Revealed (Unbound, Book 5)

Chapter Fifty-Four

Pulling my legs out, I stood so I could take off my robe.

I dropped it beside my towel on the lounger and laughed when Onyx jumped up to sit on top of it. I didn't know if it was to warm herself or keep it safe, but I wasn't complaining. Right now, I didn't need either in order to enjoy the pool. I walked around the edge and started wading in from the shallow end. The warmth surrounding me made it feel like I didn't have to dunk quickly or as though I had to wait for body to adjust as it became submerged.

The water reached my neck.

I took a deep breath and dove under the surface. All sounds disappeared. My thoughts subsided. I swam beneath the surface until I had to come back up for air. Keeping my eyes open, I watched as the shimmering lights in the water morphed into inky blankness as I broke through and exhaled an arm's length from the opposite end from where I started. Kicking, I reached out and grasped the edge.

A second later, I pushed off and swam back, this time using the breaststroke.

Back and forth, I continued from edge to edge, deep to shallow, and back again.

It differed from running, where the impact of feet against ground drilled thoughts from my head. This was... serene. Fluid. Perhaps it was the rationed amount of oxygen I got or not enough inhaled. Either way, I didn't have to take the time to sort out my thoughts because swimming until it exhausted my body drained my mind of dilemmas.

"Nora?"

My name split the silence.

I kicked off the wall in the deep end and swam to the shallow side. Once I could touch the bottom, I pulled my feet under me and stood. Tipping my head back, I dunked the back of my head to slick my hair back, using my fingers to comb in away from my face. For a second, all I saw was the sky, and I smiled. The weight of my hair strained the back of my neck, and I knew I couldn't stay that way.

"Nora, what are you doing?"

I straightened, turning my head to the side where Onyx still sat on the lounger. Beside her stood Calin. I smiled widely. During the day, I'm sure I'd be self-conscious. Tonight, it felt like the darkness worked to conceal the fact that I was wearing a bikini—the same one I wore to Todd's luau—and gave me an abnormal level of confidence I wouldn't otherwise feel.

"Hey!" I fanned my arms across the water, rippling the surface. "What are you doing up?"

"Me?" Calin pointed to his chest and shook his head. "What are you doing?"

"Swimming?"

"It's cold. Aren't you freezing?"

I smiled wider and shook my head, proud that the insulation I'd imagined for myself hadn't waned as I swam and stopped thinking about it. "Nope. It's nice. You should come in."

"I don't think so."

"Why?"

"It's cold, Nora."

"Baby." I squinted to see Calin through the beads of water dripping from my eyebrows. "Obviously, it's not too cold for a swim or else the water wouldn't be in the pool."

"That just means it isn't cold enough to freeze the water, not that you should swim in it in the middle of the night." He shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and hunched his shoulders. "You're going to end up getting sick."

"No, I'm not. I'll prove it."

"How—?"

"Shh." I put my finger on my lips and closed my eyes, feeling the warmth I'd wrapped my body in as I imagined it hugging Calin.