Love Yourself

Chapter 5

"What the ...?" I sat up in shock, surprised not to feel solid ground underneath my body. I tipped over and suddenly all the air was gone. I thrashed about in a panic, too woozy to realize that I was underwater. I screamed but no sound came out, only tiny bubbles emerged from my lips.

A strong arm wrapped itself around my waist and I was pulled out of the water. Gasping I was tugged onto dry ground by my rescuer, a gorgeous teenage boy with dripping wet brown hair and the warmest brown eyes I had ever seen. He looked extremely concerned as I choked up water.

"Are you all right?" he reached out and tenderly brushed a strand of damp hair away from my eyes. "Please say you are okay."

I sat up slowly and he quickly sprang to help me, placing a hand on the small of my back and another on my arm as he guided me into a sitting position.

"Why," I spoke softly so that the boy had to lean in to hear me properly, "the hell was I on a raft in a freakin' pool? I could have drowned!" I screamed the last bit and he stumbled back in surprised, tripping and landing hard on his backside.

The boy just looked at me, a small pout crossing his features. We sat in silence and I wondered when he would speak.

"You can't die in the limbo," he finally muttered.

"James told me I could implode," I was suddenly aware that I was no longer dressed in workout clothes, but instead in a white summer dress. I quickly crossed my arms to cover myself up and blushed slightly.

"Here," the boy got up and went over to a wicker chair by the side of the pool. He handed me a shirt, "Have this."

I glared at him, grabbing the shirt from his hand and slipping into it. "Well?"

"Well what?" he sat back down and crossed his legs Indian styles. "What do you want from me?"

"You said I can't die. James told me I could implode. Explain."

"Are you always so bossy?" The look that crossed my face must had told him he had gone too far because his brown eyes welled up with regret. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Stupid Alex," he murmured to himself. "Why would you say that? Be nice."

I couldn't help but smile a bit; he was actually quite adorable.

"Why was I in the pool?" He was starting to get off track. UnlikeJames, who would talk in circles, this kid was just ignoring my questions completely. That was not going to go over well with me.

"Well you were on the patio and you looked uncomfortable," he blushed. "So I umm moved you to the float cause it was softer."

"You didn't think that one through very well did you?"