And because Margot is Margot, my parents complied.
Prince Beckett is standing at the bow, stripping his shirt off. What is it about these Argyle men and their perfect bodies? Both Princes look like they’ve been carved from marble. Beckett’s eyes are wide as he stares out into the cold, dark water.
I know exactly how cold it is. I was in it this morning.
I rush to the railing. Prince Beckett hesitates as he looks down at the dark water. Even in summer, the water in Farcliff Lake is freezing.
My sister is thrashing. She’s farther away from the yacht than I’d have expected. We must have drifted away from her. As I watch her for a second, I realize that even with the engine idling, we’re slowly moving farther apart.
Scanning the deck, I spot a ring buoy hanging on the railing. It only takes me a second to grab it and fling it over the side of the boat.
It lands thirty feet away from my sister.
“Swim to the buoy!” I scream.
My sister lets out a gargled scream. Her arms flail, splashing into the water as her head dips under. The panic in her face makes my stomach clench. Beckett is still frozen near the railing, yelling at her to swim to the life buoy. Everyone is crowding around, but no one is doing anything.
Beckett grabs onto the railing, and I can see him willing himself to jump in.
But he doesn’t.
Why isn’t anyone doing anything?
It’s hard to take a full breath. My muscles are spasming, and every second that ticks by makes the panic ratchet higher. Guests are screaming. Staff is scrambling to drag the life buoy back to throw it closer to her.
Everything is taking far, far too long. Margot’s head dips under water, and I feel like I’m going to puke.
I can’t wait any more.
Fully clothed, with my phone, wallet, and keys still in my back pocket, I swing one leg over the railing.
“Ivy, no!” I hear Prince Luca’s voice behind me, but I ignore it.
Unlike my sister, I know how to swim.
I swing my other leg over the railing and grip it so hard the tips of my fingers go numb. With a deep breath, I leap off the side of the boat. My arms windmill, my legs kick the air, and I go flying into the ice-cold water of Farcliff Lake.
Again.
And again, I’m not ready for the cold that shocks my body. As soon as I hit the water, my arms and legs feel like they’re made of lead. Everything is heavy, slow, and difficult.
As soon as I’m in, I kick as hard as I can to break the surface again. With a gasp, I gulp down a breath of air and try to ignore the thickening of my blood in my veins.
The screams of the people on deck sound faint to my ears, and I scan the surface for my sister. Her thrashing is weaker. She looks at me, and I can see the whites of her eyes.
The terror in her face is palpable. It skims on the surface of the water and slams into me like a tidal wave, leaving an acrid, sharp taste on my tongue.
“Hang on!” I yell, kicking my legs and swimming freestyle toward her. It doesn’t take long. Within a few strokes, I’m beside her.
“Ivy,” she pants, before letting out a scream. Her arms wrap around my neck and she pushes me under in her panic, kicking me in the gut.
I swallow a mouthful of lake water, thrashing away from her and breaking the surface again.
“Calm down,” I scream, trying to dodge the arms that claw at me. Her nails leave sharp, red marks on my arms as she reaches for me again. Another scream escapes her lips.
She’s panicking. I can’t reason with her, and if I let her get close to me when she’s like this, she’ll drown me.
Time for some tough love.
I’m able to tread water as I grab her wrists, but the panic is making her too strong. She thrashes against me again, pulling me under. This time, I close my mouth and avoid tasting Farcliff Lake again. With a powerful kick, I break the surface again and clamp my arms around my sister’s torso.
She yelps, fighting against me as I try to save her life.
Finally, I’m able to spin her around and wrap my arm around her chest.
“Will you stop moving?” I yell, louder than I intended.
Margot’s breath is ragged. Her nails dig into my arm as