"You should wear something underneath a white shirt if you're planning on going for a swim," he said softly as he searched through the drawers of the wooden wardrobe.

I shifted from foot to foot and glanced around. His house had only one bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. The dark colours suited him. He also had photos on the walls.

Photos of him and another man with a girl.

"This should fit you." He straightened and turned to me. "You can dry up in the bathroom."

I took the shirt he held out and followed him out of the bedroom and into the hall. He nodded at the bathroom and waited for me to enter before walking into the bedroom again. Closing the door, I placed the shirt on the counter. There was a towel hanging on a railing near the shower. I dried myself and pulled on the shirt he had given me. Unsure what to do with my wet clothes, I left it in the shower. It took me a minute to find the courage to step out of the bathroom.

I found him in the kitchen pouring something into a tall glass. He added some ice cubes and then turned to me.

"You shouldn't go swimming alone when the tide is that strong. It was pulling you deeper into sea. You could've drowned Sydney."

There was nothing to say. He sighed and then picked up the glasses and walked into the living room. I hesitated in the doorway. Placing the glances on the coffee table, he straightened and pointed to the couch.

"Take a seat, I'll be right back."

Instead of taking a seat, I walked over to the stone fireplace. Medium sized photo frames were arranged on the mantelpiece. The first picture was one of him and the same guy and girl I saw in the photos in his bedroom. There was a photo of that man alone. He was smiling at the camera. His dark green eyes filled with amusement. He had tan skin and a great body.

I glanced at the photo next to it. The first thing I noticed about her was her dark brown eyes. She had high cheekbones and pink cupid bow lips.

I turned when I heard the wooden floorboard creak as he approached.

"Who's she?" I asked him the moment he stepped into view.

He glanced at me before placing a white box on the coffee table next to the glasses. "Bella. Take a seat so I can check the cut on your foot."

"Is she your wife?"

"No."

"Girlfriend?"

"No."

"Who's he?"

"Michel." His eyes narrowed. "Sit down Sydney. Please."

I bit my lip and followed his order. He sat down on the coffee table and reached for my left foot. I bend my knee when he raised my foot closer to his face. Wiggling my toes, I giggled when his fingers brushed against a ticklish spot.

"It doesn't look so bad. The salt water cleaned it out, but just for good measure I'm going to clean it again." He reached for the box.

"What's your name?"

"Tyrone."

"I like it." He said nothing. "I don't like my name."

"Why not?"

"Mother gave it to me." I jerked my foot back when he brushed against the cut. "It hurts."

"I know." He smiled at me. "I'll give you some chocolates if you're good for me."

I licked my lips as I glanced at the photos again. "I don't want." I shook my head. "Do you have paper and a pencil?"

He seemed surprised by my question. Reaching for a Band-Aid, he placed it over the cut and lowered my foot to his lap. His eyes trailed over my face.

"I'm sure I could find you some. What do you want to do with it?"

"Draw."

He smiled at me. "What do you want to draw?"

"Bella." The answer was instant.

His eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"I'd like to draw you and Michel too."

"Why?" He tilted his head slightly to the right.

"You're really beautiful." Heat flooded my cheeks when his smiled widened. "I like her eyes. Yours too." I hesitated. "Michel's too."

"You're really beautiful too."

Heat flooded my cheeks. I felt like I was floating. Pulling my foot from his lap, I curled it under my body. That's when I felt the dampness on the couch. I jumped up and stared at the wet patch where I was sitting. Fear instantly replaced the happiness.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, keeping my eyes trained on my feet. "I'll clean it. I didn't mean to."

The table creaked when he stood.

I flinched when he took a step closer but stayed in place. He was close. So close that I could smell his scent. He smelled like the ocean and something else. My eyes darted to his hand when he raised it. I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for the slap.

Instead, his fingers brushed my chin. He slowly tilted my head up.

"Look at me," he ordered softly.

I slowly opened my eyes.

"You don't have to worry about it. It will dry. There are some paper and pencils in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. You can only take what you need, no more than that. Okay?"

"Thank you."

He nodded, and then stepped aside.

I hesitated. Was he waiting for me to turn my back before he struck?

When he gave me an encouraging smile, I walked around him and into the bedroom. My eyes darted around again. I had the urge to run to the bed and jump on it. I was sure it'll smell just like him.

The drawer wasn't only filled with paper and pencils, but a whole lot of other things too. Everything was packed neatly. There were a few coloring books to the right. Next to it was a stack of white paper. Then two packets of colouring pencils and crayons. Some scissors, an eraser, pencil sharpener, and glue were organized next to the pencils. What caught my eyes was the pink and blue pacifier.

I glanced at the door. Tyrone was busy in the kitchen. I could hear him talking—probably on the phone. I reached out and picked it up.

"Did you find it?" he called.

The floorboards creaked.

I panicked. Grabbing a few blank papers and a packet of pencils, I dropped the pacifier back in the drawer and pushed it closed. He entered the room just as I stood.

Tyrone glanced at the things in my hand. "Now that you've got everything you needed, we can head back to the house. Draven is probably looking for you."

My shoulders sagged.

I nodded and silently followed him to the front door. Slipping on my shoes, I stepped outside and waited. Within a few minutes we reached the back door. As soon as we entered the house, I slipped away and headed upstairs.

I wanted to draw Bella before I forgot all the details.