A Bad Boy in my life

Nineteen

Holy shit!

When did he show up here? Was he listening to our conversation this whole time?

"Scared me, Maxon!" I exclaimed, my hand pressed against my chest.

A hint of a smile formed at the corner of his lips, which he tried to conceal. "I'm eager to hear how you describe the view," he said, his voice filled with a mischievous undertone.

I tried to speak, but no words would escape my lips. Flustered, I lowered my head, scratching my cheek as I tucked my hair behind my ear. I looked up at him, anticipation etched across my face.

"Do you usually eavesdrop on other people's conversations? Weren't you taught that it's impolite?" I finally managed to ask, attempting to regain some composure.

He retorted, "Do you usually talk about how I look in a towel to others? I didn't think it impressed you that much."

Damn it. Did I make it that obvious?

Before I could respond, Ken interrupted our exchange by announcing that he would get more beer, leaving us seemingly "alone." Maxon and I exchanged glances, the air heavy with unspoken tension.

"Why did you decide to show up?" I asked, taking a drink from a passing tray, served by a girl with a silver tray. "I thought you didn't like parties."

"I don't," he admitted, taking the glass from my hand just as I was about to take a sip.

Hey!

"I came here to fetch you," he asserted authoritatively.

"To fetch me?" I nodded, a sense of curiosity mingling with my confusion. "May I know why?"

His eyes averted from mine, a flicker of hesitation betraying his confident demeanor.

"Your mother needs your help."

My heart skipped a beat as I grabbed his hand, pulling up the sleeve of his jacket to check the time on his wristwatch.

"It's two o'clock. She allowed me to stay here until five," I said, reclaiming my drink from his hand.

"Well, that's something you can sort out with her," he replied, taking my drink again and spilling it on the ground. "We have to go now."

I took a step back, feeling the weight of my wet bag being ripped off my shoulder. Arms wrapped around my waist, and before I could react, I was plunged into the pool, submerged beneath the surface. Time slowed, and the world around me fell silent. Bubbles danced before my eyes as I struggled to resurface.

Just as panic started to set in, a hand reached out, pulling me up. With a jolt, the noise of voices and music returned, leaving me slightly disoriented.

I stood by the poolside, water dripping from my clothes, feeling a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Maxon stood beside me, still holding the hand he used to save me.

"Impressive dive," he mockingly remarked, his grip on my hand firm.

Assessing my state, I wished I hadn't been wearing my clothes before taking an unexpected plunge into the water.

"Sorry, Margo. They dared me to throw you into the pool," Adam, the culprit responsible for leaving me completely drenched, explained as he emerged from the water, equally soaked like me.

I glared at him, anger boiling within me. If we weren't in this house surrounded by watchers, I swore I would punch him right then and there.

But Maxon apparently didn't care about the circumstances as he landed a punch squarely on Adam's nose, causing him to fall back into the pool, this time due to imbalance.