Furious

I gasped and sucked in a mouthful of water. I pushed off from the bottom to get back up. Sputtering and furious as I coughed up the water I’d inhaled.

I hooked the edge of the pool and prepared to heft myself out and stalk all the way home but found him crouched at the edge, just above me.

“Told you, you were going to force me to defend myself.”

“That’s how you define nearly drowning me?”

“Didn’t drown you.” He eyed me. “Let you go.”

He lifted his brows and sucked in his cheeks as he tried not to laugh. Voice dropping until it was nearly inaudible. “Like you told me to, Allie Kat.”

He offered me his hand, but I backhanded it out of my way and hauled myself out of the water, dripping.

Eric’s face suddenly went somber, smile dying, and threw his white coat over my shoulders. Holding it in place by draping his arm over them. “Let’s get you to the car.”

“Don’t touch me.” I jerked my shoulders, to try to escape contact with him.