Too Much To Hide || EDITING

c.30

      The rest of the day goes by in a blur. Adrian completely ditched his work and spent time with James and I while Portia retreated to give us some space. I insisted that she should join us but she refused, heading back to her quarters for the rest of the day.

      "Do you have a swimsuit?" Adrian asks out of the blue.

      "Uh, I think so. Why?"

      As we sit on the grass, he turns back to keep an eye on James who runs around, flailing Mr Zebra as he does. He looks at me again, this time with a twinkle in his eye.

      "We should put it to use, don't you think?" He smirks and tilts his head to the side, his curls following.

      I blush. "What do you have in mind?"

      He pauses before a moment. "When James is asleep, go upstairs and change into it. Once you're ready, meet me by the patio door," he points his chin to the sliding glass doors.

      A grin slowly appears on my face.

      "What are you planning, Adrian Raines?"

      He places a kiss on my cheek before getting up and dusting off his back. "That's for you to find out, Elizabeth James."

      With that, he flashes a wink before heading back into the house with a purposeful stride in his step. Only now do I realize how fast my heart is beating against my chest. We're going to go swimming? But I don't see any pool around here—that just leaves me even more clueless. James brings me back to now, holding another Jasmine in between his little fingers. I take a sniff and smile but I can't stop thinking about what is to come.

      ~

      As soon as James fell asleep, I asked Portia to watch over him in the nursery. She obliged and I quickly hurried upstairs to get dressed. Rummaging through my suitcase, I found the only swimsuit I had; a Victoria Secrets bikini gifted by one of my friends last year.

      Oh God, I don't understand how this is the only one in my suitcase. Chewing my lip, I grab the kit and an extra baggy t-shirt and head into the bathroom to change. I tie the bra strings on my back like an expert and make sure the underwear fits properly. My body figure has barely changed since last year, it's kind of surprising when I think about how much I eat.

      I put on the tee and exhale a deep breath. Whatever happens next—it's going to be fate, not me. The shirt reaches down to my mid-thigh, which makes sense, considering the fact that this is one of my dad's old tops. 

      I go downstairs and wait outside on the patio, like Adrian instructed. The sun is going down and thankfully, there are no clouds littering the golden sky. That helps if we're going to be spending time outside. 

      I almost think I'm going to be left hanging but Adrian clears his throat while standing near one of the flower bushes, dressed in a normal t-shirt and red shorts—swim shorts if I'm not mistaken.

      "You are wearing your swimsuit underneath, right?"

     I playfully punch his shoulder and he winces dramatically.

      "Okay, okay. Come on," he laces his fingers through mine and leads me down the garden. When we get behind the fountain, I notice an opening in between two large bushes, a metal archway bordering it off. Slim, green vines twist their way through the metal and flowers grow on it, giving it a fantasy vibe.

      We both duck through it and we end up in a completely different part of the garden. My jaw drops at the sight of a wide swimming pool, glowing bright blue with white lights underneath the rippling water. Deck chairs line the far end of it, with the umbrellas folded due to the lack of sunlight. He turns and gives me a proud smile before leading me down the wooden steps to the chairs.