29. Nolan #2
I should let her. She told me a few ways to improve, ways I’m pretty sure will cut the seconds I need off ?my overall time.
I’m closer to her now. I can just tell Father she’s with Julian or maybe that she likes girls—anything really.
Yeah, he’ll be upset, but what does he want me to do? Find a witch to spell her to be mine?
Shit, why does that actually sound like something he would do, regardless of the fact that using magic on a mortal is a punishable offense?
No, I should let her go, but I can’t.
She’s nearly standing when I reach out, my fingers wrapping around her very small wrist to pull her back down beside me. She seems confused but doesn’t question me, instead waiting patiently for me to elaborate on what I’m doing.
It’s more trust than I deserve, especially when you consider who one of my best friends is.
Maybe if she knew who my father is, she would run. Deep down, I know she wouldn’t, though, and when I look into her eyes, I see the truth.
She’s too good for me, for all of us.
“Would you like to stay?” I force the words out, knowing I’m signing up for my own downfall, but unable to stop myself.
Her eyes go so wide they look comical, and I have to bite back a laugh.
“You could take a few more shots, maybe see if you have any more pointers in that superhuman brain of yours?” I reach out and tap her forehead with my finger, and this time I can’t stop the smile that pulls at my lips when she goes cross-eyed following the motion.
“Okay!” She refocuses on my face, and I let my hand fall. The smile on her lips transforms her. It’s no wonder Julian steals her every chance he can get. I might not be able to give up a day of swimming to study, but I might have just found something even better.
This time, when I dive back into the water, I have to fight against my shift for a wholly different reason. The urge to shift and show off riding me hard.
Mortal!
I scold myself, hoping to get it through my thick skull and failing.
Whatever.
I focus back on my swimming and try not to focus on the fact that the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met is currently snapping photos of me in hopes of critiquing me for my asshole father to have the best swimmer.
The same one who wants me to seduce her.
Yeah, that’s sobering.
She gets great pictures and once again gives solid advice. I want to be annoyed; if she were anyone else, I might be, but there’s not even a hint of know-it-all sass in her tone when we go over my corrections.
Wren just wants to help.
“You should swim. You clearly know enough about it,” I tell her as I climb out of the pool, splashing water everywhere as I move to grab my towel.
I toss the towel on my head and scrub my hair so it won’t continue dripping everywhere, and when I pull it away, I find Wren standing exactly where I left her, eyes wide and brows raised as she looks me over.
I could cover up, or even turn and head to the locker room, but I can’t bring myself to do it, and at least to myself, I can admit I enjoy having her attention so completely.
Something about it is different; she isn’t just some girl trying to sleep with me to brag or in hopes to get me to ‘settle down.’ I’m not a conquest; hell, I’m not even sure she actually wants to sleep with me, but if she did…
Well, if she asked, I’d happily fuck her right here, right now.
She doesn’t, though, and after a moment, I give her an out.
“Why don’t you swim?” I ask, circling back to my earlier topic. I should probably let it go, but I’m curious, and honestly, I can’t really remember the last time I cared about what someone did or thought.
She shakes herself as if she were in some kind of trance, blinking hard a few times before her eyes move back up to mine, and she notices she's been caught.
The flush on her cheeks makes her look guilty but adorable as I raise a brow at her, waiting for an answer.
She looks at the pool, and her eyes get sad, her once-happy expression melting away.
“I have other things to worry about.” Her voice is so monotone as she speaks that I’d swear it was someone else if I didn’t see her lips moving. Something about it feels off, as if the words aren’t her own, but I don’t dare push it.
We might be getting closer, but I doubt she would love me prying into every inch of her life.
No, I need some self-control, even if that sounds like a terrible idea.
“Well, if you ever get some free time, you're always welcome to swim with me.”
That seems to cheer her up a little, and that smile is enough to make me turn and leave, not trusting myself to behave when she's looking at me like that. I make quick work of drying off in the locker room, changing quickly since I feel like such an ass for leaving her.
I get dressed in record time, my mind still back in the room with Wren, or at least back in the room where I hope she is waiting.
I can’t help but think back to the way she said that. I have other things to worry about, and the look in her eyes, and the more I do, the more they seem familiar.
Like when I was younger and had to skip out on birthday parties and dances, and well, just about everything else, because swimming was the most important thing.
Ford’s don’t waste their time. We’re winners, so you win or find another way to earn your legs.
My father said those words so often that I learned not to waste my time asking.
I’d rather swim, but thanks for the invite.
It was the same generic response I fell back on nine times out of ten; the only time it didn’t work was with the guys, because they knew me better than that.
They knew I hated swimming, or at least I did now.
Once upon a time, I enjoyed it, loved the rush of being in the water, the thrill of a win, but that was before it was all I was.
I hate that for whatever reason, Wren has been made to feel like that, too, as if she only matters if she’s getting good grades.
I wonder if Gavin would still hate her if he knew she didn’t go out of her way to do better than him just to make a fool of him. I have to believe he wouldn’t; he’s not a bad guy, just stubborn and has a drive that makes him want to be the best, and it’s currently blinding him.
By the time I make it back to the pool, Wren’s gone, and I can’t help but feel like an asshole for hoping she would still be here. I don’t deserve her time or her help, but I’ll be damned if I don’t want it anyway.
I collect my bag and head out when my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I stop to see who texted me.
Come keep me company?
The message preview from Rose pops up with a picture attached, and I don’t even bother opening it.
Rose is hot and always down to fuck because that’s literally where she gets her magic stores. She was perfect before because she wants Dimitri and Julian, so I knew I would never have to worry, and there was no buildup needed, just a text.
For a while, I’d been worried my father would try to get me in line to marry her; it seemed most of the old families were fighting for that. I’d thought maybe he just wanted me to stay focused on swimming, but now I wonder if maybe he knew about Wren all this time.
I relock my phone and slide it back into my pocket, heading toward the dorm. Wren might not have waited, but I know where she is. After all, it’s Wednesday night, and that means I have a date.
The thought stops me in my tracks because it’s not a date, not really. We’ll only be studying, with Julian there, and we’ll also be in the dorm, which means anyone can come and join us.
But I wouldn’t mind if it were, and that’s the scary part.