River groaned, then chuffed.
Newt chuffed back. “Now we have to swim.”
They walked over to where the trunks were kept and Newt pulled out two pairs. He handed one to River. “You change first.”
River nodded.
Newt dropped two towels by the steps. He wasn’t sure how he felt now. Happy that River wanted him and not Dila, but… There were a lot ofbuts.River needed to tell her. But Newt knew he wasn’t going to do that.
River had waited until Newt emerged before he slid into the water.
“See if you can do two lengths front crawl.”
Newt swam alongside him. River managed a length and a half before he floundered and did breast stroke instead.
“Do you know how long they’ll stay?” Newt asked.
“Too…long.”
At least that made Newt laugh.
Thirteen
River swam up and down the pool not feeling happy. He’d been happy until Dila and her crew arrived and now he wasn’t. Well, he was happy to be in the pool with Newt but he couldn’t stay in there forever. He was irritated by the way Dila was behaving as if they were a loving couple. But although Jesse knew the truth, the other three didn’t, except if they were all allowed to know about his speech problems, why couldn’t they be told there was nothing between him and Dila? They weren’t even sharing bedrooms. Didn’t that say everything?
When Dila had been to see him in hospital, River hadn’t been able to speak or understand her. He almost wished he’d been able to pretend not to recognise her but since he’d recognised Max, he wouldn’t have got away with that. The hospital staff had made a lot of fuss of her and she’d lapped it up. He was irritated that they felt sorry for her when she didn’t really care about him. Well, he hoped the concern she showed wasn’t entirely pretence, but at that time everything had irritated him. He’d lain in bed seething for an hour about a piece of paper that had been dropped on the floor and no one picked it up, aggravated by the way a certain nurse would laugh, frustrated because his leg was itching and he couldn’t scratch it…Oh God.There was a whole list ofthings that irritated.
River wished he and Dila could break up. He’d tried to persuade Max, though explaining what he wanted had taken it out of him. It was frustrating because he thought Max was deliberately not understanding. Whether he had or not, Maxtold him it would make Dila look bad if they broke up now and he wasn’t going to let that happen. River had tried to tell him that he’d take the blame, but he’d not been able to make Max get it. Or accept it.
“That’s enough,” Newt said. “You’re barely swimming. Next step is drowning. Do a few of your exercises holding onto the side and we’ll get out.”
River thought it probably wasn’t good for his brain to have so much confusion and anxiety sloshing around in there. Hopefully, Dila wouldn’t stay long. He wanted it to just be him and Newt again.
Finally, he’d had enough of squatting and stretching and kicking. Newt stayed close behind as he pulled himself out, though River didn’t feel he was at risk of falling. Physically, he was almost back to the condition he was in before the fall. Though his stamina needed work.
“You shower first,” Newt said.
“Come…coffee…hmm…after?”
“All right.”
“Don’t like…this. Like you.” He stroked Newt’s arm and Newt swallowed hard. “Keep…re…re…receiving…no…risking. No! Resk…resking.” He whined.
“You want me to keep rescuing you?”
River grinned.
“Okay. I promise.”
River stood under the torrent of hot water hoping Dila didn’t stay long. The plan was that she’d post pictures and video clips on social media of the two of them to show River was alive and well. Rumours had been beginning to circulate that he was paralysed and brain damaged. River shuddered. That could so easily have been true.
When he emerged, dressed but minus the horrible gelDila had insisted on putting in his hair, there was no sign of Newt. Maybe he’d used the shower over the garage. River made his way back to the main living room to find Newt and everyone else in there. Newt looked…cold.Oh shit.River had a vague recollection of shutting off the heating for that space after he’d moved in. There would be no hot water in the bathroom. He wanted Dila gone now!
“Coffee?” Newt smiled at him.
“We’re having champagne,” Dila said.
Newt turned to her. “River’s not allowed alcohol.”
