Windsor's POV
"So," Pauline started, her voice gentle but curious. "This whole water thing... how long has it been going on?"
I kept my eyes fixed on the pool's surface, watching the light dance across the chlorinated waves. "Forever, basically. Since I was little."
"Can you at least touch it, or is that off limits too?"
A dry laugh escaped me. "Touch is fine. It's the whole going under part that gets me."
"I get it. I have this thing about heights that makes zero sense to most people. Like, I can't even handle the carousel at the fair. Makes me feel like an idiot, but there it is."
Her confession made me smile despite everything. She was trying to make me feel less alone in my weirdness, and I appreciated it more than she knew.
"Does Weston know about this?" The question came out softer, more careful.
