Chapter 46 Pool Mishap
Isabella never expected Nikolai to disappear for over a week.
After she hadn't seen him for two days she thought that he would come back the next day or so but that wasn't the case.
A warm breath escaped her lips as she busied herself with a book she got from the library.
Isabella had never been a fan of books but over the past week that was the only thing she could help herself with and moreover, with knowledge she could teach Daisy.
"Isabella!"
Isabella's shoulders quivered as the book in her hand vibrated.
Damn!
Anya had to always scream her name.
Over the week, she had been the one Isabella had been talking to.
The boys weren't home and Anya had said it was normal.
Immediately, the room door pushed open to reveal Anya in a swimsuit.
"What's going on? Why are you putting on a swimsuit?" Isabella asked tirelessly, her eyes roaming over Anaya sculpted and toned body in awe.
If only she could look like that and not like how she was now.
Her golden hair and her height were her most hated features. She wished she was tall with black hair at least average in height like Anya.
She didn't even need to speak because her presence had already spoken.
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed down her insecurities.
"You've been reading and spreading since like forever. Aren't you feeling hot?"
Seriously the scorching sun in winter was no joke. It was seriously abnormal.
"I am but— "
Anya didn't let her finish.
She jumped in excitement and began pulling Isabella's hand.
"We need to cool off our bodies. Lest we're gonna get fried!"
"We're going to a sauna?"
Pft
"What sauna? There is a large pool in the backyard. See, you haven't even familiarized yourself with the building."
Isabella's eyes widened as she forced herself to a halt.
"Swimming I can't—"
"What! You can't swim?" Anya was dumbfounded.
Swimming was like literally the most basic skill one could have.
What did Isabella mean by she couldn't swim?
Anya sighed, "Don't worry about it, you can use a float."
Still, Isabella wasn't sure she wanted to get inside a swimming pool.
She was scared of drowning...
She pursed her lips and shook her head as she removed Anya's arms from her.
She can't possibly attempt swimming when the first time she tried she almost drowned if not for her mother who rushed to save her...
She closed her eyes as old memories came rushing down.
Noticing a shift in Isabella's countenance, Anya didn't bother her again to swim with her, instead she said..
"Why don't you sit and watch me instead."
Huh?
Isabella wanted to refuse. She loved Anya's company.
She had been making her laugh with her funny jokes, and she had told her a very vague brief story about Nikolai and Aleksandr's friendship.
A thought pumped into her head.
'Maybe, I can use this opportunity to learn more about Nikolai.' she pondered. Her aim was still fixed on running away from him.
"I will do just that." She nodded.
A few minutes later Anya jumped inside the pool with her sexy black swimsuit.
Her skin white as snow, black hair flowing down her waist.
Truly, she was a beauty that Isabella forgo the reason why she agreed on this and stared as Anya swam to the end and came back to the front.
Isabella was under an umbrella shade. She was wearing a white plain polo paired with grey pants.
"Anya," She called softly.
"Hmm..."
"About Nikolai," She paused, the question hanging in her throat, "What do you know about him? You said they were three friends before, how did they fall apart with the third person?"
Isabella watched as Anya's face changed from happy to a weak frown.
A stiff laughter escaped her, "Why do you want to know about that? Aleksandr refused to tell me the details...he said it's best not to know."
"Okay." Isabella said refusing to press further.
She would have to find out in her own way.
"How long have you known Nikolai?" Ummm...maybe three years not sure. I'm twenty years old now and I met Aleksandr when I was sixteen almost seventeen and that was also the time I had met Nikolai."
Isabella jaw dropped.
Sixteen?
How, what happened?
She wanted to ask but felt it might be rude so she pursed her lips.
But damn! That's almost four years now if that's not the number.
"Has Nikolai been in a relationship before?" The question left her lips because she could stop it.
It had just popped right in her head at that time and she spilled it out without hesitation.
Anya chuckled, ignoring her question as she went for another swim before coming right up again.
"I took a moment to think but couldn't find a lady during this three-four years duration, I've come to know him." Anya said, not missing the faint smile that tugged at Isabella's lips.
"But—"
Isabella's heart dropped.
There was someone?
"I would call it a love relationship. But he had this thing with a girl called Aria. Don't know what it's all about and don't care to know. All I know is that they've been around even before I knew Aleksandr."
A clash of invisible knives fought inside Isabella's stomach.
One second she wasn't okay, the next she would force and comfort herself despite the emotional turmoil scattering he insides.
She knew that name.
Aria.
Nikolai had bellowed the name back at that girl who had called her a prostitute.
Nikolai had been around that bitch for years?
She scoffed, unable to digest information even when she was aware it wasn't supposed to be her business.
"Ouch!"Anya whined, disrupting Isabella's mind as she rushed quickly to the corner of the pool.
"Are you okay?" She asked, as she noticed Anya's head was bent looking at something in the water.
She leaned in as she wanted to know what Anya was looking out but then—
Anaya was quicker than her.
In a twinkle of an eye, Anya had maneuvered the situation and pulled Isabelle into the water.
"Ah!" Isabella screamed as the water splattered around.
As she felt the instant cold water on her skin, it was soothing and cooling considering the weather was hot.
But she couldn't swim. Her stomach was enlarged with excess water, she was flaring her legs.
"Anya!" She called, trying to swim her way up to the top but she was getting sunk deeper.
The water bubbled in her mouth.
She tried holding her breath but that felt like death itself.
Why wasn't Anya pulling her up? Her life force was draining slowly...
Seconds passed and when she didn't see herself getting any help, someone jumped inside the pool and swarmed with precise force and direction to Isabella side, and brought her out from the pool.
Ahem Ahem
Isabella coughed, water stuck in her nose and mouth as she placed her hands on the ground for support.
Water was still stuck in her chest and she could feel it.
She hit her chest, and spilled out the remaining contents.
Then slowly, she turned her head to thank whoever had pulled her out because she knew that wasn't Anya.
The hands that pulled her out were rough around her waist.
As soon as she turned, her jade-like green eyes locked in on black fury ones.
"Nikolai..." Her eyes widened in shock as she whispered softly.
He was knelt beside her staring at her with so much intensity that Isabella felt her heart thundering loud.
He looked furious and wet. His black shirt sticking to his skin with water dripping from his disheveled black hair.
"What were you doing trying to get yourself killed?" A dark chuckle escaped his lips, "Are you so eager to escape me that you would harm yourself? Too bad, I caught you before you died. Next time you try this type of shit, I wouldn't hesitate to make you ish you nervous did that! And trust me, you will be a hot mess when I'm done with you." He finished curtly. His voice deep and monotonous.
Isabella's face contoured in confusion.
Why was he shouting at her right now? She hadn't done anything and even if she wanted to escaped him, which she was eventually going to do, she wasn't stupid to harm herself.
She looked around.
Where was Aria? Why had she pushed her inside the pool and didn't bother to save her?
Turning back to face the furious man, "Nikolai I—" she gasped when she felt his arms go under her thighs and under the small of her back.
"Nikolai what are you doing? I have legs, I can walk."
"Clearly."
She tried wriggling herself out just for him to tighten his hold on her.
His slender fingers dug under her thighs and she had no option but to shut her lips.
His hands were warm, contrasting with the cold skin.
She pursed her lips because her skin tingle with unwanted excitement and she didn't want him to notice.