Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Once Vivienne's wrecked body had been shipped off to a private facility, his assistant called.
"Mr. Thorne. They pulled her up."
"It's your wife."
The phone hit the floor.
He stumbled forward and went down on the glass. His hands drove into the shards. Blood came up between his fingers.
He didn't feel it.
He got up and ran.
He changed cars, boats, whatever it took. He reached the recovery vessel that had brought her up.
No matter how badly he didn't want to, he looked at the body.
Seraphina had been in the water for a week. By the time they recovered her, she was swollen beyond recognition, pale, parts of her chewed away by marine life. Her face was gone.
Something in him just stopped.
His mind went white. His color went with it. His pupils dilated with denial.
He stared at the body on the deck.
He couldn't make it line up. A week ago she had been alive. That fierce, bright, alive girl — the one whose eyes were always stubborn. How was she the thing on this slab, not moving.
After a long time, he heard his own rasp.
"You sure it's her?"
First reflex. Denial.
Then the second look.
He knew.
There was a burn scar on her hand. From the soup.
His eyelashes shook. His pulse stalled. His vision blurred. His eyes went red.
"Our condolences, Mr. Thorne."
"DNA confirms. It's her."
He couldn't not believe it anymore.
His knees hit the deck.
The sky broke open and poured rain. It soaked him through. He didn't notice. He stayed on his knees and murmured to her.
"Sera, wake up."
"I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Don't be angry. Wake up. Please."
"Don't do this to me —"
He took her cold hand and rubbed it between both of his, trying to warm her. He kept rubbing. Nothing warmed.
She just lay there.
He had to accept it. She wasn't punishing him. She wasn't going to wake up.
"Sera..."
He broke.
He begged the woman in his arms to get up. Again. Again. He shook and wiped the seawater off her body like maybe, if she warmed, she would move.
He kept doing it.
The sky dimmed. Silence around him.
And he finally understood.
His wife was dead.
Seraphina was dead.
And the last year of his life scrolled through his head on a loop, and the weight of his choices landed.
Tears came again. He folded himself around her and cried like something was being pulled out of him.
"Sera — this is my fault — all my fault —"
"I'm so sorry — I killed you — I'm sorry —"