43. HAPPINESS IS NOT CRUELTY 1

The night was young and cold. The water tides rippled in the pool, aggressively whacking Orla's exposed feet.

She shuddered, the chillness of the night causing goosebumps to sprinkle all over her skin.

Both of them were perched on the coping of the swimming pool in their mansion, eyes fixated on the moon that was densely setting in the sky that night.

The stars were beautifully lined up, making it a sensational sight for them to view. Orla dangled her feet in the cold water, head naturally resting on Callan's hard chest.

"I'm freezing, Callan." She murmured, audible enough for him to hear.

He drew her closer, draping the towel in his hand around her shoulders. The material veiled her skin coolly. After a long day, she had proposed that they spend time in the pool that night but never swimming. She wasn't certain she could, not after what had happened to her.

Callan protested against the idea, but she pleaded with him. She had never been to a poolside since that afternoon, thinking she