Page 65 of XX Love Affair

Tara blushed in the shade. “I guess. You know Astrid likes to keep me ‘idle.’”

“I thought you were taking college classes?”

“Here and there…”

The mere mention of the word “college” made Helena shudder. “What’s wrong?” Blair asked.

“Nothing.” Helena kicked up more water, this time splashing only herself in the face. She lay back, sprawled out on the hot tiles surrounding the pool. Above her swirled the occasional cumulus cloud in the shape of a toadstool or a fluffy bowl of whipped cream. The temperature was perfect. Hot enough to justify being by the pool in a bikini, but not so hot that she feared for her health. “I have to go back to school. I don’t want to.”

“What are you going to study?” Tara asked.

“I don’t know. Something boring and practical.”

“Well…” Blair laughed at what she was going to say before she even said it. “I majored in English. Look where that got me.”

“At least you graduated. I barely got my associate’s.”

“If it weren’t for Mira being my neighbor, I would have never gotten anywhere to start paying off my student loans. And they still won’t be paid off for a few more years.”

“But at least they’ll be paid off,” Tara pointed out.

“There is that.”

“I’ve got a full ride,” Helena said. “An athletic scholarship. Suppose I should be focusing on my conditioning this summer.” Swimming some laps in the pool would help, but Helena had never been a strong swimmer. Every time she started lessons as a kid, her parents were reassigned to another city and it started all over again the following summer. “So far, my biggest form of physical activity has been the bedroom kind.”

Blair and Tara were quiet for a moment before both erupting into laughter. “There is that!” Blair shouted, garnering the attention of the guys toweling off and preparing to head back inside. “My biggest workout comes from my coach, Mira Whitfield.”

Once the guys were gone, Helena pulled her hair into a ponytail and waded into the shallow end of the pool. Slowly, she adjusted to the temperature. But it wasn’t until her hair was inevitably soaked that she finally submerged herself and swam a few lazy laps. When she grew tired of that, she floated to the surface, lying on her back and staring at the sky.

The weightlessness of the water was almost as good as the soft freedom she felt when in the arms of another human. For as much as Helena enjoyed being out by herself, drinking in the world as if it were created for her, she also needed that physical touch like she needed to breathe after being underwater for too long.

Her lungs did not burn here. They hadn’t in a long time.

“Your phone’s ringing!” someone called from the edge of the pool.

Helena doubted she’d make it back before her caller hung up. And the only people who called her and weren’t spam were her doctor, her college, and her mom. Don’t I have better things to do? Her mom could text her. The university and doctor’s office both emailed her copies of whatever. I think I’ve talked to my girlfriend one whole time on the phone.

She eventually made her way to the edge of the pool. Her phone sat atop her club towel. Helena reached for it, careful to not get it too wet.

It started ringing again the moment she picked it up.

She didn’t recognize the number, but she knew it was a Southern California area code. Despite her misgivings, Helena answered, propping her elbows against the edge of the pool.

“Did you know that I’m back in town again?”

Helena was too acquainted with these ephemeral moments. Time continued to pass around her. People laughed, splashed in the water, and announced they were getting another soda from the bar inside. The clouds rolled by in the sky. Helena’s heart continued to beat, although her lungs forgot how to push air in and out of her body. The memory would come back in time. Not quickly, but soon enough for nobody to notice something was amiss with her.

Only a few seconds passed, but it felt like half of Helena’s life.

She almost hung up on Irene, who was calling her from a different number for obvious reasons. That alone was enough to tell Helena that her ex wasn’t offering anything in good faith. She’s tricked me. Exactly the kind of thing Irene would do to get her way.

She almost hung up. Except she didn’t.

“Is that so?”

While Tara and Blair glanced in her direction, Helena kept her demeanor cool. She turned around, phone held up to her ear as the pool water kept her skin chilled. A feat, since her face hit a feverish temperature.

“Oh, she speaks. How long it’s been since I heard your enchanting voice.”