Detour

20: Restricted Swimmers

"What canal is this again Cole?"

"Prinsengracht." He turned at me and put both of his hands in his pockets. He wore ripped jeans today and that almost made me drool, I admit. "Or Prince's Canal."

I gazed around the place. Amsterdam is known for their canals but I haven't really looked into it. As long as i've got a room to sleep in, which is far away from Vince, i'm good—but today, I realized I should've noticed it a bit sooner.

After I finished that cola, I voluntarily threw the cup in the bin so no more splashing of leftover liquid will be thrown in the old man's head. Since Cole bought his car and he decided to drive us here, I couldn't care any less.

This place is breathtaking. Trees are lined up beside the streets, and beside it is the canal. Boats are scattered with passengers in it and I don't even know where to look now.

Whether be it in the canal or the person who is enjoying staring at me.

"Enjoying the view, Cole?" I gave him my smugiest look and he just laughed it off. GREAT. JUST BEING GORGEOUS AGAIN.

I was about to ask him if he already tried riding these boats when I saw both Astrid and Mom in Mom's car! I can't remember mom bought her car! Or not? I blinked twice and narrowed my brows at them when Astrid immediately covered her face with her bag and Mom ducked her head so I can't see them both now. Or am I just imagining things? What are they gonna do here anyway? Spy on me and Cole? Check on us if we're dating or doing something they never expect?

Wow Jess. Never thought you had that in you.

"Come here Jess." I turned my eyes at him and saw him sitting there with his feet almost touching the water.

Come here Jess? How alluring is that?!

I come closer to him, crouched beside him and surprised me when he turned his head to me! My eyes widened on how close I am to him! I almost fall on my back but thank God for reliable Chuck Taylors!

"I..." I closed my eyes shortly, "I think I saw Astrid and Mom." When I opened my eyes, I now saw him standing in front of me, stripping! He called me to come here so I can see him strip in front of me? What is wrong with him today! "What are you doing?" Horrified, I stood up too. "You're crazy! What are you doing? People are looking at you!" The bastard just grinned at me!

I rolled my eyes when the girl who passed by took a picture of Cole and he's absolutely and completely oblivious about it. Great.

I rolled my eyes more when even the passengers in the boat turned their heads at Cole. "I don't know what's running in your mind Cole, really."

I, for the nth time, avoided the urge to look at him. In his shit-eating grin, his exposed biceps, his chest, his back whenever he looked back and winked at his fans, in which I had glanced in his tatoo once. Shit. His neck...and fuck me if I hadn't seen those...ugh. Okay, I also saw his v-line aside from his 6-pack.

"When I said I want to make your vacation worth it, I meant it Jess." He winked at me!

Like a teenager who bumped her crush in the hallway, her books fell on the floor and they both rise with their hands touching in her books between them, her heart did a somersault and it killed her twice.

My heart, my soul. What are you doing to me Cole? Seriously speaking?

I was about to shout at him that i'm calling Astrid for help that Cole's head is needed to get checked but my words died when he dived into the canal!

That's my first time to see a perfect dive in real life! Wait, is this even real?

I gasped loudly as I heard and seen the water splashed hard as he made contact with it and disappeared. Even the people around us gasped in horror and some are panicking, some are laughing with stars in their eyes like they're amazed by this guy. Seriously?

I hurriedly went down the nearest boat and took off my cardigan, revealing my shoulders and belly button. It took a long time for me to stood up in the boat because it's shaking and I don't like things that shake. "I heard canals here in Amsterdam had sea killing-creatures Cole." I shouted, too horrified.

I've seen he already let his head out for breathing. I almost got a heart attack if he really did disappeared because of the creatures I made up. He merely shake his hair with his fingers, water sprinkling everywhere. Fuck, that's hot. He smirked but didn't say anything. His toned chest is halfway seen but I didn't cared any less. People are feasting their eyes on him!

I rolled my eyes, my eyeballs hurting, preparing to head home all of a sudden. I think nothing will really make him out of this water so I decided to tell him. "I"m going home—"

"Alright." He interrupted. That's fast. "Just wait for me. I felt something bit my ankle." He swam closer to the boat i'm standing, holding the side of it, attempting to climb up.

"You should've told me you haven't taken a bath Cole, sheesh." I grinned at him.

"I haven't Jess, so lift me up. I can't feel my legs." His face went serious all of a sudden so I panicked, maybe he's hurt or what. I immediately took his arms in the air and pull him up—

The plan is to pull him up, not pull me in. So when he took my arms and intentionally pulled me in, I shrieked when I realized what he's planning to do! My God!

My body fell into the water, cold and hard. I automatically gripped my hands on the side of the boat where his hands are earlier so I won't drown.

Thank God i'm still alive!

And he laughed hard. The jerk just laughed hard. Hello! I almost drowned when I haven't held myself to the boat! "I'm just kidding. I really want to see you swim." He shook his head, arms surrendering.

I looked at him, brows narrowed, lips pouting. "Not funny Cole." He leaned close to me and my whole body felt hot that instant even though the water is damn cold right now. "Aside from I don't know how to swim, you might want to take a look at the street." I glanced shortly at the street, which he did the same as he saw Policemen running towards us, to what I saw earlier.

"Shit." I heard him mumble a curse after a couple of whistles were blown from the police, telling us swimming is prohibited.

"Yeah. Shit. I told you we should go." I glanced back at him who had concern is written all over his face now.

"No, that's not what I meant." He touched my arm but my face heated. Geez, the thing i've done earlier at the movie house came flashing back. "You're freezing. Let's go up before the police will dive with us." He chuckled a bit before he pulled himself up on the boat and crouched to me, holding both of my arms and pulled me up too, which ended up him, holding my waist and my hands on his shoulders to maybe secure myself not to fall back into the water again.

But i'm still falling.

His eyes lingered on my crop top sticking to my body, before settling in my face with his eyes deep, jaw dropped. His breath fans my face as he said, "We should really run now before the police prisons me for checking you out."