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Chapter 44

       You know, in retrospect, swimming at the end of November, in the northern part of Massachusetts, wasn't necessarily the best idea we ever had. But it wasn't the worst. The water was still slightly warm from the summer months, and even though there was a chill in the air, it was bearable. Besides, winter in New England never really started until January.

       Anyways, Fun Fact: Much like hospitals, Rex did not like water. Deep water at least.

       The lake was beautiful, and stretching farther than my eye could see. I wanted to swim out to the middle and dive straight for the bottom. See if I could hold my breath as long as it took to reach the murky depths, but Rex was not having it.

       I felt like a toddler at the beach with their overprotective parent not letting them splash in a puddle. He stood uneasily ankle deep just off the shore, those dark eyes never wavering from the twins and I as we swam further out. None of us could touch the bottom, and Rex kept barking at me to swim back to the shallow end. I did at first, but after a while I 'couldn't hear him'.

       I was upset that Jax couldn't make it, something about decorating or whatever, but he promised to hang out soon so I let it slide. A part of me was thankful actually, with how uneasy and stressed Rex seemed to be, I didn't think throwing Jax into the mix would have helped anything.

       "Don't be a big baby, Rex!" Denton hollered at the grumpy looking dinosaur whose strong arms were crossed tightly over his chest. "Come swim with us! You're leaving poor Rose all vulnerable to the scary lake monsters!"

       I don't know why Denton taunted him like that, it never ended well. No matter how funny it was. "If I go out there, I'm drowning you. Fuck head." Rex's voice carried easily across the water and sounded very serious to my ears—and apparently to Denton's too since his mouth snapped shut and he turned slightly pale.

       "I was just teasing." The goofy twin mumbled before backstroking in a circle around Brett and I.

       "Can he swim?" I asked Brett softly so Rex—who was still glaring at me—wouldn't hear.

       Rex had changed into a pair of basketball shorts and a loose black t-shirt before we drove to the lake, but had only bothered taking his shoes off to stand in the water. He barely moved since. Maybe if Trey was swimming Rex would have been more encouraged to walk further in, but the mountain man/boy was busy setting up all the food the twins had stuffed into their pickup truck.

       "Yeah, he just doesn't like to." Brett answered at my side, his athletic legs kicking the water beneath mine.

       "That's sad." I mumbled around the water trying to splash against my face. "I love swimming."

       Brett shrugged and cast those bright blue eyes at Rex. "It's just something he can't control. And you know how Rex gets when it comes to control." His smile was light and teasing, and I felt that tension that still strummed between us slightly ease.

       "Yeah that, and someone tried to drown him as a kid."

       "What?!" The complete horror stricken look I turned on Denton was nothing compared to the murderous glare his twin shot him.

       "Shut your big fucking mouth you moron, or I won't stop him from beating your ass next time." Brett splashed a vicious amount of water at his brother who shrank back as it smacked him right in the face.

       "Ow! Brett! Stop abusing me!" Denton cried and stopped swimming circles around us to wipe at his eyes.

       "I wouldn't if you minded your own damn business! If Rex wants her to know he would have told her!"

       "Oh, come on! It's not that big of deal! He's alive, isn't he? And they're a thing or whatever."

       "That doesn't matter—"

       "Someone tried to drown Rex?" I interrupted their bickering and switched to treading water with my hands to give my legs a break. "On purpose?"

       Both blue eyes turned towards mine and the sheepish look crossing Denton's face didn't go unnoticed. "Um, I'm not sure. It was a long time ago and he doesn't talk about it much." I didn't believe him. Denton was terrible at lying. "I'm sure it was probably an accident."

       No wonder Rex didn't like deep water. It was the one thing that never tried to hurt me, but had almost killed him. Suddenly I didn't feel like swimming. I glanced back over at the obviously stressed boy pacing the shoreline, his eyes flickering nervously to mine then away again. I felt bad about ignoring him.

       "Hey Rose! Race you to the bottom?" Denton suddenly pipped up at my side, the previous conversation completely forgotten—or he tried to make it seem like it was forgotten.  

       "Um, okay. But fair warning, I can hold my breath for a really long time." My lungs had to harden after all that hyperventilating over the years. One little race then I would swim back over to Rex and stay with him for the rest of the time. I didn't even care if we never left the beach.

       "I'm staying out of this one." Brett grumbled and swam a few feet away. "You don't know what lurking down there."

       "Alright, ready Rose?" Denton didn't seem to care one bit about his twin's hesitation, and shot me a beaming one-hundred-watt smile. "Three, two, one, Go!"

       We both dived at the same time, and I kept my eyes tightly shut and swam straight for the bottom. We were farther out than I had originally thought, and reaching the lake floor took longer than expected. I couldn't tell where Denton was, but I was determined to reach the bottom even if he gave up. My lungs could take it. I used to swim out in the Cape religiously—maybe not during shark season, but still.

       When I finally did reach the bottom, the gross, gooey, slippery yuck of the sand felt nasty between my fingers. I could feel the pressure of the water in my ears, like someone was trying to crush down on my skull, but I kept searching until I found a pebble to bring back to the surface. I was so going to win.

       I turned quickly and kicked off the bottom as hard as I could. Shooting upward a whole lot faster than I swam down. "Ha! You didn't get a rock!" I exclaimed excitedly when I hit air again and sucked it greedily into my lungs. Denton was swimming next to his twin, and looked like he had been doing so for minute. "I win!" I held the rock up to the twins, who were both staring at me with wide eyes.

       "What? What is it—?" The words had barely past my lips when a strong arm suddenly slipped around my waist and yanked me backwards through the water. "Ah!' I screeched at the surprise attack and dropped the little rock as my body went sailing.

       "What in the world, Rex?!" He wasn't looking at me and his arm only tightened as he kept swimming hastily back towards shore. "Rex! Rex stop!" Those dark eyes were glued to the sandy beach and the hand that wasn't wrapped around my waist kept tearing through the water.

       I was able to turn enough in his grasp to place my hands on his shoulders, but that didn't slow him at all. "Hey! Rex! What's wrong?" He was breathing heavy, those dark eyes glued to the shoreline as the rest of his body seem to shake. He had taken his shirt off, but I couldn't see that scar on his back by how he held me.

       I gave up on his shoulders and let my hand reach for his face. He flinched, but the shaking in his body seemed to ease when we finally reached shallow enough water for him to stand. I couldn't though and the water just barely sat beneath his shoulders. It wasn't until I forced his face towards mine that he stopped that frantic retreat.

       "It's okay..." I tried to reassure him softly, even though I wasn't sure what I was saying 'it's okay' to. His handsome face was pale, his dark eyes almost frantic as they kept glancing between mine and the beach. "What's the matter?" I tried to make my voice all soft and reassuring, but that worried look on his face didn't fade.

        "You went under." The words came out fast, but not at all hard and clipped like they usually were when I did something he didn't like. "And you weren't coming back up." Rex's arm tightened around my waist, his other hovering uncertainly at our side.

       I kept the frown from my face by sure will power alone, and let the pads of my fingers brush reassuringly over his cheek. "Denton and I were racing to the bottom." Those chestnut eyes snapped to mine and though that frantic worry there eased some, he didn't look relieved.

       "You were under for a while."

       "I can hold my breath for a long time. I told you I'm a good swimmer."

       Rex's jaw glued shut, and those dark eyes flickered back towards the shore. "I don't—like deep waters." He bit out through clenched teeth, and wrapped his free arm around my lower back until they were both keeping me tightly against him.

       Despite the tense situation, I suddenly wished I was wearing a bikini instead of the one piece I wore for swimming. It wasn't often Rex held me without a shirt on, much less pin me against his chest, and the ridges I felt on his stomach were enough to make me swoon—if I wasn't busy trying to calm him down that is.

       "Yeah, the twins told me." I was still stroking his cheek as gently as I could, and I wasn't sure if I should have been relieved when that chestnut gaze hardened and snapped to mine, or worried. At least that frantic look was gone.

       "Oh, did they?" His voice was hard and he took another few steps towards shore before shooting a dark look at the brothers behind us. They hadn't moved since the grab and drag, though it did almost look like Denton was trying to hide behind Brett. "What exactly did they tell you?"

       I knew by the tone in his voice I had to be careful what I said next—if I wanted to spare Denton's life at least. "Um, well, something about control and a bad experience when you were a kid. They didn't tell me a lot really..." Even though I desperately wanted to ask him about the whole 'drowning' thing, I didn't think that was the best moment. Especially since he risked the deep water to 'save me'.

       At least, I think that's what he was doing.

       "Hm." Was all he let slip pass those tightly shut, yet still amazing, lips as he started dragging me again.

       "Hey..." I spoke softly and resisted the urge to grab his chin like he always did with mine. He barely turned his handsome face my way but I could still see the eyebrow he raised in question. "Hang out here with me for a little bit."

       "I'm not so sure about that—"

       "I promise I'll keep you safe." When his head whipped around to mine, I shot him a big cheesy smile.

       "I keep you safe." He grumbled but did actually stop that hasty retreat when the water hit his mid chest.

       "We can take turns. That's what couples do, right?"

       It wasn't until after I said it that I realized I had just called us a 'couple'. I mean, I know we had that whole 'talk' before, and even though Rex said he would be whatever I wanted him to be, we never really cleared up what that was. I just sort of assumed we were a 'thing' now... I guess. But if he didn't think that I didn't want to pressure him!

       I tried to keep the shocked, embarrassed, and slightly horrified look from my face as he glanced down at me, but if he had any problems with what I said he didn't let it show. "We can't take turns when it comes to your safety, Rosalyn." I resisted the urge to tug nervously on my hair, and had to force my gaze to the beach so he wouldn't see the red there.

       "Then who's going to keep you safe?"

       "Myself."

       "Well, you can't keep us both safe all the time." I sighed rather dramatically just so he would know I was only being half serious. I would try to keep him as safe as I possibly could whether he wanted me too or not—even if I wasn't much good at it.

       "Sure, I can." Rex's voice had taken on a slight teasing tone itself, and I was relieved when I glanced up to see that frenzied worry completely gone. Though, he did still look uneasily out at the open water.

       His strong hands circled my waist and he sunk down in the water enough to pull me close to his bare chest. It wasn't until later that I realized he purposely kept his back facing away from me the entire time. I wanted to tell him I knew about the scar, or at least that it was there. I saw it that day at the boxing match before Jax took over my common sense. But I don't think it was something he wanted me drawing attention to.

       I let my arms wrap loosely around his neck and tried not to make it obvious that I was eagerly pressing myself as firmly against the strong muscles of his chest and stomach as I could. "Do me a favor, Rose." Rex's voice was soft as he murmured into my ear before dropping his lips to the space behind it and trailing down. "And don't go swimming by yourself."

       "You don't want me doing anything by myself." It was the same 'argument' from that morning, but my words came out slightly breathy as his mouth nuzzled against my neck, right beneath my jaw.

       "Because you're always getting into trouble." The words were grumbled against my skin, but I didn't pay much attention to them as his hands circled my waist and trailed softly over my lower back. "Promise me." Even beneath the water I felt every brush of his hands against my body like a bolt of electricity.

       "P—promise what?" I could feel the heat of his skin against mine, even through my swimsuit, and as his teeth and lips lightly grazed the skin of my throat, all coherent thoughts disappeared.

       "That you won't go anywhere alone, especially water." He kissed my skin and let those lips trailing lightly along my throat, leaving a fiery heat in its wake.

       "Oh, um, u-uh, okay..." My breathing was coming out more like pants when he traced his mouth back along my jaw and stopped just at the corner my lips.

       "Thank you, my Roza." Rex kissed me then. Softly at first, just a light brush of his lips against mine, before his hands started slowly rubbing up the expanse of my back. Then, much like in his car that morning, the kiss turned more—well, more.

       One of his hands curled into my hair, angling my face in the position he wanted as the kiss deepened. My arms tightened around his neck, pulling him closer, which I thought impossible until then. My legs, that had been wrapped around his stomach ever since he stopped his 'rescuing', clung to his toned, bare skin for stability as he pinned us together.

       I had completely forgotten about the others, to lost in everything that was Rex, until a wolf whistle called out some ways behind us. "Get a room you two! We're in public!" That was definitely Denton, and if he wasn't in trouble from earlier, the look Rex shot him when he pulled away had murder written all over it.

       "I hope Brett drowns him." He practically growled as those strong hands put some space between us.

       I was blushing, like a maniac, and I knew I was too far gone to try and hide it. I didn't know how he was able to do that—make me forget we were out in the open or in a crowd or wherever, just by brushing those lips against mine. It was dangerous. Rex Turner was dangerous. Amazingly so.

       "That's not... very nice." Even though my brain was way too foggy to really understand what either one of us were saying.

       Rex nudged his forehead against mine, a small smile pulling on those manipulating lips. "Didn't we already talk about me and 'nice'?"

       My gaze snapped to his, and I fought hard to keep the frown from my lips. "Yes, but we also already talked about the 'me doing things by myself' thing and look what happened." Those dark chestnut eyes rolled, but the smile didn't fall from his handsome face.

       "You're lucky you're cute." He teased, actually teased, before kissing the tip of my nose. I scrunched up the area to try and take away the heat that stained my cheeks. Rex has called me 'cute' a handful of times, but my reaction never changed.

       "I love when you go all Tomato Girl on me." Rex laughed and, even though the sound made the butterflies in my stomach ignite, that traitorous blush only deepened.

       "Foods ready, guys!" Trey suddenly yelled from the beach, saving my poor face from any further embarrassment. Rex let out a low, disapproving groan in the back of his throat as I detached my tightly wrapped limbs from around him and touched back down on the sand.

       "Boy I sure am hungry!" I piped up quickly before taking off like a bullet for shore, leaving a chuckling Rex behind.

       I couldn't hold onto him any longer without making a complete fool of myself. Especially with how badly I wanted to reach out for his stomach and feel how hard his abs were for myself. Or, even worse, kissing him there. Because I really-really wanted to.

       I was already sitting on a large beach towel, letting the sun dry the water from my skin, and munching on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when the others finally left the lake. Despite his fear of drowning, Rex had stayed behind until the twins caught up, and by the ashen look on Denton's face, I didn't need to guess why.

       He was so mean to that poor boy.

       Rex sat down heavily beside me, his big body crowding mine on the beach towel, but I was nowhere near close to objecting. "Thanks, dad." He said sarcastically as Trey handed him a sandwich. Those bright green eyes rolled skyward before turning towards the twins.

       "Someone has to be responsible in this fucking group, or no one would eat."

       "The fuck you talking about? You ass holes steal my food all the time." Rex grunted around the large bite of food in his mouth.

       "Yeah, well, that's different. You don't think about bringing it places. You just let it rot in your apartment."

       "Why the hell would I bring food places? It's not like I go on fucking picnics with you pansies."

       I just sat quietly between them, munching on my food, my mind off in Lala-land, when Trey just had to drag me into the argument. "Oh yeah, what if we're—or your—out and about for a day or so and Rose gets hungry and you have nothing. Bet you wish you planned ahead then."

       My eyes widened as large as saucer plates as I blinked over at Trey. Betrayal clear as day on my face, even though he ignored it. Trey leaned back on his beach towel with a triumphant smirk as Rex shot him a glare.

       "Uh—I'll be okay. I don't really think about food that much—"

       "I doubt we'll go anywhere that doesn't have somewhere you can buy food nearby." Rex snapped at his best friend, completely overriding my words.

       "Really guys. I can survive not eating for a few hours—"

       "Just saying, dude. Can't always talk about keeping her safe when you don't even feed her."

       "I can feed myself—"