A new side of him.

EMILY

Swimming turned out to not be as hard as I expected it to be, maybe because Sarah was a very good teacher.

Sarah showed me how to place my arms, while Elena acted as lifeguard, holding me afloat if I slipped.

Before it was dark, I could do the basics.

I was thankful because it was distracting. While swimming, I couldn’t think of Alexandro or Ian. I didn’t care for the light or the dark, I managed to put the fear behind me and all I could think of was staying afloat.

Maybe that was what helped me to learn faster.

It was dark when Elena held me still, “You must be tired.”

My arms had begun to hurt but the thought of being alone in the room scared me. “No, I’m not.”

“But you should rest. Mr. King wouldn’t be happy to hear that you’re wearing yourself out.” Sarah added.

I sighed in defeat.

“Do you want us to spend the night with you?” Elena asked, surprising me. “We know, it’s his style, to leave you in a close dark space alone, with a chamber pot.”

It hurt me more, to know that Ale