“Hi honey,” he replies. “How are you?”
I pause briefly before answering. I’m not really sure how I am. I am dealing with it. “Yeah, I’m okay. Everyone okay there?”
“We’re all fine. Olly’s at a party at the play centre, Abi slept at Chloe’s last night and is still over there and Dom is out somewhere.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me. “That’s good.”
My dad sighs. “Everly, I don’t know what has gone on between you and Grayson, but the boy has been begging me to give him the address. Don’t you think you should speak to him?”
I lie back on Courtney’s bed and stare up at the ceiling. “I will. I’m just not ready yet. I need time.”
“Can we expect you home on Monday? You can’t afford to miss classes in your final year of your a-levels.”
I know he is right. I can’t hide away up here forever. At some point I will have to go back and face the situation. “Yeah, I’ll be home before Monday. I’ll let you know what train I’m getting home.”
“Okay, honey. I love you,” he says softly.
“I love you too, Dad.”
I STARE UP AT THE BUILDING we are standing outside of and look at Tyler, who is waiting for our reaction.
“This is your idea?” Courtney exclaims. She breaks into a grin. “I like it!”
“You could have warned us. I don’t have any swim wear on me,” I tell him and he grins.
“Who needs swimwear? Come on.” He gestures for us to follow him. He takes us up the side of the building and stops before a small side door. Looking around us and checking the coast is clear, he pulls out a set of keys and slips a key in the lock.
“Should I even ask how you have the keys to get in?” I ask with an eye roll.
Tyler chuckles. “Let’s just say someone I know who works here owes me a favour.” He turns the key and opens the door and disappears inside, leaving us to follow him. I bump into his back, unable to see in front of me as it is pitch black inside.
“Jesus, I can’t see a thing in here.” Courtney moans when Tyler’s phone light dazzles her in her eyes.
“Obviously I can’t put the lights on, so use your phones.” He reaches out and takes my hand in his and guides us down the corridor until we come out into a large open space. I can’t quite believe we are breaking and entering a splash pool. Tyler stops at the side of the large pool and kicks off his shoes. He looks back at the three of us. “Well come on, let’s get inside.”
With a nervous sigh, I place my phone down at the poolside and unzip my jeans. Thank god I have put matching underwear on tonight and thank goodness it was black cotton and not lacy. I can’t help but admire Tyler’s body as he strips down to just a pair of Armani briefs that hug his tight arse. There was no denying it - Tyler has a body that you wanted to lick all over. He glances my way and I flush and turn away, annoyed with myself that I got caught looking. A second later there’s a huge splash, and he’s in the pool. The water drips down him as he surfaces, and he beckons for us all to join him. Jake runs up from behind Courtney and me and he cannon balls inside the water. I place my top with my jeans just as Courtney comes up beside me.
“On three,” she suggests with a grin.I take her hand and nodding and we count down together. We dive into the pool, laughing as we come back up to the surface.
Courtney yelps as Jake splashes her with a wave of water. She dives after him and the two of them wrestle in the water. Tyler touches my arm to snag my attention. “Come on,” he says, gesturing with his head and taking one last look at Courtney and Jake, who seem to have forgotten we are there.
He swims across the other side of the huge pool and climbs out. He leans down and offers me his hand and he pulls me up with little effort. Tyler walks over to the side of the pool and flips up a wooden panel that reveals a keypad underneath. He studies the buttons for a few seconds, before pressing a button and I hear a slight noise and then the sounds of running water.
Grinning, he takes my hand and leads me up some stairs. We come out to where there is a large slide that winds around and down into the water. He sits down at the top of the slide and then turns his head to me. “Come on, sit in-between my legs. We’ll go down together.”
I hesitate and toe the cool floor tiles. “You go, I’ll follow.”
Tyler rolls his eyes. “Just sit between my legs, Taylor. I’ll keep my hands to myself. I promise.”
Realising he isn’t going to give up, I sigh and walk over. He shifts slightly so I can move past him and is sit myself down between his open legs. His hands wrap around my waist and I feel his breath against my neck.
“I lied about keeping my hands to myself,” he says with a chuckle. “You ready?”
I nod, and he pushes off with his hips, and we move down the slide. The slide weaves left and then right, and we move faster. Laughing, I lift both my arms in the air. “Wahoo!” I shout and I hear Tyler laughing behind me, his breath tickling my ear.
We come flying out into the pool, and Tyler keeps his arms around me as we surface. I wipe the water out of my eyes to find him watching me; the water dripping down his body.
“That was fun,” I admit to him.
“I told you we’d have fun,” he replies with a smirk. He
