the attendant who had gone from my thinking he was just fucking weird into outright hating him for his refusal to help me.
“I need a swimsuit,” I demanded, slapping down some cash from my pocket.
He sniffed, blew his goddamn nose once more—how much snot did this fucker have in his head?—then left his bulletproof nest, and retreated to a glass display cabinet that contained the few items the center had on sale.
You could buy the usual, nothing special—ear plugs, goggles, swimsuits, and flotation devices.
The second I saw them, I realized she needed one of them, so I pointed to the foam surf board and stated, “I’ll have that too, please.”
He grabbed one, twisted to look at Theodosia, eyed her up in a way that made me grit my teeth, then reached for a swimsuit.
“Medium be okay?”
I had no idea. She looked small to me, but she was kind of tall, strong, even if at the moment she was thinner than I’d have liked.
“Thea?” I called out, trying not to be too loud to disturb her.
She looked at me and her eyes were warm. It was the first time I’d called her that, but it felt right. Her name was Theodosia, but we’d gone beyond that. I wanted a name that belonged only to me to cross my lips.
“Yeah?”
“Medium okay?”
She eyed the suit in the attendant’s hands and nodded.
I got out more money for the board, grateful I still had a hundred dollars remaining in my wallet, enough for a cab to her place and to my school, and paid the man as he passed me my purchases.
Returning to her side, I gave her the swimsuit and murmured, “Let me help you onto your feet.”
“If I can’t stand by myself, I’m not sure I should be getting into the water,” she said drolly, her dry humor coming out to embrace me.
“I’ll be there to help you.” I reached over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll always be there.”
She sighed, and it sank into my bones.
Because I could have sat there all day, close to her but never close enough, I reached for her hands and helped haul her onto her feet. Guiding her to the changing room, I advised, “Take things slowly. Don’t collapse in there.”
She snorted. “I’ll do my best to obey.”
“See that you do.” My lips twitched, and I watched her head down the walkway that led to the changing area.
Quickly, I busted ass and went to the men’s. Once I was inside, I changed and rushed into the pool, dumping the flotation device I’d bought at the end of the lane she liked to use, then moving over to the women’s entrance which was at the opposite end of the arena.
I stood there, waiting, and when she appeared at the corridor, just beyond the wading pool, I peered behind me, saw there was no one except for the lifeguard who was on his phone, and snuck down there.
When I could, I slipped my arm around her waist and helped her through the shallow pool.
The second her feet connected with the water, she sighed, and whispered, “That feels better.”
“It does?” Relief filled me. I helped her out into the main area, and carefully guided her into a seated position.
When her feet were dipped into the pool, she smiled at me, and without my aid, shoved herself into the water.
The second she was immersed, my heart pounded and I leaped in after her. Grabbing the board, I pushed it toward her as soon as she surfaced, and she leaned against it, instantly paddling.
“These past couple of days, this is the only place I’ve been able to get warm,” I admitted. “I felt like maybe you’d feel the same.”
Her brow puckered. “Why? Did you come down with the flu or something?”
I tilted my head to the side. “No. I just felt cold all the time.”
She bit her bottom lip and averted her gaze from mine. It was the latter that made me frown. “Louisa, the daughter of my foster parents, almost died.”
“She’s okay now?”
Thea shook her head. “No. But she’s more comfortable. They transferred her to a hospice. Things have been weird around the house ever since. Emma and Jon have been there most of the time.”
Which meant she’d been ill and dealing with it herself.
My throat tightened at the thought. “I-I can come over tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I do.”
“You can’t. It wouldn’t be fair—Emma and Jon have never let me have people over. I don’t want