I'd never been an impulsive person when it came to trying new things. I enjoyed my bubble, I took comfort in the things I knew of. But as I moved my legs deeper into the lake, until both my feet were entirely submerged in the warm water, I began to argue with myself.

What dangers would there be lurking beneath the water? Was I a confident enough swimmer? Was it reckless of me to just dive in without knowing a thing about what condition the water was in?

Pulling my legs out, I felt the instant rush of heat, the sun zoning in for the moisture. My feet had suddenly felt better having been in the water, the remainder of my body feeling uneven and without. My brain continued to nag at me. Where was the harm?

Moving to the steps hanging off of the side of the deck, I slowly lowered myself in, my arms supporting my weight as I took it step by step. Biker shorts and a light shirt would be practical enough not to weigh me down, yet thick enough to protect me from any unwanted nibbling. It didn't matter what I wore, I hadn't brought a swimsuit, I hadn't even thought of needing one whilst under house arrest. This was as good as it would get.

I had been prepared for the cold to suck my breath back, make me hiss through my teeth with shock, but I was surprised to have felt nothing but the welcoming warmth of movement surround my legs and waist. The further I lowered myself, the more it enticed me in.

What was I doing? This was not me. This was new, this was unprepared and spontaneous, this was the kind of thing that had me on the verge of an anxiety attack. Perhaps the boredom had somewhat mentally challenged me. If I couldn't read, if I couldn't go to work and stargaze or throw a few dollars on the bar for some cocktails with Camille, exploring new options within my reach would have to do. I needed to keep my mind busy, or I would go insane.

Five minutes, that's all it had taken. From the moment I'd dipped my toes in, to the moment I had pushed myself out from the step, water gravitating around me from my shoulders down. Paddling with my arms I moved outwards, ensuring I kept my head above water.

I could feel my T-shirt floating out wide, puffing like a life jacket, bubbles popping from the neckline. Sliding my palms over my hair, I slicked it back from my forehead, drops escaping down my face, cooling me from the onlooking sun.

I gave myself a smile, kicking my feet until I positioned myself on my back, allowing the steadiness of the lake to lift my body, carrying me, weightless on the surface. I closed my eyes to the sky and felt my muscles relax, my mind clear. If only I could have slept on the water, without the possibility of drowning or being carried away.

Focused on the sound of the water slowly moving around me, water brushing against my ears, I had zoned out every other noise, until a defining tone had me snap back to reality.

Pulling my body upright in one quick swift motion, my eyes opening, I saw Dawson, his body on the deck, standing on the edge, his hands on his hips

"Jasmine, what are you doing?" He appeared concerned, perhaps worried he'd stumbled upon my lifeless body

What was I doing?

"Did you fall in?" He asked

I shook my head "No"

"Okay.." His word dragged out, waiting an explanation

I began paddling to the ladder beside him "The water is warm"

His eyebrows had creased in the middle, unsure of what to make of my decision.

Pulling my body up, the heavy force of water attempted to pull me back down. My clothing dripped and my skin shivered at the sudden change in temperature.

"I didn't know where you were, I was worried, and then I see you floating there.." He pointed to the lake, his eyes on my face

Wringing my hair out I shrugged "Sorry"

"Just be careful, Isaia wouldn't be very happy if I called him and told him you'd drowned while trying to cool off" A small smile played on his lips, his posture easing a little

"That wouldn't seem right would it? Me drowning after nearly being murdered, twice, what are the odds" I tried to joke, the sentence coming out more sinister than I had intended

"And that's enough of an odd for me, let's go inside Ariel" His tone was stern, yet there he was, making a joke as he turned back towards the house expecting me to follow. I did as I was told.

"Did you see Isaia today?" I asked, standing at the edge of the doors of the living room and patio, Dawson instructing me to wait as he fetched a towel for me

"He's been assigned a new temp partner, so no, he and Detective Lorenzo from the gang unit were out on call" He told me, his body reappearing from the long hall

"A temp partner?" This caught my attention "Why would he get one of those, I mean, how long are they expecting you to be gone, to be here?" Instead of handing me the towel, he had opened it in his arms, waiting for me to enter the fabric. At first I hesitated, but when I stepped forward, he folded one side over my body, followed by the next

"They've had little leads" He shrugged "Like I said, it's temporary, which means it isn't permanent"

I could feel my body heat beginning to fall, the subtle coolness of the lake having dropped my core temperature within a matter of minutes.

"Cold?" Dawson noticed.

Heading upstairs, I took a long warm shower, confusing my body even more. It was when I changed into loose shorts and a long sleeve shirt that I began to feel myself balance out.

As I began my descent downstairs, I noticed how quiet it was, and then, how dim it was. Dawson had drawn most of the blinds down, leaving a small gap at the bottom, overhead fans cooling the large space from the radiating sun.

When my feet found the bottom of the stairs I paused. Dawson was not in his usual spots, the kitchen not the dining table, instead, he was on the lounge, relaxed.

I hadn't seen him this way, he was slightly slumped, one leg propped on the coffee table, his left elbow leaned on the back of the lounge, his fingers lost in his hair.

"What genre?" He spoke, prompting me to move again, slowly

"Sorry?" I didn't understand

"Movie, what genre do you like?" He briefly looked to me as he began flicking through the rental movies on the flatscreen

"Oh" I felt stupid, sitting myself on the opposite couch in my usual spot, looking to the television

I wanted to tell him that I didn't mind, that I wasn't bothered and enjoyed any genre, but I would be lying. Horror was out, thriller was out, anything action and involving gun violence was most definitely out. I was already enduring terrifying nightmares, I needed to steer clear of triggers. Romance was also out, it would be far too awkward, so as he skimmed over titles, I made a strategic but obvious decision

"Comedy"

Clicking buttons on the remote, he narrowed results to suit my decision "Anything interest you here?"

"I don't mind" I shrugged, more so interested in his mood

"You seem.. relaxed today" I carefully told him

"Relaxed?" He glanced toward me "Why would that surprise you?"

"With all that's going on, I wouldn't imagine you could relax" I tried.

I knew that relaxing was difficult for me, so I could only imagine it would have been the same for him. How could it not be?

"Some days are easier than others" He gave a small sigh "We have to find ways to wind down, if we didn't.." He was shaking his head "We'd probably go crazy"

In this moment, there was a small silence that filled the room between Dawson and I, our eyes connecting. His stare was soft, and I could see that he was calm, the subtle lines on his face smooth.

It was short lived, but extremely confusing when we broke free. My instinct was to overthink it, attempt to decipher why a single glance had made me feel so irritable, but there was no time. Distracted by the voices behind our stare had caught me entirely focused elsewhere, my head spinning.

"Dawson, the news" I snapped, urging him to close the rental screen, a news broadcast in the background

Jim Lochlan the newsreader sat behind his desk when footage of two men being arrested in front of their home went to air

"Just in, there has been a big development this afternoon in the murder of Tony Garcia and the attempted murder of a young woman in Newbury, where two men have been arrested after the police received an anonymous call tipping investigators to the 24 and 25 year old brothers"

I had moved to the edge of the couch where I sat, my eyes unblinking as I absorbed in the faces of the men being handcuffed by detectives, Isaia Wood supervising the arrest. Their heads were held down, shielding themselves from the cameras surrounding them.

They had not been shy whilst they had robbed the store, or when they had wrestled with Tony, or when they assaulted me, leaving me to die. It made me angry. I could feel my fingers and legs tremble.

"The brothers are reportedly part of the deadly Newbury Renegade gang, whose crimes are sweeping through the city despite police efforts to subdue the activity"

Captivated by the footage of the two slim men, forced into the back of the police car, the sound of Dawson's ringing phone caused me to jump unsteadily, my heart racing as my breath caught in my throat.

Dawson was no longer relaxed, his body upright, his fingers muting the television as he answered his call, undoubtedly related to the news story. My focus was now on Dawson, watching his every movement, his eyes, his hands.

He had turned his back on me, attempting to hide whatever expression he'd make. I couldn't sit still, I couldn't breath.

Leaning forward, I began picking the skin around my fingers, panicked. This was a good thing, this was progress, these men would be held accountable. Yet, I was worried, worried about the repercussions that would follow now that they had been apprehended. My testimony was what would nail their coffin shut, and discovering they were gang related made me anxious as to what lengths they would go to just to keep me quiet.

Dawson spoke lowly, too low for me to understand the short conversation he was having. Controlling my thoughts, controlling my breathing, I watched him carefully, and when he hung the phone up and turned, I could see that it was serious.

"Just tell me, how bad is it?" I told him

Another sigh, his body sitting back where it had been, this time, tense, uncomfortable.

"Wyatt and Trey, 24 and 25, brothers" He began, his tone deeper than usual "They are a part of the Renegade gang.."

I knew little about the gang. I had heard small snippets from the news every here and there, but I hadn't ever paid a whole lot of attention to it. I hadn't ever been around violence or crime, on occasions I'd even accidentally left my car unlocked without trouble. This was a new world to me.

"They asked for a lawyer as soon as they got to the station, but Isaia is confident they're the right guys"

I was grappling with the information, was this the beginning of the end, could it have been that easy?

"Tomorrow a detective will drop by and bring a few photos, he will ask that you look at the photos and tell him know if you recognise anyone"

"But the news, won't that jeopardise the case now that I've seen it?" I knew how it worked, I was now bias

"No, Isaia spoke with the prosecutor, the broadcast did not get sufficient view of the suspects faces, it shouldn't affect the case" He assured me.