chantelle & liam

chapter 16.

"if you knew me back in london, you wouldn't think that." she whispers. liam raises one of his eyebrows in surprise.

"really?" he says curious. chantelle nods, slowly trying remember.

"i think it was after i started dating my ex." she says with a small sigh. her eyes glaze over with nostalgia and a hint of sadness. "it was like he just effected me in a way that no one else could, we did a lot things that we shouldn't have.."

"like..?" liam asks watching her eyebrows furrow as she looks towards him.

"like.. bad things." she says a small smile on her glossy lips. liam smirks.

"how bad?" liam says nudging her shoulder. she glares at him.

"so bad, that i don't want to talk about it." chantelle says narrowing her dark eyes at his smirking face. liam holds up his hands as sign of surrender.

"yeah so, my mum was just so worried and concerned that it caused her to become so overprotective over me." she says looking away. liam nods, understanding.

"i mean that's expected since you were doing such bad things." he teases. she shrugs and ignores him.

"well, i haven't been doing those bad things since we moved." chantelle says glancing over at him as he leans back, smugly.

"if she saw us together, she wouldn't think so." he whistles, slowly. chantelle looks up at him, a glint of mischief in his eyes. she purses her lips, strangely.

"what do you mean?" she asks confused. liam snickers at her oblivious state.

"just look at me," he says pointing towards his bruise and scar. she rolls her eyes, heavily.

"but that's prejudice." chantelle states tapping her pen on the table once again. "just because you've got bruises and scars, it doesn't mean that you're a bad person." 

"true." he says biting his lip. "but that would be the first thing people would think."

"well, they're stupid."

•

"do you want to go swimming with me, today?" liam asks leaning over chantelle, slowly. she looks up at him.

"sure, what time?" she asks looking back down at her phone. liam leans back and thinks.

"4pm would be good." he mumbles as they walk to lunch. chantelle looks up again and smiles.

"okay."

•

chantelle stuffs her light blue swimming costume into her gym bag along with a towel and spare clothes.
she sits down in front of her long gold mirror and starts to braid her hair into two. chantelle smiles to herself and grabs her gym bag and goes downstairs.

chantelle opens out the cupboard and takes out a chocolate bar and a lucazade energy drink. she stuffs them into her gym bag and walks into the living room. she sees her mum sitting on the couch with a fashion magazine in hand.

"where are you going?" her mum asks turning to look at her daughter. chantelle looks out the window to if liam's there.

"uh.. to the swimming centre." she mumbles pulling away from the window. her mum tuts and focuses on her magazine.

"what time you going to be home?" she asks pursing her lips. chantelle rolls her eyes at that question.

"i'm not sure." she says watching as liam steps out of his house, once again. "i've got to go."

chantelle steps outside and walks over to liam. liam glances down at her as he swings his black gym over his shoulder.

"you ready to go swimming?" he asks with a small smile. chantelle looks up at him, happily.

"of course."

•

liam and chantelle have changed into their swimsuits. liam looks down at chantelle as she walks around in her light blue leotard like swimsuit. her long brown legs out for all to see. her upper body is covered by the silky waterproof material but her brown, chocolate arms are exposed showing a few scars. chantelle feels flustered under his prying eyes.

she looks up at him. he's shirtless. his perfectly toned abs stand out the most. she glances down to his toned slim torso. he's wearing a black pair of swim shorts. she feels like she could blush but she can't so she just looks away, embarrassed.

oh my gosh.

"let's go, swimming!" liam shouts dragging her to the edge of the pool. she stops as she almost topples head first. liam has already jumped in and the water splashes by chantelle's feet. she watches as he swims to the other side.

chantelle sits on the edge of the pool kicking her legs in the water. liam beckons to her from the other side. she sighs, feeling the water overcrowding her as she goes in. chantelle starts to swim towards him. liam watches her as she swims, smoothly in his direction.

she stops and wipes the water away from her brown face, carefully. her eyes are stinging but she tries to make out his face anyway. liam chuckles and pulls her towards him, she surprisingly doesn't resist as his arm wraps around her waist in the water dragging her in his direction.

"you should've worn your goggles." he says smirking as he looks down at her, cheekily. chantelle scoffs.

"goggles are for kids." she states firmly. he snickers at her.

you are a kid, chantelle.

"show me what you learned." he orders, waiting. she glances up at him in confusion.

"..at your synchro lesson." he further explains. she rolls her eyes, annoyed.

"fine." she mumbles removing his snake-like arm from around her waist. she stands in front of him with a small smile on her wet lips.

"i learned how to do a handstand underwater." she says smiling. liam nods, slowly prompting her to go on.

she begins to turn her body so she can complete the handstand. she takes a massive deep breath as her body topples over, slowly. her face disappears along with her upper body as it submerges into the water. her other half in the air, perfectly still. liam watches and waits for her to come back up.

woah.

she comes back up hair face soaking wet. she takes a few short breath's and tries to calm down. she blinks, slowly refocusing on liam's face. chantelle staggers towards him and he catches her, briefly. she smiles, gratefully and stands up.

"that was cool." he says holding her by her brown shoulders. she nods wiping the water from her eyes, yet again.

"thanks." she says glancing up at him slightly. liam's arms are still resting on chantelle's shoulders.

"do you take lessons as well or..?" she stops as liam starts massaging her shoulders, softly. she squirms as his wet hands rub against her moist skin, slowly. chantelle looks up at him, her eyes slightly dazed. the warm tingling sensation seems to spread down her arms and closes her eyes in satisfaction.

"no, i just come for fun." liam says watching her. he stops and his hands drop down by his side, splashing the water in the process. chantelle opens her eyes, confused.

"why did you stop?" she asks looking at him as he runs his hands through his wet hair. he smirks.

"i thought you didn't like it when i touched you." he says leaning closer. chantelle bites her lip, anxiously.

"i don't."