn’t respond.

  TEN

  Hangover

  “Gemma!” Harper screamed and collapsed next to her sister, ignoring the rocks stinging her skin. “Gemma, wake up!”

  “Is she alive?” Daniel asked, standing behind Harper and staring down at Gemma.

  It really didn’t look good. Gemma’s skin was drained of color, so she looked almost blue. Bruises and scratches covered her arms, and blood had dried on her temple. Her lips were chapped and dry, and seaweed entangled her hair.

  And then, even though Harper didn’t really think she would, Gemma groaned and turned her head to the side.

  “Gemma.” Harper brushed back the hair from Gemma’s forehead, and her eyes fluttered open.

  “Harper?” Gemma asked, her voice coming out in a croak.

  “Oh, thank God.” Harper let out a deep breath, and relieved tears filled her eyes. “What happened to you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Wincing as she moved, Gemma tried to stand, but the rocks were too uneven. When she started to stumble, Daniel put his arm underneath her legs and scooped her up. Gemma shifted and tried to hang on to him for support, but her arms were too tangled up in the mesh wrapped around her.

  “Let’s get her back to the car,” Harper suggested, and Daniel nodded.

  Once the realization that Gemma was alive had settled in, Harper wanted to sob and scream at her. But Gemma still seemed so weak and out of it that she didn’t want to interrogate her.

  Harper had parked as close as she could get, which meant that she’d parked on the unruly beach grass lining the shore. Daniel set Gemma down on her feet once they got to the car, and she managed to stand up on her own. The mesh was pretty tangled around her, and Harper and Daniel intervened to help her get it off.

  “What is this?” Harper asked. “Did you get caught in a fishermen’s net? Is that what happened to you?”

  “This isn’t a net.” Daniel shook his head. Once they’d gotten Gemma free from it, he ran it through his hands, admiring the strange texture of it. “At least not any net I’ve ever seen.”

  “No, it’s not a net.” Gemma put her hand on the car to steady herself and leaned against it. “It’s a shawl or something.”

  “A shawl?” Harper asked. “Where did you get a shawl?”

  Gemma grimaced, hesitating before she reluctantly admitted, “Penn.”

  “Penn?” Harper was nearly shrieking. “What the hell were you doing with Penn?”

  “You really should stay away from those girls,” Daniel said solemnly. “They are … there’s something off about them.”

  “Believe me, I know,” Gemma muttered.

  “So what were you doing with them?” Harper asked. “What did you do last night?”

  “Can we talk about this later, please?” Gemma begged. “My head is pounding. My body hurts all over. And I’m so thirsty, it’s unbelievable.”

  “Do you need to go to the hospital?” Harper asked.

  Gemma shook her head. “No, I just need to go home.”

  “If you’re fine, then you’re going to tell me what’s going on.” Harper crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I was out swimming last night, and…” Gemma trailed off and stared at the sun rising over the bay, as if trying to remember exactly what had happened last night. “I went out to the cove, and Penn, Lexi, and Thea were … partying out there.”

  “They were partying?” Harper asked, and now she was totally gobsmacked. “You partied with those girls last night?”

  “Yeah,” Gemma answered uncertainly. “I mean, yes. I think.”

  “You think?” Harper shook her head.

  “Yeah, they invited me to join them, and I just had one drink. But it must’ve been really strong. It was only one drink, I swear.”

  “You drank?” Harper’s eyes widened. “Gemma! You can get kicked off the swim team for that. And you have practice in an hour, which you clearly can’t handle today. What were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t!” Gemma yelled. “I honestly don’t know what I was thinking! I have no idea how any of it happened last night. I remember having one drink, and then I woke up on the rocks. I don’t know what happened, and I’m sorry.”

  “Get in the car,” Harper said through clenched teeth, too
pissed off to even yell.

  “I really am sorry,” Gemma repeated.

  “Get in the car!” Harper shouted, and Daniel flinched.

  “Thanks for … helping,” Gemma mumbled to Daniel and stared down at her feet.

  “No problem,” he said. She tried to open the car door and almost fell over, so he went over and held it open for her. “Get some rest and drink plenty of fluids. Hangovers are a bitch, but you’ll survive.”

  Gemma smiled thinly at him and climbed into the car. Once she was safely inside, he shut the door and turned his attention back to Harper. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she glared down at her sister in anger and disbelief, but when Daniel looked at her, she smiled sheepishly.

  “I’m really sorry for dragging you out to help me pick up my drunk sister. I mean, thank you. I appreciate it, but I’m sorry for bothering you.”

  “No, it was no bother.” Daniel grinned. “I was just thinking to myself how tedious it is sleeping in until after the sun comes up.”

  “Sorry,” Harper said again. “I should probably let you go back to sleep.”

  “All right.” Daniel nodded and took a step back from the car. “But take it easy on her, okay? She’s just a kid. They screw up sometimes.”

  “I didn’t.” Harper walked around the front of the car to the driver’s side.

  “Really?” He stopped to arch an eyebrow at her. “You never screwed up?”

  “Not like that.” She gestured to the car, where Gemma had her forehead resting against the glass. “I never stayed out all night or got drunk. I maybe overslept for school once.”

  “Oh, wow.” Daniel smirked and looked genuinely surprised. “That’s actually a little sad. I mean, good for you, not drinking. But a life without any mistakes? That doesn’t sound like any fun at all.”

  “I’ve had fun.” Harper bristled, and Gemma groaned in the car, interrupting her argument with Daniel. “I should really get home, though.”

  “Right, of course.” He gave her a small wave and backed away. “I won’t keep you from your duty.”

  “Thanks.” Harper smiled at him.

  As soon as she got in the car, her smile and any sense of happiness evaporated. Her relief at finding her sister alive had turned into full-blown anger.

  “I don’t understand how you could do this,” Harper said as she put the car in drive and pulled away from the bay. “Dad almost called out of work to look for you. He could’ve lost his job over this.”

  “I’m sorry.” Gemma squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead, as if she wished Harper would just stop talking.

  “Sorry doesn’t cut it, Gemma!” Harper shouted. “You could’ve died! Do you understand that? You almost did die. I don’t even know what happened or how you’re still alive. How could you do that? How could you put yourself in that situation?”

  “I don’t know!” Gemma lifted her head. “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t know?”

  “As many times as it takes until it starts making sense!” Harper shot back. “This isn’t like you. You hate those girls and you hate drinking. Why were you hanging out with them? Why would you risk yourself for people you don’t even like?”

  “Harper!” Gemma snapped. “I don’t remember last night. I don’t have any answers, no matter how many times or how many different ways you ask me. I already told you everything I know!”

  “You know you are so grounded, right?” Harper asked. “You’re never going to that bay at night again. You’ll be lucky if Dad even lets you go during the day.”

  “I know.” Gemma sighed and rested her head against the window again.

  “And I don’t know when you’ll be able to see Alex again,” Harper went on. “He was worried sick about you, too.”

  “He was?” Gemma looked over at Harper and brightened a little. “How did he know I was missing?”

  “I thought you might be with him, so I called and asked if he knew where you were. You’re supposed to call him when we get back.”

  “Hmm.” Gemma closed her eyes. “Maybe you should call him. I don’t feel much like talking right now.”

  Harper looked back over at her sister, softening with concern. If Gemma didn’t even feel up to talking to Alex, then something definitely had to be wrong.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Harper asked. “I can take you to the hospital right now.”

  “No, I’m just hungover and have some bruises. I’ll be fine.”

  “Maybe you should get some X-rays,” Harper said. “Those bruises might be worse than they look. And I don’t even know how you got them.”

  “I’m fine,” Gemma insisted. “Please take me home. I just want to sleep.”

  Harper still wasn’t thrilled about it, but Gemma was probably right. Since Harper’d had the chance to release some of her anger, she decided to let it go. If Gemma was sick, she didn’t need Harper yelling at her. So for now Harper would just take care of her.

  When they got home, Gemma went into the kitchen and got herself a glass of cold water from the tap. She proceeded to drink glass after glass, gulping it down so fast that water spilled down her chin.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Harper asked, watching her sister uncertainly.

  “Yeah.” Gemma nodded and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’m just really thirsty. But I’m better now.” She set the glass down in the sink and forced a smile at Harper.

  “Sit down, then. You need to get cleaned up.”

  Gemma pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and eased herself into it. Harper went into the bathroom and got a wet washcloth, antiseptic, and Band-Aids. When she came back, she knelt on the floor in front of Gemma, inspecting her cuts and scrapes.

  None of them looked too deep, which was the only good part. When Harper washed off a gash on her thigh, Gemma winced. Harper gave her an apologetic look and dabbed more carefully at it.

  “You don’t remember how you got any of these?” Harper looked up at Gemma, searching her expression for any clues about what had happened.

  “No.”

  “So you don’t know if the girls did this to you?” Harper asked, and Gemma shook her head. “Penn could’ve beat you up, then? And even if they didn’t, they left you to die in the bay, and you don’t even know why?”

  Just thinking about it made Harper so angry, she didn’t realize how hard she was scrubbing at Gemma’s cuts.

  “Harper!” Gemma grimaced and pulled back her leg.

  “Sorry.” Harper stopped cleaning the cut, and when she put a bandage over it, she was much more careful. “Maybe we should call the police on those girls.”

  “And tell them what? I accidentally drank too much and don’t remember what happened?” Gemma asked wearily.

  “Well…” Harper shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel like I should do something.”

  “You’re doing enough,” Gemma tried to reassure her. “And right now I just need to get some sleep.”

  “Don’t you want to shower first?” Harper asked as Gemma stood.

  “After I wake up.”

  Gemma gripped the table for support and slowly rose to her feet. Her hair was sticky from salt and dirt, and as Gemma walked past her, Harper plucked a bit of seaweed from the tangles of her hair.

  Gemma managed to get up the stairs, but Harper followed close behind, in case she slipped. Gemma changed quickly out of her bathing suit into clean underwear and a T-shirt, then collapsed into her bed.

  Once Gemma was tucked in safe and sound, Harper went to her room to make phone calls. She kept both their bedroom doors open, keeping an eye on Gemma, and she spoke softly on the phone so as not to disturb her.

  First she had to call her dad and tell him that Gemma was all right. He sounded as excited as Harper had been, and then just as pissed when he found out why Gemma had stayed out all night. Brian so rarely got mad at them it was easy to forget how terrifying he could be when he was angry.

  The other phone calls went
more quickly. She told Alex that Gemma was okay, and she called the coach at the school to tell him that Gemma wouldn’t be able to make it in today. After that, Harper decided to call in to work herself. Even though it probably was just a hangover, Harper didn’t feel right about leaving Gemma alone.

  With the calls out of the way, Harper sat down on the floor in the hallway, right outside Gemma’s room. From there she could see her sister sleeping. Gemma had her back to her, and the thin sheet covering her rose and fell with each breath.

  Even if Gemma hadn’t been sick, Harper didn’t know if she’d have gone to work. Facing the possibility of losing Gemma made it hard to be away from her.

  Sometimes Harper got so wrapped up in taking care of everything, her father and the house and making sure that Gemma was in line and safe, she forgot that she actually loved her sister. The truth was that Harper would be lost without her.

  ELEVEN

  Ravenous

  Gemma woke up late in the afternoon after her fever finally broke, and her thoughts were a bit clearer. Her dreams had been bizarre and excruciatingly vivid, but the instant she woke up, she forgot them all. All she knew was that they left her feeling gross and terrified.

  Harper doted on her, which made Gemma feel even worse. Harper and her dad worried so much, and Gemma never wanted to do anything to betray their trust. Staying out all night would leave her grounded for the summer and banned from Anthemusa Bay, on top of having scared the hell out of the two people she cared about most.

  The worst part was that she didn’t even know why she’d done it.

  She couldn’t remember anything at all after she’d drunk from the flask. It was all black until the morning, when Harper had found her on the shore. But even before that, before she’d had anything to drink, her memories felt strange and fuzzy.

  Gemma remembered going to the cove. In her mind, she could see what she’d done, but it was like watching a show about someone else. All the movements and actions—it was her body doing them, but it wasn’t her.

  Going to the cove and hanging out with Penn—those weren’t her decisions. Gemma would never drink, let alone do it because girls like Lexi pressured her to. She remembered doing it, but it wasn’t her. She would never do that.