Page 67 of Was I Ever Here

Chapter 37

Sunny

I’mbackinByzantine’scar. And as usual he’s driving me home after a long shift at the pub. It must be three in the morning, the night still a dark blue and eerily quiet.

“I feel like swimming,” I say softly, more as an afterthought while looking out the window.

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“And?” I reply, peering over to him.

He lets out a half chuckle, half snort while he changes gears and turns on a street I don’t recognize.

“Then let’s go swimming,” he says, not elaborating where he’s taking me. It’s clearly not the public beach based on the affluent neighborhood we’re in.

Eventually he turns into a driveway that leads to what I can only call a mansion. The house is surrounded by perfectly manicured lawns, lit up with small yard lights lining the walkway and…is that a fucking fountain?

Then the realization hits.

“Don’t tell me this is Connor’s house,” I deadpan.

Byzantine laughs,“Yeah.”

“Should have known,” I laugh, taking it all in. “Definitely looks like something he’d own.”

“How so?” he asks.

I glance back at him, “Flashy?”

He chuckles and nods. “Come on,” he says, opening the car door. “He left for business earlier today and I have a spare key. We can use his pool.”

After letting Byzantine open the door for me, as always, I scamper out, eager to snoop around Connor’s property. Everything about his place screams modern architecture, with floor to ceiling windows and open spaces. I gawk as Byzantine leads me through the spacious foyer and into the kitchen which leads out to his even more spacious exterior—pool included.

My smile hurts my cheeks as I start pulling off my clothes eager to get in. Skinny dipping is definitely the way to go, especially when Byzantine watches me undress with such hunger.

“You know you also need to take your clothes off if you’re going to follow me into the pool,” I point out.

“Just let me look at you first,” he responds, his voice low and full of want.

I unsuccessfully tamper my reaction to his burning gaze, trying to pull off a casual shrug and walk down the stairs leading into the pool. The damn thing is heated of course. I slowly immerse my body and swim to the deep end, the water feeling amazing against my tired limbs.

I turn on my back and float, looking at the stars. The water trickles nearby, Byzantine having followed me in but I stay in my position, my gaze landing on my favorite constellation ever since I was a child. My eyes seek it without me even thinking. It’s the row of three stars that makes Orion’s Belt. I peek to my left and see Byzantine has his back against the pool wall, elbows up on the edge watching me.

“Do you have a favorite constellation?” I ask him, curious.

“Never really thought about it, so no,” he answers, falling quiet while my eyes rove around the night sky, the expanse of so many stars making me feel small and insignificant. It’s comforting—in a larger picture kind of way.

Eventually, I swim over to Byzantine, a half smirk on his face. He squeezes my hand when I reach him while we stay silent and stare at each other.

His face falls suddenly serious, looking conflicted.

“I found the mugger.”

My heart drops while I place my hands on his broad shoulders to steady myself in the water.

“Really? That was fast…” I trail off when I notice his expression. It’s not the smooth emotionless mask I’ve grown so used to. Instead, he seems worried, his brows knitted, lips thin.

“I don’t want to lie to you, Sunny.”

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