𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

𝟏𝟕 | 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞

Antoinette

         The blaring spring sun still pained my eyes underneath my Prada sunglasses while I laid on the comfortable daybed in front of the pool. It beamed onto my skin that the baby pink two-piece swimsuit didn't cover, which wasn't a lot. After finishing my lectures for today, I found myself sitting inside the house bored and then Esmerelda called me over to her house.

The iconic song "Love Galore" by SZA and Travis Scott played throughout the speakers loudly in the backyard. Though my attention was stuck on the diamond chain around my ankle, admiring the way that it glistened underneath the sun.

A part of my mind couldn't pull away from the memory of what happened in the garage, especially the way Michael had kissed my skin. I had never been kissed on the lips before, so I wasn't sure why I wanted it so badly from him, but I knew that I did. Even though my wishes were denied, his kisses on my neck, arm, and leg sparked feelings in me that I had never felt before. A feeling of sexual desire—a feeling of covet. His kisses awaked something in me that I didn't even know existed, a part that yearned for me. Knowing that he thought about me as much as I thought about him made my yearning even stronger and more complicated. I was beginning to understand that I wanted Michael emotionally, if that makes sense.

The other part of my mind was filled with worry, scared that Michael might actually hurt Ryan Weston. Trust me, I didn't favor him, and I didn't want to marry him, but that didn't mean I wanted him beaten up for my honor. Not only did that go against my morals, but it was just plain wrong. Adding onto that, I didn't want Michael hurting anyone, once again because it was wrong. I cared for Michael a lot, and the last thing I wanted was for him to get wrapped up in something because of me... especially since he told me that Edmund Weston was the reason he went to prison. I wondered about that too—it seemed like each time we hung out, Michael would throw a surprising piece of information at me and then fail to elaborate on it.

A loud splash knocks me out of my thinking, catching me off guard. Before any water could land on my freshly waxed legs, I bring them higher up in the daybed. A large smile was spread across Esmeralda's face when she emerged from the chlorine-filled water, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

As I looked at my best friend, guilt washed over me, knowing I was hiding so much about Michael from her. I just knew she wouldn't understand. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she freaked out just hearing that he and I hang out behind people's backs. Would she want to stop being my friend if she found out?

Esmerelda leaned against the edge of the pool, a mischievous smile on her face. "What's the point of wearing a swimsuit if you're not even going to get in the water, Annie?" she teased.

Esmerelda was right—there was no real reason for me to be in a swimsuit if I wasn't actually getting in the water. But I'd spent nearly two hundred dollars on this set, and I was going to show it off somewhere.

I couldn't find a response to Esmerelda, so instead, I just glanced down at my anklet, letting my thoughts take over. The shiny little charm caught the light as I traced it with my fingers, grounding myself in the simple, familiar motion. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about Andrew lately, and the tension between us was growing heavier by the day. One of the reasons I'd agreed to hang out with Esmerelda today was to avoid being at home—away from the silence that seemed to hang over everything. I had a feeling he was a lot angrier than I realized...

"What's up with you? I feel like we don't hang out anymore, and when we do, you're always so quiet." Esmerelda's voice broke through my thoughts, and before I could react, she splashed a little water in my direction. I didn't have time to move, and it hit me, the cold shock bringing me back to the present.