‘You need to come in.’
‘Is he gone yet?’
‘Yeah.’
‘He’s probably just waiting nearby.’
‘Did he hurt you?’
‘No.’
‘Did he try anything?’
‘He just wanted to talk.’
‘About what?’
‘It’s so nice here.I feel so relaxed.Never felt this… relaxed.’
‘Yeah, swimming while drunk will do that, but it’s also really fucking dangerous so get your ass on the shore right now.’
‘I feel like I’m home, and the moon’s there, so I can pretend—’
‘Do you know how much trouble I’ll be in if he realises you’re in the lake?’
‘He’s with Ariadne.He won’t notice.’
‘He notices everything.’
‘He’ll assume I was entertaining Mikhail.’
‘Not if it’s only you and me who are soaking wet.’
Jules pushes up from his float, upright.He stares at Lachlan.
‘You’re pretty like this.’
Lachlan tuts and rolls his eyes.‘You’re drunk.Let’s go get you dry.’
‘Mimi’s safe?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then let me stay.’
‘Jules—’
‘You could say I drowned.’Lachlan falls silent so fast it’s like a blackout.‘Just say you tried to save me, but it wasn’t enough,’ Jules whispers, half smiling.Dreamy, distant but always so fuckingsad.‘I trust you, Bodyguard.’
‘To let you die?’Lachlan utters, unreasonably angry.‘Getyour spoilt ass on the shore before I drag you!’
‘Your life would be so much easier.’
‘Fucking teenagers, I swear to God.’
‘Mimi has you now.She only matters to him as a means of controlling me.If I died—’
‘I would never let that happen and you have no idea how insulting it is for you to say that to me.If I’myourbodyguard, then you’remy—’
