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♖:♛ ━━━━━━━━━━ ♕:♜
LOU STAYED IN the pool with Benny for a few hours, the two of them having a few rematches before deciding to settle on a tie.
They'd lazily swam around for a while after that, talking about nothing with only each other and the stars for company. After some time, they left the water and lounged on the chairs by the pool, and Benny used a phone installed on the closed cocktail bar to order them some food. Lou told him that was probably not allowed, but he did manage to get them food, and at the sight of the two burgers and a large portion of fries, Lou didn't argue.
"Aren't you going to be tired tomorrow? For your matches?" She'd asked him, thinking about how Beth had told her they started early, and it was probably almost eleven in the night at this point.
"Nah, swimming will make me just tired enough to sleep through the night, and I only need about six hours to properly function."
"Careful, your opponents have probably been in bed for hours now, and who knows, maybe that difference will be what causes your defeat."
Benny laughed at that, shaking his head. "They could sleep for a year and be in top form, and it wouldn't be enough to beat me."
Lou raised an eyebrow. "Cocky much?"
"Not cocky, I'm confident, and I have a reason for it."
Lou hummed, switching to lie on her side, facing him instead of the sky. She had her towel on her legs like a blanket, in part because the air was cold against her wet skin, and partly because she felt self-conscious. "I'm sure you do. You're not invincible though, no one is."
"I know that," he replied, taking a fry from their shared plate. "But I also know most of these players, and I can beat them no problem."
"Even Beth?"
Benny sighed, and it was a moment before he answered. "Harmon is different, I'm not stupid enough to underestimate her. I've seen what happens to those that do."
Lou couldn't help a smile. "She's awesome. It runs in the family."
"Isn't she adopted?" Benny asked, confused by her words.
"Yeah, but family isn't just blood," Lou answered. "It's a lot more than that."
He didn't say anything, but Lou could feel his eyes upon her.
They ended up getting back to their rooms at eleven-thirty, and after a quick shower to wash off the pool water from her skin and hair, Lou went to sleep, finding it that it avoided her, even though her limbs felt like lead, her eyes were alert.
She looked over to her bedside table, seeing her copy of The Hobbit, and remembered she forgot to give it to Benny. Well, she could do it the next day, and this way her book would have zero chance of accidentally getting wet.
