Page 66 of Romantic Hero
‘I’m ready,’ River says suddenly.
‘Amazing! Okay!’ I do the breast-stroke motion towards him one last time, but to my dismay there’s a muddy divot on the pond floor and I find myself flying forward as I trip over it. ‘Arggh!’
‘Whoa!’ River yells as I sort of skitter forward and bash into him, an almighty splash soaking us both through. My feet slip a little as I try to recover my balance and River’s big arms shoot out to grab me right before I fall under the water.
‘You okay there?’ he asks, clutching me to him and holding me steady. His voice is soft with concern, but his eyes … his eyes are suddenly black like they were on that last morning in Little Crumpet. I glance down and realise that my breasts are now completely pressed against River’s chest, my entire body aligned firmly against his. My hands are on his arms, his hands on my waist. His face is covered in water droplets from the splash, glittering like little crystals on his eyelashes and lips. We both watch as a water droplet make its way down my chest and into my swimming costume.
‘I …’ I don’t step away from him. I should. I absolutely should. But Ireallydon’t want to. And he doesn’t seem to want me to either. I find myself pressing a little closer, unableto help the small gasp as I feel him stirring in his swimming trunks. He narrows his eyes at me. ‘Gertie …’
A whistle shrieks so loudly that the pair of us jump apart.
‘No fraternising in the pond!’ the lifeguard shouts through a megaphone. ‘I repeat, no fraternising in the pond!’
‘Oh jeez,’ I mutter, thankful for the lifeguard’s much warranted interruption while also wishing him a terrible sleep for the rest of his life becauseoh my goodness.
River turns around to wade a little deeper into the water.
I clear my throat. ‘Shall we get on with it then?’ I say, following him further in, my entire body now lit-up and zinging.
‘You’re in charge, Gertie.’
I guide River beneath the water, holding on to him as he starts to tentatively move through it, but after a couple of seconds he doesn’t need my help, and then, all at once, he’s swimming away from me at a clip. He doesn’t realise I’m no longer holding him until the crowd starts cheering. The sound of it causes him to stumble a little before he stands back up.
‘You did it!’ I yell, laughing and clapping along with the crowd of spectators. ‘You were swimming!’
His eyes widen.
‘You weren’t holding me the whole way?’
‘No! I tried but I couldn’t keep up. You’re a natural. Look! They’re clapping for you!’
River starts laughing then, his surly face open with joy.
‘See? You barely needed teaching at all!’
And with that he turns to his small audience of fans and does a silly little bow, at which they all cheer even louder.
*
On the car ride home, River tells me all of the places near Bedlam that would be great for him to go open-water swimming. Apparently there’s a lake near Blue Egg Meadow, and a natural spring about ten miles out on horseback. I grin at his excitement but can’t help feeling a lurch in my chest at the thought that I won’t get to witness it.
‘Thank you,’ he says, eyes latching on to mine. ‘I … thank you for doing that. For makingmedo that. I don’t know why I waited so long. That was …invigorating.’
‘Sometimes all it takes to be brave is to have the company of another person trying to be brave alongside you.’
‘That’s what Josie did for you, huh?’
I glance up at him, touched at how much attention he’s clearly been paying.
I nod. ‘She used to say, “Give it some oomph, Gertie!”’
‘Oomph?’ River laughs.
‘Oomph. Like show us what you’re made of. Give it some welly! That sort of thing.’
‘Oomph. I like it.’
‘You’d have liked her,’ I say quietly.
