Love's Tangled Web by Donna Taylor

Chapter 172

Chapter 172

“I’d rather die than stay here!” Ellie yelled back at Alex, stepping cautiously back.

Standing by the ocean, Alex watched in disbelief as Ellie retreated into the deeper waters. His brows furrowed, his blood boiled. “Ellie, don’t think you can scare me like this!”

Ellie continued to stare at him defiantly, retreating further until the water reached her knees.

Alex, fuming with anger, spun in place, pointed at her and shouted, “You’re standing in a spot where even a frog wouldn’t drown–if you want to die, just walk in!”

With tears brimming, Ellie gritted her teeth and kept backing away.

Watching from the beach as the water crept up to her thighs, then her waist, Alex cursed under his breath, “So damn stubborn!”

Ellie focused on Alex, analyzing his every expression. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and pressed on farther into the

water.

That summer, she nearly drowned after falling into a chemical waste pool while trying to save someone. From that day on, she developed a deep–rooted fear of water–especially deep water.

heard Alex shouting her

she found herself in Alex’s arms. Panicking, she clutched desperately at the edges of his suit coat, gasping for

shallower water. He set her down, looking at her pale face that was scarier than death

voice, intense gaze, and bloodshot eyes revealed an underlying emotion–concern. Seeing that Ellie was silent, he released her, pretending to

going to throw her in; he just wanted to startle her, quickly pulling her back to safety. Looking down at her, Ellie hung on for dear life, and Alex softened his voice, “Aren’t

to die, you’re coming with me,” Ellie

him

silence, Ellie allowing Alex to hold her all the way back to the house. She glanced up at him; he seemed in

the next a storm. In the bedroom upstairs, Alex

wrapped in her blanket like a quail, her eyes glued to him. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned

said, “can we

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Chapter 172

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respond. Her eyes drifted to the window, where the sky was beginning to

Ellie’s pale face and lowered his voice. “Why do you have to acknowledge this