True Love Waits

Chapter 433 Thank You For Being Alive

Carlos only gave her a long look. When the killer whale swam towards them, Debbie was so frightened she clutched Carlos tightly. "Run! Run!" she screamed, scrunching her eyes closed, too spooked to open them.

She heard water thrashing behind her, but soon it was quiet.

"Open your eyes," Carlos coaxed her.

When everything was quiet, Debbie's fear fled. She opened her eyes slowly. Her jaw dropped when she caught sight of what was right in front of her.

Carlos was stroking the killer whale's head!

"Are... are you crazy? I-l-it's going to eat you!" Fear filled her. She clung to his arm even tighter.

Since they boarded the boat, they'd been through a lot. Her day was filled with moments of terror and danger. She wondered if she would die from a heart attack soon.

For example, right now, her heart was pounding like it would burst through her chest, and she couldn't feel her legs.

Carlos, however, didn't seem scared at all.

Noticing the incredulity on her face, he explained, "About the only people these guys attack are their keepers. They like people."

As if to prove what he had said, the killer whale moved its huge body towards Debbie and butted its head against her playfully.

"Ugh! Help!" she cried. Suddenly, she wanted to be home. She really missed a bunch of people: Piggy, Curtis, Colleen, Kasie, Decker, even her mom. "Boo...hoo..."

Carlos smiled. He gave her a pat on the back and said, "It likes you."

'What?' Debbie stared at Carlos in shock. Cautiously, she looked back. The killer whale seemed to be smiling at her.

and slapping its tail against the surface. Just when Debbie thought it was leaving, it leaped out of the water and dived in again, and

Her heartbeat steadied. "The

it,"

anymore, Debbie waved her right

came swimming back. It finally surfaced only a couple feet in front of Debbie and

again, Debbie recoiled, startled. She patted her chest, feeling embarrassed that she was scared again. She wondered

killer whale's. Then he asked Debbie to do

slowly, and held the whale's big head. She

feels smooth and cold.' Smiling, she gave the big guy a kiss on

the killer whale suddenly opened its enormous mouth, baring its two lines of sharp teeth. Debbie let it go in

whale, which had closed its mouth. "That was

too jumpy.

that was when the killer whale started to push them towards the

doing?"

Carlos shook his head.

deeper waters. Then when it came back, the killer whale rubbed its head against Carlos' shin, and circled around him. Only then

squatted to examine the cut. "I'm sorry I forgot you were hurt. We were in the water a long time. Why didn't you say something? The sea is salty. That

looked at the deserted island and

"How did it happen?"

It happened so fast I didn't have any warning. It looked like a

disinfectant, no bandages. I guess

"That's okay," Carlos said.

ocean. "I don't want to swim ever again," she said. She had stayed in the water longer than she ever had. In fact, she wondered if she'd spent more time in

feel the depth of emotion in Debbie's soul. He took her into his arms and kissed her

being alive. Thank you for not

mouths were dryer than tinder,