After the Raft Capsized, the Ice Cold Campus Heartthrob Came Knocking Chapter 02
I couldn’t help asking him, “Uh, is that lady looking for you?”
Cole glanced at her briefly, then turned back to me. “Yes.”
Wait—your mom’s about to lose her mind. Why aren’t you saying something?
Seeing him still sitting there like a statue, I waved at the woman. “Ma’am, your son’s right here.”
Patricia rushed over, her face flooding with relief when she saw Cole.
“Cole! You’re here. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I was so worried.”
Cole furrowed his brow. “I can swim.”
She shot him a look. “I don’t care about that. I was still worried. And it’s all because you wouldn’t answer your phone.”
“The waterproof case broke. The phone got waterlogged and died.”
He pulled out his waterlogged phone, his face completely blank.
The mother and son barely exchanged a few words before she told Cole to come back with her.
Earl glanced at the two of them and couldn’t help shaking his head with a sigh.
Then Cole spoke up, firm and decisive. “Mom, I’m not coming back. Your raft flips too easily.”
I blinked.
The raft we were on literally just flipped too. All three of us went under.
Earl had been scooping us up along the way to fill his boat.
Did he not see that?
While all three of us were staring in confusion, a cool voice rang out in my head.
[No way I’m going back. I swam all the way here on purpose. And Earl hasn’t finished setting us up yet. She still hasn’t answered whether she’ll be my girlfriend.]
I stared at him in utter shock, completely speechless.
Oh wow. I’d thought Earl just randomly scooped him up, but no—he’d delivered himself on purpose.
And when I heard the “girlfriend” part, my face started burning.
Patricia finally noticed me on the raft. Her eyes darted between the two of us.
A moment later, a knowing look dawned on her face. She hurried the safety guide along and paddled off without a second of hesitation.
No sooner had she left than Derek’s raft drifted over.
He had Sabrina in his arms—she was trembling with fear, her face streaked with tears.
When he saw me, he immediately let go of her in a fluster. “Mia! How did you end up on someone else’s boat? Come back here.”
As he spoke, he even scooted over to make room for me.
Cole’s hand, mid-scoop of water, froze. He looked up at me.
I shot Derek a glare. “Not coming back. Don’t want to interrupt your little love nest.”
Derek’s face went purple with rage. He pointed at me and demanded, “What’s that supposed to mean? You’re mad I saved her instead of you, aren’t you?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yeah.”
Derek gave me a disappointed look.
“I can’t believe you’re being this petty. You know I’m the trip organizer. When someone in our group falls in the water, of course it’s my responsibility to help. I came back for you right after I saved her. I just couldn’t find you.”
I was so furious I grabbed the plastic bailer scoop next to me and hurled it at him. “Easy for you to say when it wasn’t you getting swept away.”
If I could swim, I’d have paddled over and slapped him myself.
Sabrina, seeing this, timidly reached out and tugged his sleeve.
“It’s my fault, Derek. Please don’t fight. I’ll leave right away.”
