She was floating on her back when the sun started to set. She figured it was time to go, that they shouldn't hike back up in the dark. She got to her feet and looked around.
When she didn't see him, she panicked.
"Lex," she yelled, turning in a circle. "Lex?!"
Oh my god...what if he drowned? But the water was undisturbed on all sides.
"Lex-"
She screamed when she felt someone come up behind her and place a hand over her mouth. She bit down on it, hard.
"Ouch," Lex yelled from behind her, in between bursts of laughter.
Relief washed over her. And then, anger.
"You! Fucking! Asshole!" she screamed, splashing water at him.
"I-I'm sorry," he said, but he was still laughing.
She moved past him, getting out of the water and making her way towards her clothes. She could hear him following behind her. She put on her boots and grabbed her clothes, walking towards the house in her wet undergarments.
She could hear him calling after her, but he had stopped to put his clothes back on.
It was another few minutes before he caught up to her.
"Hey," he said, coming up beside her. He was fighting a smile. It only made her even more pissed. "I'm sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all.
"Screw you! You-you really fucking scared me. Have you forgotten what I've been living like for the past few months? Worrying about being snatched or worse?" She had stopped walking to properly yell at him.
"Oh, come on," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Fuck you! You have no idea what it's like to live like that. I spent every waking minute looking over my shoulder!" Her heart was beating too fast. She hadn't even realized how angry she was until then. "And you just- you...you fucking asshole," she said, absolutely livid now. She put her hands on his chest and shoved him back as hard as she could.
He was taken by surprise, not expecting it at all. He stumbled back a few steps and tripped on something, landing on his back.
She was worried for a fraction of a second, but the anger that still lingered in her chest and her mind made it easy to shove the worry aside and glare at him before stomping off.
"Aria," he yelled after her, but she kept going.
Eventually, he caught up. He grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around.
"Don't fucking touch me," she spat.
He let go a second later, putting his hands up. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't...I was just messing around. I don't know why I- Fuck. I'm sorry. Okay," he said, moving to stand in her way.
"No! It's not okay," she yelled. She didn't want to let it go that easily.
"Come on, I really am sorry. I should have- I should have considered how it might make you feel. I wasn't thinking about that. It was stupid."
She sighed. "Fine," she said, walking around him.
"Are you just saying that so I'll stop talking to you," he asked, now smiling again. That fucking asshole.
"Yes," she said, looking straight ahead.
"Oh, come on! Let me make it up to you."
"And how are you gonna do that?"
"I don't know. Just tell me how. And whatever it is, I'll do it."
She thought about it for a few minutes before looking up at him. "Okay," she said, now smiling a little.
"Ugh. I don't like that look on your face."
"What? My smile?"
"No, that's not your real smile. That's your 'I'm gonna embarrass the hell out of Lex' smile."
Now she really smiled. He was so ridiculous.
"What do you want me to do," he asked.
"I don't know just yet. I need to think about it."
"Whenever you're ready," he said.
Chapter 20
She considered telling him about Ben, right then and there. And asking him for forgiveness, demanding it in exchange for his trick. But she dismissed the thought right after she had it. There was no way she could do that. She had to tell him, but she had to be serious about it. She didn't want to imagine his reaction if she joked about such a thing.
They made their way back to the house. The sun had set by then, and the warmth from the afternoon was gone. The walk up kept her warm, but even so, she was shivering by the time they got inside.
"I'll start a fire," Lex said as soon as he walked in.
She nodded and went to bathe and find something to change into.
It was a terrible idea, but she went outside and filled a few buckets with the water from the well for her bath. Her skin had already started itching by the time they got back. She put the fresh clothes on and made her way back downstairs.
"You could have just asked me to get the water for you," Lex said, looking at her wet hair.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you? For me to waste my one demand on a bath?"
"What? No...I mean, I would have done it anyway," he said, shaking his head.
He left to take his own bath. Aria ate while he was occupied.
When he was clean and dressed, he joined her at the table.
"Do you like the book," he asked.
She nodded. "Why does this ancient stuff interest you so much?"
"Sometimes when my mother would visit, while I was still young, she'd read me old books about Greek gods and Roman emperors. She'd leave the books after she left. I used those same books to learn how to read. And now, they just kind of remind me of her so..." he looked away like he'd said too much.
"Oh," was all Aria said.
It was so weird. How could the man that made her want to pull her own hair out make her feel so much like comforting him?
"Do you believe in that stuff," she asked, trying to change the subject. She knew how to be angry with him; hell, she knew how to like him. But the feeling that was washing over her now was too
