Hold Your Breath (10 page)

The air was hot and still. Tara expected the pool to be busy when she finally got there, feeling a little sticky and uncomfortable in her baggy top that was cut to hang off one shoulder. After
debating with herself for a ridiculous amount of time, she’d brought the bikini again, rather than the stout Speedo, just because it went better with the T-shirt. It had nothing to do with
Leo, she told herself. She didn’t even know what kind of person he was. He might be someone capable of attempted murder.

The girl she’d seen cleaning the pool was at the entry kiosk today. She smiled at Tara, seeming to remember her, as she took the coins from her hand. Tara turned it round to be stamped but
the girl waved her own hand airily to signify that there was no need.

Once through the gates, Tara scanned the pool area for Leo. He wasn’t there. The old bloke from before – Dobby – was sitting at the side of the pool in a lifeguard T-shirt.
Good job she was a strong swimmer, she thought. She didn’t much fancy the idea of being rescued by him in a crisis.

Squinting into the sunlight, Tara looked around. The water sparkled like a sheet of diamanté and the sun bounced off the grotty sun loungers, making them seem newer and whiter than they
were. There were a few more people than last time: a group of teenagers younger than Tara were messing about in the shallow end, the girls shrieking as one of the boys vigorously churned the water
with a skinny arm. The old lady with the daisy swimming cap was there, barely making an impression on the surface of the water. Tara felt an unexpected fondness at seeing her again. In the shallow
end an obese woman sat on the side with her toddler, whom she kept dunking like a biscuit into tea while singing a nursery rhyme. The child thrashed its legs and made unhappy noises.

There was one other person, a man, swimming alone in the fast lane, his strong, confident strokes cleanly slicing through the water. As Tara got to the changing rooms she happened to look again
and was startled to see that the swimmer was Leo. He was getting out now, the muscles in his strong arms bulging as he pressed down on the pool’s edge and levered himself out. His hair was
slick and wet. His eyes looked dark and intense as he ran his hand over his face. He was strong but tall and slim too and Tara couldn’t help looking at his smooth chest and flat belly. His
black swimming shorts clung to the strong curve of his thighs.

‘God, get a grip, Tar . . .’ she mumbled under her breath, a hysterical giggle threatening to hiccup out as she hurried into the changing room.
You need that cold water,
girl,
she thought. As she got undressed, her hands shook a little. Then it struck her that he was probably at the end of his shift if he was swimming. Disappointment bit harder than it ought
to have done.

But when she emerged from the cubicle a few minutes later he was still there.

‘Thanks, Dave,’ he said. ‘I needed that. I’ll take over now.’

Dave/Dobby muttered something and, sighing, left the side of the pool. Tara deliberately avoided looking at Leo as she made her way to the steps at the deep end, where she did her usual gradual
dip into the water.

She pushed off from the side and swam, her body responding to the water more quickly than it had last time. Then it had been all about remembering long forgotten movements and sensations, but
now her limbs seemed to come alive instantly. She did one length, two . . . After ten she stopped counting, losing herself entirely in the rhythm of her strokes. Soon it was as though the water
coursed through her, filling her with pure aquamarine light.

Finally, out of breath, Tara swam to the side, her arms and legs shaking now. Her eyes stung and she wished she had remembered to bring her swimming goggles. Thinking about it, she wasn’t
sure if she still owned any. She’d get some for next time.

Next time? She was surprised by the thought as she climbed the steps out of the water, careful to make sure her bikini bottoms didn’t slip down. She tried to subtly rearrange them,
glancing upwards and catching Leo’s eyes on her. She blushed and started to walk down the side of the pool, when pain screamed through her foot and made her stumble, crying out.

A pink watery stain was already forming around her toes. When she lifted her foot, she saw a jagged bit of glass sticking into the pad of her sole. The pain blazed and throbbed. She stumbled
again as she tried to pull it out.

‘What happened?’ Leo was suddenly there, frowning down at her foot. For a second, hot embarrassment overtook the pain and her face throbbed. ‘Did you stand on
something?’

‘Bit of glass,’ she said tightly, angry suddenly at how grotty this pool was. She should have just gone to the leisure centre if she wanted a swim. It would be clean there or, at the
very least, not a danger zone.

‘Oh look, God, I’m really sorry,’ said Leo. ‘I
told
Dave to . . . Jeez, look, come on over here. I’ll get the first-aid kit.’

His face was concerned even though he avoided looking at her directly. Grudgingly, Tara put her hand on his forearm, which he was holding out to her. His skin was warm, his arm covered in very
fine dark hairs. Not like hairy ape Beck, with his coarse fur. This was silky-looking, and she had a mad urge to touch it with her fingertips. Her cheeks flared brighter still as she hop-walked,
leaning on him, over to one of the loungers.

‘Wait there a sec,’ said Leo and he went off to a small room at the side of the pool. Daisy Lady was getting out of the water and she gave Tara a knowing sort of smile.

Cheek! It was like she was suggesting Tara was trying to get Leo’s attention when actually her foot was hurting like anything. She glanced down at it, glad, despite herself, that
she’d cut her toenails the other night and put on some shimmery blue nail varnish.

Leo came over holding a large white box that looked older than both of them put together.

‘I’m really sorry about this,’ he said. ‘A kid broke a bottle earlier and Dave said he’d cleaned it all up.’

‘It’s all right,’ said Tara. ‘Look, I can do this myself . . .’

‘It’s better if you let me,’ he said, still not meeting her eyes. ‘I’ve sort of been trained and we don’t want you getting an infection. Is that
okay?’

They met eyes then just for a second. Tara slid her gaze away quickly.

‘All right,’ she said, grudgingly. ‘But is it because you’re worried I’m going to sue or something?’

Leo smiled as he doused a piece of cotton wool in foul-smelling antiseptic and then used it to carefully clean a pair of tweezers. ‘Be my guest. Would serve old Dobby right if you
did,’ he said. ‘Might make him look after the place a bit better.’

‘Does he own this place?’ said Tara.

Leo gently took hold of her cold, damp foot in his warm, dry hand and, frowning in concentration, tweezed out the piece of glass. Tara gasped as it slid out of her skin and then heard it tinkle
into the upturned lid of the first-aid box.

He shot her an apologetic look.

‘Worst’s over now,’ he said. ‘Dobby’s got some weird arrangement with the council that I don’t really understand. I don’t bother asking too much. I just
take the money and enjoy the free swims.’ He looked up at her then, his dark blue eyes intense. ‘It didn’t go in far, luckily.’ He started to clean the cut with yet more
antiseptic, and finally put on a large plaster. Funny how he seemed more confident and sure, doing this, than when they’d had casual conversations before.

He worked in silence, which was a relief. Tara was going through such a range of emotions that she felt her voice would come out like Donald Duck’s if she tried to speak. The sensation of
his warm, gentle hand on her naked foot was almost unbearable. She couldn’t work out whether she wanted to kick him away or push him down on the wet poolside and snog his face off. His
actions felt too intimate to be happening between strangers but it was also churning up a whole load of feelings she hadn’t had since Jay. It felt as though her nerve endings were exposed all
over her body, transmitting electricity in a low hum. She could power the National Grid at this rate. Her treacherous cheeks burned and glowed. Shivers tickled up and down the back of her neck and
she tried not to imagine Leo’s fingers there too.

She tried to tell herself to get a grip. There was no way he was interested in her like that. He was just being kind and doing his job. And who would want a girl who had a face like a tomato?
Anyway, she didn’t even care.

All done,’ he said, after a few moments.

‘Thanks,’ she said tightly, when she’d managed to find her voice. ‘You’ve done a good job. It feels much better.’

Leo shrugged. ‘Was sort of what I wanted to do for a while.’

He met Tara’s puzzled expression.

‘You know, paramedic type stuff.’

‘Oh,’ said Tara. ‘You don’t any more then?’ she said and then felt it was the wrong thing to say. Leo’s expression seemed to snap closed.

‘Things change,’ he said and then rocked back on his feet and stood up. ‘Do you want to go and get dry now? You must be getting cold.’

Flustered, Tara got up, suddenly convinced that she’d somehow been taking too much of his time, even though he was the one who’d wanted to sort her foot out.

Then he spoke again.

‘Once you’re ready, come and find me and I’ll sort out getting you home.’

‘Oh,’ she said, ‘it’s all right, I can walk.’

She moved away and instantly winced. It
did
hurt a bit. It would take ages to walk home. Maybe she could call Mum or Beck? But she remembered that both were going to be out this
afternoon. And for some reason she didn’t want them knowing about this place. It would be spoilt if they came here.

Leo was watching her.

‘I don’t think you should push it. Anyway, it’s the least we can do. Go get changed and I’ll see you in a minute. Want help walking over there?’

‘Er, no, I’m okay,’ she said. ‘I’ll come and find you.’

Hobbling over to the changing room, Tara’s mind was racing. This was what she’d wanted, a chance to question Leo. Now she had the perfect opportunity.

But being near him made it hard to think straight. She should just go home and forget about it.
Definitely
, she thought, as she dried herself with the towel and pulled on clothes over
her damp, cold skin.

Then she pictured Will lying comatose in a hospital bed. She didn’t owe Will anything, she told herself. But if she could just get rid of this nagging feeling that something was wrong with
Melodie, and that this something had landed Will in hospital, then she’d be able to move on. Maybe then she could come swimming just for the fun of it, despite the hazards attached.

She spent ages combing her hair through this time. She’d remembered to bring some make-up remover pads to clean under her eyes, and some mascara to replace what had come
off in the pool. Plus, she’d stuck some lip gloss into her bag at the last moment. She slicked some on and tried to push her shoulders back, like Mum was always telling her to do, and came
out of the cubicle. She saw the girl from the entrance, who gave her a cautious smile.

‘I’m really sorry about your foot,’ she said. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Yeah, I’m okay, thanks,’ she said.

The girl leant closer with a conspiratorial grin. ‘Leo gave Dave hell about it. They had a right old ding-dong. Leo said he was walking if Dave didn’t get his arse back over here so
Leo could take you home.’

‘Oh, dear,’ said Tara, feeling even more self-conscious.

The girl grinned and moved away.

Tara couldn’t have drawn attention to herself any more successfully if she’d tried. She was half regretting coming here. Only half though, because she kept vividly remembering the
feeling of Leo’s warm hand on her bare foot. She shivered and made her way back to the entrance.

There was an office in a wooden hut. Leo was in there with his back to her, bending over the computer screen.

She cleared her throat and he turned round with a slight smile.

‘How’s the foot?’ he said, his gaze quickly slipping away from her face.

‘It’s not too bad,’ she mumbled. ‘It’s probably best if I just get . . .’ She pointed in a vague general direction away from the pool but Leo was already
picking up car keys.

‘Really, it’s the least I can do . . .’ he insisted.

She was frowning at him and still half looking at the door. He regarded her for a moment and then groaned.

‘I’m an idiot. Why would you just get into a car with some bloke you don’t know? I’ll call for a cab.’

He was reaching into his pocket for his mobile when a flash of determination made Tara speak again.

‘It’s all right,’ she said. ‘You’re Melo— Mel’s brother, aren’t you? I’d love a lift, thanks.’

He smiled. ‘Okay, if you’re sure. I’ll just tell Cassie I’m off.’

He disappeared for a moment and then came back, jingling his car keys against his leg. ‘Car’s this way,’ he said and set off at a pace towards the car park. Tara hobbled along
behind him until he turned to look at her.

‘Sorry, my dad says I only have one setting. Take your time.’

Tara was sure he was going to offer again to help her but then he looked away and walked slowly with her towards the car park.

As Leo approached a car, shock coursed through Tara.

Of course. She should have remembered. She’d seen it before, hadn’t she?

Leo’s car was white.

S
he quickly swept her gaze over the front of the vehicle. It was rusty and a bit scratched but she couldn’t see any bumps or dents. For a
second the thought of speeding metal slamming into soft flesh overwhelmed her and she felt dizzy.

‘You all right?’

She realised she’d closed her eyes and she coughed, trying to remember what normal looked like so she could attempt to recreate it.

‘Fine,’ she said.
Come on, you can do this.
She tried to pull open the passenger door, which was resistant to her efforts. Why? Because the car had been in an accident and
jammed it closed? Tara’s heart began to race.