Seven Twenty-Eight

4.

"Where are we going?" Elisa chuckled as Jackson pulled her down the empty hall, looking in every direction.

He stopped suddenly, turning his back to the door to look at her. "It's going to be cold in there," He told her, smiling softly, "Do you want my jacket?"

She smiled shyly, pushing her hair over her shoulder. "Sure," She said quietly.

She stood still as he diligently draped the blazer over her shoulders. "Where are we going?" She repeated, pulling her hair out and smoothed it down again.

His fingers caught her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. "Don't you trust me?" He inquired, caressing his thumb over her jaw.

She pressed her lips together, feeling her cheeks burned as she nodded slightly. She watched as he turned around, pushing the door open to reveal a dimly lit pool deck. Shivering as soon as she stepped into the room, she pushed her arms into the sleeves of his jacket, and hugged them around herself tightly.

He chuckled, offering his hand out and placed it on the small of her back, guiding her closer. "I'm sorry it's so cold— If I knew we'd end up in here, I would've prepared better," He apologized, stopping at the edge of the pool and peered in.

Elisa shook her head, grasping onto the metal railing at the ladder in between them. "It's okay," She reassured him, turning her head in all different directions as she admired the calm space, "I like this— It's nice."

He nodded in agreement, staring down at the LED lights that illuminated the water, and the room as a whole, along with the moon shining in from the large windows. "It's peaceful," He noted, "I like to come in here when I have a lot on my mind."

"Do you have a lot on your mind right now?" She asked curiously.

"Just you," He retorted, not missing a beat to do it, "And how good you look in my jacket."

She looked away from him, staring down at the hem that reached the middle of her thighs. "That was very cheesy," She told him.

He tilted his head to see her face, smirking to himself in amusement. "But you're still blushing," He teased her, reaching over to poke her arm.

She sighed to resist a smile and looked up at him, embracing the state of her complexion. "Maybe a little," She mumbled.

"A little," He repeated, playfully rolling his eyes, "You're so cute."

She chewed the inside of her cheek, breaking their eye contact as she turned around. She moved to sit down on the cold tile, pushing his blazer out of the way and crossed her legs. "Do you swim?" She asked, leaning her elbows forward on her knees.

"I used to be on the team," He told her, sitting down behind her, "I had to quit right before the season started last year because I broke my wrist."

Her head turned when he held his hand out in her lap, showing the scar that ran from the side of his wrist and up to the base of his thumb. She tilted her head slightly, holding his hand in hers and touched the faint scar with the fingers of her other. "You have a tattoo," She noted, turning his hand over.

He leaned over her shoulder to look at the sloppy "A" on the inside of his wrist. "I have a couple," He told her, resting his chin the crook of her neck, sending goosebumps down her side.

She smiled softly, hesitantly touching the green ink, "Where?"

He sat up again, taking his hand from her. "Well this is from my roommate," He laughed, "He insisted for a very long time that I let him give me one, so for his birthday last year— He did."