Amazing cover made by NightmareWritezZx

Why did I agree to go swimming? I don't even know how to swim! I had a death wish when I said yes to Jaxon.

I know it's supposed to be easy, but I drown whenever I'm in the water.

Simple.

My ego won't let me tell Jaxon...

This should be good.

"You coming?" Jaxon asked me as he jumped into the hot water like it was a piece of cake... It wasn't.

But, it was hot, alright. If you know what I'm talking about!

I waved my hand and dismissed him like I was the queen of coolness. "Yeah, in a bit," I said, then sat on a chair and looked at the water. Well, what was in the water to be more accurate.

He was so muscular but not in an ugly way where you look like a giant potato pack. It was satisfying to look at him. He was tall. He was standing in the middle of the pool, and the water was reaching his neck.

To be honest, I prefer this position. Here, sitting in peace, not struggling to breathe, and he is there, showing me an incredible view, is just perfect. And those tattoos are killing me.

Can a person be this handsome?

I was brought back to reality when he splashed water on my face. "Ariel, come on, the water is hot," he called with a grin. I grinned back for a different reason.

No... You're hot. Well, I have to get in sooner or later. I prefer later, though, but he's a pain.

I sighed and got up. "Okay, okay," I waved my hand in annoyance. Here I am, doing something I will probably regret later. I started going down into the water, and it was indeed warm. I grabbed the pipe real tight.

I'm not dying today.

"What's wrong? Come here." Jaxon insisted that I should swim to the middle of the pool. Great. I can not swim! Get the hints, you idiot.

"Just a second," I dived into the water to see how deep it could get. You know, to make sure that if I drowned, I'd be able to jump and take a breath.

I'm exaggerating, right?

~~~

Jaxon

I saw Ariel dive into the water looking like a scared angel, so I decided to have a little fun and surprise her. I swam towards her without her noticing me, then grabbed her waist.

She jumped from the water and took a deep breath out of shock. "For the love of Oreos! What the hell are you doing? Dude, don't scare me like that," she exclaimed with her wet lips, and her eyes twinkled with anger.

Her lips look perfectly soft. Her eyes are so beautiful; she is gorgeous, and there's no argument with that.

I shrugged my shoulders and then grinned. "I got bored. Come with me," I replied, then started swimming with Ariel in my arms to the middle of the pool. She looked at me with a panicked face. I smirked and swam further and further into the deep water.

"No! get me back, please!" She pointed out with a nervous laugh, then put her hands around my neck and grabbed me real tight. It was amusing to see her like that.

She was holding for her dear life. Could she be...

"Can't you swim?" I asked, raising my eyebrows while waiting for her reply.

It took her a moment to talk. "I never said that," she replied like a stubborn kid.

I raised one eyebrow. "So you can swim?" I asked again with a grin knowing that I was winning this.

She opened her mouth to deny it, but her answer surprised me. "I n-never said that either," she stuttered, averting her gaze from me, looking as cute as ever.

What am I thinking? Well, she is adorable and attractive, you can't deny that. No guy can deny that. As a matter of fact, that pisses me off.

I'm not even her boyfriend.

I must be going on a roller coaster of craziness.

Me being me, I decided to tease her. I loosened my grip around her waist, knowing she could not swim and her ego was too big to let her admit it. She looked back at me with fear in her eyes. I felt terrible for a second but then continued. "What are you doing?" she asked in a whisper, then licked her bottom lip nervously.

I want to kiss her. Wait, what?

Jaxon, are you crazy?

I decided against it and smirked. "Letting you go," I replied with a shrug.

"No shit Sherlock!" She yelled with a frustrated tone. I smiled evilly.

"Since you didn't say you can't swim... bye," I remarked, letting go of her slowly. Don't want her to drown now, do we?

She tightened her grip on my neck and put her legs around my hips. That's a nice position. Now, I don't wanna move.

"Okay, okay! I can't swim, happy? Don't ever let go of me," Ariel ordered, and I chuckled at her anxiety.

"Never." I grabbed her again by the waist and started swimming -slowly if I might add- back to the pool's stairs. As we reached it, she let go of me and climbed the stairs like the water had been electrified.

I should have stayed in the water, with her, in my arms.

I looked at her clothes, well, my clothes, to be exact, and they were tight on her due to the water making her perfect body look amazing. A girl who eats a lot and is obsessed with Oreos is in good shape, weird.

"Are you coming?" she asked me, I nodded, and I got out of the water. She wrapped the towel around her tiny body, and so did I. I think she's tiny to me, and it's cute. I love it.

"Did you have fun?" I asked with a smirk knowing her answer.

She looked at me with her long lashes and rolled her beautiful eyes. "Yeah, I sure did. It was fabulous!" She replied sarcastically.

I rubbed my hair with the towel. "Well, I did have plenty of fun, that's for sure," I winked, and she blushed. We sat on the chairs in comfortable silence.

After a peaceful ten minutes, I checked my half-dry shorts. I looked at Ariel's, and she was in the same state. "You wanna go up?" I asked her, and she turned her head and smiled.

"Yeah, I need to change. It's starting to get cold. After all, we are still in winter," she replied, and we headed to our rooms.

~~~

Noah

I went to my mom's room, sat next to her on the big bed, grabbed her weak hand, and sighed deeply. Everything was changing because of that bastard of a boss. "What's wrong, honey? You don't look okay," mom asked in her sweet, motherly voice that sometimes made me sleep on her lap. She was everything that I cared for.

I don't know what I would do if I lost her!

I thought for a second about the best way to say it. I gazed deeply into her dull green eyes that I took after. Every time I look into the mirror, I see my mom in me. "It's just... I don't know how to put it. It's complicated," I cleared and ran my free hand through my short, light brown hair.

"You can tell your momma everything." She smiled and squeezed her hand with mine, reassuring me she was here to listen.

She's my mom. I should tell her.

"Okay, if you owe someone a favor and you have to do what he or she says to repay the favor, will you do it? Even if he or she asked you to do something bad?" I whispered in agony, and she looked at me, confused, but then her expression softened.

"Honey, I don't know what you did to deserve such a thing, but favor is a favor. You have to do it as long it doesn't include drugs, killing, suicide, gambling, or sleeping around," she replied with a threatening tone. She sounded scary for an ill woman.

Good, kidnapping an innocent girl is not on her list! My mom is strong. She raised me all by herself, after all. I don't remember my dad. He died while doing his duty to protect the country. I was two when he disappeared from my life.

"No, it doesn't include that stuff, and thanks, momma. I love you." I kissed her forehead and stood up. "Have some sleep. You're tired. I will sleep in my room. Good night," I said with a smile.

"Okay, honey, good night." She waved goodbye with a sad smile. I felt heartbroken, seeing her suffer, and I could not do anything. I stopped walking and looked back at her.

"One more thing... Lilly is pregnant," I pointed out. She looked at me, her face lightened up, and I felt better.

"Yes! Finally! I have been waiting for this since the day I saw her. Tell Aaron congratulations for me," she replied cheerfully, and I nodded. I waved goodbye and then closed the door.

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