Headlights lit up the beach as ambulances and police cars arrived. Paramedics swarmed the stretch of sand and I watched as they were told by several of the people at the party what they had seen. A paramedic approached Woods.
"You were one of the people who were in the water?" he asked.
"Yes," Woods replied.
"We need to check you out," he said.
"No."
I watched as the paramedic started to argue and stepped between him and Woods. "He's fine. If I think he needs medical attention I will make sure he gets it. Please, he needs to be left alone."
The man looked up at Woods and then back at me. "Okay," he said, then turned away.
"I'm not leaving until they've found him," Woods said.
I turned around and reached for his hand. He laced his fingers through mine. "Okay," I said. "We'll stay right here."
"You'll stay with me?" he asked.
"I'm not leaving your side."
"Thank you."
We sat there for the next four hours. Rush had brought Woods a blanket from one of the ambulances to keep him from getting cold since he was soaking wet. He didn't say anything, he just dropped it on his shoulders. Rush had been out there, too. He had been the reason Woods hadn't drowned. They had both lived this nightmare.
After the police questioned Bethy, Darla came and took her home. Blaire took Nate and went home at Rush's insistence. The crowd had thinned. Helicopters spotlighted the dark water and boats searched in vain. It was impossible to see in the dark.
Woods sat there beside me, not letting go of my hand and staring at the water. Watching them look for Jace. He wanted Jace's body found. I understood that. He didn't want to leave the beach until he knew Jace wasn't out there alone.
Finally, the helicopters left. The boats went away. The paramedics packed up and drove off. A police officer tried to get us to leave but they weren't going to argue with the owner of the Kerrington Club. They finally left us.
We weren't alone, though. Rush stood off in the distance, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. At some point he'd changed clothes. He was staring off at the dark water, too. I kept thinking this was a dream I would wake up from, but it never ended. I glanced over to our left and Thad sat there on the sand with his arms wrapped around his legs and his knees bent, like a little boy who was lost.
They all hurt.
And there was nothing I could do. Nothing anyone could do.
The sound of the ocean crashing against the shore wasn't soothing like it had once been. It now felt like a taunt. Reminding us that it was stronger. It was in control.
Someone else moved in the darkness and I watched as Grant came running down the boardwalk. He hadn't been at the party. I never knew if he was in town or somewhere else. The guy never stayed in one place.
He stopped at Rush and Rush turned his eyes to look at him. They stood there for a moment, then Grant hung his head and dropped to his knees.
It was morning when the searchers found Jace's body washed up one mile down the shore.
Woods
I stood under the shower spray and let Della wash me. She washed my hair and body so methodically and thoroughly. She never said a word. She didn't ask me questions. She was just there beside me. I needed her to stay there. If she left me I was afraid the reality would set in and I couldn't let it. It hurt too f**king much.
"You're clean," Della said softly, opening the shower door and stepping out. She picked up a towel and began to dry me. And I let her.
When she was finished she wrapped the towel around herself and pressed a kiss to my chest. "Go, get in bed. You need to sleep," she told me.
She turned to walk away and I reached out and grabbed her hand. "Don't leave me." The words sounded more like pleading. They didn't sound like me at all.
She shook her head. "I'm not. I just need to get dry. I'll be in bed in a minute," she assured me.
"I'll wait," I told her as I stood there. I was scared of my own nightmares now. I couldn't lie down and face them without her with me.