Evaline:
When River announced a "bath together," I had nearly choked on air. My imagination had run wild in a thousand dangerous directions... none of them remotely safe for my heart.
But the moment we entered the hidden wing of the mansion and I saw the sight in front of me, relief washed over me.
It wasn't a bathtub.
It was an indoor heated pool.
I stood at the entrance, eyes widening as I took it all in. The space looked nothing like the rest of the polished mansion. Instead, it was designed like some secret cave, with stone walls softened by thick ivy crawling up and across them.
The faint, golden light from lanterns was casting warm shadows, and thin ribbons of steam were curling lazily above the surface of the pool. The water itself was crystal clear, inviting, as if whispering a promise of comfort.
I exhaled slowly, feeling grateful. My heart hadn't stopped hammering since dinner, but at least this wasn't what I had pictured.
