August 2

Lake Muskoka, Ontario

Watching Elle through the tinted lenses of my sunglasses, I smile to myself. She's bubbling with nerves and excitement, jittery with it too. I let her excitement and energy roll over me, lifting my own spirits with it.

Facing backwards, facing the stern of the boat in the hot summer sun, I watch her; I watch my friends gravitate towards her, around her.

"You doing okay, Grey?" Ry's quiet murmur is meant only for me.

I shrug, but respond when he nudges me. "Better than yesterday, at least. You?"

Ry's silence worries me enough that I turn around to face him and push my sunglasses onto my head. "Ry?"

"Better than yesterday."

It's not saying much for either of us. Yesterday had been our worst day at the hospital and it was becoming clearer and clearer Liam was fading away, right in front of our eyes.

Yesterday, he told us he didn't want to stay in the hospital anymore. He didn't want to keep fighting.

Even with Elle's hand in mine, her reassuring smile, comforting presence, and compassionate eyes, there was nothing that could have prepared me for that moment.

It already feels like a hundred years ago, that Ry and I had wept in the parking lot. Elle's tears were silent as she'd pushed them away to comfort us. The only reason I knew she'd been crying was the tear streaks through her makeup.

She just stood there, hugging us both as we'd wept. Something about the way Liam looked, so hopeless, so miserable had chewed me up. Sam's eyes were red rimmed, swollen, like she'd been crying for hours, maybe days.

Elle simply weathered the storm, whispering soft reassurances until we'd calmed down enough to stand and get in the car. She held both our hands for the entire ride back north. Ry managed the drive home.

Before I even had a chance to adjust to Liam's decision, Liam's mom called this morning.

They're moving him up north with some nursing staff for at home care until, well until. They'll arrive Saturday morning.

"I quit my job, Grey. I'm going to spend the rest of the summer with Liam and Sam."

I nod, I wanted to do the same, but the small family business couldn't handle losing it's only full-time employee. "I can't quit, not straight up, but I've switched to part time, and Elle's going to help me split shifts, so will Hunter. Hud's offered to help, too. I'll be there as much as I can."

At least I'll be busy this week, to keep my mind off things. I'm on horse show duty with Elle, since her folks are heading to visit Wes and Logan at camp.

And today, both Elle and Theo insisted that I need something to take my mind off my grief, that I take some time to be happy. They'd suggested a day of cliff jumping, picnicking in the boat, then skiing and wakeboarding. It sounded like a good idea, at least before I got Jacqueline's call.

So, here we are, floating at the end of Ry's dock, waiting for his sister.

When Sarah finally jumps in, wearing a skimpy little bikini, she hugs Elle, then waves at the rest of us. Every time I see her, I'm slapped in the face by how much she's changed from brat to babe. Shit.

If I were her brother I'd lock her up, knowing exactly what boys like us think about girls who look like that. I glance at Elle, hypocrite; I think to myself. I'm thinking the exact same things about her.

Elle climbs onto my lap for the fast ride to Brydons Bay, and I sigh contentedly. Just her presence puts me at ease. I rest my head against her chest and close my eyes, listening to her friendly conversation with Sarah. I can see the bond the two of them have built over these past weeks, and I'm happy for it.

The splash of the anchor wakes me up, and Theo reverses the engine, helping it to catch on the rocky bottom. Hud's the first to hit the water, "Last one up's a rotten egg!" He shouts, swimming to the rock wall and scrambling quickly up the cliff face, followed by Theo.

Ryan and I make slower progress, helping Elle and Sarah. Sarah's nervous, planning to jump from the highest point this time, and it's slow going as she stalls, repeatedly.

We make it to the top and Ryan pulls out his dorky, waterproof camera, the kind you get developed in a store, later. He and Elle have bonded over their obsession with photos.

I hadn't even noticed it looped into his pocket. He snaps pictures of Elle and Sarah, then we pass the camera around, taking pictures of all of us. Hudson and Theo join in when they climb back up after their first jump.

I feel my heart lifting when I finally see Ry's smile bloom over his face as Elle wraps her arm around his neck, making a silly face for the camera. They get a few fun snaps of the two of them, then pull Sarah in so Elle can print a picture for her key chain from them.

I walk over, boosting Elle onto my back. Her arms squeeze tightly around my neck. I run my hands up and down her thighs, making sure she's hanging on tightly. I hear Ryan snap a picture, but I'm already running to the edge, jumping with her clinging to me.

We crash through the surface of the water and I pull her back up with me, pushing her towards the base of the cliff, pressing her against it, kissing her with the buzz of adrenaline singing through me.

Ry crashes into the water with a splash, surfacing just as we break apart.

I watch Theo next, he's got Sarah on his back, much like I'd done with Elle. Sarah's scream as he jumps is pure terror and I laugh when she surfaces sputtering, swimming towards the boat. "I'm done. You are never convincing me to do that one again."

Elle kisses me, "I'll go keep Sar company." She swims towards the boat, taking the camera from Ry as she passes him.

Hud, Ry, Theo, and I all climb back up, jumping several times. The rush and physical exertion push my grief away. By the time we return to the boat, Elle and Sarah are dry and laughing together lounging in the sun on the bow seats.

I walk over and shake my wet hair all over them, grinning at their squeals and laughter.

"Who's hungry?" Sarah opens the picnic basket Jill packed and we munch on sandwiches, fruit, and veggies. Ry passes out a bag of salty potato chips which are definitely a bigger crowd pleaser for the guys than the rabbit food.

I lean back, pulling Elle with me, taking a sip of her ginger ale. We sit, laughing, talking, teasing until my restlessness causes Elle to complain about my fidgeting.

"Let's get out of here, guys, head back to Ryan's so we can ski and wakeboard. We need to find Greyson some action. If I have to sit here bouncing on your lap as you twitch, I'm going to go nuts."

Once we get there, Hud tosses spare equipment onto the dock and jumps in the water with his own gear. Elle has to test the water again before getting in. Under our merciless teasing, she smiles, blushing. "It's deeper at Ry's. And rougher. It's obviously not the same temperature guys."

Not sure if that logic makes sense, I only shrug and tug at her hair gently, kissing her when he's looking up at me. "Whatever you say, Elle."

Kneeling on the back of Hud's big ski boat, she bends down to touch the water, ass high up in the air. She doesn't even know the effect her small body can have, and right now all I want to do is pull her onto my lap and kiss her. Instead, I step forward, blocking the view for Theo and Ry, who don't appear to notice but still, she's for my eyes only.

Hud splashes her, laughing, and she squeals. "Hudson, you stop it or I won't even practice with you."

Hudson grins sheepishly, waiting patiently as Elle gets ready. "Stand on the dock Elle, Theo's going to buzz by, slowing down a bit, and when I open my arm, you jump when I say, yeah?"

Elle bites her lip nervously, but nods, climbing from the back of the boat onto the dock.

I tip her chin up for a quick kiss. "You've got this. Just trust Hudson, he'll catch you." I'm spotting, Theo's driving. Ry's lounging. Sarah's cheering Elle on from the dock.

"Hud are you sure you want to try this without lifejackets?"

He looks over at me, prepping for the dock start. "Well, we won't have them at the competition, and we've been practicing already with them on. We need to try it a couple times before the big day."

Shrugging, I go with it. I'm still imagining the disasters we're about to have on our hands. I've been picturing all the things that could go wrong. Not that I don't have faith in them, I'm sure they'll figure it out, but this is only Elle's third time trying moving tricks on skis, as opposed to the safety of the trampoline.

Hud pulls himself up behind the boat as Theo speeds up. We get up to speed, looping back around to the top of Ry's long dock.

Elle misses the timing on the first pass, bailing off the end of the dock rather gracelessly. Hud bails, laughing, but trying to give her a pep talk and I see his arms gesturing wildly as he describes what she should do. Sarah helps Elle back into position on the dock. Waving at us to go again. Take two.

This time, Elle commits to the leap, touching one hand to Hud's shoulder, and he grabs her, swinging her into his embrace and gripping the handle again. She wraps her legs around his waist, and we do a few loops as she tries a few basic moves.

I watch her confidence grow as Hud holds her securely. She's standing on his thighs, which are currently bent, nearly parallel to the water. With one of his hands helping her, she climbs around to sit on his shoulders. Her smile is a mile wide, when she settles herself, his hand gripping tightly to her thigh.

They continue practicing, trial and error, for several passes, until, finally Hud manages to get Elle up into the classic lift from dirty dancing. We've even got 'Time of My Life' playing.

The music is blaring out over our speakers and Hud grins at us. He's attached to the boat by a chest strap this time, both hands holding Elle above his head by her hips. I watch her wobble, wincing as she comes down hard in Hud's arms, elbows and legs flailing, hitting him on her way down. He somehow manages to stay steady on the skis, laughing like a lunatic.

Hud taps the top of his head, giving us the signal to kill the engine. He takes a break and the rest of us switch out, skiing, wakeboarding. Theo impresses us with his flips and jumps on the wakeboard. I convince Elle to let me try some of the tricks with her, pleased when she agrees without any hesitation.

She stands on the wakeboard deck as I start on the boom, slowly letting myself drift towards her on the rope. I open my arm and she leaps into my embrace, smiling at me. I grip the rope again with both hands, letting us out further along the wake until we're at the end.

I'm not as good, or stable as Hud and her added weight throws me off for a few minutes until I figure out my new center of gravity.

Wrapping her legs around my waist, I shout over the noise of the waves telling her to squeeze tightly. Her ankles lock behind my back and she squeezes me. Using one and on her lower back, I tell her to let go of my neck and lean backward, so her back will be parallel to the water. "I've got you," I promise.

She does, and I put the handle of the rope in her hands, "Hold on tight, I'm going to let go."

I raise my arms above my head, letting Elle's body tether me to the boat. God, she looks beautiful like this, arms above her head, her body pulled taught by the boat's momentum, her legs wrapped tightly around me.

With cheers from Sarah on the dock as we glide by, I squeeze Elle, "Drop the rope." Pulling her back up to my chest as we sink into the water.

After a break on the dock, lounging in the sun, Hud convinces Elle to have just one more go.

He pops in the detachable ski pole again, rather than using the taller tower for this trick. Dropping it into place easily before jumping back onto the deck.

They start from the dock this time, Hud sits down, skis resting on the water and Elle straddles his lap, shifting to wrap her legs around him. He gives her a boost, pulling her closer. Whistling that he's ready, Theo accelerates quickly, pulling them directly into a standing position from the dock.

Hudson shakes his hair from his face, and I watch him speak to Elle. Hudson clips the rope to the chest band he's wearing, so his arms are free.

Gripping Elle's hips, he twists her as she pushes off his bent knees, swinging her around to sit on his shoulders. We cross over someone's wake, it's rough and I hear a massive crack, or splinter, or something.

In absolute horror, frozen in place, I watch the pole rip out of the mounting at the stern, flying through the air towards Hud and Elle.

I shout his name to get his attention and he looks up. He tosses Elle from his shoulders, and she hits the water, hard. We're probably going thirty-five miles per hour and the water feels like pavement when you fall at speed.

Hud doesn't have enough time to block his face, and the pole seems to slam into the side of his head. I hear Elle scream as he goes down hard.

"Theo, circle around." I don't wait for him, instead, I grab a life jacket and dive off the back of the boat before he slows down, or even turns the boat.

- - -

As with my other 'too-long' chapter I decided to split this one in two! I hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. 

Please consider voting if you enjoyed it!

Xx Toria