Page 91 of Unscripted

“That’s always a good approach.”

I looked back over at him then, and all thoughts of Chiara and the drama that occurred earlier slid out of my brain. There was only one thing occupying my mind.

“I’m really glad you didn’t match with anyone else,” I confessed.

Maybe it was the tequila, maybe it was what happened to Chiara. Whatever the case, I felt like I needed to be honest with him. The game we were playing could wait for the morning.

“I am too,” he said back.

We stared at each other, lapsing into a comfortable silence. We didn’t need to say anything else; the big conversation that had felt so important for us to have only hours ago now seemed inconsequential. In this moment, on this night, it was enough that we didn’t choose other people. Enough that we stuck together, once again.

Callum looked away first, staring out at the dark sea beyond. I looked down at the pool and the ripples skirting its surface. I felt lighter than I had in weeks, lighter even than before I had come on the show. Perhaps it was that lightness, or the boldness I felt by not being alone, by having someone I could truly rely on, but something came over me and I couldn’t help it.

I kicked out my foot and splashed Callum. Just a tiny bit; a few droplets, really.

He slowly turned and looked at me, a grin taking over his face.

“Did you just splash me?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Moi?”

“Oui.”

“Nope. Must have been the wind.”

“Oh, okay.”

The air around us stilled, and I felt my skin vibrating, waiting for what Callum would do in response.

We were still staring at each other when he cupped his hands, reached into the pool and directed a wave of water my way, thoroughly soaking me.

“Oh. My. God.”

“It is quite windy, isn't it?”

I splashed him again, stronger than before.

And then we were both splashing each other, and before I knew it, we were in the pool, sending sprays of water toward one another.

“Okay, okay,” I said after getting water up my nose for the third time. “Truce.”

“Truce,” he agreed.

But we didn’t get out of the pool. We stayed in, fully clothed, circling one another in the deep end.

Every stroke of my arms and beat of my legs against the water floated me closer to him. Closer and closer, until finally we were right in front of each other, mere inches between us, face to face.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” I said back.

I’m not sure who moved first. Maybe we moved at the same time.

One second, we were treading water, and the next, we were kissing, wrapped around each other with no room for anything but our breath and the warm night air.