Reject My Alpha President (Iris and Arthur) novel Chapter 80

Seeing my son, soaking wet and clutching a fallen tree for dear life, sends such a feeling of horror through me that I move without even thinking.

“Miles, hang on!” I scream, kicking off my heels and rushing forward. “I’m coming!”

Miles sobs, his arms tightening around the tree. It’s just barely wedged sideways between the walls of the flume, mere inches above the rushing water. Without the rain, this flume would be a small stream, hardly more than a trickle. But now, it’s death waiting to happen.

But before I can do something insane and jump in, Arthur grabs my arm and pulls me back, shaking his head. He’s already stripping off his tuxedo jacket. “That tree could come loose!” he calls over the rain. “We have to be careful, otherwise Miles could drown!”

My throat bobs, my heart pounding faster than ever. I’m frozen, caught between the instinct to jump into those raging rapids and trusting a man who I haven’t known for the last five years.

But Arthur meets my gaze, his green eyes sure and steady, and I know I can trust him. I always could. Finally, I nod, and he shoves his jacket into my hands and moves toward the flume.

“Miles!” he calls, leaning over the edge. “Buddy, can you scooch toward me at all?”

Miles shakes his head, clearly terrified. “No! It’s too scawy!‘ he cries out, and the sound of his speech impediment slipping out due to his fear makes my heart break all over again.

“Okay, just hang on!” Arthur replies. “Don’t let go!”

“I–I won’t!”

Arthur turns, his eyes rapidly scanning the surrounding area. He spots something beneath a tree and rushes over. I watch, clutching his jacket to my chest, as he picks up a long fallen tree branch. He tests it, bending it over his knee to check its sturdiness, then nods and hurries back to the flume.

Slowly, Arthur extends the branch down to Miles. But even with Arthur leaning precariously over the concrete wall, the branch is still a couple of feet away from Miles, who is clinging in terror to the fallen tree and refusing to

move.

“Miles, you have to try to scooch forward and grab the branch!” Arthur says, leaning a little further forward.

But Miles shakes his head in horror, gripping the tree even tighter.

I lean forward then, trying my best to offer what I can only hope is an encouraging smile and yet it just feels like a painful grimace. “Honey, you have to be brave! If you grab the branch, we’ll pull you out!”

“B–But-”

+25 BONUS

As Miles moves forward, Arthur leans over even more. I grab his hips to steady him so he doesn’t fall in. He mutters a thanks, and together, we clench our teeth and strain toward Miles.

Finally, taking a deep breath, Miles shakily swats one hand toward the branch. But then the tree begins to shift, and Miles screams, gripping it again. I scream, too.

“Try again!” Arthur calls out, waving the branch closer to Miles.