“Where are you going?” She trails after me.
“Away.” I continue through the house.
“Away, where? What about our swim?”
I stop dead in my tracks. I cannot fucking deal with this right now.With her.Slowly turning on my heel, I step toward Kira, towering ominously over her small frame. “You want to go swimming, Kira? Do us all a fucking favor and go drown yourself.” My words drip with disdain, and Kira’s eyes instantly well with tears. The tiniest little pang of guilt hits me in my heart, but it’s not enough to apologize, or atone, or even want to take it back. At this very moment, I truly mean it.
I stalk off, leaving Kira visibly heartbroken in the kitchen. It’s so wrong, but I’m glad she’s in pain. At least now, I’m not the only one.
Misery sure as shit loves company.
* * *
I hideout in the spare bedroom I’ve taken up residence in. It’s huge, obnoxiously white, and sterilely decorated, like the rest of the house. The only thing tolerable about it is the dark green bedding and the sick terrace off the back that overlooks the pool and vast, turquoise blue ocean. I stalk by the doorway and spy Kira standing at the edge of the massive pool. She’s just staring down at the water, arms wrapped around her waist, hair blowing in the breeze. That small pang of guilt is now a heated sword, stabbing me over and over straight through the heart. I can be a mean motherfucker sometimes, but what I said to her was downright cruel. Of course, I regret it now. And of course, I hate apologies, but my words definitely warrant one.
Kira finally dives into the pool, and her form disappears under the surface. I expectantly wait for her to come up for air. And wait, and wait, and wait.
But she never does. I rush to the clear glass enclosure of the terrace and find the faintest hint of her body on the bottom of the pool.
What the fuck is happening right now? My pulse begins to pulsate in an alarming sort of way. Something is wrong. Something is so, so wrong. I take off for the pool, sprinting through the house in my bare feet and jeans. It feels like I’m running for a lifetime. My legs just not carrying me fast enough.
Internal panic sets in. She’s trying to commit suicide, and it’s all because of me. She was already fragile, scared, in need, and what did I do? I used all those things against her and more. I deflected my own anger on her. I blamed her for all my problems, for what happened to me. For the actions of my father. And is it really her fault? No, how could it be? Kira Kendrick is just too easy to fall in love with. I know what my father sees. A pure soul. A kind spirit. A strong will. How do you reject someone like that? Even the coldest of hearts could thaw at the hands of Kira. Mine started to. As much as I fought it. As much as I didn’t want it, she got under my skin without even trying. One touch, and I was toast, and now I’m seconds away from possibly losing her.
My mouth has gotten me in a lot of trouble in the past, but this may be the absolute worst of it.
I dive into the pool, pants and all, and swim as fast as I can to the bottom. She’s just floating there, like a lifeless water lily stem.
As soon as I grab her arm, she flails, startled that I’m there. I tug at her, but she fights me.
Hell, no, sweetheart, there’s no way I am leaving you at the bottom of this pool. I’m here to protect you, not put an end to you.
I yank harder, overpowering her, pushing off the floor of the pool to propel us to the surface. As soon as we come up for air, Kira coughs and chokes.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Ky?” She kicks me in the ribs and swims to the ledge.
“Saving your fucking life.” I swim after her.
“What?” She coughs again, sucking in oxygen.
“I didn’t actually mean drown yourself, Kira.”
She looks at me like I have ten dragon heads.
“I wasn’t trying to kill myself.” She hoists herself out of the water. “I’m a free diver, you fucking idiot,” she yells at me before she storms off.
“A what?” I pull myself out of the water and follow her.
“A free diver. I dive under the water and hold my breath for long periods of time.” She dumbs it down for me with no uncertainty. “I started doing it in middle school to escape my father. It’s what helped me cope with his crazy.” Kira stomps into the house, leaving a trail of wet footprints. She heads straight for the laundry room where a stack of plushy white towels are lined up on a shelf. “And what the fuck do you care anyway? You clearly don’t want to be here. You clearly want nothing to do with this family. So why don’t you just fucking leave, Ky? Why are you wasting your time?”
“Because you’re scared and in trouble.”
“Oh, now you suddenly care that I’m in trouble?” She pushes past me and stomps off into the kitchen area.
“I’m here, aren’t I? I’ve been here for the last fucking three weeks.”
“At what fucking cost? You have done nothing but disrespect me and this house. If I drowned, I would have done you a favor.”
“Don’t say that, Kira.” I stalk toward her, and she steps back until she hits the wall, but her mouth keeps running.
