Page 15 of Swim To Me

Delilah.

She stands just as she had the first time I saw her over a week ago, clutching her starch white towel to her chest and torso, feet covered in those bright pink flip flops. Her hair is pinned up neater this time, and now I’ve seen those riotous curls sticking up from her bun, wet and floppy from the water, I wonder how on earth she manages to pile it all on top of her head so securely.

Delilah’s eyes catch on mine, and I watch as a timid smile graces her lips.

But then her eyes move, quick as a dart, and I can see her staring at the small children waiting beside the pool. Even from across the other side of the airy space, I spot the way her mouth falls open, a red flush begins to crawl across her otherwise bare cheeks.

Delilah tears her gaze away to look at me, taking in the pool noodles beneath my arms and the bag of children’s toys. She liftsher towel further up her body, and, hiding her gaze, turns on her heel to flee back up the tunnel.

I feel the pool noodles and toys slip from my grasp, landing wherever they may on the floor, while I run, ignoring every rule in my own book, and the safety book I’d practically learned by heart when training to become a lifeguard and swim teacher.

“Delilah!” I call, knowing if she reaches the women’s changing room before I get to her, then I’ll never get another chance to talk to her.

“Delilah! Wait!”

Maybe she stops because she’s shocked I’m running after her, or maybe she stops because she can hear the urgency in my tone. But either way, I count my lucky stars when she halts in the corridor and peers back at me.

The quiet hum of the tunnel freaks me out a bit, reminding me of each time I’d briskly walked down one myself as a nervous swim competitor years ago, dressed in nothing but a tight pair of trunks, ready to await my fate. I repress a shiver at the memory.

“Delilah, what’s wrong?” I say, unsure where I’m even going with this conversation, but at least she’s still standing in front of me, waiting. I’m not breathless, but still, my heart pounds in my chest cavity.

“It’s a children’s class, Grey.” Delilah speaks for the first time, much colder and distant than she had been back in the infirmary room, or over her text messages for that matter. She spits her words like I’ll understand why a children’s swimming class has made her turn on her heel and run away. “You said it was a swimming class, but—”

“It is a swimming class! It’s—”

Delilah’s features tighten further, her forefinger rubbing at her bottom lip. “I’m the only adult, Grey.”

Her words are clear and over enunciated, as if that will make me see her point more.

“And?” I get the strangest impulse to smile, simply at the sight of her. I can feel my facial muscles twitching up into a real, genuine grin, but it’s obvious something about the swimming lessons is bothering Delilah and I don’t think it’s exactly the right time to be smiling at her like an idiot.

“And?! And it’s embarrassing! I didn’t even want to be here in the first place, only to find… Do you know what?” She holds her palms up, towel slipping until it rests under her bust. “It doesn’t matter. I’m leaving now and pretendingnoneof this ever bloody happened!”

I’m opening my mouth before I can tell myself not to – impulsiveness, something I’ve always struggled with ever since I was a boy, and something I’ve still not quite got a grasp on. At least I stop myself from reaching out and catching one of her flailing hands, like my fingers itch to do.

“The swimming lessons here are offered to anyone, Delilah. It doesn’t matter their age. We’re here to teach anybody and everybody how to swim.”

She still isn’t convinced, I can see it, her eyes flicker back and forth across every inch of the tunnel, only just meeting my own.

“Please, Delilah,” I say. “Why don’t we just go take a seat in the viewing area and we can talk about why you’re here?”

Delilah mutters something under her breath, but it’s too quiet for me to hear and I’m not about to ask her to repeat it. Not when I can probably guess what she was muttering by the twist of her lips.

I carry on talking instead. “We don’t have to get in the water today, there’s seriously no pressure. We can gauge how you feel and—”

“All of those people will be looking.”

“All of those people?” I repeat. “Delilah, it’s mainly children, I don’t think they really care if—”

“I didn’t ask for the reminder, thank you very much.”

God, she can cut a mean stare. I’m not a very big fan of being on the end of it, but there’s a small part of me, the part that is causing my skin to grow a tad too warm, which perks up, interested. Intrigued.

“I just mean the kids won’t be bothered and there’s three people using the other pool facilities and I highly doubt they’ll be bothered… but even if they are, what does it matter?” I shrug, all broad shoulders. “Everybody has to start somewhere.”

Her chest rises as she inhales jaggedly, and then props her chin up to face me directly.Staring at me head on, unwilling to back down.

“I’m-I’m willing to sit down so we can… discuss how I’d like to proceed. Okay?”

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