Allegedly

Chapter 4: Ripples in the Water

The night had settled thick over the ranch, the stars swallowed by a heavy cloud cover. Rowan stood in front of the large bay window that overlooked the backyard, his mind still reeling from the encounter with Ada-or the memory of it. He wasn't sure anymore. The house was quiet, too quiet. The walls hummed with a strange energy, like they were holding onto secrets they weren't ready to give up.

He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to shake off the strange fog that had settled over him since he'd arrived. The hallways had a way of twisting, the rooms felt too large and empty. Everything was off. And then there was Ada-slipping in and out of his thoughts like a ghost, just out of reach.

His gaze drifted toward the backyard, and that's when he saw her.

She was in the pool.

Rowan blinked, his breath catching in his throat. The large, rectangular swimming pool sat like a dark mirror at the edge of the property, the water reflecting the dim lights from the house. And there, in the center, was Ada-her body gleaming under the soft glow of the few remaining garden lights.

She was completely naked.

The water clung to her skin as she moved slowly, gliding through it like a figure in a dream. Her dark hair was slicked back, and her movements were languid, sensual, as if she were alone in the world, unaware-or uncaring-that she was being watched.

Rowan's pulse quickened, his hands tightening around the frame of the window. He should have looked away, but he couldn't. The sight of her stirred something deep inside him, something primal and dangerous. She seemed to be calling to him, without saying a word, her body cutting through the water in smooth, rhythmic strokes.

For a moment, the rest of the world faded. The house, the strange message from Emma, the looming sense of danger-it all disappeared. All that existed was Ada, her skin shimmering under the moonlight, her movements hypnotic.

But then, the flicker of doubt crept in.

Was this real? Was she real?

His mind twisted, struggling to make sense of what he was seeing. His encounter with her earlier had felt so vivid, so real, but it had slipped away like a half-remembered dream. Now, watching her in the pool, he couldn't be sure if any of it had actually happened. Was she trying to seduce him again? Or was his own fractured mind playing tricks on him?

Rowan swallowed hard, stepping back from the window. He felt like he was losing control, slipping into a place where nothing made sense. His body ached with the need to move, to do something, but his mind was a blur of conflicting thoughts. Desire tangled with confusion, and the lines between the two blurred further with each passing second.

He turned away from the window, trying to clear his head, but before he could take a step, the soft sound of footsteps caught his attention. He looked up to see Emma standing in the doorway, her face drawn tight with suspicion.

"Rowan," she said, her voice low, almost a whisper. She tilted her head slightly, as if listening for something beyond what her ears could hear. "What are you doing?"

He hesitated, unsure of what to say. His heart pounded in his chest, the remnants of what he'd just seen still fresh in his mind. Could she feel the tension radiating off him, or the lingering pull of Ada's presence?

"I..." Rowan cleared his throat, forcing his voice to stay steady. "I was just... looking outside. The pool."

Emma's face tightened, a shadow of concern crossing her features. "Ada?" she asked quietly, though her voice carried an edge that Rowan hadn't heard from her before.

He nodded, unsure of how much to reveal. "She's... swimming."

Emma's lips pressed into a thin line, her expression unreadable. She turned her head slightly, as if trying to picture the scene beyond the window, trying to piece together what Rowan was telling her. Her blindness may have robbed her of sight, but her instincts were razor-sharp, and Rowan could feel her suspicion growing.

"She's been... different lately," Emma murmured, her voice barely audible. "I've felt it. She's hiding something. I can't see it, but I can feel it."

Rowan frowned, the unease in his chest deepening. He wanted to brush off Emma's words, to tell her she was imagining things, but something about the way she spoke sent a chill through him. It wasn't just paranoia. Emma knew this house, these people, better than anyone, and if she sensed something was wrong, then there probably was.

"I don't know what to think anymore," Rowan admitted, his voice hoarse. "She... I-" He stopped, unsure of how to explain the strange pull Ada had on him, how her presence seemed to unravel everything inside him. How she lingered in his mind, even when she wasn't there.

"Don't trust her," Emma said sharply, cutting through his thoughts. "Something isn't right with her. I've felt it for weeks now."

Rowan opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the sound of splashing water broke the silence. He turned back to the window just in time to see Ada pulling herself out of the pool, water streaming down her body, glistening in the dim light. She moved with the same effortless grace, each step deliberate and slow as she walked toward the side of the pool where a towel was draped over a chair.

For a moment, Rowan forgot to breathe.

Ada wrapped the towel loosely around herself, barely covering the curves of her body, her movements slow and almost theatrical. She didn't look up, didn't acknowledge the house. She acted as though she were alone in the world, as if no one else existed in her private universe.

Rowan's skin prickled with a strange mix of desire and dread. He couldn't shake the feeling that she knew he was watching, that everything she did was for his benefit. But whether it was real or imagined, he couldn't tell.

"I've heard things, Rowan," Emma's voice broke the silence, soft but insistent. "Late at night. Whispers. Footsteps. Things out of place. Ada... she's not what she seems."

Rowan tore his gaze away from Ada's figure as she disappeared around the corner of the house, his stomach churning with unease. He wanted to trust Emma, but his mind was too tangled, too clouded by doubt. He didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Be careful, Rowan," Emma said quietly, her voice like a warning. "This house... it's full of shadows."

Rowan nodded, but the words didn't bring him any comfort. The shadows Emma spoke of weren't just in the house-they were inside him too.

And Ada, with her silent allure and unnerving presence, was part of those shadows now, pulling him deeper into a mystery he wasn't sure he wanted to solve.