Page 61 of Swim To Me

“Delilah—”

She silences me with a kiss, her forehead pressing against mine, as she whispers, “I want to go out with you, too, Grey.”

Chapter 15

Delilah

“Aurelia?”

“Hey babes!” My sister chirps on the other end of the phone. “I’m just about to hop on the tube, so if the connection goes down—”

“Can you come over here?”

“Yeah… hang on… excuse me!” I hear the shuffle of feet and the muffled grumblings of disgruntled businessmen before Aurelia’s voice pops back up, breathless. “Why do people not understand the meaning of excuse me? Christ. Anyway, what’s up?”

“I’ve got a code pink.”

It’s not as bad as a code red, but still, code pink means it’s urgent.

“Pink?” she repeats. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes… want me to bring anything?”

“Wine,” I croak, staring down at my hands, the skin dry from being in the chemical chlorine only an hour or so ago. “A big bottle of wine.”

Aurelia makes it to my apartment with five minutes to spare, a bottle of white wine clutched in her hand like a lifeline.She slumps against the doorframe once I’ve unlocked the door, panting and holding her side.

“Ran… all the way… bastard stairs…” She thrusts the neck of the bottle to me. “Drink, please.”

In the kitchen, I pour us two big glasses, before handing one off to Aurelia, who folds herself into the depths of my sofa, rubbing at the blister forming on the back of her heel.

I stay standing, gulping at the wine, and then beginning to pace, tugging at the back of my earring.

“What’s going, Delilah? Code pink… that’s not as bad as our code red, but seriously, you’re freaking me out a little bit, I—”

“I slept with Grey.”

I stop pacing enough to glance over at Aurelia, finding her fighting back a grin but unable to stop the mischievous twinkle lighting up in her eyes.

She takes a slurp of her wine. “When?”

“Saturday night. After you and Sophie went home.”

“Was it good?”

“Aurelia!”

She raises both of her manicured eyebrows at me. “Well? Was it?”

I take another mouthful of wine, feeling the alcohol fizz upon my tastebuds. “Yes.”

“I knew it! As soon as I saw him, I thought that man knows what he’s doing with his—”

“We spent Sunday together too.” I interrupt before Aura can finish her lewd sentence. “We agreed two nights, to get each other out of our systems, but then… I came home Monday night, and he was everywhere, Aura. On the sofa, in my kitchen, at my bookshelves, in my bed. I couldn’t stop picturing him and wondering what he was doing. Tuesday was the same; sitting there in the board meeting not listening to a single fucking thing, because all I could imagine was how I’d feel if Grey was waitinghere in this apartment for me. I can’t sleep. Every buzz of my phone I’m picking it up thinking it’s him.”

My younger sister’s delight has now morphed into disbelief, I see it written all over her face; her lips parted, eyes wide, wine abandoned on the coffee table. She’s not even used a coaster. I can’t find it within myself to give a shit. “Delilah—”

“He text me early this morning, he finished the book I’d loaned him and I was fucking giddy at seeing his name pop up on my phone, Aura.Giddy. I wasn’t sure if I should go this evening, to my swimming lesson, but it was like I couldn’t stop myself. I went out and bought a different swimsuit and everything, I couldn’t stop thinking about him watching me as I tried it on in the changing rooms.”

“What did Grey—”

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