Rugged To The Core

Chapter 75

"She looked at him for an age, and he read nothing short of love on her face. It warmed him to the core he'd thought dead, and scared the crap out of him."

~ Dianna Hardy, Rise Of The Wolf.

Warning: Mature Content Ahead!

Song for chapter: If You Need To By SMNM

Lucky

"Would you like to see me in a bathing suit?" I asked cheekily, placing a hand on my waist as I leered at him.

His eyebrows rose up. "What are you up to...?"

I turned to stare at the swimming pool and then looked back at him with a smirk. "Do you swim?" I asked with a toothy grin.

He crinkled his brows. "No, I don't know how to."

"Oh wow..." I frowned but then giggled and folded my arms. "You know... I could teach you."

Now, sitting on the arm of the chair, he gave me an expression like he didn't like the idea one bit and I chuckled. "It'd be fun. I can swim, my grandfather taught me, I taught my sister so I can teach you. I promise I won't let you drown."

Silence.

"Com'ere, I want to tell you something important." He beckoned me.

I slowly made my way to him. Since he was sitting, we were now almost at eyelevel.

"My dad used to live here with us." He reached for my right hand and continued. "Until he died."

Knowing how he felt about his father, I didn't know whether to offer my condolences so I just maintained silence and let him continue.

"I still feel his presence in this house. I see him everywhere and the memories keep replaying. I hate when I have to be home alone because that's when I feel him the most."

I took hold of his hand that was holding mine, encasing it between my hands and lifted it up. "The dead have no control over the living, Ugo."

He shook his head. "My dad left too much of an impact, he did too much damage. Now, even in his death, I still tremble at the thought of him." He cast his gaze low, looking like a lost little boy. His beautiful lashes fluttered as he blinked. "Just now, you were too close to him. That chair, it's where my father would sit to read his papers. I could see him there, and then you were also there..."

"Hey..." I cupped his face and met his gaze. "There are not real. It's your fear playing tricks on you. The sooner you realise those memories have no effect on you in the real world, the closer you are to healing." He caressed his face. "You'll be fine, okay?"

Leaning in, I wrapped my arms around him and he pressed his head against my chest like a child. He held onto my waist, I could feel his callouse hands on my skin. My crop top fell a tad above my bellybutton, my trousers weren't high waisted so a small amount of my skin was on display.

"Why are you always so good to me?" He breathed out against my chest.

"You're a good person, Ugo."

"I'm not..." He responded, shaking his head against me. "You don't know everything, I've done bad things... Things that haunt me. Things that make me feel like my father. I'm just as bad as he is..."