The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 109

Standing outside was a crew member in uniform, his face contorted in panic, sweat beading heavily on his forehead.

"Ms. Taylor?" he gasped between ragged breaths, speaking rapidly. "We need your help!"

"What happened?"

"An American girl fell overboard!"

A deafening roar flooded Sloane's ears, completely blanking her mind.

"The crew is already attempting a rescue, but the swells are too huge. We can't lower the lifeboats!" the crew member rushed out. "We need all hands on deck! You're a professional diver, can you..."

"What's the name of the girl who fell?!"

"I think it's... Lilah Lane."

"Let's go!" Sloane immediately spun around, bolted back into her room, and yanked a life vest over her head.

"Which side?!"

"Port side, hurry!"

*

When Sloane burst onto the port-side deck, the ferocious gale threatened to hurl her right off her feet.

Rain lashed at her face relentlessly, mixed with stinging sea spray that felt like shattered glass. The ship rocked violently beneath her boots. Clinging to the railing with one hand and bracing against the bulkhead with the other, she staggered forward.

The entire expedition team was already gathered.

Coach Liam Jensen stood at the very front, both hands locked onto the railing in a death grip, his body pulled taut as a bowstring. Beside him, Professor Hayes wore a grim expression, speaking in frantic bursts to one of the sailors. Josh and Diego stood a few paces back. Seeing Sloane approach, Josh rushed forward and grabbed her arm to steady her against the violent pitching.

"What the hell happened?" Sloane yelled over the storm, her eyes scanning the ocean.

The grayish-black water was boiling with rage, massive rogue waves crashing in endless succession and hurling white foam dozens of feet into the air. Out in the distance, a small skiff was bouncing wildly on the swells, making absolutely zero headway.

Coach Jensen snapped his head around, his face a furious shade of ashen gray. "We have no idea how she went over. The crew said every inch of the deck was rigged with elevated safety barriers; it should have been completely impossible—"

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