Page 58 of The Next Chapter

‘Lola doesn’t want me telling people about this place,’ Noah says from behind me, causing goose bumps to run down my arms.

‘I can see why.’ I look around. It’s so beautiful, a hidden oasis among the trees, I have to wrestle against a ridiculous urge to cry. On Skye, I’m an emotional wreck.

‘Cool, right?’ Noah asks.

‘Very cool.’ I sniff and smile at the same time. If Noah realizes that I’m having a moment, he doesn’t let on. ‘I think I might put my feet in.’ I just need a second of space so I’m already kicking off my shoes, pulling off my socks. The ground is mossy underfoot.

‘You could go all the way in? You know, since you’re always up for an off-the-cuff adventure?’ Noah asks, still from behind me. I think he’s taking the piss.

I twist around to see him smiling.

He’s definitely taking the piss.

‘I mean, I am. Obviously.’ I peer at the edge, move a little closer. ‘It’s just… all the water… and the fact that it’s hanging over the edge of a mountain.’

‘This is like a glorified puddle.’

‘It’s definitely not a puddle.’

I reach the edge away from the infinity part of the infinity pool and feel the cool water lapping at my feet. It’s delicious.

Noah has moved to stand next to me. ‘It could be fun.’ I look at him again. The flush of red across the top of his cheeks is back. I’m an idiot for that flush of red.

Wild swimming isn’t even close to my definition of fun. And okay, the small loch isn’t a big scary loch. At worst, there’s probably a stray tadpole in there or something. Maybe proximity to a shirtless Noah is short-circuiting my brain, making it feel like it wouldn’t be a completely terrible idea to get in the water.

‘We don’t have any swimming clothes,’ I tell Noah, feeling like I must be going insane to even be contemplating this. I’m very hot, fevered almost. And the water is so very, very cool between my toes.

Noah raises an eyebrow at me as the goose bumps take over my whole body. Before I can reply, he’s splashing forward, storming into the centre. Any poor little tadpoles in there have just gotten a rude awakening. Noah turns round and walks backwards with his hands out wide and do you know what’s more distracting than a semi-naked Noah? A semi-naked wet Noah.

‘But it’s so nice!’ he calls.

He walks further back and when the tarn gets deep enough kicks off and floats on his back. He’s still wearing his running shorts (thank heavens for small mercies and all that) but all in all it’s a visual which makes my impossibly blushing skin even hotter.

So much so that the need to cool off becomes a desire, a want. Without really thinking, I sit down. I’m on the very edge of the tarn so I mostly have a wet bum but at least the backs of my legs are cooling down.

I don’t take anything off, but I shuffle forward another inch. Then another. Like I’m being pulled by some invisible force to the edge of the water.

Nothing disastrous happens.

Before I know it, the water is lapping around my waist. My whole bottom half is in.

Yes, I’m basically frozen, alternating between warding off cold hard panic and warding off the actual cold. Because this water is freezing. As if he’s reading my thoughts, Noah says, ‘It’s glacial water round here.’

My teeth chatter.

‘Makes sense.’ I start to swim.

Noah rights himself and then smiles at me before ducking his head under.

He comes up again and shakes his hair off and I have such a solid image of Ariel from The Little Mermaid flinging herself up on that rock that I can’t help but laugh.

‘What’s so funny?’ Noah asks, treading water.

‘Just thinking you’d make a great Ariel,’ I tell him, also treading. ‘I think you’d really suit the purple bra.’

He looks down at his chest. So of course, I look down at his chest. ‘I don’t wear enough purple.’ I can’t help but laugh. Plus, now that it’s less creepy to look, I can see that his tattoo is part of a map, with a compass in the middle, right on the meat of his shoulder. It’s the reminder I absolutely don’t want right now. Noah is an explorer through and through. If I were going to get a tattoo, it’d be of Dad’s house. Complete with Elton in the front window.

‘Why don’t we check out the edge?’ he asks, meaning the overhang part.