Damien
I waited, hoping to see signs of movement or something but nothing came.
In panic I stood up from my seat and walked towards the pool.
"Serena, Serena if this is a joke you better stop it now."
My breathing fell in ragged motion and the feeling that pooled at the floor of my stomach wasn't helping matters either.
"Serena this isn't funny." I hovered around the pool hoping for a sound, a bubble even or sights of Serena but I didn't see anything.
My heart was pounding so fast it almost drowned out my own thoughts. The water was too still, too calm.
Every second that passed without her coming up felt like a blade twisting deeper in my gut.
"Serena!" I shouted again, this time louder, the edge of fear breaking through my voice.
My eyes scanned every corner of the pool, searching desperately for a sign of movement—anything. Nothing. Fuck, time was going.
The sound of the water slapping gently against the tiles suddenly felt mocking, cruel even. I crouched down, trying to peer into the water, but the light only reflected my own face back at me. My eyes looked wide, tense, terrified.
I could hear my pulse ringing in my ears now.
"Serena!" I yelled again, voice cracking. Still nothing.
I didn't think anymore, I just moved. The chair I'd been sitting on clattered backward as I dove straight into the pool. The cold water hit me hard, stealing the breath right out of my lungs, but I didn't care.
My body cut through the surface, and I opened my eyes, searching wildly through the blur.
At first, all I saw were shifting patterns of light, the distortion of ripples and bubbles floating past.
Then through the haze, I saw her. Her body sinking, hair floating like a cloud around her face, unmoving.
Fuck.
Kicking hard, I pushed myself downward, arms slicing through the water. My lungs screamed for air, but I ignored it. All I could think about was getting to her. My hand reached her arm first, cold and limp.
I grabbed her and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Come on, come on," I muttered through the muffled water, as if she could hear me. My muscles burned as I kicked toward the surface, dragging her with me.
The second we broke through, I sucked in air like I'd been starved of it for hours. I dragged her to the pool's edge, lifting her head above water with one arm as I reached for the ledge with the other.
"Serena, stay with me!" I shouted, hauling her out of the pool. Water poured off us in streams, splattering onto the titles. Her body was limp in my arms, her head titled to the side, her skin pale and glistening under the lights.
Panic clawed at my chest. "No, no, no…come on, Serena." My voice was hoarse. I pressed two fingers to her neck. It was faint, almost impossible to feel. My jaw tightened, I couldn't lose her. Not here. Not like this. Not ever.
I titled her head back, trying to remember the damned CPR training I'd gotten years ago.
"Breathe, Serena," I muttered as I sealed my lips over hers and gave her two steady breaths. Her chest lifted slightly. Then I pressed my palms to her sternum and started compressions; counting under my breath, my movements frantic but steady.
"One.. two… three…"
Nothing.
"Don't you dare die on me," I hissed through gritted teeth and pushed again. Images from my childhood came flashing back. "Fuck, not now. Not now please."
My hands were trembling now but I didn't stop. I gave another breath, water trickled out of the corner of her lips and then, finally, a cough.
It was faint at first, but then it grew into a choke. Relief closed me so fast it almost made me dizzy. She coughed again, rolling on her side as more water spilled from her mouth.
"Hey, hey, easy," I said, my voice was low but urgent. I supported her frame, holding her up so she wouldn't slip. Her breathing was shallow, uneven, but she was breathing. That was all that mattered right now.
Her eyes fluttered open for a brief second, dazed and unfocused. "D… Damien?"
"Yeah," I said, exhaling shakily. "I'm right here."
For a long moment, I just held her, unable to shake off the feeling of how close that had been—how close I'd come to losing her.
The water around us shimmered, the air was thick with tension and disbelief. My shirt clung to my body, my pulse still hammering in my ears.
She looked fragile in that moment, stripped of her usual fire, and something inside me twisted painfully at the sight.
I wanted to say something. To scold her, maybe, or demand what the hell she was thinking, but the words wouldn't come.
Instead, I just sat there, my chest heaving, staring down at her, watching as she tried to steady her breathing.
The mansion was dead silent now. No staff. No sounds. Just us, and the sharp, lingering reminder of what almost happened.
I brushed a wet strand of her hair from her face, my voice barely a whisper. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
But she didn't answer. Her eyes fluttered closed again and my heart sank.
Quickly, I lifted her off the ground and hastily carried her back into the mansion. I could hear my heart beating against the frenzy of my movements.
She must have come down with something. Being inside the pool that long could have made her sick. What the fuck was I thinking the first time? I should have carried her inside since and found a doctor.
"Who else is in this fucking house?" My voice echoed through the rooms.
"Stephan where the fuck are you?" I called out to my butler who came running immediately.
"Call the doctor and tell him to come now. I do not give a fuck if he has to fight through the blizzard. Tell him I'll triple his fees and please tell Mary to prepare hot water and hot tea and bring it to my room immediately. If she wastes even a second, she's fired. Tell the other servants to be on standby."
"Yes milord…" he said and ran off.
I could still feel Serena's pulse as I carried her to my room. Let her be okay lord, let her be okay.