Pool

Eva had already read the one paragraph three times, sitting on the bench under a tree outside the football courtyard. The sun was pleasantly warm, yet the words hadn’t registered, because no matter what she was doing, her mind kept repeating the memory of the library, and she could still feel the strong arms of Professor Vale around her. The look in his eyes was burned into her mind. She took a deep breath and patted her heated cheeks.

What are you thinking?! This would only speak of disaster! You are on a partial scholarship. If anyone had even seen you this close with a professor, you would be done for.

The idea that she might have to return to her hometown, under her uncle’s roof—she swallowed. No. No. One more year is left. I can still be fine with it. I can go through this!

That just brought her back to her other problem. Whenever she tried to imagine her future beyond university, she couldn’t. She had taken political science and history as majors simply because she couldn’t think of anything else. She wasn’t interested in anything in particular, and she had always been confused about the future. First it was just her mind, but now even her heart made things complicated. She had no idea how to move forward.

She had to keep it strictly professional with Professor Vale.

She put the book aside, giving up on concentrating anymore.

“Hey, let go of me!” A squeaky, fearful voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned to the right to see a group of boys talking.

“Now come on, little orphan!” One of the boys pushed someone. Eva got up from the bench. She put her palm over her brow to shield her eyes from the sunlight.

“There’s just a little thing we told you to do. Weren’t you supposed to be a genius or something?” The mocking tone was directed at a thirteen-year-old. The whole university knew about the thirteen-year-old freshman. Eva could tell those three were seniors.

“Come on, everyone’s showing you charity because you have no parents and come from—”

“Haven’t you heard? His mother was a drug addict. He might have taken something to get in here too.” Someone pushed him again, and the boy stumbled back and fell on his behind. The three seniors surrounded him.

Eva walked closer. No one noticed her.

“It’s a tiny, tiny help. All you have to do is change our marks in the student database.”

Eva’s mouth hung open, appalled.

“No,” the boy protested. Then someone grabbed him by the hair. He yelped in pain.

Eva had had enough. “Hey, thick skulls and no brains!” she shouted. That got their attention. They all turned to look at her, eyes widening when they saw the camera in her hand. “You should pose for the camera.”

“Hey, you bitch!” They all came charging at her.

“Oh, language,” she said mockingly. “This is going to be broadcast in tomorrow’s university paper and on social media. It’ll also be featured in the Student Complaint Forum this weekend—after they deal with you.” She smiled sharply.

The three seniors glared. Eva shut off the phone while the freshman got up, trembling and looking around. Eva waved her fingers lightly for him to go. One of the seniors’ hands jerked forward to grab the phone, but Eva pulled it away at once and started to step back with a teasing smile. The boys’ glares deepened.

“You want the phone? How about you say sorry to the boy.”

“You—” They charged at Eva at once, and Eva slipped past them. She was petite and light on her feet, and she knew how to run—run fast. She did, phone clutched tightly in her hand, but her messenger bag was left behind on the bench.

Her three chasers ran after her with all their might, but they were nowhere near her. She was quick on her feet. Whenever they got closer, she slipped past, turned a corner, and kept running. She entered a sports club building, looking for open space and an easy way out. She went to the poolside.

“What’s going on?” The voice was strong and echoed through the corridor outside the poolside. The three chasers looked back, and Eva turned too, hearing the familiar voice. Her heart stilled—and the three seniors ran the moment they saw who it was.

Eva, however, was at the edge of the pool, running too fast to stop. She lost her balance. Her petite figure broke the surface of the water with a splash. Eva’s mouth filled with water, her lungs burned for air, but she kept herself from breathing it in. Her floating body drifted closer to the deep end of the pool. She righted herself and parted the water with her hands, hitting the bottom and pushing her body up toward the surface.

“Eva!” Sebastian’s voice rang, and he ran, jumping after her. Another splash echoed.

Eva got her bearings and started kicking her feet when she saw with wide eyes another figure breaking through the water, his dark eyes reflecting her face as he shot toward her at surprising speed. Hair floating, bodies cutting through the water as they reached for each other.

Sebastian’s arms came around Eva, and her arms went around his shoulders. Professor? The warm feeling spread through her despite the cold water. They broke the surface. Eva coughed, sputtering.

“Eva, are you all right?” Sebastian’s frantic hands brushed the wet hair stuck to her face. Eva rubbed water from her eyes. Her heart rang in her ears. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized he had called her Eva—not Miss Jade. He had never called her Eva before. Hearing her name with such concern and familiarity made her mind lose all thought.

When her vision cleared, the sight nearly took her breath away.

Professor Vale looked ethereal. His skin was flushed—either from adrenaline or the cold water. The strands of hair that always slipped from his bun were pasted to his temples. He had no glasses on, and his dark-gray eyes were blown wide with worry, framed by thick lashes. Tiny droplets like pearls rolled down his cheeks.

“Eva!”

“Yes,” she squeaked.

“Are you all right?!” His voice was close to a shout, but his hands were gentle as he held her.

Seeing the fear in his eyes, she shook herself out of her thoughts. “Yes, yes, Professor. I can swim. Don’t worry.” She put her hands on his shoulders and rubbed in comfort.

“Eva,” he said her name in relief and exasperation—and pulled her closer so fast she barely had time to understand what was happening. She was in his arms. Her chin rested on his shoulder, and her arms hung in midair, unsure what to do. Then her heart squeezed tenderly, and she wrapped her arms around him, clutching his wet white shirt.

“I’m fine.”

His face buried in her neck, and she realized he was breathing heavily.

“I’m fine,” she repeated soothingly. She felt him exhale, and his breath went through her wet clothes, brushing delicately against her skin. Goosebumps erupted. She shivered.

Sebastian noticed and pulled away slowly, only to look at her properly, his hand resting on her elbow. Eva couldn’t meet his eyes. She could still almost feel him—his body against hers, his heat invading her senses. She looked everywhere but at him. His heavy gaze stayed on her, and another shiver ran down her spine.

She didn’t notice his next move.

Sebastian’s arms came around her shoulders, then he bent in the water, his other arm sliding under her knees. She gasped in shock when the pool floor disappeared beneath her feet. He lifted her cleanly above the water. It rippled around them as she stared at him with wide eyes, water streaming from her hair and his shirt.

Eva’s hand clutched his shoulder, fisting the wet white fabric as butterflies danced in her stomach.

Sebastian walked out of the pool with a shocked Eva in his arms.