Chapter 52: His body tensed

"Why didn't you have Nylie prepare another one for you?" Dahlia asked as she sank deeper into the warm bathwater.

"There wasn't enough time," Sullivan replied, his tone calm yet firm. "Besides, couples share bathtubs, don't they?"

Dahlia pressed her lips together, taken aback by his words. 'Does he already see us as a couple?' she wondered. The thought quickly dissolved when she felt his hand gently cradle her neck.

"You can't die, Dahlia," Sullivan's voice softened, a tone she wasn't used to hearing from him.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but before she could speak, he continued. "Don't ever do something like that again. The lake is deep."

"I thought I could swim," Dahlia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You're hydrophobic," Sullivan reminded her, his fingers brushing her neck lightly as he moved closer. "There was an incident when we were younger... I pushed you into the water in a fit of anger."