When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 182

“April!”

Nelly barely had time to think. For a split second she thought she saw someone go under. Instinct took over. She ran straight for the water and dove in, not caring how cold or deep it was.

The shock of the icy lake hit her all at once. Water rushed into her mouth, burning as she swallowed it. Nelly could swim, but she was no athlete. She pushed herself forward anyway, her arms slicing through the water, legs kicking desperately toward the middle of the lake. That’s when she saw April, sinking fast, her body limp and drifting farther down.

April didn’t even fight. It was like she’d already given up.

Panic flooded Nelly, blurring her vision. She reached out blindly, fingers searching for any part of April she could grab. Her hand finally caught April’s arm, but just then, a sharp cramp seized Nelly’s leg, locking up her muscles and making it almost impossible to move.

“Help!” Nelly tried to shout, but water filled her mouth. She struggled to keep her head above the surface, but with April’s weight dragging her down, she just didn’t have the strength.

It felt like the lake had no bottom, and in the darkness, she couldn’t even tell which way was up anymore. She choked, swallowing more water, her chest burning, her body growing heavy. She started to sink, feeling her energy slip away.

Then, out of nowhere, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her up. She lost her grip on April, but suddenly she was above water, gasping for air.

She barely registered the pain in her lungs as she rasped, “April…”

Jonah was holding her, guiding her quickly to shore. He was soaked through, his face hidden in the shadows, but even drenched, his strength was obvious. He felt solid, steady, the kind of person you wanted beside you in a crisis.

As soon as Nelly reached the bank, she scrambled up on shaky arms, coughing hard. Jonah didn’t pause—he dove straight back in for April.

“Help!” Nelly screamed, her voice echoing across the empty park. It was so quiet here. Her throat burned from the water, every breath like broken glass in her chest.

Her hands shook as she fumbled for her phone, squinting at the dim screen, trying to call for help. But before she could dial, her phone lit up with an incoming call. Brody’s name flashed.

Nelly tried to decline the call, but her fingers were clumsy and wet. She hit answer by accident. At the same time, a warning popped up—her phone was about to die.

“Nelly, what are you doing? You’ve just been home two days and you’re already out all night, leaving Carrie alone?”

“Brody, I can’t talk right now…” Her voice broke into a coughing fit, raw and ragged.

“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Brody’s tone shifted, worry creeping in as he heard her struggle to breathe.

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