Chapter Forty Eight

Alex grumbles and rest his head against my shoulder, "How about shopping?" he suggests.

"No more shopping." I sigh, "I've done enough of that." Between all of my shopping trips with Lucy and Hannah and on top of Ava's clothing too — I have more than enough clothing to wear for the next three years. It's nice having new clothing, and it gives upcoming fashion designers a chance to showcase their beautiful work.

"What about a theme park?" Alex grins from ear to ear. I bet he's picturing himself sitting inside a fun ride.

"Is there even one around here?" I ask.

"I'm not sure," He frowns, "it's not like we could go to one either." Alex picks my hand up and starts playing with my fingers.

"One day we'll have to go to a theme park. Though we'll close it down for the day so we won't have that problem," I grin.

"Or lines," he points out, "and there's always the hotel's pool." I light up at the idea of swimming. I can already feel the warm water swirling around me as I climb deeper inside. The feeling of being completely weightless as I float around with no worries.

"But it's our last day in New York, and I feel like I haven't stepped outside the hotel to even see it." I frown. I'm standing in the middle of one of the most iconic places in the world and the most I've seen is the inside of my hotel room. I should be out on the street buying knock off I heart NY shirts or something spectacular like hailing a yellow taxi.

"We'll be back here soon enough and we can plan out a day trip to see all the sights." Nodding my head, that actually seems like a better idea. I don't think we would see much if we just run around like headless chickens.

 "We could get a massage?"

"Pool," Nathan says as he comes up from behind me. I quickly drop Alex's hand as I spin around to face him.

"Sienna can't go swimming with her mask," Alex reminds me, stepping to stand by my side.

"I don't have to get it wet," I add in, "I could float around in the shallow end of the pool." Alex has a sour look on his face while Nathan's smile immensely widens.

"Pool it is." I follow Nathan and Alex to the back of the lobby and then outside a large glass door. We are immediately taken outside to a sheltered pool. It's a large circle with a small circle like garden in the middle of it where you can sit. Around the pool is a beautiful red brick with rows of white sun chairs. The side furthest from us looks like the shallow end because of the large steps.

"Guys, we don't have bathers," I remind them. The pool area is completely empty considering it's a lovely day outside and there wouldn't be much use for it.

"Who needs bathers?" Nathan shouts.

He rips his shirt over his head as he charges towards the pool. He throws himself forwards, launching his slender body into the air. Nathan flies for a millisecond before crashing into the smooth crystal blue water. As Nathan's body breaks through the water and it splashes onto us.

"I need bathers," I answer Nathan.

"Bathers are like underwear," Alex shrugs his shoulders, "therefore you can just swim in what you've got." He smiles, but I can see the mischievous look lurking in the pools of his blue eyes.

"Says the one who is fully dressed in clothes. I'm wearing a crop top and mini skirt," I remind him as I wave my hand down my body. His eyes trail down my body and then back up to my face.

"Can I add that you look really good in them?" He winks, and I glare.

"That doesn't solve the problem," I grumble.

"I know this will." Within seconds, Alex scoops me up in his arms and starts charging towards the pool. Nathan stands there in shock as the two of us fly through the air and crash into the water.

I feel the material of my shirt go flying up, but most importantly — I feel the water rushing along my face as my mask slips off. All means of panic flow into my body. With Alex's arm still wrapped tightly around me waist, I'm thrashing in the water as I try to swim away from his body, but he just seems to cling on tighter.

I can't resurface without my mask on. Nathan is going to recognise me as Riley and I can't even begin to fathom what he'll do with that information. Tell Alex? Worse, tell the news? I'm going to be ruined just because Alex decided to throw me into the pool with him.

I elbow him in the side, and that's when he finally loosens his grip on my body and I'm able to push away. I don't get that far, maybe a foot or two because most of my breath was wasted fighting Alex off. With no other choice, I surface with my back to them.

Cupping my hands over my face, I try and swim away from the boys. But from the rustling sound of the water, I know they are closely following behind. This is not how I wanted any of them to find out — do I ever want them to know who I really am?

If they find out, they will be a part of both lifestyles. I can't have famous people mixed with Riley. I need her to be the escape, the thing I need to remind myself I'm just as normal as the next person and if Alex walks into that space, do I get rid of the mask completely? Do I say goodbye to Nathan?

"Just leave me alone," I scream as I try to paddle away faster. But my efforts fall short as the water deepens and I need both hands to keep afloat.

"Alex," Nathan warns, but he still keeps swimming.

"Just get out of here!" I demand, but still, I can hear the water behind me swishing around.

"Just come here Sienna so I can give you the mask," he says in a grumpy voice.

"Leave me alone," I repeat.

Just like always, my pleas fall upon deaf ears and Alex continues to move closer to me. My heart rapidly beats away in my chest — anyone could walk in and see what's happening. I could be over in the matter of seconds, and they don't seem to care how this situation is affecting me.  

"Nathan, go away and let me deal with Sienna," he shouts back. I don't know what other gestures are shared between the two, but I hear the sound of Nathan slamming the door as he leaves the room.

I feel Alex wrap his arms around my stomach as he pulls my body up against his solid chest. I stop moving my arms in the water so that I can cover my face from him. Instead of butterflies and happy sensations flooding through my stomach, a sense of panic fills me. My limbs start shaking and my heart rapidly pounds away, I'm not ready for this.

"I know who you are," he whispers into my ear.

My heart stops, how does he know?

"How?" I shout, but my voice is muffled through my hands.

"I'd recognise your beautiful eyes anywhere."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I ask, my voice still muffled by my hands.

"I wanted you to rip off your mask and profess your love for me." He chuckles.

"How did you guess it was me?"

"I had no idea until the dinner with your family. The way you laughed and sat at the table, there was something familiar about your actions, but I couldn't decipher why. That all changed when I left and I said goodbye. The minute I looked into your stunning eyes, I remembered where I'd seen them hundreds of times before," Alex explains.

"I guess the mask really fames those features?"

"It's a good thing," he reassures me.

 "I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner!" I grumble. A swirl of anger pools up inside of me. Alex should have told me when he figured out my identity! I feel like such an idiot.

"I wasn't going to falter your facade."

"My facade?" I question.

"They say that a smile is like a mask, and a mask like a smile. But a mask is just a façade, and a façade just a deception of the face."

"My mask is the deception of the perfection I create," I whisper.

Alex spins my body around in his arms and I suddenly come face to face with him. For the first time, I'm standing in front of him with no secrets, no lies. I'm finally me.

"You mask is the representation of the girl you try to be. But at some point those two girls are going to collide and you'll no longer need to hid your pretty face behind your mask or fake a smile to get through something. Because the day you chose to be those two girls, is the day you put away the mask."

"I'm slowly choosing to be happy." Alex clasps my cheeks as he gently rubs his thumb over my cold skin. I inch closer to his body, craving his delicate touch.

"Keep the mask on. I don't think revealing yourself just yet is going to work. You still have school to finish, and you want to keep that aspect separate-"

Cutting him off, I ask, "But?"

"You don't need to fake it for me. I need to see the whole you and nothing less." He rubs his cold wet nose against mine.

"And why would you need to see the whole me?" I tease, kissing the tip of his nose.

"Because I would like to kiss my girlfriend without a mask getting in the way," he explains, "I want you to feel completely comfortable in your skin without needing to hid away." His adoring words make my heart flutter.

"Funny, I don't remember agreeing to that."

Alex rolls his eyes and pulls my mouth to his. Just like this morning the feeling of his lips pressed up against mine bring butterflies charging through my stomach.

"Be mine?" he whispers in between rushed sloppy movements.

"Yes." As he pulls my lips back down to his, the dreaded sound of the glass door opening makes us freeze.