JACE-2(Lane Brothers, Book 3)(19)
“Hey, Luc, can I swim after dinner?” Ben yells, breaking us apart as he comes bounding back into the room. “Ash wouldn’t let me ‘cause I had so much homework to do,” he gripes petulantly, making me feel terrible for denying him.
“Tone,” Lucian warns, levelling a hard stare his way.
It always amazes me how he can get Ben into line so easily, whereas I can’t say one thing right without the kid throwing a sulk. A few weeks ago I would have been subjected to God alone knows what sulky punishment if I chastised him.
Not Lucian though. Nope, all it takes is one word or stern look and Ben snaps back into line like a little soldier.
“Sorry, Ash.”
“Good, now sit down for dinner, and then we’ll see about swimming later.”
He lauds my cooking all through dinner, and I practically glow with the praise, feeling like a million bucks when Ben perks up and seconds the approval.
“I’ll clean up while you guys swim.”
“No. Leave it for Maria. I want you with us.”
“Uh…”
My words stall and I grimace, closing my eyes tightly as he takes the dishes from my nerveless fingers and pulls me along behind him, up the stairs and into our bedroom.
“I purchased a wide selection of swimwear for you. It’s in the bottom left drawer of your closet.”
I nod dumbly and go to change, selecting a modest black tank style bikini with boy short bottoms. My uneasiness and embarrassment multiply when we go downstairs and make our way outside, watching as Ben flings himself into the air and crashes into the pool with a shriek of joy.
Lucian follows suit, splashing water all over the place and horsing around like a kid before he looks back and sees me tentatively dipping a toe into the water.
“Come on, love, the water’s perfect.”
I don’t doubt that, seeing as the pool is one of those expensive heated things. That’s not the problem. The big issue is the fact that I can’t swim and have been terrified of drowning since the water I’d fallen through— thin ice—at the cabin we used to go to for short vacations.
My mom and Wesley had saved me from an untimely watery death and then assured me that water is not the big evil monster I thought it was. It hadn’t worked, though, so I’d refused to even try learning, no matter how much they’d bribed me.
“Uh, I think I’ll just sit here on the edge.”
“What? No, don’t be foolish, love.”
“Aw leave her alone. She’s too chicken on account of she can’t swim.”
“What?”
“Okay, no need to look at me like I’ve just landed all the way from Mars,” I gripe, throwing Ben a withering glare. “Thanks a lot, hotshot. You couldn’t keep that to yourself?”
“Naw. I told ya, ya need to try,” he says, throwing himself back and into the deep end.
I’m almost brittle, I’m so tense. Just having my feet submerged—baths are not my thing unless I’m sick or freezing, and then even then, I won’t do it without a buddy.
“Seriously? You can’t swim?” he asks, stroking over to where I’m sitting.
“No.”
“Why?”
“I almost drowned when I was like, seven, so when Wesley finally got around to wanting to teach me I was not in the mood for bullshit,” I huff, flicking at a non-existent mosquito.
This is seriously embarrassing and not what I had planned for tonight. Oh, why did Ben have to go on about this crap on the night I wanted to test those things from that book?
Just my luck.
“Makes sense, love, but you have nothing to fear, not when you’re with me. Now come on over here and let me teach you.”
“Um. No.”
He rolls his eyes at my silence and grabs hold of my arm, yanking me in and onto his chest before I can scramble loose and run away. I freeze when the water hits my body and envelops me from the chest down, its silky coolness flowing over my skin in a caress.
Of course I do what all hysterical idiots do and jump my ass all over him, clinging like a vine as cold, stark terror takes me over.
“Shh, love, I have you. See? I won’t let anything happen to you. Just relax and let the water surround you,” he soothes, kissing my brow and cheeks till my breathing calms long enough for me to open my scrunched eyes.
I know, closing my eyes in this type of situation is silly, but if I’m gonna die I don’t want to look that crap in the face.
“I’m going to let you go—”
“No!”
If possible I cling harder, almost drowning us both in my bid to climb him like a monkey.
“I’ll have hold of you the whole time. Just lie back. I’ll keep my arms under you the whole time. See? That’s not so bad, is it? Now spread your arms and let your muscles unwind. I have you, love. That’s a good girl.”