Chapter 7: Sudden Help

Tara’s POV 

The heat inside the house was unbearable. I had been pacing around my room for the past hour, feeling like I was trapped in an oven. The air conditioning wasn't working properly, and opening the windows only seemed to let in more humid air. That's when I remembered the swimming pool. 

I couldn't help but laugh as I grabbed my towel, thinking about the ridiculous conversation I'd had with Jasper and Xavier earlier. The audacity of those two never ceased to amaze me. Here they were, guests in my own parents' house, and they had the nerve to give me rules to follow.

"The deal is simple," Xavier had said with that infuriating smirk of his. "At school, we pretend we're not living together."

"And at home," Jasper had added, crossing his arms, "you need to make sure you're in your room before 7 PM. We have programs to watch starting at 7:30, and we don't want any interruptions."

I had stared at them in complete disbelief. "Are you serious right now?"

"Dead serious," they had replied in unison, which only made the whole thing more infuriating.

I couldn't wrap my head around it all because it sounded so completely insane. But I had made it crystal clear that I would never, not in a million years, abide by any of their ridiculous demands.

"This is my house," I had told them firmly. "You don't get to make rules here."

But they had just exchanged one of their annoying twin looks and walked away like they owned the place.

Now, standing by the pool, I shook my head at the memory. The evening wind was still blazing, and the water looked incredibly inviting. I glanced around the backyard to make sure I was alone, then quickly stripped down to my underwear and slipped into the cool water.

The relief was immediate. The water was perfect, not too cold, not too warm, and I let myself float on my back, staring up at the darkening sky. For the first time all day, I felt like I could actually breathe.

That's when I heard footsteps.

They were slow and deliberate, coming from the direction of the house. My heart sank as I realized someone was approaching the pool area. Please don't let it be the twins, I thought desperately, even though I knew it was no one but them, but I hope a miracle will befall.

Jasper emerged from behind the sliding glass door, and his steps faltered the moment he saw me in the water. His eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, we just stared at each other in complete silence.

"Stay back!" I warned him, my voice sharper than I intended. I was acutely aware of how little I was wearing, and the last thing I needed was one of the twins seeing me like this.

But Jasper didn't listen. Instead, he continued walking slowly toward the edge of the pool, his expression was unreadable. 

"Jasper, I'm serious," I said, my voice starting to shake. "Just... just stay where you are."

He stopped at the pool's edge, looking down at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher. "I didn't know you were out here," he said quietly.

"Well, now you do, so please just leave," I pleaded, wrapping my arms around myself even though I was submerged in water. "But first... could you please get my towel? It's right there on the chair."

Jasper glanced over at the towel I had left on one of the poolside chairs. For a moment, I thought he was actually going to help me. He nodded and walked over to where my towel lay folded neatly on the chair.

I watched hopefully as he picked it up, expecting him to either toss it to me or at least place it somewhere I could easily reach it. Instead, to my complete shock and horror, he threw it away from the pool area, sending it flying several feet away.

"What the hell, Jasper!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the water.

He turned back to me with that same unreadable expression, but before either of us could say anything else, we both heard another set of footsteps approaching.

My blood ran cold knowing fully Xavier was the one coming. 

If Jasper's reaction had been surprising, I was certain that Xavier's was going to be ten times worse. Xavier was always the more unpredictable of the two, the one more likely to push boundaries and cause trouble. The thought of him seeing me like this made my stomach twist with anxiety.

"Oh God," I whispered, frantically looking around for any possible escape route.

That's when I saw Jasper move toward the sliding glass door. For a split second, I thought he was going to leave, maybe even call Xavier in, and then both of them would have the best feast. 

He walked toward the door and twisted the key, locking it in one go. 

My heart dropped.