Page 26 of Taking His Heart

I should have expected he would be. But it was him who suggested just last night that we got married. It was him who pulled me into his room this morning and slammed his mouth against mine.

This scene doesn’t bother me. I’m happy he has someone. Right? Even as my chest aches and it hurts to breathe… I’m okay with this. This is my choice. He will never truly be happy with me, but he can be with someone else. Her.

The woman makes eye contact with me. “Hello,” she says sweetly, causing CJ to turn around and notice I’m just standing here in the foyer of his parents’ house staring at him and this woman like a damn fool.

“Hi, sorry, I was just on my way… somewhere,” I mumble, feeling my face heat up. I turn and walk towards the other side of the house. I can go out to the backyard, jump in the pool, and drown.

I manage to make it all the way to the pool without seeing another soul—thank god.

Taking a leap off the edge, I jump into the cool water. Fully clothed. I let myself sink under the surface, the entire world disappears, and I embrace it for as long as I can before I have to come up for air.

When I do, I find Aiden staring at me. “Thank fuck! I thought I was going to have to jump in after you.”

“Why?” I wipe the water out of my eyes.

“Because you weren’t coming up for air. Why are you swimming?”

“I felt like a dip. It’s really nice in here.” I spin around to float on my back.

“In your clothes?”

“I didn’t pack a swimsuit,” I lie.

“Right. So I hear you’re set to be married off when you go home,” Aiden says.

I stand back upright. “That’s not going to happen.” I roll my eyes. The way rumors spread in these families puts any soap opera to shame.

“So you jumping into the pool has nothing to do with your pending nuptials, then?” Aiden asks. His hands in the pockets of his trousers as he stares down at me like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle.

“Nope.”

“Would it have anything to do with my brother and the guest he was just seeing out at the front door?” Aiden raises a questioning brow.

“Why would I care who your brother has visiting him?” I sink back under the water, because it’s easier to avoid this topic than face it.

When I come back up, it’s not Aiden’s face I’m met with. It’s CJ’s. Where the bloody hell did he even come from? I look around for his friend. She’s nowhere to be seen.

“What are you doing?” CJ asks.

“Well, back home, they call this swimming. Not sure what you lot call it here.”

Aurelio kicks his shoes off. Then he removes his watch, placing it on the ground by the pool, followed by his jacket, his phone and his wallet.

“What are you doing?” I finally ask when he starts unzipping his slacks and pulling them down his legs.

“This is a five-thousand-dollar suit. I’m not ruining it by jumping in a pool,” he says before he does just that. Jumps into the pool wearing just his black button-down shirt and boxers.

“What…?” My question is stopped when CJ’s hands reach for me.

Taking hold of my arm, he pulls me through the water until I’m right in front of him. “Why did you jump in the pool, Dani?”

“I wanted to swim.”

“I’m going to need you to stop lying to me.”

“I want to,” I whisper.

“I’ll ask again then. Why did you jump into the pool?”