Jaya began treading water. “Ah, I see. I got bored in the dorms, and felt like a bit of exercise, so… Hope you don’t mind the intrusion.” She held his gaze, asking his permission.

“You’re not intruding.” Grey slipped his goggles back on and, without another word, resumed his laps. This time his mind wasn’t so empty.

He was too aware of her as he swam. There was a tentative ease between them now that wasn’t there previously. Where before there had been a brick wall keeping them apart, there was now also a tiny window. Whatever he may have felt about the Raos, he couldn’t ignore that Jaya Rao was the only one besides his family who knew all of him.

Jaya kept a much steadier pace than him, peacefully going back and forth. She seemed to enjoy just being in the water, as opposed to using it as a tool to outswim unwanted thoughts. She went for thirty minutes before she got out, shook herself off, and walked to the hot tub.

Grey considered her as he treaded water in the deep end. Her head was leaned back as she sat in the hot, bubbling water, her eyes closed, eyelashes resting on her cheeks. His heart thudded. He wanted to go sit by her. Should he go sit by her?

Without letting himself think too much, he swam over to the ladder, got out of the pool, and walked the few steps to the hot tub. Jaya opened her eyes when she felt him splash in next to her.

“Hope you don’t mind the intrusion,” Grey said, parroting her words from the pool.

She gestured to the bench beside her. “What it’s there for.”

A ghost of a smile at his lips, he took a seat. After a pause, he pointed in the general direction of her chest, not wanting to let his eyes linger there. “You’re not wearing your necklace.”

Jaya’s fingers caressed the bare skin just under the hollow of her throat. “No. The rubies keep falling and I didn’t want to make it worse.” She glanced at him, her eyes soft. “How are you doing?”

He knew she wasn’t asking about his general health. She meant “How are you doing since you think your life is ending?” “I’m fine.”

“I was thinking…,” Jaya said. “I might take it to get repaired. You know, just to see what, ah, what that does.”

Grey frowned. “What it does?” Then understanding dawned. “Do you mean if it gets rid of the curse?”

She nodded.

Grey rubbed a wet hand along his jaw. “That’s not going to help.” It was a little endearing that she wanted to try, though.