Spiraled ⚪⭐⚪⭐ (A Brollins Novel)✔

EPISODE NINE

Daniel's House. Orlando, Florida.

'The water isn't as cold as it was last night,' Rebecca judges, hands splayed across the simmering surface of the river, beating the water about her giddily. She waddles through, searching her memories for swimming lessons her father taught her when she was eight. Swimming has never been her favorite hobby and even now, it isn't but her father loved it, and fishing. He used to say if he hadn't been born into a family that deals in industrialization, he would've been a fisherman or a swimming athlete to which her mother always made a point to display her disapproval and disgust.

Between her and Fergal, it's her brother who shared their father's passions. But after he passed away, her brother had forsaken all of it and even his dreams, for the company and to ensure their family maintain their glorious status in the stock market. If ever her brother has accepted his forced role in this life or not, she doesn't know. But she does know their once upon a time happy family, ever since their father died, has been reduced to a hollow shell of its former self.

Shaking her head against the memories, she swims on until she's in the middle of the river before plunging in, arms and head sinking into the cool sensation of the water. 'Water is every person's friend,' her father used to tell her whenever she'll make a face about swimming and complain to her brother about how boring it is. They'd tease her and claim she's still a baby for being scared of the same water she drinks and baths with. Their little antics always annoys her to the point where she'll stomp off, angry. But her father always managed to appease her; whether it's sneaking into her room at nights to give her mint chocolates in secrecy to avoid her mother giving both of them lengthy lectures in the morning about diets and healthy living, or just simple words of affection of how she'll always be his little princess.

She misses him more than words can say. It doesn't matter how much time has passed since his death. Her father is always in her thoughts, day and night and it's particularly in times like these she wish he's still alive. Her life has once again spiraled into the messy web of love but this time, it's her desires against reality. The only thing keeping her worries from swallowing her up is the water which also provide a refreshing respite from the scorching blaze of the sun above. 'A friend indeed.'

Rising up to the surface, she cups a handful of the water and begins cleaning the dirt and sweat that has clung to her body from the night before. She runs her hands through her hair next, pulling away leaves and finding knots. With all the tugging and tossing around last night, she's surprised there isn't that many knots tangled up in her hair. She makes quick work of them, pulls them free and splashes water onto her back and the nape of her neck, fingers brushing over the red marks Colby had left there, wincing at the little pain each cause. The dull ache between her legs is a different story but it's nothing she can't handle.

'Her first time was much worse,' she tells herself, swimming to the bank of the river, her eyes glued to Colby lying on his stomach at the shore. He's naked, save for the blanket she'd used to cover him around his middle, arms and legs sprawled lazily on the soft grass. Despite the sun shinning brightly at where he sleeps, it's rays casting flickers of golden light on his brown skin, he's still deep into sleep. He's everything attractive and glorious in this world, gleaming like a forbidden fruit on a tree. She guess he must indeed be forbidden in a way. For he doesn't belong to her.

He doesn't belong to her in the way she'd like him to. His heart—the one thing she wants more than his body—belongs to someone else. It belongs to Mercedes; to the woman who made him cry last night, the woman he claims has caused him several heartaches. He still cares enough to cry over her and even if he doesn't admit it, it's pretty obvious he longs for things to be different with her. And she understands.