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“What happened?” Howie held her hands, noting the dilated pupils and the way her teeth chattered in the warm sunlight. Shock.

Reena’s gaze was locked on the waterfalls and the men that milled around them. “Brian,” she whispered. “Where’s Brian?”

Howie sighed. He was hoping she’d be too shocked to remember. “He’s looking for…for the body.”

Would the tears never come? Reena thought, disgusted with herself. She’d killed a woman, one who’d never done her any wrong. “Oh, god. Howie, I killed her. How could I have done it?”

He wrapped the blanket tighter around her and led her over to a large boulder, nudging her onto it. “Reena. Look at me.” He shook her hands. “Reena.” When her eyes finally met his, he could see the shock had dulled. “You didn’t kill Juliet. You told the police she tripped. Is that true?”

Her breath shuddered in and out. “Howie, I’m a murderer.”

“Did she trip?”

Reena swallowed painfully and hated the taste of guilt. “Yes. But don’t you see? She wouldn’t have tripped if I hadn’t hurt her. It’s my fault she’s floating in there somewhere.”

When her gaze would have returned to the waterfalls, Howie knew he would have to be harsh. Sometimes, he thought, it sucked to do the right thing. “Reena Phillips. You did not kill anyone. Juliet tripped and fell. It was an accident. Do you understand?”

His voice was sharp and made her wince. “Yes.”

“I want you to sit right here and don’t move. If you even think about moving, I’ll have you arrested.” Howie straightened. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move a muscle.”

Howie headed over to the members of the rescue team who were standing ashore. The rest had gone into the water and were scouring the river for Juliet. He was hoping they’d dragged Brian out of the water. From what he could tell, Reena had called Howie as soon as Juliet had fallen, and Brian had dived in after her. Guilt, Howie thought, could be a killer.

“Mr. Dorough.” One of the officers shook his hand. “We haven’t found her yet. The current is moving fast, and we’re thinking the body drifted downstream.”

“Why is Brian Littrell still in the water?”

“I’m not.”

Howie turned to watch Brian stand from his perch on a rock. His hair was wet, and a blanket was wrapped around him. His lips were still tinged with blue from the cold, but Howie was relieved to see him out of the water. Safe and alive.

“You shouldn’t have gone into the water in the first place,” Howie told him. “You could just easily have been the one we’re looking for, too.”

Brian shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.” His gaze swept the water. “I shouldn’t have broken her heart, Howie.”

“It’s in the past, Brian. What happened was nobody’s fault. Besides, Juliet could still be alive. She may have swam onto the bank and passed out.” Even as he said it, he knew it was doubtful. No one could survive the force of the water at the bottom of the waterfalls. The suction would kill a strong man so easily. “Come on.”

Brian looked at him. “Where?”

“Over here. To the side. Don’t worry,” he said, seeing Brian’s expression. “We’ll be near enough to know what happens.”

Brian didn’t want to but followed Howie, his eyes still trained over his shoulder at the water’s edge. He wanted to pray, but he couldn’t think of anything to say that would encompass the incredible need he had to see Juliet alive. He’d never forgive himself if she hadn’t survived.

“Brian!” Reena’s arms were around him before he’d even had time to see her. He wanted to lean into her, let her comfort him. Instead, his arms fell to his side.

Howie made them both sit, and neither spoke. Reena was worried at the blank look on Brian’s face when he’d seen her, and Brian was focused wholly on Juliet.

“Brian, I-” Reena began, but she was cut off by a shout.

“Howie! Brian!” One of the rescue team waved to them. “I think you need to come down here.”

Both men leapt up, and Reena rose to follow them. Brian turned back to her, and the look in his eyes froze her to the spot. “Don’t.”

Nodding numbly, she sank back onto the boulder. She’d thought the fear she’d been feeling was more than she’d ever feel, but she’d been wrong. Reena was horrified of the cold look in Brian’s eyes. He blamed her, she thought. And how foolish of her to realize she was in love with him at the instant before her heart was ripped to pieces.

The weeping she heard was not her own. When her head turned, she saw the ripple of a full-skirted gown and the tearful face of a young woman.

I’m sorry. The words sounded in her head. Why is it we always love what seems so hopeless, so impossible?

“I don’t know,” Reena whispered in response. “I don’t know.”

When she blinked again, the woman was gone. Reena pressed a hand to her heart, where the ache was nearly unbearable, and watched Howie return to kneel in front of her.

“They’ve found her,” Howie told her. “She’s alive, but barely. The rescue team is taking her to the hospital as we speak.” The roar of a helicopter sounded, and both watched as it lowered to the opposite end of the falls.

Reena reached out a hand to Howie’s. “Brian,” she whispered. “Where’s Brian?”

Howie squeezed her hand. “He’s going with her.”

***

“Wait, what?” Gwen was sure she hadn’t heard properly.

Kevin didn’t spare her a glance as he waited for his daughter to collect her things from Gwen’s apartment. “Juliet tripped and fell into the waterfalls. They just found her and took her to the hospital.”

“Oh, my…Is she going to be okay?”

He sighed. “I don’t know. Howie said they’re giving her a ten percent chance of living.” He looked up into Gwen’s horrified eyes and fought back the urge to take her in his arms and assure himself that she was okay. When he’d heard that Juliet had fallen, he’d immediately needed to find Kirby and hold onto her. Now, he felt the need to do the same with Gwen. But he remembered the spell. “Reena and Brian were there when she fell.”

“They—what? But they’re okay, right?” They had to be okay, Gwen thought frantically. Reena had to be okay or she didn’t know what she’d do.

Kevin softened enough to lay a hand over hers briefly. “She’s okay.”

“I’m ready!” Kirby announced hurrying to the door, and Kevin let go of Gwen’s hand. “Ready, Dad?”

He forced himself to look away from Gwen. “Yeah. Let’s go.” He followed Kirby out the door and didn’t bother to look back.

Gwen watched them go and felt as though her heart had been stomped on. Had it been her imagination or had Kevin seemed distant? He hadn’t kissed her and, except for that briefest of touches on her hand, hadn’t touched her. In fact, he’d barely looked at her. Was he rethinking his feelings about her after she’d told him about her past?

She sank onto the couch, dread filling her. She didn’t think she could bear losing him, but she was afraid that’s what was happening.

“Gwen.” Her name was a whisper on Reena’s lips as she stumbled in the door.

Gwen leapt up, all thoughts of Kevin forgotten. “Reena!” She enveloped her sister in a fierce hug. “You’re okay! I heard what happened.” She helped Reena to her room. “You need to get out of these wet clothes and lay down.”

“No. Gwen, it’s my fault.” Reena let her sister tug the wet clothes off.

“What? Oh, honey, it’s not your fault she fell.” Gwen dumped the clothes into the hamper.

Reena crawled under the covers of her bed, desperately needing to be warm. “Brian and I were in a cove, and we were…we were going to make love.” Thinking of it made her heart bleed fresh, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Juliet came, and it was awful. She ran, tripped, and fell. It’s my fault, and even Brian blames me.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Gwen sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair.

“Yes, he does. You didn’t see the look on his face, Gwen. He hates me,” she whispered, sleep drifting through her tired system. “I love him, and he hates me. How crazy is the world that things like this happen? This was supposed to be my safe place. My happy place…”

Gwen listened to her breathing even and let her own tears fall. “Oh, honey. You and me, both.”

***

He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting by her bedside, but a glance out the window showed him that night had fallen. The respirator was keeping Juliet alive, and he could only pray that her lungs would recover. He knew he’d never be able to live with himself if she died. It was a miracle that she was alive, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet.

If only he hadn’t left her, Brian thought for the thousandth time. He should’ve been able to control his feelings for Reena, but he hadn’t. Now, Juliet was in the hospital, fighting for her life. And it was his fault.

“Brian.” The hand that rested on his shoulder was gentle. Christine gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze though her face was grief-ravaged. “You need to take a break.”

He shook his head. “I can’t. Not until Juliet wakes up.”

Christine looked down at the woman she’d considered her best friend for twenty years. “Brian, she’s not going anywhere. She’d understand if you left for a few minutes.”

“Christine, I can’t.”

When he resisted, Christine sighed. “Listen, I need to talk to you. I’m in this room illegally, since the limit is one person. Can you please oblige a pregnant woman and just come out into the hall?”

Brian rubbed his hands over his face. “I—okay.” He followed her out and waited until she’d sat in a chair. “What is it?”

“I don’t want you to blame yourself for what happened. Please.” She held out a hand.

He shook his head but, taking her hand, sat in the seat next to hers. “Chris, I’m the reason why she was at the Falls. Callie told her I was up there, and Juliet went. I broke her heart yesterday, and she didn’t deserve seeing me with Reena that way.”

“Be that as it may, you have to know by now that you can’t make yourself feel something for someone. Juliet loves you. No, let me finish,” she said when he began to protest. “Jules loves you, but I knew you didn’t love her. I’ve told her that, and she clung to the hope that you would love her one day. Don’t blame yourself for feeling something for Reena Phillips and acting on it, Brian. Juliet is responsible for her feelings and knew that she was setting herself up for heartbreak every time she tried to convince herself that you loved her.” Christine squeezed his hand. “She’d hate it if you blamed yourself because, deep down, she knows the truth. And she doesn’t blame and wouldn’t blame you.”

But he would blame himself, Brian knew. Because he truly believed that he was at fault. There were so many if’s running through his brain, and he wished he could turn back time and fix things. But he couldn’t. So he would sit with Juliet until she could survive without machines again, though the doctors didn’t believe she’d make it through the night.

He would pray. He would pray that she could find the strength to pull through, and that he would find the strength to stay away from Reena.