"Aurora's awake! Thank God!"
"Aurora, are you okay?"
"What happened? How did you fall into the lake?"
Everyone crowded around, talking over each other in concern. Only then did Everett pull away from her lips. His face flushed red, though he tried to play it cool as he wiped his mouth. He was soaked—absolutely freezing.
Aurora finally realized what had happened. She was still catching her breath, struggling to breathe normally, her eyes burning. "I… I… help me up… thank you…"
She coughed hard a few more times after she spoke. Everett's expression darkened. Water dripped from his bangs, but he didn't even notice. He reached out and firmly helped her up, patting her back.
"If it hurts, stop talking. Someone get the car—take her to the hospital!" Everett barked. Tobias snapped out of it and rushed to bring over the car parked nearby.
