Chapter 223: Pool party XIII

Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Pool party XIII

The final match ended to a roar of applause.

The winning pair celebrated near the center of the pool while the other participants slowly made their way toward the edge.

Vivienne was still laughing.

Her hair was thoroughly soaked, water dripping from the ends as she pushed it away from her face.

Damian climbed out beside her, equally drenched.

His dark hair was plastered slightly against his forehead, and water ran down his shoulders and chest as he reached for the towel one of the assistants offered them.

Vivienne accepted another.

She wiped at her face, still smiling.

"We almost had them."

"We did have them," Damian said.

"We lost."

"We lost because you moved."

Vivienne turned toward him.

"I moved because you moved."

"You moved first."

"I was helping."

"You were making me lose my balance."

She laughed.

"That sounds like an excuse."

Damian shook his head, smiling.

"You’re impossible."

"And yet you volunteered to carry me."

"I did."

There was no hesitation in his answer.

Vivienne’s smile softened.

For a moment, neither said anything.

Then a voice called from behind them.

"Ashford!"

Anthony looked up.

He had been standing with Evelyn near the edge of the pool, watching the winning pairs begin to disperse.

A young man was making his way toward him.

William Dean.

Third year.

Political Governance.

Son of one of the country’s most successful industrial magnates.

William had never been particularly fond of Anthony.

Not enough to openly challenge him.

Just enough to find amusement in every opportunity to annoy him.

The sort of person who could smile pleasantly while saying something deliberately irritating.

Anthony knew him well enough to recognize the expression already forming on his face.

"What is it, Dean?"

William stopped a few feet away.

He glanced toward the pool.

Then back at Anthony.

"I thought you might want to know."

Anthony raised an eyebrow.

"Know what?"

William gestured casually toward the water.

"You missed quite a show."

Anthony’s expression remained neutral.

"I was watching."

"Oh?"

William’s eyebrows rose.

"I thought you were busy talking with Lady Sinclair."

Evelyn’s smile became slightly awkward.

William continued before either could respond.

"Still, I’m surprised you didn’t say anything."

"About what?"

William gave him an innocent look.

"Your cousin."

Anthony’s eyes narrowed slightly.

William glanced toward Damian.

"And Lady Beaumont."

There was a brief pause.

Anthony already knew where this was going.

William smiled.

"Quite the pair, aren’t they?"

Anthony said nothing.

William laughed softly.

"Don’t look at me like that. I’m only saying what everyone else is thinking."

"William."

"Yes?"

"You’re being deliberately irritating."

"I prefer observant."

Anthony sighed.

William looked over his shoulder.

"Besides, I believe the entire university has been observing them for the past week."

His gaze shifted toward Damian and Vivienne.

"They certainly seem to be enjoying themselves."

Anthony’s jaw tightened.

He had no answer to that.

Then William added, almost lazily,

"Although I suppose I understand why."

Anthony looked at him.

William’s smile widened.

"Blackwood certainly has confidence."

The words were casual.

The implication wasn’t.

Anthony gave him a flat look.

"Are you finished?"

"Almost."

William turned toward the pool again.

"Actually, I think the best part is that they don’t even seem to notice who’s watching."

Anthony’s eyes moved instinctively.

And at that exact moment—

Damian looked up.

Their eyes met.

For one suspended second, everything seemed to stop.

Damian froze.

Vivienne, who had been saying something to Claire and Amelia, followed his gaze.

Then she saw Anthony.

Her stomach dropped.

Oh.

No.

He had seen.

She suddenly remembered everything.

The tug-of-war.

Damian standing behind her.

The way he had caught her.

The shoulder game.

Her sitting on his shoulders.

Laughing.

Teasing him.

The final.

Falling into the water.

Damian catching her attention immediately afterward.

The splashing.

The laughing.

All of it.

Her face grew warm.

Oh, gods.

Had Anthony seen all of that?

She wanted to disappear.

Not because she had actually done anything wrong.

But because suddenly remembering that Anthony had been somewhere nearby while all of that happened made every little moment feel ten times more embarrassing.

She had been laughing with Damian.

She had been teasing him.

She had let him carry her.

She had—

Vivienne stopped herself.

Wait.

Why was she embarrassed?

She hadn’t done anything wrong.

Anthony had told her himself.

He couldn’t love her.

He had agreed to end their engagement.

He had given her the freedom to choose someone else.

She had accepted that.

She had let him go.

So why was she standing here feeling as though she’d been caught doing something shameful?

Her embarrassment slowly gave way to something else.

A small, wicked thrill.

Had he really seen?

All of it?

Vivienne glanced toward Anthony again.

Their eyes met for another brief moment.

This time, she didn’t look away immediately.

A strange little thought slipped into her mind.

So?

What did he think?

Did he finally understand that she wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life waiting for him?

That she could laugh with someone else?

That other men wanted her?

That she could be happy without him?

A tiny smile tugged at her lips.

Well.

Maybe he should see.

Not because she wanted him back.

Not because she wanted to make him jealous.

She genuinely didn’t.

She was over that.

But there was something satisfying about knowing that the man who had once been so certain she would always be there had finally been forced to see that she wasn’t.

Vivienne’s smile grew.

Perhaps Anthony Ashford could finally understand one very simple thing.

He wasn’t the only man in the world.

And neither was he the only man who could make her feel wanted.

Beside her, Damian had gone strangely quiet.

He had noticed Anthony too.

For a moment, guilt flickered through him.

Anthony was his cousin.

They had always been close.

He had never wanted to hurt him.

And even though the engagement was over, even though Vivienne was free, even though Damian had done nothing wrong—

There was still a small part of him that felt awkward being caught so publicly beside her.

Especially after the way they had behaved during the games.

Especially that the engagement had only been broken for a little over than a week. Well, 8 days to be precise.

Then Damian looked at Vivienne.

She was smiling.

Not embarrassed anymore.

Almost amused.

Something in him settled.

The engagement was over.

Anthony had said so himself.

Damian liked her.

He had been trying to make that clear all day.

He wasn’t going to suddenly pretend otherwise because Anthony happened to be watching.

He might feel a little guilty.

But he wasn’t sorry.

Not really.

Anthony, meanwhile, had already started walking toward them.

William watched with obvious interest.

"Oh."

His smile widened.

"This should be entertaining."

Anthony gave him a warning glance.

"Dean."

William raised both hands.

"I’m going."

He stepped away, still looking far too pleased with himself.

Anthony ignored him.

He crossed the short distance toward Damian and Vivienne.

Evelyn remained beside him for a moment before following.

As Anthony approached, Damian straightened.

Vivienne instinctively did the same.

The noise around the pool seemed to soften.

Not because anyone had stopped talking.

But because several nearby students had noticed who was approaching.

And, naturally, they started watching.

Anthony stopped in front of them.

For a moment, he looked at Damian.

Then Vivienne.

"Hello."

His voice was calm.

Measured.

Normal.

Damian smiled.

"Anthony."

There was no hostility between them.

No reason for there to be.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Damian glanced toward the pool.

"Apparently."

Anthony’s gaze moved briefly toward Vivienne.

She smiled politely.

"Hello, Lord Ashford."

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