Taking a deep breath, I slip into the water.
I stand frozen, waiting for the panic to come, but it doesn’t.
Mark is walking backwards towards the deeper end.
‘Do you want to come in a little further?’
He dunks his head under the water and then flicks the hair out of his eyes like he’s in an aftershave ad. I’m not going to lie; there are worse incentives for staying in the water.
He swims to the deep end. But I’m not sure I’m brave enough to follow.
Yan thundering towards us startles me.
‘Geronimo!’ he yells.
He jumps, sending water splashing over my face.
‘Yan, you idiot!’ shouts Pen. ‘We don’t need your lardy arse making tidal waves!’
‘I’m okay,’ I say, happy to discover I am. I’m still only up to my waist but the terror I was expecting hasn’t materialised.
‘Sod it,’ mutters Pen, and she jumps in, too.
In the end, we’re in there for over an hour; Mark and I staying long after Yan and Pen have left.
I still haven’t swum to the deep end, but I’m determined to do it.
‘You don’t have to come any further,’ he says, when he sees I’m going to attempt it. ‘Your feet won’t touch the bottom where I am.’
‘Yours do, right?’
He nods.
‘Then I’m not scared.’
I keep paddling until I’m close enough to see the way the water clings to his eyelashes, making them thick and dark.
He moves further way, and I follow, until we’ve swum the whole length of the pool.
I hold on to the edge, enjoying the burn of my muscles, happier than I’ve been in a long time.
‘Thank you for making me do it.’
‘Nobody made you, Nella. You did it all on your own.’
He treads water while I relax against the edge of the pool.
‘I had a stern call from Theo when I was driving back.’
‘Really? About what?’
‘To tell me to stay away from you.’
For a second, I panic. ‘Did he see …?’
‘No, because he would have beenwayangrier.’
‘What did he say, exactly?’
