Sink or Swim✓ (Teen Romance)

Chapter Twenty

            I slowly tilt my chin upwards, only to flinch back.  Dante stands before me, towering a few inches over my head.  His dark green eyes flicker with amusement, though I'm not sure at what.  My clumsiness or my blatant uncomfortableness with his proximity?

            "Uh, yeah."  I take another step back. 

            "Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asks.

            I have no idea why Dante Fisher would want to speak with me, but I can't bring myself to say no.  What if it's something important?  Or what if it's to apologize for being kind of weird earlier.

            "Alright," I say.  "But I have a race in a few events."

            "That's okay.  This will only take a second."  He jerks his thumb toward a side-door.  "It's too loud in here.  You mind?"

            I swallow, then nod.  I don't know why I'm freaking out so much, but an eerie sense of danger seeps into my mind.  It's as though a warning bell is blaring through my brain, yet I find myself following him anyway.

            The door leads into a hallway, though this one is entirely different than the one Elliot and I were in.  The walls are narrowly spaced and the floors are composed of rough wood.  Sounds from the pool room resonate in the air, almost making it too loud to hear properly.  Still, it is vacant and slightly quieter than the pool room.

            "So, what'd you need to say?" I ask, planting my feet against the ground.

            Unfortunately, Dante keeps walking, strolling forward with his thumbs in his suit's waistband.  I inwardly groan, knowing I have no choice but to follow.

            "You're dating Elliot, right?" he asks. 

            The question catches me off guard.  How would Dante know anything about me and Elliot?  Hardly anyone knows, let alone the swimmers from Boise. 

            "Sort of," I finally manage.  I don't know whether Elliot and I are still together, or whether I want us to be.

            "That's what I've heard."  He glances sideways in my direction. 

            "Who told you?"

            I hear the pool doors swing open, but I am too anxious for Dante's response to turn around.  He stops walking and suddenly spins to face me.

            "Just a friend," he shrugs.

            "Oh."  I chew on the bottom of my lip, not really sure what to say next.  "Are you going to tell me why I'm here?"

            "I thought we could have some fun before our next races," says Dante, causing my pulse to spike.  He smirks and takes a step toward me.

            "I'm dating Elliot," I remind him, as though he could have forgotten since the last two minutes.

            "Only sort of."  He winks and runs his fingers down my arms.

            "Please don't touch me."  I take a step back.

            His demeanor suddenly changes.  He drops his arms at his side and lets an exaggerated sigh.  "You know, I don't really get it."

            "Get what?" I ask.  His closeness is making my heart hammer against my ribs, but not in the good way.  I feel an overwhelming need to run away, to sprint back to the pool room and never look back.  But I don't, and I'm not sure why.