Page 128 of The Grosvenor's Ghost
Anyway, it went by quickly.
The paparazzi outside were a pain, though. But they always are.
I did try talking to him, believe it or not. He didn’t give me much. Maybe he finally realised that Arthur, me and him were all going to be under the same roof for the summer. I did find it weird that he seemed okay with it earlier.
Or maybe—like me—he caught the way Arthur’s eyes actually glistened when I came down the stairs. There’s a certain look you can’t ignore, even in a room full of people. His eyes were like diamonds, blinding everyone around us, Digby included.
When we get back home, Athena and George have gone out for their own dinner while everyone else is doing their own thing. Digby goes straight upstairs, doesn’t say a word to me and I think about how he’s worse than a girl which is embarrassing for no one but himself.
I kick my heels off by the door. Hear a splash coming from outside so I go out there.
Arthur pops his head out of the water, runs a hand through his wet hair and then looks up at me standing by the poolside in my dress.
He says nothing for a second, just stares, and then, “How was your dinner?”
I shrug, sit down, dangle my legs into the water. “Could’ve been better, I guess.”
He tilts his head, licks his bottom lip. My heart thumps in my chest and the sight of him. Red lips and earthy eyes highlighted by the moon shining through the trees. He looks tired, though. Like maybe he stayed up waiting for me?
Arthur swims over to me, leans his arms on the side. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Shake my head.
“What do you want to do?” He asks, quietly.
“I’m not sure,” I whisper, my eyes begin to water again but I blink the tears away and concentrate on his face.
He nods his chin at me. “Come in.”
“I know this means nothing to you but this dress is vintage so…”
“Take it off, then.”
I almost laugh. “I can’t do that!”
He sniffs, shrugs. “Why not?”
“Because my boyfriend is here!”
He blinks. “I’ve seen you more naked than the day you were born. Just take it off and come in.”
I roll my eyes. “If you insist!”
And then I take my dress off and stand up in my underwear because let’s be open and honest here, I would’ve done it on the first ask. I just needed to sound like a good, moral human being.
I stay standing there, unsure, until Arthur reaches up, grabs my wrist and drags me into the pool.
“That was unnecessary,” I tell him, pushing to the surface.
“You wouldn’t have gotten wet otherwise.”
I stare at him, laugh.
“Get your head out of the gutter!” He splashes me. “You know what I meant.”
He reaches under the water, grabs my waist, pulls me into him, my legs lock around his body.
“Can I ask you something?”
