Don't call me Angel- Completed

Fifteen

I sat down slowly, dipping my feet into the pool as he stood on the shallower end of the pool, wading over to me slowly. This lighting was not helping anything. How it was causing shadows to deepen around his abs, highlighting him perfectly, showing off every curve on his body, ever line of his tattoos. The scar I'd left him at the gallery. It was fully healed now. Still a little red. But it was a neat scar. Not stitched by someone who didn't have experience. 

"Maddy?" 

"Hm?" I looked up. 

"Do you want your drink?" I turned my head, looking at it from here. His sat beside it. "I'll go get it. Stay here." 

"No you're going to get water everywhe-" 

"Stay here." He put his hand on my thigh, no pressure, just the feeling of him was enough for me to not want to move. I didn't like being told what to do. Not when it was forceful or demanding. With him it was soft, gentle. Like I had a choice. He'd prefer me to do what he was asking but it didn't matter if I didn't. I wasn't worried about him hurting me if I didn't. I don't think Arlo would. Hurt me that is. He'd just get pissed at me. Shout. Tell me I wasn't going anywhere again and then put measures in place so I couldn't. 

He came back quickly, climbing back into the pool. I notice he put some music on in the room. Through the speakers I couldn't work out earlier. It wasn't loud but it was enough to make it not awkwardly silent. He moved closer, holding a glass out for me. A gentle smile as I took it from him, putting it down beside me, moving it a little so I didn't knock it over. 

"Thanks." I looked back at him. "For the drink. You didn't have to." 

"My pleasure." He slid his glass down on the other side of me, same distance away as mine was. "What are you thinking?" 

"You don't want to know that." I looked down at my feet in the water, scrunching my face up.

"I do." The water moved around my legs, the ripples rising and falling against my calves. "So what are you thinking?" 

"It's a nice night tonight. So much warmer than back home." 

"That's not what you're thinking." A small laugh came from him as he stood beside me. "You're thinking about something you don't want me to know about. I can see it."

"It's nothing." I looked up at him. "How's your scar?" 

"Fine." He looked down at it. "Kind of pissed you got my new tattoo though. You couldn't have gone for the other side where I have nothing?" 

"I know for next time. Then you can have a matching set." I grinned and he shook his head. 

"Don't do it again unless you have to." He smiled, moving so he was between my legs. "It really hurt." 

"It does right? But not like a pain you'd expect. It's like it burns." 

"Wait you've-" 

"Been shot too? Yeah. Same place actually." I lifted slightly, showing my own scar, though it was a lot messier than his. 

"How? When?" 

"Years ago." I tilted my head. "I'm not telling you how."  He held his hand out, gently running his fingers over it. 

"It looks sore."

"It's only red because it's cold." I chuckled slightly. 

"You're cold?" 

"A little." He put his hands on my waist, moving closer into my legs and pulling me into the water, around his waist. My eyes grew wide as he walked deeper into the water, his hands moving down and holding onto the top of my thighs.

"Better?" I nodded. "Good." I was just focusing on my breathing. Keeping it slow and steady and calm "So why do you want to move out here then?" 

"I don't know." I smiled, laying my arms on his shoulders as he sat down at the far end of the pool, water coming up to our shoulders now. "I like the sun? My dad had some good connections down here so I spent most summers down by Long Beach. I loved those summers. The heat, the sea, the atmosphere down here."

"You spent summers down here?" 

"Yeah." 

"When did you stop?" 

"Um-" I looked down. quickly then back up at him. "When my parents died. Then I was brought back home and given to my god parents." 

"Nicky and Allegra?" 

"Yeah." He nodded. "Hence why I owe them." 

"How old were you?" 

"13. It was like 3 weeks after my birthday. Had to grow up real fast." I raised my eyebrows, looking up at the sky. 

"Why? Didn't Nicky let you-" 

"Oh god no. Nicky and Allegra are the best." I shook my head looking back at him. "The one thing my parents did right was choosing them." 

"The one thing?" I stared at the blue of his eyes, nodding slowly. 

"Um. This has turned into the Maddelena show real quick." I chuckled, moving on him so I was sat on his thighs, straddling him. Somehow that felt smarter than how I had been sat. 

"Maddelena? That's your name?" 

"Yeah." 

"Where did you get Ana from?" He laughed slightly, his arms moving my waist loosely. 

"The 'ena'. I'd use Elena but I think it's too close to my normal name." 

"Ah, so Ana is your 'don't try find me' name." 

"Much like yours is Luca?" I laughed. 

"What else should I go by?" He threw his head back "Don't you dare say Luci again." 

"You're right Luca is the better option." I giggled and he smiled, pulling me closer by my waist. 

"Maddy is better than Ana." 

"I know. That's what I go by for people that I'm fine knowing me." 

"You haven't corrected me calling you that today." 

"Because I'm fine with you knowing me." His smile was soft now. 

"When do you have to go home?" 

"Sunday." I tilted my head. "What about you?"

"Sunday."

"Why do I have a feeling it should have been sooner and you're just saying that." 

"Because I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow but I'm not leaving you here all alone."

"Lu-" 

"Shh." He shook his head. "I know I don't have to. But I'm going to anyway."