Heart Drowned At Forty Meters Novel by Sugar Nyfe _ Novel




Heart Drowned At Forty Meters Chapter 01

The first thing I did after coming ashore was reach for my left ear—it was still bleeding, the eardrum ruptured. Instinctively, I wanted to text my boyfriend.
A notification from my Instagram feed popped up on my phone.
In the photo, Seraphina Bennett was in a swimsuit, her skin fair and delicate, while he held her waist steadily in the water. The caption read: "Thirteenth lesson. The little one has learned her second swimming stroke. Special praise is in order."
Drops of water slid down the ends of my hair, blurring the screen.
Today was supposed to be our turn to deep dive together for a task, but he received a last-minute call from Seraphina and left in a hurry. I had no dive buddy to help me watch the current's direction. I encountered a turbulent undercurrent at the bottom of the sea, forty meters deep. During the thirty seconds my breathing tube was tangled in the reef, all I could think about was how nice it would be if he were there. Even if it was just standing on the shore to pull me up when I swam to the surface.
But he didn't. For thirteen whole times, he didn't.
My phone screen lit up; Brennan had sent a message.
"How is it? Are you ashore yet? Seraphina choked on some water while swimming. I had no choice but to teach her myself. Once she learns, I'll go deep diving with you."
The ringing in my left ear continued incessantly.
There's no need. I can't dive anymore, and I no longer need a dive buddy.
After getting my wounds treated at the hospital, it was already seven-thirty in the evening by the time I returned to the apartment. Brennan had gotten back before me. He had just taken a shower. His hair was still half-wet, and a lingering, fond smile hung on his lips.
"You're back?"
Hearing the noise at the entryway, he didn't even look up, his fingers tapping on his phone screen to reply to someone's message. The hand holding my phone trembled slightly. I had sent him many messages too—one hundred and thirty-seven in total—all unread.
"Yeah, I'm back." I took off my shoes, which had grown stiff from being soaked in seawater, my footsteps a little unsteady.
"The water in the swimming pool was too cold today."
"Seraphina soaked in the water for two hours. Her legs were shaking when she got out. Her skin is too delicate; her calves were covered in red veins."
At the bottom of the sea, forty meters deep, when the turbulent currents churned up the sand, the water temperature was only three degrees. My legs had shaken, too.
Brennan stood up and walked to the bar counter to pour a glass of ice water.
"So I gave Seraphina that bottle of body lotion from your cabinet. Her skin was terribly dry, and it was just sitting there anyway."
That was a limited edition I had asked someone to queue up for half a month abroad just to get. My skin is sensitive, and since I dive year-round, I can only use that brand of body lotion to soothe it.
My voice was hoarse. "I understand."
The bottom of the glass clinked against the marble counter with a dull thud.
"Drink some water to soothe your throat."
It was ice cold. The cup belonged to Seraphina. It was printed with pink cherry blossoms, and a plush rabbit charm hung from the handle.
"Don't overthink it. I broke your mug, so just make do with this one for now."
"I'm not thirsty." I didn't take it, shoving my hands into my pockets, my fingertips numb with cold.
On the shoe rack at the entryway, there was an extra pair of tiny white canvas shoes. A pink knit cardigan was draped over the sofa. Even the air was filled with the peach-scented perfume Seraphina always used. This home was almost completely filled by another person.
Brennan picked up the glass of water and took a sip himself. Only then did his gaze slowly drift over to me. "What happened to your ear?"
He looked at the bloodstained gauze over my left ear, his brows furrowing slightly.
My voice was a little tight. "I got hurt."
Forty meters underwater, the air pressure instantly destabilized. The sound of my eardrum tearing was even clearer than the roar of the waves.
"How could you be so careless? Ear injuries are the worst thing for a diver. Weren't you always a pro at this?"
In the past, my dive buddy would be right beside me, watching the shifting currents for me, but today, he wasn't there.
"I hit a turbulent current."
"You need to be more careful then. But with your skills, I'm sure you can handle it. Unlike that idiot Sera Bennett, you never give anyone a reason to worry."
He didn't press further and shifted his gaze back to his phone. "Take some anti-inflammatories, you'll be fine in a few days."
My hand tightened inside my pocket.
It wouldn't be fine. A ruptured eardrum for an underwater surveyor meant a dead end for their career.
"Take advantage of these few days to rest. Once Sera gets the hang of it, I'll take you both down together."
But he had forgotten the golden rule of deep diving: a dive buddy can only look after one person.
After a shower, I returned to my room and turned on my laptop. I opened the transfer application portal. After submitting the medical proof of my ruptured eardrum and inability to dive, I applied for a transfer to the New Zealand coastline as a data logger.

READ FULL NOVEL HERE