Chapter Five ~ Its Complicated (part 1)
I stared in shock but anger quickly over rode it.
"What the hell are you doing?" I ask Gabriel staring daggers at his back. My voice wasn't loud, but it was deathly. Gabriel turned, at first looking slightly puzzled then sorry, and then indifferent. A mask of bored ignorance.
"Nothing much." He said coolly. "Just following my fathers orders to bring Ava's stuff up here." He said with slight scorn. "By the way, your not very photogenic Mercedes." Gabriel said with a grin. I had to take a deep breath to stop myself from killing him right there and then. Saying my full name was a bad move. I wondered, for a second, if he knew how it affected me but brushed off the thought.
"Drop the photos and leave the room." I said venomously. "And it's Cedes." Something seemed to click as he surveyed my body, then shrugged and got up. Just as he was about to close the door he turned back around. He opened his mouth, then stopped and shook his head, his lips in a lazy grin. The door closed with a soft tap. What had he wanted to say? It didn't matter. I stared in frustration at the door taking deep breaths. I wanted to throw something! What the fuck had he been doing looking through my stuff? I grabbed to photos roughly and put them back in a stack on my nightstand. I felt like screaming, or punching something, or running away. But instead I opened the cardboard box and shuffled through it. I grabbed a deep green bathing suit and stripped off my cloths, sliding into the suit. It fit perfectly with its cutout back and halter-top. The dark moss green had the outlines of flowers stitched onto it in brown. I grabbed a towel and then looked through the box again, trying to find shoes of something. I found some dark brown flip-flops and slipped them on. I threw on an oversized tie-dye t-shirt with its fuchsia, turquoise, and orange shades. Then I left for the pool.
Adam wasn't there yet so I quickly stripped down and jumped into the clear crystal blue water with its jungle canopy. It was surprisingly warm and felt amazing against my skin, yet I still felt tears in my eyes. I hated Gabriel! For all that it was worth I absolutely hated him! Whether he knew about my past or not, he was still a complete jerk. I wasn't sure if I was crying or not because of the water lapping against my cheeks. I hoped I wasn't. Crying - no matter what - was still a weakness in my opinion. I heard a loud splash and quickly turned. First red hair, then green eyes, then a classically beautiful face with strong lines before an wicked muscular body.
"Hey Cedes!" He called, I grinning waving. He gave me a goofy smile then dove under. I saw his shimmering shape under the water and then he was behind me. He put his arms around my waist and lifted me onto his left shoulder.
"There!" He exclaimed triumphantly.
"Put me down! It's cold up here!" I screamed half laughing as my wet body shivered.
"Alright!" Adam said and smirked then he threw me into the water. I expected it to be relatively cool but it was super warm. I realized Adam had thrown me into the hot tub part of the pool. He climbed over the tile barrier between the pool and the hot tub and plumped down beside me.
"Better?" He asked grinning.
"Much better, thanks." I told him. "But just for the future, I think I can make it in here without your help. " I said teasingly.
"Can you?" Adam laughed.
"Yes!" I grinned. "I can!"
"You sound like the little engine that could!" Adam laughed.
"Well, maybe I am!" I teased. I remembered the story from when I was little. It had been my obsession at the age of 3 and my mom had read it to me every night.
"I wouldn't bet on it - in my opinion you look like a girl, not a train." Adam chuckled. "Anyways, trains don't have emotions, do they?" I gave him a look; what kind of question was that? "Why were you sad before I came Cedes?" Adam concerned asked. Oh. Damn his feeling sense thing.
"I wasn't." I said dismissively. Adam raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, you were." He stated. I knew he knew. It sucked.
"Nothing important." I replied. His look told me he wasn't going to let it go that quickly. "Just memories." I said with a blank expression on my face. A facade. I did not want to have this conversation.
"Memories that Gabriel brought up?" Adam questioned. Why was he so good at this?
"No." I lied smoothly and for some reason even though Adam should have been able to see through my lie, he seemed to believe that. I climbed back over the ledge and dove under the cool water, clearing my mind. "I'm going to go get something to drink." I told Adam, getting out of the pool. He started swimming laps.
"Okay, see you later Cedes." Adam called out. "Sorry about asking, by the way, I shouldn't have. It's your personal thoughts and nothing that should concern me." Then he was back to his usually happy-go-lucky self. I couldn't be annoyed with him anymore.
"Sure, see you. And thanks." I towel dried myself quickly and pulled on the tie-dye shirt. I went to the kitchen and got a glass of water. What a failure of my 'swimming' session. I'd have to go alone next time.
