She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 578

Thankfully, summer had arrived. The ocean's surface was bathed in the golden-orange glow of the setting sun. Lyra spread her limbs, floating on her back to conserve energy.

Up on the deck of The Albatross, Rowan finished emptying the bullets from the gun.

Leaning out over the railing, he spared a glance down at her. There was no panic in his eyes. With a calm, almost indifferent look, he turned on his heel and walked back into the cabin.

Warm tears mixed with the salty ocean water on her lips. Lyra realized just how bad her situation was.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she whispered into the breeze. "I wasn't trying to take you down with me. We're just fighting a giant monster right now. You have to be brave, okay? Stay safe with Mommy."

The vibrant colors in the sky were fading fast. In a matter of minutes, night would fall, turning the entire ocean into a thick, terrifying expanse of ink. It would be infinitely more dangerous in the dark.

Lyra knew she couldn't waste time. She had to get back on the boat.

She looked up toward the deck and saw Rowan reappear at the railing. Moving at an unhurried pace, he grabbed a thick mooring line, tied a sturdy sailor's knot around the stainless-steel railing, and tossed the other end straight down into the water.

The heavy rope hit the surface a few feet away. Lyra quickly flipped over, paddling frantically until her hands closed tightly around the rough fibers.

She tipped her head back, realizing just how high the yacht's hull actually was.

With her current level of exhaustion, there was no way she could pull herself up using just the rope.

If Rowan had jumped in after her in a panic, neither of them would have had a rope or leverage. They really would have died out here.

It was a good thing he hadn't jumped.

But then again, Lyra thought bitterly, it just proved he didn't actually love her.

If a man was truly consumed by passion and panic, he would have jumped in without a second thought to save her.

The sea breeze cut right through her soaked clothes, leaving her shivering uncontrollably. Realizing she was entirely at his mercy, Lyra scrambled toward the cabin on shaky legs, only for Rowan to reach out and pull her flush against his chest.

His body heat instantly chased away some of the cold. Lyra forced down her rising panic, her mind entirely focused on the baby. "I need a shower. I'll catch a fever if I stay like this."

"We'll shower together."

Rowan carried her into the yacht's en-suite bathroom, locking the glass door behind them.

Under the blast of hot water, he peeled away her freezing, wet clothes. Lyra was too exhausted to fight him; she only cared about not getting sick. She stood under the spray for a long time until the warmth finally seeped back into her bones.

Rowan finished washing first, wrapping a single towel around his waist. Night had fully fallen outside. He switched on all the lights in the cabin, tossed her ruined dress and underwear into the compact washer-dryer unit, and started a cycle.

By the time he returned to the bathroom, Lyra was just finishing up.