This Alien Soul

Chapter 12

Amber

"Seriously! Are you stalking me or something?" I snapped when I surfaced, with my heart pounding, sure I was looking at a suspension, only to find my Zionian. Needless to say, I wasn't too happy about the scare.

"Just making sure you weren't trying to drown yourself again." I grabbed onto the side of the pool so I didn't have to tread water. I was already uncomfortable with his hulking form looking down on me, his feet planted and arms crossed in obvious annoyance. "Not that I should even bother saving your ungrateful ass again."

"First of all, I never asked you to save me the first time."

"So I should have waited for you to ask for my help?" Fury filled his eyes as he hunched down, resting with his elbows on his knees so he could get closer to me. "Because there wasn't much chance of you asking. Not when you couldn't even breath."

"Second..." I emphasized my annoyance at his interruption. "I wouldn't have needed saving to begin with if you hadn't decided to jump in the water and play hero."

"Trust me babe, there was no playing at anything."

"And third..."

"Seriously, there's a third!"

I raised out of the water so I could glare him down right in the eye. "My thanks was not telling anyone about your beach escapades."

"You wouldn't have told anyone anyways." He sounded so sure of this fact.

"What makes you so sure of that?" I dared him.

"Because then you have to explain to everyone why you went back to that beach alone, looking for me."

I hadn't blushed in years. But right then, I could feel the ugly red stain traveling up my neck to infuse my cheeks. "You are such..."

"Such what?" He smirked, knowing he had me..

"Such a conceited ass." I huffed releasing my hands and flopping back into the water in a way that ensured he got splashed. But he just smirked harder. "I wasn't coming back for you. I was just looking for a private beach and I thought of that one."

The lie sounded false even to my own ears. If I wanted a private beach there we plenty I could have stopped at that were a lot closer to my families house. But he didn't know that, did he?

"I'm sure that was why." He smirk said he knew I was fibbing.

"What are you really doing in here anyways?" I needed to change the subject. Get him in the hot seat.

"Following you." He admitted this with no shame.

"Why?"

"Why not?" He shrugged his shoulder causally, settling down on the ground. "Classes are boring. And your little conversation was a lot more entertaining."

My heart dropped. I knew Brad had been talking too loudly. If Alek had heard, who else might have been eavesdropping.

My sickness had been my secret for so long. The last thing I wanted was for it to get out, especially for my senior year. I couldn't afford for everyone that looked up to me to look at me differently.

"Oh..." was all I managed to get out. I wanted more than anything to disappear again.

"Are you..." he paused for a second, looking actually concerned "are you sick or something?"

I don't know why I answered him truthfully. I don't know why I bothered answering at all. It was none of his business. Still it came spilling out. "I have a rare form of leukemia. Its managed through monthly treatments so it's just something I've learned to live with."