Chapter 111 THE SLIGHT
MERRIELYNN.
The sky was already dark by the time we pulled up to the resort.
I stuck a bit of my head out the window because the place looked like something straight out of a movie.
My mouth fell open in awe as I stared at everything—the lights, the driveway and the waterfall in front of the manor… everything screamed luxury.
Cormac chuckled as he parked the car. "You’re going to hurt your neck if you keep gawking like that."
I snapped out of it but didn’t bother hiding my awe. “This place is amazing.”
He smirked, stepping out of the car and grabbing our bags from the back. “You think this is impressive? Just wait until you see the bedroom.”
His tone was full of suggestion, and I shook my head slightly, smiling as i ignored him.
I could not begin to imagine what the bedroom would look like so I just followed him inside, not believing how eager I was.
Cormac wasn’t lying when he hyped up the bedroom. The interior of the place was just as extravagant as the outside and I turned around slowly, taking it all in. “Awesome,” I muttered under my breath.
He set the bags down while I wandered around, reaching the balcony. The view from there was breathtaking.
This felt straight from a dream.
I could see other buildings beyond the fence, and when I looked down, there was a large pool.
I felt a strange uneasiness as I stared at the pool down below.
It wasn’t anything obvious.
Just an unsettling chill that prickled at the back of my neck. I quickly shook it off, telling myself I was overthinking things because of my last few encounters with water.
I stepped back into the room, finding Cormac unpacking his stuff with a satisfied look on his face.
“Okay,” I said, dipping my hands into the back pockets of my jeans. “You were right. I’m glad I came.”
He looked up and gave me that proud grin. “Glad I was able to convince you.”
As soon as Cormac was done putting his stuff away, he began making dinner. I just sat at the island, watching him chop vegetables with more skill than I expected. When I met him, I never imagined he would know how to cook. Alas, Cormac was a vat of surprises. “You know,” I broke the silence. “It’s funny how I’ve never cooked for us before.
He paused, opening the fridge to grab something. "I can handle it. I like taking care of you." He replied with a smile, throwing me a wink before turning back to chopping stuff.
Internally, I sighed at his words, but before I could come up with a response, something outside caught my attention.
Through the glass doors, I saw how the moonlight reflected off the pool.
Cormac must have caught me staring because his next words were, “I was thinking we could go for a swim after dinner.”
I just blinked at him, feeling my heart race.
“Only if you want to,” he added.
“A swim?” I repeated, leaning back slightly. I was already leaning toward a hard no, but something about the way he suggested it made it hard to shut him down outright. “I didn’t even bring any swimwear,” I said instead, hoping that would be the end of it.
Cormac finally turned to look at me, giving me a slow once-over. “You could always swim in your underwear,” he suggested in a low voice, his lips curling into a smirk.
I stared at him, narrowing my eyes. “You’re joking.”
He just shrugged, saying, “I’m just giving you options.”
As I watched him finish cooking, I told myself I wasn’t going to give in.
Me and water? No.
But when he set the plates down and we started eating, I found myself thinking about his suggestion a little more, but I still said nothing.
After dinner, I found myself standing at the edge of the pool, hesitating.
I was suddenly cold and I was already having small regrets.
But Cormac was already waist-deep in the water, his hands raised toward me. He had a patient but amused look on his face. “Come on,” he urged in a soft voice.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, letting Cormac take my hands and gently help me into the pool.
The water was surprisingly warm, making me wonder if it had a heating system. That wouldn’t be so hard to believe, considering the luxury of this place.
The moment my feet left the pool’s edge, I was suddenly overwhelmed with panic and I clung to Cormac like my life depended on it. My arms tightened around his neck, but he kept laughing.
“My feet can’t touch the bottom,” I blurted out, feeling anxiety take over.
He chuckled before wrapping his hands firmly around my waist. “Relax,” he said, his voice soothing. “I’ve got you. You’re not going anywhere.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him that relaxing in this situation wouldn’t be possible, but I decided to just listen to him.
Slowly, I loosened my grip, still holding his arms but not as desperately as before. Cormac began to guide me through the water and I realized that he was trying to teach me how to swim.
Trusting him, I decided to go along with it.
He coaxed me through simple motions, encouraging me to kick my legs or float against him. It felt strange but manageable, and for a brief moment, I thought I might actually be okay with this.
“Let’s go under,” he suddenly suggested and I began to flapping my arms against the water, holding him tightly.
“Hell no!” I refused in a loud voice.
But somehow, Cormac was able to convince me and after sucking in enough oxygen, I went under with him.
Now under water, his green eyes locked on my face intently.
I maintained eye contact, holding him tightly.
Until I felt a pull that made the rest of the world fade.
Darkness.
And then, just as quickly, I felt myself come back to the present.
What was that?
My chest tightened, and I felt a sudden rush of unease as the water didn’t feel as safe anymore. I wanted out .
When I focused on Cormac’s eyes again, a vision hit me like a flash.
One second I was in the pool, trying to stay calm, and the next, a younger version of Cormac was reaching for me through the water, his face twisted in anguish.
The pain in his eyes bothered me, and before I could process it, i was brought back to reality, his green eyes currently boring into mine.
But again, the vision pulled me under.
This time, he was swimming toward me, bubbles forming in his mouth as he soundlessly screamed out my name.
My body jerked, and I blinked hard, desperate to shake off the image, but it stayed. It was too much. At this point, my lungs were screaming for air, and the moment I surfaced, I gasped, dragging in a sharp breath,
Now back to reality, I saw that the Cormac in front of me wasn’t a younger teen... but he looked just as tortured as the person I saw in my vision.
Not wanting to think about it, I just moved, pulling back, desperate to get out of the water.
My arms pushed against the current, and I pulled away from him, scrambling to the edge of the pool.
My fingers clawed at the ledge, and I hurried out, dripping wet and trembling.
“Merrielynn,” Cormac’s voice followed me. “Hey. You’re alright. Come here.”
I didn’t answer him.
My heart was beating loudly in my ears as I stumbled toward the house. Inside, I grabbed the first towel I could find, wrapping it around myself as tightly as possible, trying to shake the chill that wasn’t from the water.
Cormac was by my side in seconds, water dripping off him as he crouched next to me. “Merrieynn, talk to me.” His voice was low, steady, but the worry in his eyes made my stomach twist even more. “What just happened?”
I shook my head, the words piling up in my throat. “I don’t know,” I said, my voice trembling. “I don’t—these…these fake scenarios keep happening in my head, Cormac, and I can’t explain them.”
“Fake scenarios?” he repeated, his brows furrowing. He placed a hand gently on my arm, and I flinched, pulling away without meaning to. “Merrelynn, you’re shaking. Tell me what happened.”
I wrapped the towel tighter as I fought to organize my thoughts. “I know they’re not real,” I said, trying not to stutter. “But they feel real, Cormac. Like they’ve happened before or…or like I’m supposed to be familiar with them.”
He stiffened, but he didn’t say anything and I just kept talking.
“There… there was even a time I saw... your sister in these visions.” I hesitated, "And we've never met before. I've only seen her pictures a couple times. I know they're not real. I know. But they feel so, so damn real."
When I finally looked over at him, I didn’t expect to see his expression so heavy with sadness.
Goddess.
Was he pitying me?
Thinking I was crazy?
I hesitated again and before I could stop myself, I asked softly, “Why did you think taking me into the pool was a good idea?”
Cormac exhaled, looking into my eyes. “Because you’re bigger than your fears,” he said softly, “And even with them, I still think you’re perfect.”
His words were touching and I just swallowed, not being able to find a response. All I could do was wrap the towel around myself tighter, still thinking of what to say.
Cormac watched me for a beat longer, then swallowed hard before breaking the silence.
“Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s shower. You need to get some rest.”
Nodding, I let him guide me to the bathroom.
Inside, Cormac stood behind me and carefully pulled the towel away. He didn’t say anything as he helped me step into the shower stall. I watched him turn on the water and adjust the temperature, testing it with his hand before letting it flow over me.
As the water touched my body, I closed my eyes.
Cormac stepped in behind me. When he ran his hands up my back, I shuddered against his touch.
When he moved to my hair, his fingers massaged my scalp gently, I kept my eyes closed, leaning into his touch.
My chest tightened, but this time it wasn’t fear. It was something else—gratitude, disbelief, maybe even a hint of... love.
It scared me.
Did I even know what it meant to love someone?
When he finished, he turned me toward him, his green eyes searching mine. “You okay?” he asked quietly.
I nodded. “Yeah,” I managed to whisper, though the word felt too small for how I truly felt. “Thank you,” I added and he just smiled.
Back in the bedroom, Cormac sat me down on the edge of the bed as he gently dried my hair with a towel. I stayed quiet, watching him through half-lidded eyes.
There was something comforting about the way he took care of me, like he didn’t mind at all. When he was satisfied, he reached for one of his clean shirts and slipped it over my head and I let myself relax for the first time that night.
Without a word, he pulled me into bed, pulling the covers over us as he wrapped his arms around me. I soon drifted off to sleep, feeling so much better.
––•––
When I woke the next morning, the bed beside me was empty.
I frowned, sitting up and letting my eyes adjust to the sunlight. A quick glance around the room told me Cormac wasn’t nearby.
I threw the covers off and headed toward the balcony, drawn by the faint sound of water.
I finally found Cormac, swimming in the pool under the morning sun.
I leaned against the railing and as I studied him, the events of last night played back in my mind.
I wasn’t sure if it was my mind playing games on me again, but last night, right before sleep pulled me under...
I was sure that I heard Cormac ask me, “What if those visions aren’t just in your head?”