"They're beautiful, though," I said in defense of the stars.
"Yes," he agreed and I smiled. At least someone can share my obsession with stars with me. I shivered, cursing myself for not bringing a jacket.
I felt a hand on mine as he pulled me up and I stumbled.
"What?" I asked as he smiled. I didn't like this smile.
"Oh no," I said as I saw him staring out into the water. It was freezing out there! If it was this cold and windy now, imagine what it would be like there. I took a step back as his laughter filled the air, and he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against this chest.
I shivered, not sure if it was because of the heat from his body or the cold wind as it pushed against us.
"Darius, it's freezing."
"Well, we did drive all the way out here."
And before I knew it, he was dragging me toward the water. The clumsy fool that I was, I tripped and fell and soon the cold water enveloped me into a hug.
CHAPTER TWENTYTWO
I felt his hand pull me up and I gasped, my hair coming undone and falling down my shoulders. The dress clung to me like second skin. I looked daggers at him as he laughed.
"What is wrong with you?" I shoved his body playfully. My body started shivering as he stood on the shore. I noticed that just his feet got wet, and he was still laughing at me.
"You fell in," he managed to say while laughing. I shivered as another wave hit me, making me wade out of the icy water. The shivers took over my body; he stopped laughing and looked at me with concern, the fun ending.
"Are you okay?"
"No," I mumbled, my teeth chattering. "It was beyond freezing."
The wind picked up. I felt his arm around me before I realised he had wrapped his jacket around me. I looked up at him and he winked.
"Next time, bring your own jacket," he reminded me as he gave my hand a tug. I couldn't help smiling. Of course he had to ruin the moment. My teeth, however, wouldn't stop chattering, and my body wouldn't stop shivering. Oh please, don't get me sick, I thought as I followed him to dry land, my feet barely keeping up with him. It was too cold to move!
His wink replayed in my head and I mentally groaned. Even his wink was sexy. Was there anything about this man that wasn't?
Apart from his serious attitude problems toward me, it was like one second he despised me and then the next he played the perfect role of a loving husband. But how much of it was really true?
I sneezed as he ushered me into the limo.
"You're going to get a cold," he said, frowning for all he was worth.
"Your fault," I told him. I slipped my shoes back on and sat, embracing myself to try to keep warm. I felt the heat in the limo rise up as the heaters were switched on but that didn't help.
I closed my eyes and placed my head against the window. My body wouldn’t stop shaking. Oh god, suck it up and stop shaking, I quietly berated myself.
Darius bringing me to the beach was a nice gesture, and I really did appreciate it, but did he really have to throw me in the water?
Even though it was playful, it would have been better in summer.
I could feel the fatigue of tonight’s events take me under. I felt something warm cover me and something warm on my cheek push me against a shoulder. I shivered, huddling closer to it. At least it smelled nice, whatever it was.
It was too soon when I felt something poke me, waking me up. I turned around glaring.
"W-"
"Come on."
I realised we had made it home. I groaned loudly as I got out of the limo. One of my shoes slipped off and I couldn't be bothered to get it.
I was thankful for the strong arm helping me up. Good old Ma, I can always rely on her. I walked to the stairs and swore when my pinky toe stubbed into it. God, was it always painful? I heard a manly chuckle that sounded like Ma was sick. Why did her voice sound so deep?
She helped me upstairs into the bedroom.
"You should change," she said. God, she really needed to take some cough medicine. Her voice was so deep.
I mumbled something as I heard the door close. I sighed and collapsed weakly onto the bed. I would change...right after I finish my dream with unicorns and rainbow vomit. Who even dreams about them?
"She has a fever, Darius. I am so mad at you."
Margaret? I felt a warm cloth over my forehead. I tried opening my eyes but they were heavy. It was like they were locked down.
"I didn't mean it. How was I meant to know that she would fall in?"
I heard a loud sound, which was like a slap, and someone grumbled.
"Well, make sure to keep changing the cloth every hour or so. Her temperature has to come down."
"What kind of moron gets a fever? Shouldn't she be getting a cold?"
Did he just call me a moron?
"Don't say bad things, boy. She shouldn't be sick at all."
I heard footsteps then the door closing and someone sighing. I felt the bed dip and the cloth disappeared from my forehead. I jumped as I felt it on my collarbones.