Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Panic flooded.
“Calliope!” Jaxson screamed and reached for her hand, but she saw the ground about to give way.
“Jaxson, step away,” she said. “You don’t want to get in here too.” According to the game she remembered, if she wriggled, she got sunk beneath the surface faster. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying not to wriggle or panic, or make any sudden movements.
“Calliope, what the fuck do I do?” he asked.
“You need to find something, like rope, so I can hold onto it, or tie it around me,” she breathed out.
It was getting harder for her to remain still as the panic was consuming her. Jaxson looked around, and then they both must have had the same thought come to mind.
“Backpack!” they both screamed in unison.
She tried to smile, but that fear was a pesky little devil, making it impossible for her to be happy. Tears filled her eyes. This was not how she wanted it to end. Looking at Jaxson, she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, being mated to him, having his babies.
They used to spend every waking moment together—Christmas, birthdays, all the festive occasions throughout the year. They hadn’t taken the time. She hadn’t stood, heavily pregnant in their kitchen, baking cookies, waiting for him to get home. They hadn’t sipped hot cocoa while watching it snow. They’d not made love in the heat of the summer, out in their yard. There was so much they hadn’t done.
“I’ve got it,” Jaxson said, pulling out the rope and coming toward her.
The ground was getting larger as it was starting to sink. He tossed the rope toward her. The first one didn’t even start to come close. She was sinking down. She had been at knee level, but now she was at hip level. He had to throw the rope four times until she finally caught the end.
Tying it around her body as best she could, Jaxson started to pull, only she was barely moving. It was like the ground was holding her in place. The moment he stopped trying to pull, the ground then pulled her under, until the water was suddenly at waist height.
She tried not to panic, but Jaxson wasn’t handling it. He kept trying to pull her out.
“Don’t go under, Calliope. Do not go under.”
Her neck was right at the surface, and she felt tears spring to her eyes, only she refused to panic. This is where it was going to end for her.
“You know, I would love to one day be making you dinner, and you come home, missing me. You can’t wait to see me, and you find me in the kitchen, cooking meatballs and spaghetti, your favorite. You put your hand on my hip, kiss my neck, and I know what you want. Only, our kids—two of them to start—scream ‘Daddy,’ and they want your attention.”
“Calliope?”
“I’d love for us to have a dozen kids. To have the house not know a moment’s peace, because of how many children we have. We’ll make our parents babysit when we want some time alone, but it won’t be often, because we love being part of a big family.”
“I want that,” Jaxson said.
“I want to spend Christmas and New Year’s with you. I don’t want another birthday to go by.” She sniffled. “You know, I sent them anonymously. I’ve been sending you birthday and Christmas cards ever since we had a falling out, and I just couldn’t bring myself to stop. I love you, Jaxson, and I would love to be mated to you for the rest of our lives.”
Calliope didn’t know what happened. One moment, she was about to sink beneath the quicksand, with no hope. But instead, she was shot out and landed on her back on the now-hard earth.
She groaned and looked up. Jaxson was on her, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly, loving her.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “You had the rope, and I should have been able to pull you out, and it shouldn’t have been able to pull you under. Calliope?”
She cupped his face and stared up into his eyes. “It’s changing. It’s making us face the facts we’ve been trying to avoid.”
“What?”
“We’re destined to be mated, and it is putting us in challenging situations. Our games were easy. They were child’s play. Talking about our feelings, and knowing what we want, being honest with each other, that is a whole different kind of game.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “And I meant everything I said, Jaxson. I love you, and I do want a long future with you.”
****
Jaxson looked into the fire and then toward Calliope. They had already eaten their food, and it was getting dark. Actually, there was no getting dark about it. It was already dark.