Save Me

I stood there, stiff as a board, glaring daggers at Tryce’s front door. Don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against the family that resides behind that front door, but I don’t like the fact that there is an incredibly hot boy waiting for me behind that door that plans on spending the day teaching me how to swim. No, I definitely do not like that.

If I had any desire whatsoever to learn how to swim, I would have learned by now. I would have gotten lessons or had my mother teach me or take baby steps and start off with those damn floaties that go on your arms and the inflatable rubber ducky that goes around your waist. But I don’t want to swim. I’m not a person that enjoys the water unless it’s to cool myself down or when I’m showering to wash the sweat and grime off from that day. I’m a football player for Christ’s sake, not a water polo pony.

A quick idea flashed through my mind and though it was so easy, I couldn’t find it in me to follow through with it. I mean, all I had to do was turn on my heel and run as fast as I can before Tryce spots me and chases after me. Yeah, it’s a simple idea. But if it’s so simple, why can’t I pick up my feet and get them to carry me home?It’s because you think Tryce is the hottest thing on the planet.

Unfortunately for me, I was snapped out of my internal battle when an incredibly good looking boy opened the front door of his house, a huge smile placing itself on his lips when he saw me standing in his driveway, staring at his house as if I wish it would just get engulfed by a burning fire and turn to ash. I’d do anything to get out of this damn situation. Hell, I wouldn’t even be in it if I wasn’t such an idiot that allowed himself to be fueled by his raging hormones. I can’t say that I regret it though. Being able to feel Tryce’s beautiful muscles ripple beneath my fingertips was amazing, though it does tend to cause me a lot of problems.

“Morgie!” Tryce called out happily, waving me towards his front door. My feet automatically started walking towards him as my heart fluttered at the mention of my old nickname. If anyone else dared to call me such an embarrassing name, I’d kill them, but Tryce is different. Tryce is special.

“Hey, Tee,” I said around a smile as I walked up to him, making my way into his house, or what is now my second home. I’ve spent countless hours here, always sneaking out unbeknownst to my father. The shithead is probably too busy fucking other women since his usual toy is now a blown up whale.

I could scarcely hear the soft click of the front door as Tryce closed it. He bumped my shoulder with his as he walked past me, his way of telling me to follow him, so I did exactly that. We walked through many rooms and I couldn’t help but chuckle as we walked through his dining room, the memories of the other night hitting me full throttle. They finally got what was coming to them!

Tryce peeked at me before sliding open his sliding glass screen door that led to his backyard, motioning me through it before himself. He’s always so polite. I walked through the screen door, but almost turned back the second that I caught sight of such a monstrous swimming pool. Why am I not surprised?

Tryce seemed to know exactly what I was thinking because he put his hand on my shoulder as if to tell me that if I attempted to run, he’d find a way to get me back here. Damn him. He tugged me towards the pool, allowing me to do my own thing as he walked over to Carlie and her few friends that happened to be out sunbathing on the opposite end of the pool. He exchanged a few words with Carlie before she rolled her eyes and stomped away dramatically, her friends following after her like lost puppies.

Tryce walked back towards me as he itched the back of his head sheepishly with his hand. “I told her not to come out here because I thought you would rather it be just the two of us, but she never listens,” he explained to me quietly.

“Thanks,” I mumbled as I lifted my wife beater over my head and kicked off my flip flops. I didn’t know what else to say. To be honest, Carlie is starting to freak me out lately. She always has to be around me, as if she has a crush on me or something. An unpleasant shiver rocked my frame at the mere idea of Carlie having a crush on me. I prefer men, so it would take a truly extraordinary woman to capture my attention, and Carlie definitely is far from extraordinary.

I looked up and saw Tryce already waiting for me in his pool, a patient look on his features. I grumbled as I got in the pool slowly, stepping down the stairs and staying in the three feet end where it’s basically impossible to drown unless you’re doing it on purpose. “You can go in further and still stand,” Tryce told me, prompting me to walk towards him since he was already in deeper water, swimming around freely. I scowled at him but did as I told, knowing that the sooner I do what he says and get this over with, the sooner we can be done with today’s lesson and I can go back to enjoying my time with Tryce, ogling his gorgeous muscles. In my opinion, that’s a much better way to spend your day.

I went as far into the water as I could. I was literally standing on my tippy-toes, my head only above the water because I had it tilted backwards. “Come on,” Tryce urged. “Just come out a bit further.”

“Are you fucking crazy?” I asked him, my voice raising in pitch.

“You can’t learn if you’re not willing to take chances,” Tryce said wisely, a hint of playfulness underlying his tone.

“I’m not willing to take chances,” I mumbled stubbornly.

Tryce sighed before he made his way over to me, the water signaling that he was approaching. I felt his hand rest itself on my lower back for his second, his fingers curling a bit before his touch disappeared. I wanted to whine at the loss of contact, but instead let out a shocked gasp when I felt myself be hoisted up against him, my legs being thrown around his waist as he held my thighs firmly. My hands clawed at his biceps, my fingers digging into them so roughly that they would probably leave crescent moons once I removed them.

I felt the water break at my back as I squeezed my legs around Tryce tighter, my feet probably digging into his back uncomfortably though he showed no sign of discomfort. He kept murmuring in my ear, telling me that everything was fine, but all I could do was clutch onto him pathetically as my eyes widened in fear since he was basically swimming around in water that he couldn’t stand, supporting not one, but two people. Is he trying to get us killed?

However, as I was freaking out, Tryce was perfectly calm, holding me firmly and securely to his body. He was patient with me, waiting to adjust so that I could trust him. And I do trust him, but I just don’t want to have to deal with this right now. I don’t want to be this close to him in this way.

He’s too kind, but I can’t help but think he’s sort of treating me as some form of redemption for what happened with Jensen. Hell, when he told me what had happened, I was beyond shocked. I was confused and I’m definitely not the most emotional of people. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t upset and that I miss him, but the most emotional thing in my life at the moment is my mother nearing her death date. And it just so happens that the one person that is capable of taking my mind off of that is Tryce. We’ve only reconnected for a short period of time, but I already know that I’d be nothing if I didn’t have him back in my life.

As time passed, I felt my death hold or hug – whatever the hell you want to call it – on Tryce ease up a bit. I mean, this is Tryce. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to me and I know that I can trust him. He wouldn’t willingly let me get hurt on his watch, especially after what happened with Jensen. I can trust him with my life.

Tryce seemed to notice my body start to relax and melt into his because he slowly untangled my limbs so that I was basically being firmly pressed against his body, not wrapped around it. He smiled down at me for a second, as if it were a form of encouragement and telling me that everything will be okay. It was his way of saying that he refuses to let anything bad happen to me. And the truth is, I believe him. I trust him.

However, my calm thoughts were quickly put to the back of my mind when I felt my body being laid on the water, two hands firmly pressing into my back to keep me afloat. My eyes widened in alarm as I started to kick my legs, freaking out since nothing was holding them up, but Tryce quickly calmed me down. He has that damn effect on me.

My body slowly started to relax, getting used to the feel of Tryce's strong hands supporting my upper half as my bottom half floated uselessly. It was an almost peaceful position, being able to float on water and rock with it slightly while staring at the blue sky or Tryce's gorgeous god-like face. I didn't even care that the occasional bit or water would splash into my mouth or Tryce's fingers would dig into my back a bit when he was adjusting his position or hold on me. I just... liked how everything was.

And that's the reason why I went completely berserk when I felt Tryce's strong hands disappear from my back. My arms immediately started flailing as my legs did the same, my head going under the water and swallowing a bit too much. Images of the day that I had almost drowned in the ocean flash through my mind. Shit! I'm going to die by drowning in a damn swimming pool. How much more pathetic of a way is there to go?

My head popped up from the water when that familiar pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around me, lifting me up so that we were in the same position as we were in before he removed them. Damn him. He was failing miserably at covering up his chuckles with miniature coughing fits, his eyes dancing with a hidden smile. "You were so zoned," he stated around a chuckle.

I just glared at him, allowing that icy and venomous gaze to communicate how I felt.

"You could have just stood up," he explained. "We're in the shallow end. It's only three feet deep," he said around another chuckle.

I gasped, my glare growing as I thrust my legs down, immediately hitting the solid cement bottom of his pool. I stood up, pushing his calloused hands off of my back as I stomped my way over to the edge of the pool. Well, it wasn't really stomping since that's pretty impossible when in water, but it certainly was an angry form of walking. I put my hands on the edge of the pool, ignoring how scraps arose as I gripped the edge, getting ready to hoist my body out of the water and get away from the boy who had pissed me off so easily.

However, I felt his deliciously muscled arms wrap around my waist, pulling me away from the wall easily. I've never felt like a weakling, but he's so much taller and stronger, not that I'd ever admit that out loud. For someone my height, I am certainly strong and fast, easily holding my own in a fight.

"Let go of me, Tryce," I growled, clawing at his hands that had locked right below my belly button, crushing my pale body to his beautifully tanned one. I kicked my legs around uselessly, knowing that they'd make absolutely no difference, but hoping that they would anyway. Of course I wasn't shocked when his grip didn't even tighten the most infinitesimal bit.

"I won't do it again, Morgie," he promised me, automatically laying my body back into the position where I was floating on my back, his hands underneath me supporting me. Though it seems that his hands were more holding me to his body then allowing me to float this time.

"I hate you," I stated stubbornly, my eyebrows knitting together when I realized how I probably sounded like a child instead of my usually indifferent self. The thing this boy is doing to me...

"But I love you, Morgie!" He said goofily, sarcasm dripping from his tone. However, that mere sentence still made a miniature shiver rack my frame that I pathetically covered up by saying that the water is a bit on the cold side. He just chuckled, still somehow finding this entire situation amusing, though I found it more embarrassing then anything else.

Fuck himand his ability to make me melt so easily!