Destined Love

Destined Love - Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Seven:

She weaves through the waves before disappearing under the water, her screams dissipating into the thin air. I squat down by the edge of the river, waiting for her to rise up out of the water. As the seconds tick by and turn into minutes, panic curdles in the depths of my stomach. I start to ready myself to dive in after her, but halt the moment bubbles race to the surface and her bright auburn hair greets the breeze.

The contorted lines in her face show me that she is far from amused.

Blinking away droplets of water, she paddles forward. I quickly take several steps back, giving her room. She pulls herself up out of the water, gripping the grass with her thin fingers. I lean back on the base of my heals, preparing myself for her reaction. But as the sun continues to glare down on us, Ariella doesn't say a word.

I can see her shoulders shaking, whether from rage or the cool water I can't tell.

"What if I didn't know how to swim?" She asks suddenly.

Even though her back is to me, I feel myself shrug. "I would have dived in after you."

"How heroic of you," she spits out, now angling her body towards me.

There's about a three metre distance between us—I take a guess that she'd rather not be any closer to me right now.

"Are you tellin' me you didn't find that fun?" I raise an eyebrow.

Ariella straightens to her full height, her eyes fuming. "I was unprepared and you had no right."

My eyes roll up towards the blue sky. "It was harmless. It's not like I threw you into the deep end."

"No, you just threw me into the water without my consent, unfazed whether I could swim or not."

"Why are you bein' dramatic, chica?" I want to laugh. "There's no harm done."

She wraps her arms around herself, her lips thinned out into a tight line. As the silence takes over, my eyes flash as they narrow in on her now drenched clothing. The shirt that was sagging over her body moments ago is now sticking to her form like another layer of skin, touching all the right curves. I can see the shape and the outline of her white bra beneath her soaked blue tee, and I almost choke on my tongue.

"So you're not going to admit that what you did was wrong?"

I blink. "Nope."

I watch, forcing my gaze away from her chest, as she takes a deep breath. "Then I have nothing left to say to you."

She unwraps her arms and stalks passed me, droplets of water following in her wake. After a moment's thought, I follow behind her up the hill.

"You can be mad at me in the truck," I say as I decide to take the chance in driving her home.

A muffled noise leaves her lips. "I don't think so."

I stroll up beside her. "I'm driving you home, chica."

"No," she answers defiantly, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Don't think I won't force you in, because I will. Get in the damn truck."

We reach the road, and just as I'd thought, Ariella turns the opposite way.

"I'm not letting you threaten me again, Kade."

I feel my blood rise with irritation. "Look, I just want to drive you home. It'll take five minutes, surely you can handle that."

"I'm capable of walking," comes her blunt reply. I continue strolling beside her.