Chapter 1625
Keegan was also swept about six feet away by the current.
With determined effort, Ste swam over and grabbed ahold of his cor.
It was impossible forthem tomunicate in the water. Moreover, it was
extremely difficult for Ste to support the weight of an adult male like Keegan
alone. She strived to keep both their faces above water as they followed the
current, trying to find a way to save themselves.
Fortunately, luck seemed to be on her side. It was not long before she came
across a branch floating in the river. With Keegan in her arms, Ste struggled
toward the floating piece of wood. In the end, they managed to grab ahold of it
and catch their breath.
“Keegan…” Ste’s voice quivered. She held back her tears and called out
urgently, “Keegan, don’t close your eyes! Stay awake! I can’t do this alone. Hold
onto the branch, and I’ll support you. We’ll climb up together.”
Keegan coughed out some water. His body was weakened by his injuries and
the cold. Nevertheless, Ste’s tears prompted him to summon thest of his
Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.
strength, and he nodded.
The couple clung tightly to the branch, slowly making their way upward.
Suddenly, they heard a snap and felt the wood sinking. They froze, as they were
afraid to make another move.
The branch was thin, as though it was toppled by the wind, with one end
submerged in the water and the other still connected to the bottom of a tree
stump. It was unstable and simply could not bear the weight of two adults.
Ste’s face went pale. There was nothing more despairing than finding hope
only to have it snatched away again. She suppressed her emotions and turned
to Keegan.
“The police will be here soon. Let’s hold on a little longer. They’re going to save
us,” she said.
“Okay,” Keegan managed to reply.
Ste averted her gaze, and tears were streaming down her face. She
swallowed her emotions and called out, “Help! Somebody, please help!”
The rushing water drowned out her cries long before they reached the
riverbank.
Keegan felt his body growing colder, and he was gradually losing his grip on the
wood.
“Ste, stop shouting for help. Conserve your strength,” he murmured.
Ste was in slightly better shape than Keegan, even though it was not by
much. While she was not injured, the frigid water and her skinny frame meant
that she would notst much longer. Her limbs were starting to grow numb, and
the branch asionally emitted a creaking sound. It could break at any
moment. At this rate, they were in their final stretch.
After a while, Keegan spoke again. “Ste, the branch might be able to support
your weight if it’s just you.”
Ste froze. “What are you saying?”
Keegan exhaled a breath of cold air. He could feel a freezing sensation in his
lungs with every breath he took. “I can’t hold on much longer. There’s a chance
that you can make it alone. I’m just a burden to you right now. I’ll let go and
swim downstream. There might bend down there. Meanwhile, you can climb
up the branch and be rescued…”
“Are you lying to me again?” Ste’s eyes reddened, as she cut him off. “You
said you would hide in the woods earlier. But that didn’t happen! You’re just
trying to get me to leave you. I bet you even don’t have a n! Plus, you don’t
know how to swim. You’ll die if you let go. Do you understand that?!”
“Didn’t you teach me how to swimst time? I know howto do it. I just choked on
the water earlier and didn’t react in time. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to
surprise you the next time we went swimming,” Keegan tried to reach out and
wipe her tears away, but his arm felt numb. “I swear I’ve learned how to swim.”
Ste did not trust him. She gritted her teeth and said, “I don’t believe a word
you’re saying! If you let go, I’ll go with you. We can die together!”