I make my way down the staircase. “Celeste?” I call out when I walk into the kitchen. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I say to a woman who stands in front of the open fridge.
“You’re fine, dear. Can I get you something?” she asks, placing strawberries on a silver platter.
“I’m looking for Celeste.”
She nods. “They are out in the pool. I was just about to take them some fresh fruit. Would you like something?”
“No, thank you,” I say and then walk out of the kitchen and then down the hall. They? I hope my father isn’t back home. I want to avoid him as much as possible. I know he didn’t want me here. As much as I hate my mother, she was right. My father’s never wanted me, and he won’t now. I’m here because of Celeste. And although she drives me nuts, I must admit she’s pretty awesome. But you’ll never hear me say that out loud.
I push open the back doors and step out onto the porch. I hear splashes coming from the right and make my way over to the edge of the terrace. I stop short when I see Celeste in the pool floating on her bright blue raft over by the rock slide in the deep end, and Cole is also in the pool with a little blonde on his hip.
“Austin!” Celeste spots me and waves. I wave back slowly. “Did you have a good nap?” she asks, and Cole looks over at me. He lets go of the little girl, and she swims over to the steps.
“Yeah,” I say, walking around the pool and plopping down on a lounge chair. I look anywhere but at Cole. What is he doing here? Is he trying to fuck with me? Is he feeling Celeste out to see if I said anything to her? I wouldn’t do that. She would tell my father, and who knows what he would do with me. He’d probably try to help Cole pin it on me so my ass would go to jail. Out of his life.
“You should come swimming with us.” She lies back on her raft. Her purple string bikini reveals more than lingerie would. Letting the world know that my father paid for most of her body.
I think about saying yes but stop myself. “Not today.” I just got stitches. I’ll have to get those removed before she can see my arm. Plus, I don’t think the chlorine would feel very good on it.
The little girl gets out of the pool and makes her way over to me. “Hi,” she says with a big smile on her face.
“Hello.”
“My name is Lilly. I’m six. Wanna watch me dive?”
This is his sister? They look nothing alike. She has blond hair where he has brown. She has brown eyes to his blue. “I’d love to,” I say with a smile of my own.
“Cole, can I dive in the deep end? Please?” she begs, jumping up and down.
I take a chance to look at him, and he’s staring right at me. My hair is still up in a messy bun from when I slept and pieces fall out down my back and shoulders. His eyes drop to my exposed shoulder and then down my chest. They slowly run down my body to my legs, and I feel them tighten at the look in his eyes.
The man who tried to pin me for murder is now at my father’s house with his little sister, swimming with my stepmother.
He’s up to something. And I need to get ahead of his game. I’m not some stupid little girl who he can play.
“Please, Cole? Just once,” she asks, standing by my lounge chair. Water runs off her bright yellow one-piece and onto the concrete.
“Yeah. One time,” he tells her, running his hand through his wet hair, making it stand straight up, and she squeals with excitement. He swims over to the deep end, passing Celeste on her raft. He comes to a stop and looks up at her. She prepares herself for her dive, takes a deep breath, and falls in head first. He reaches under the water and grabs her, pulling her up and then helps her to the side. She climbs out and comes running back over to me.
“Did you like it?” she asks with that excitement still on her face. I envy it. I wish life was that simple.
“I give it a ten.” I hold up all my fingers, and she bounces up and down. “Perfect.”
She lunges for me, wrapping her arms around me for a tight hug and soaking my shirt and legs. The water feels good. Not too cold but not warm either. She pulls away. “I can dive for rings.” Her face falls all of a sudden. “I can only grab one at a time, though.”