Mum and I return to the hotel at around 5ish. We've been out since breakfast, to an amazing costal town. The day was incredible: the heat, the buzz of tourists, the seagulls, the sea... but in the back of my mind the whole time was the look Tom gave me at The View. The finger he put on my lips before and the feeling of his arm against mine, barely brushing it as we stood side by side, feeling smaller than we ever had before.
I ask Mum if I can go down to the pool for a swim. She says she'll go to the gym again. I frown as I pack my swimming kit up. Mum didn't even have a gym membership before. I wonder why she's so keen now?
Footsteps echoing, I make my way down the stairs and pass the place where Tom and I were. Shivers run up and down my arms. Wistfully, I glance at the bushes where he took me through and wonder if he'll be there.
There's only a couple of people in the pool now, and the sharp, cool water is welcomed by my skin that's spent too long in the sun. I swim quickly, cutting the water with my body, up and down the side of the pool then turn onto my back and blink up at the sky.
The afternoon sun is still bright and the water in my eyes turns it into scattered crystals of light. I'm lying on my back, floating peacefully on the surface and thinking about how perfect life can be, when all of a sudden the tranquility is broken as my ankles are grabbed and my head is submerged.
I resurface, spluttering and turn once again to face a grinning Tom Abisgold. "Oops," he says. "Sorry, Charlotte."
"There's no oops about that," I reply, smiling in spite of myself and splashing water at his face.
"You're right, there was no oops about that. But it was too good an opportunity to miss."
I fold my arms and shake my head. "I didn't even know you were in here."
"I was at the top of the slide. You're a good swimmer, by the way."
"Why thank you, I swim with a club."
We're bobbing up and down in the water, facing each other and rotating in slow circles. Just visible are his broad tanned shoulders, and his hair is gleaming. He's still smiling softly and I smile back; he kicks himself towards me slowly and the stupid hope comes back that I had earlier, that he might kiss me. But he doesn't. He ducks down again and pulls me under by the ankles. Shrieking, I don't even bother going above the surface but launch a counter-attack. Soon it's a full on battle.
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Thank you so so much for almost 300 reads, that's craaaaaazy <3
