Chapter Six: Deep End
780 Words
The music was loud.
Lights flashing.
Laughter, voices, bodies moving everywhere.
Scarlett stepped into the party like she owned it—because she did.
Her outfit? Effortless. Dangerous. A fitted dress that moved with her, catching attention without her even trying.
“Scarlett!”
Her friends rushed her almost instantly, pulling her into the energy of the night. Drinks in hand, music in her bones—
For a moment…
She forgot.
Until—
She saw him.
Blake.
Across the room.
Of course he was here.
Leaning back like the party revolved around him, people gathered, girls laughing too loudly at whatever he said.
Scarlett’s jaw tightened.
Unbelievable.
But her expression? Calm. Unbothered.
She looked away like he didn’t exist.
“Let’s go somewhere quieter,” she said, already turning.
The pool area.
Cool air. Softer lights. The distant echo of music instead of chaos.
Much better.
Scarlett sat at the edge of the pool, crossing her legs as she took a slow sip of her drink. The water reflected the lights, dancing softly beneath her.
Peaceful.
For about five seconds.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite person.”
Her eyes closed briefly.
“Go away,” she groaned without even turning.
A quiet chuckle.
Too close.
Blake.
“Missed me?” he asked, voice low, teasing.
Scarlett turned her head slowly, giving him the most unimpressed look she could manage.
“In your dreams.”
He smirked, stepping closer. “Funny. You keep ending up wherever I am.”
She rolled her eyes. “Or maybe you keep following me.”
“Now that would be interesting.”
Scarlett groaned, taking another sip of her drink. “Do you ever stop talking?”
“Only when I’m bored.”
“Then please—get bored.”
Blake laughed softly, clearly enjoying this way too much.
There was a pause.
Then—
Without warning—
He nudged her.
Hard enough.
Scarlett’s eyes widened.
“Wait—!”
Splash.
Cold water swallowed her whole.
For a second—
Silence.
Then panic.
She couldn’t breathe.
Her arms flailed instinctively, her body sinking instead of rising.
No—
Before she could react properly—
A hand grabbed her.
Strong. Firm.
Pulling her up.
Blake.
He wrapped an arm around her, bringing her to the surface quickly.
“Hey—hey, I’ve got you,” he said, his voice suddenly serious.
Scarlett gasped, clinging to him without thinking, her breath uneven.
People were gathering now, voices overlapping.
“Yo, what happened?”
“Is she okay?”
But Scarlett didn’t hear them.
All she could focus on was the fact that she had almost—
Her grip tightened slightly before she realized what she was doing.
And then—
Reality hit.
She pulled back quickly.
Her dress clung to her now, soaked, outlining every curve, every detail she usually carried with confidence—
But right now?
It felt… different.
Exposed.
Scarlett crossed her arms slightly, trying to regain control of herself.
Blake was looking at her.
Not teasing this time.
Not mocking.
Just… looking.
For a second too long.
His gaze dropped—then snapped back to her eyes.
Something unreadable flickered across his face.
Scarlett noticed.
And heat rushed to her cheeks instantly.
“Don’t,” she snapped quickly, her voice sharper than usual.
Blake blinked slightly. “Don’t what?”
“Look at me like that.”
A pause.
“I just saved you,” he said, quieter now.
“I didn’t ask you to push me!”
“I didn’t know you couldn’t swim,” he shot back, frustration slipping in.
Scarlett froze.
Her silence said enough.
Blake exhaled, running a hand through his wet hair. “Right… yeah. That explains it.”
The tension shifted.
Different now.
Not just anger.
Something else.
Scarlett stepped out of the pool quickly, ignoring the stares, the whispers.
“I’m fine,” she said, more to herself than anyone else.
Her heart was still racing.
Her pride? Bruised.
Her emotions? A mess.
She grabbed her things without looking back.
“Scarlett—”
“I said I’m fine.”
Her voice wasn’t as steady as she wanted it to be.
And before he could say anything else—
She walked away.
Fast.
Out of the pool area.
Out of the party.
Out of his sight.
But even as she left—
Her chest still rose and fell too quickly.
And one thought kept repeating in her mind…
Not about the fall.
Not about the embarrassment.
But about him.
The way he held her.
The way his voice changed.
The way he looked at her—
Like, for once…
She wasn’t just a game.
- Writer
