Heart of Fury - Stone and Fire # 2 [17+]

Chapter 12

Aurora's POV

The sun burned, hot and heavy, and I realized that maybe I should've chosen to flick open an umbrella before deciding to sunbathe next to the pool. 

I'd changed into one of my infamous glitter-spotted bikinis, a pastel pink high-waisted bottom with a matching, equally pink top. I could practically feel the tan lines burning into my skin, while the Ray-Bans tucked into my dark brown strands became a much needed accessory. 

"Didn't you tan enough back in Cali?"

I only move my eyes to see Kaiden pulling open the screen door and strolling out into the backyard patio, wearing only a pair of shorts under his naked, ab-lined torso.

"Careful, K. Those abs look real tempting under the sunlight."

"Lying looks bad on you."

He throws his towel over my face and dives right into the pool, water splashing all over me and ruining my just-washed hair. A month had gone by since my last trim, which was why avoiding any type of chemicals, unknown substances, and hair-damaging materials was my only prayer to God for days. 

My hair was sacred to me. 

"Hey! You stupid piece of shit." My knees lock up and I narrow my eyes at the laughing figure in the pool, and for some reason a stupid part of me pushes my own body right into the bone-chilling water. It's ice-cold, and then my eyes open, adjusting to the half-foggy, translucent liquid surrounding me. I spot his legs, and dive under to grab them, hearing an almost girl-like scream muffling my hearing further. 

It's an MMA match underwater style, and I'm half-drowning by the time he pulls me out of the water and sits me on his broad shoulders.

"Bet I'm the first girl you've done this with, huh?" He tilts his head up from between my thighs, and I splash water into his eyes. 

"Bullshit. Kingsworth's recreational area had enough pools for me to pick a different girl to swim with every hour."

Rolling my eyes, I point to the edge of the pool near the screen-door. "Sit me down there."

By the time my ass is hitting the cool marble lining, a shiver hits me. The sun was enough to bombard away the wind while sunbathing, but after being drenched with melted ice the ball of light was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Although being the end of fall, winter was yet to begin in the dusty skies of New York.

Kaiden's swimming over to me, hair gone from brown to a dark black after being matted with pool water. He stops right between my legs again, this time facing the outwards view from out house. A sunset was at it's hind, hues of orange and yellow making their way across the vast expanse of sky. Our backward was open, due to only two other houses on the street. 

"It's pretty." I say, and my fingers subconsciously start to play with his hair as I continue to gaze at the sky.

"Not as pretty as back home." Homesickness was Kaiden's biggest rival, although he didn't have any family to look forward to back in L.A. Leo had taken him under his wing through the vast connections at Kingsworth, and to me he was family now. Someone I could trust, spend majority of my time without getting bored, and someone I now wanted to be in my life for longer than we'd met. 

The sky churns with colour, my attention now on Kaiden's hair as I try to braid the short, wet strands. 

"Ow. Cut it out." 

"Stay still. Or I'll rip your hair out."

I tug his head back and continue, chills becoming more strong around me and only my feet wet under the water.