Both of her hands hit my upper back.
Hard.
My body went forward.
The stone edge disappeared beneath my shoes.
Then nothing.
Then water.
Cold.
Violent.
Every instinct took over at once.
My left arm moved.
My legs kicked.
My right shoulder did not cooperate.
The dress became heavy immediately.
Water filled my nose.
My mouth.
I tried to reach upward.
Pain tore through my shoulder so violently I inhaled.
Underwater.
That was the worst moment.
Not the fall.
Not realizing Vanessa had pushed me.
The moment water entered my lungs and my body understood before my mind that I might drown ten feet from thirty people.
I could hear distorted shouting above.
I kicked.
My left hand broke the surface.
Then sank again.
The shoulder felt as if something had ripped loose inside it.
I tried rolling onto my back.
The dress pulled.
My right arm hung useless.
A hand caught my upper left arm.
Another grabbed fabric near my waist.
I came upward.
Air.
Coughing.
Someone shouted:
“Get her out!”
Two men pulled me toward the pool edge.
One was Daniel’s cousin.
The other I barely knew.
They hauled me onto the stone.
I collapsed.
Water poured from my hair and dress.
My body shook uncontrollably.
Someone put a towel around me.
Another person shouted for resort staff.
Then I heard Vanessa.
“Come on, Emily.”
Her voice was annoyed.
“I barely touched you.”
I looked up.
She was standing three yards away.
Dry.
Beautiful.
Furious.
Not afraid.
Not sorry.
I coughed.
My chest burned.
My shoulder was worse.
My right arm lay beside me.
When I tried moving it, nothing happened except pain.
“I can't—”
Someone crouched.
“Don't move it.”
A woman.
A nurse, apparently.
She supported my elbow.
“Keep it still.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes.