“You are not welcome here, and I do not like you. Get out,” he says, his voice cold and lacking any emotion. Before I’ve even thought about it, I have picked up the cupcake and slammed it into his good-looking face. I’m in shock I did it for only a second, but something about Maxx just annoys me, and I know he deserved it.
“Let’s make something clear, I don’t like you either, but I like Landon, so I will be coming over when I want to,” I say and turn around, pulling the door open as I look back at Maxx’s frosting-covered, angry face. “Enjoy the cupcake, asshole.” The said cupcake slams on to the floor as Landon laughs loudly, and I walk out their house to go home.
Maxx Faraway is never telling me what to do.
Chapter Nine
“What are you doing here?” Maxx demands, making me jump as I step out of the swimming bath changing rooms. I swear he likes to hide behind doors and make me jump. The asshole. I nearly choke on air when I take in his tight swim shorts, how they showcase way too much of him and how it all looks way too good. I run my eyes up his flat stomach, the six pack which is nearly perfect and then up to his rock-hard looking chest. I have to physically shake myself out of it when I hear Maxx’s chuckle, and I meet his eyes, seeing how me drooling over him is clearly amusing. I ignore the asshole and walk over to the eight people standing with the coach in their swimsuits. I tug at my tight pink costume that has gaps in the side that show off my ribs.
“Freckles, it’s rude to ignore me,” Maxx states, catching up to my side and still sounding amused. “Though for a stalker, you kinda suck at it.”
“Did the cupcake I threw at you not get the message across of how much I’m not your fan?” I dryly ask as we get closer to the group. “Let alone stalking you.”
“You like me, I know it, but I’m curious why you are in my swim meet? There is a waiting list to get in,” Maxx tells me just as we get to the group, and they part out of the way, most of the guys scanning me curiously.
“Everyone, I would like you to meet your new team member, Aura Scott!” the female coach says. She looks like she stepped straight out of Baywatch, with her bleached blonde hair, tight red swimming costume and flawless body. The group all mumbles hellos, well, except for Maxx who is staring at me as I try to ignore him.
“Hello, everyone,” I say back, feeling awkward.
“Aura has won three trophies for her class and countless swim meets. We have needed a new member for a while, and I know Aura is the best choice,” she tells people, and I feel my cheeks burning red as they stare.
“Impressive,” Maxx whispers, making the one word seem seductive somehow. My cheeks burn even redder. “You’re cute with red cheeks.”
“Ah, Maxx, why don’t you start off our usual five lap warm ups?” the coach says, and Maxx smirks at my scowl as he walks to the end of the pool. I watch as he lifts his muscular arms above his head, and I can’t take my eyes off him as he jumps into the water. I hear the click of the coach’s timer as he swims quickly back and forth down the pool until he gets back from his fifth lap. The coach clicks the timer off and jots the time down on a notepad.
“Aura, you can go next. We race like this for a warm up every time, and the winner with the fastest time gets to leave without cleaning the equipment,” she explains to me as Maxx pulls himself out of the pool. Somehow, he looks even more attractive dripping wet. I walk past Maxx who wipes his wet fringe away from his eyes and sets them on me.
“Good luck, Freckles. I haven’t been beaten before,” he says, his overly confident voice pissing me off. I roll my eyes at him and step to the edge of the pool, raising my hands up in the air and making myself forget Maxx so I can relax. I jump and dive into the pool, closing my eyes as the warm water slams against me. I quickly swim though the water, using the breast stroke to go as fast as I can and turning my head with each stroke to take a breath. I get to the other end of the pool and swim down, flipping over and using my feet to propel me off the wall to go back. I do this until I get to five times and swim as fast as I can back to the end. I gasp, breathless as I pull myself out of the pool, and the group claps.
“Impressive, Aura. I can see your old coach wasn’t wrong about you,” the coach comments, and I smile at her. I move to stand near Maxx as the coach calls another student to swim, and I awkwardly mess with my swimming cap to make sure it hasn’t come loose. Chlorine and hair are never a good mix.
“How long have you been swimming?” Maxx suddenly asks me.
“About four years,” I reply.
“What made you start? You seem like you’ve been swimming for your entire life,” he asks, and I don’t know why I tell him the truthful, personal answer that escapes my lips almost automatically.
“The day my mother walked out the house and didn’t come back, I was at my first swimming lesson. When I came home, and my dad told me, well, I ran back to the pool and kept swimming. I like to swim because it gives me time to process my thoughts and feelings,” I say, glancing up at him to see him staring at me strangely.
“I use swimming for a similar reason. When you’re in the water, everything seems so simple and peaceful, doesn’t it?” he muses.
“Yes,” I answer, surprised to see us agreeing on something.
“Did your mother ever come back?” he asks quietly.
“No,” I answer.
“Then like that movie about the fish, you better just keep swimming, Freckles,” he says, and I laugh, not expecting him to have said that, and he laughs with me which is even more surprising. He has one of those deep, dark, sexy chuckles that sends shivers through you. I have zero experience with boys, but I know there is no one that looks or has a sexy laugh like him in London.
“My name is Aura, or Ura if you like me. Not Freckles. Why do you even call me that anyway?” I ask, and he steps a little closer, and I half expect him to touch me, but he doesn’t as he whispers.
“The thing I noticed first about you is your cute freckles. They suit you.”
“Was that a compliment?” I ask in shock, and something in my words makes him straighten up, like he snapped out of a trance, and storm away from me as I frown at his tensed up back. What did I say?
Chapter Ten
“You beat Maxx’s best time at swimming?” Landon asks me, swinging an arm around my shoulder as we walk down the corridor to the parking lot. The bus to school this morning wasn’t too bad, and the day went more quickly than I thought it would. Well, a lot quicker than the first day anyway. I pause when I spot Maxx and Iris standing by the lockers, facing each other. Iris has her whole body pressed up against Maxx’s as he leans on the locker, and he laughs loudly as he moves some hair off her shoulder. I shake off the empty, cold feeling that takes over me and force myself to keep walking, even if I feel like being sick.
“My brother’s an idiot, you know that?” Landon says, trying to comfort me.
“Why? We don’t even know each other, so why do I care if he is dating Iris or not?” I reply, because it’s true. I don’t have any reason to be jealous or upset. Even if that is exactly how I am feeling.
“You care, so let’s not lie to each other, and they aren’t dating. Iris would be kissing him now if they were. They used to date, and trust me, I got used to the gross sight of them all over each other,” he says, and the jealously I feel seems to burn in my throat at the thought.
“How long did they date for?” I ask, making myself not look their way as we pass by them.
“Two months, a year ago,” he answers just as Iris shouts over.
“Maxx is staying at mine tonight, so you can take the newbie home in the car.” I glance over at them at her words and see that Maxx is watching us as Iris smirks at me. He doesn’t look happy at her statement, and I hate that some weird part of me is overwhelmingly jealous.
“Maxx already told me about your mum needing help setting up some Ikea furniture, and she asked him to sleep on the couch as it will take all night. Good luck, bro,” Landon says, and I unclench my fists as relief floods me. Landon turns me away, walking us out of the school and into the car park before he says anything.
“Don’t let Iris wind you up. She is just jealous that you get a reaction out of my brother when she has been trying to for the last year with no results,” Landon tells me.
