Lies We Tell

26 : On the Defense

At the end of the pool, Zahra kicked off her sandals as she tore off her mic pack at the same time. Discarding everything to the side, she steered herself right to the lip of the pool where she tucked forward, sliding into the water in a dive.

As soon as her head broke the surface, the thrum of her heartbeat dulled. The thoughts in her mind quieted, and her body sank to the bottom of the pool as she let the oxygen in her lungs bubble out slowly. Her dark hair swirled around her face as she looked up to the shimmering surface, tearing up at the burn of chlorine in her eyes. When she couldn't handle the burn anymore, she closed her eyes and pushed back up to the surface, inhaling a gasp once she hit air. A beat later her breathing returned to normal, and she leaned back, stretching out on her back in a float.

"What's with you this morning?"

Hearing the disgruntled edge to Lucas's voice, Zahra peeled her eyes open and stared defiantly back at him. "Excuse me?"

He gestured to her floating absentmindedly in the water. "You just took off out of bed without a word, and now you're just out here floating?"

She let her eyes flutter shut again. "I didn't think you'd notice or mind."

"Oh, for the love of-" His complaint trailed off, becoming increasingly more grumbled, until she could no longer hear him. A wave of disappointment washed over her, but then she brushed that off, too, and resumed floating in peace.

A massive splash jostled her nearby, splashing water in her face enough to get her spluttering. Zahra righted herself, rubbing at her eyes, and spun herself around just in time to catch sight of Lucas resurfacing from underwater. "What-"

"I'm trying to have a conversation with you," he gasped, treading water next to her. He moved in closer, bumping his legs against hers. "I can't do that if you're avoiding me. Plus, you know, we need our mic packs." He tossed his head towards the edge of the pool where his own mic pack had been discarded near hers.

Zahra wavered, unsure if this conversation would go the way she wanted it to or not, and continued to bob in the water silently.

Lucas drifted in closer, bumping against her more. "Please, Zee," he murmured. "Just give me a minute."

At his delicate plea, her wavering broke, and she nodded. "Okay." Together they swam over to the edge of the pool, where Zahra lifted herself out of the water with a careful hand from Lucas. Dripping, she danced over to their mic packs and picked them up carefully, then followed him over to the shallow end of the pool where he waited for her in waist-deep water. She passed him his mic pack, then clipped on her own before settling on the edge of the pool to dangle her feet in the water. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Last night," he said without hesitation, adding, with a grimace, "and this morning, too."

Zahra's heart sank, but she schooled her features into a blank slate and cleared her throat gently. "Okay."

"I made things awkward last night on the roof terrace," he began, "and I wanted to apologize for that. You were just being honest like I asked, and, if I'm being totally honest, it kind of freaked me out."

Zahra frowned. "What part?"

Lucas shrugged. "All of it, I guess. I mean, the Carl and Elisa territory is a lot to consider, but what you said about you and me, well...."

"You wanted honesty," Zahra reminded him. "I gave you that. I told you exactly where I stand."

He folded his hands atop her thighs, forcing her to really lock into him through the simple contact. "I wanted you to, and I'm glad you did, but it's just been a lot for me to take in." He sighed. "Total honesty here? You already make me nervous in ways I haven't felt in a while, but knowing that the only reason you're here is me and that what I do decides if you stay or go was overwhelming."