Rejected: A love story-Chapter 107: Why did you come?

"You okay?" I raised my head to see Mike standing beside me. Water was still dripping from his body; Oh god! Were all guys this seductive?.

"Fiona?" He called and I quickly came back to my senses.

I hesitated, then shrugged. "Yeah. Just... not used to this kind of stuff."

"Parties?"

"People," I corrected.

He gave a small, understanding smile. "Fair."

"Two drinks please" he signaled to the bar attender.

Within seconds two drink were placed in front of us.

I took a sip of my drink, avoiding looking at him for too long. My mouth twisted bitterly.

"Is this lemonade?" I asked confused and he chuckled.

"Spiked lemonad" he answered and I shrugged.

"Crowds not your thing," he said, more like an observation than a question.

"Not really," I admitted. "Too loud. Too many opinions. Too many eyes."

His gaze flicked back to me. This time I didn’t look away fast enough.

There was something different about the way he looked at me — not like the others here, not like the casual glances or obvious checking-out. It wasn’t hungry. It wasn’t careless. It felt... deliberate.

I looked down again, rolling the glass slowly between my fingers.

"Why did you even come, then?" he asked and I hesitated. What would I say?

Because I didn’t want to sit at home thinking about Nathan.

Because staying away feels like admitting I’m still breaking inside.

Because pretending I’m fine is easier in public.

"I’m trying to be normal," I said instead.

Mike tilted his head slightly. "Define normal."

I gave a small, tired smile. "Not overthinking every social interaction."

He chuckled softly. "You and me both, then.

He glanced back, then returned his attention to me.

"You wanna stay here," he said, "or do you want to walk for a bit? Quieter out back."

I hesitated. Going somewhere quieter with him felt like stepping closer to a line I wasn’t sure I was ready to cross.

"...Okay," I said anyway even though my inner mind screamed the opposite.

We left the bar together, slipping through a side door that led to a dimly lit patio.

The noise dulled instantly, replaced by distant music and the hum of night insects.

The air felt cooler out here.

Mike leaned against the railing, looking out over the dark yard. I stood beside him, close but not touching.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then he turned toward me.

"You don’t look like someone who’s happy. You know life is short and you shouldn’t overthink everything," he said gently.

I scoffed. "And you sound like someone who’s made a habit of distracting people."

"Only the ones who look like they need it."

I leaned against the wooden rail also, staring at it.

Mike followed my gaze. "You like water?"

"I don’t hate it," I said. "I just don’t trust it."

He laughed. "You don’t trust a lot of things."

"Correct."

He stepped closer, resting his elbows on the railing. "You ever swim at night?"

I shook my head immediately. "Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because that’s how people disappear."

He snorted. "You’re dramatic."

"I’m realistic."

He straightened suddenly, shaking his shoulders like he was warming up. I noticed it too late.

"Mike," I said slowly, "what are you doing."

He turned, his eyes bright with something reckless. "Relax."

That was never a good sign. Before I could react, he climbed onto the rail.

"Mike," I hissed, grabbing his arm. "Don’t you dare."

He grinned. "Come on. Live a little."

"I swear if you fall in—"

Too late, he had already pushed himself off.

There was a loud splash, as the water broke violently before settling again. I rushed to the railing, my heart jumping racing fast.

"You’re insane!" I shouted.

His head popped up a second later, his hair was on his face, and he was laughing. "See? I’m still alive."

Water dripped down his shoulders as he swam lazily on his back.

"You’re an idiot," I said, but I was laughing now, breathless and surprised by it. "You could’ve hurt yourself."

"But I didn’t."

"You gonna save me or what?" he added and I frowned.

"Save you from what?"

"Drowning," he said casually, then tilted his head back and let himself sink.

"Mike?" I yelled.

The water smoothed over, there were no movement im the water for a while neither did i see his head.

My smile dropped instantly.

"Mike," I called, louder this time.

But I got no response just silence.

"This isn’t funny," I said, my voice cracking a little.

The lake stayed quiet. I panicked and without thinking I leaned over the rail, scanning the dark water,

"Mike!" I shouted, still no response. I didn’t think, neither did I hesitate.

I climbed the railing.

"Mike!" I yelled again as I jumped.

The cold water hit me like a shock, stealing my breath. The water closed over my head and I flailed for a second before forcing myself down, my eyes burning as I searched blindly.

I couldn’t see anything just dark water. Then an arm wrapped around my waist.

I gasped as I was pulled upward, breaking the surface with a sharp inhale.

Mike surfaced beside me, laughing, breathless. "You should’ve seen your face—"

I shoved him hard.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" I snapped.

He stopped laughing immediately.

"That wasn’t funny," I said, my voice shaking. "That wasn’t funny at all."

Water streamed down my hair, my bikini wet and clinging to my skin.

His smile faded. "Hey. I didn’t think you’d—"

"You disappeared," I cut in. "I thought something happened to you."

He stared at me now.

"You jumped in," he said slowly.

I scoffed. "Obviously. What else was I supposed to do? Stand there and watch?"

Something shifted in his expression. The teasing was gone, replaced by something quieter. Something serious.

"You didn’t even think," he said.

I shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "I didn’t have time to."

He swam closer, close enough that I could feel the water moving between us.

"So," he said softly, "you care about me that much?"

The question landed heavier than I expected.

I opened my mouth, then closed it again.

"I—" I started, then stopped.

I didn’t know how to answer.

"I don’t like people playing with stuff like that," I said instead. "It’s not a joke."

He nodded. "You’re right. I’m sorry."

We drifted closer to the edge, climbing out onto the small dock nearby. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering from the cold.

Mike climbed out too, the water dripping from him as he grabbed the towel he had brought and handed it to me.

"Here."

"Thanks."

"Fiona," he said quietly.

I turned to him and our eyes locked, neither of us looking away.

He stepped closer — not crowding me, just enough that I could feel his warmth.

My pulse jumped but I didn’t step back. I mean that’s what I should literally do right? Oh god! My head was a mess.

For a second, I almost let myself believe that this was normal. I almost let myself lean in. Almost forgot Nathan’s name, his voice, the way it still lived in my i.

Mike lifted a hand slowly, hovering near my jaw, like he was asking permission without saying it.

"If this is a bad idea," he murmured, "tell me now."

########

"It’s a bad idea," I whispered, my voice shaky.

Mike didn’t move. He didn’t pull back, didn’t even flinch. His eyes stayed on mine, steady and unyielding, like he was trying to read every thought rushing through my head.

"Then why aren’t you pulling away?" he asked softly, his voice gentle but probing.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My throat felt tight, like I couldn’t force the answer past the lump building there.

Mike tilted his head slightly, leaning in just enough that I could feel the warmth of him, the faint scent of chlorine still clinging to his skin. His hand hovered near my jaw—not touching me, just lingering there like he was waiting for permission without asking outright.

"You can’t even speak," he murmured, his voice dropping lower, intimate.

I stayed frozen, my heart hammering, my mind was screaming at me to step back, to say something, to do something. But I didn’t move.

Mike leaned in closer, stopping just short of crossing that invisible line. His gaze flicked to my lips for a brief second before returning to my eyes, and I felt my pulse jump.

"I’m not gonna kiss you," he said, his voice quiet and deliberate. "But you need to tell me—why does this feel like it’s a bad idea to you?"

I swallowed hard, my breath hitching, but before I could even attempt to respond, a loud voice cut through the silence. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Fiona!"

I jumped, startled, and Mike immediately straightened, his expression shifting to something neutral—almost guarded—as Tasha appeared out of nowhere.

"There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you," Tasha said, her tone bright and full of energy. She stopped in front of us, her gaze flicking between Mike and me, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.

"What’s going on here?" she asked, her voice dripping with playful curiosity.

"Nothing," I said quickly, stepping back from Mike like I’d been caught doing something wrong.

Tasha raised an eyebrow but didn’t press the issue. Instead, she launched into her usual chatter without missing a beat.

"Anyway, you missed everything while you were off hiding," she said, gesturing wildly. "First of all, I killed it in the truth and dare game. Like, absolutely owned it."

I groaned inwardly, already knowing where this was going.

"Oh, you should’ve seen it, Fiona," Tasha continued, her voice bubbling with excitement. "I dared Sam to eat three slices of that nasty pineapple pizza, and he almost threw up all over the carpet. And then" she paused dramatically, her eyes sparkling

"I dared Kelly to kiss Ryan. on the lips!"

"Tasha—"

"No, no, wait, it gets better!" she interrupted, grinning. "Ryan dared me to do karaoke in front of everyone, and obviously I nailed it. But then, Kelly dared me to prank-call her ex, and you should’ve heard me—everyone was dying!"

She stopped suddenly, her gaze narrowing on Mike, who had been watching her with mild amusement. "Wait, who are you again?" she asked bluntly. how much drink had this girl had?

"Mike," he said simply, his tone calm.

Tasha squinted at him for a moment before shrugging and turning back to me. "Anyway, come on, Fiona. Everyone’s asking about you. You can’t just disappear like that."

I hesitated, glancing at Mike. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes lingered on me for a moment longer before he stepped back, giving me space.

"Go," he said quietly, his voice calm but unreadable.

Tasha grabbed my arm, tugging me toward the house. "Come on! You’re missing all the fun."