by Kiera Cass
One more day.
He smiled.
The night passed on and John and Kristen said their goodnights. Evan was still passed out, so the guys hoisted him onto the couch. It was a squeeze with how long he was, but they managed to place him on his side with a glass of water and a garbage can nearby, just in case. Ben had made his way upstairs, but Akinli and Julie lingered for a minute.
“I hope you can sleep a little after your long nap there,” Julie said with a shy smile.
I smiled back. She was trying to be warm to me. I couldn’t imagine how uneasy my presence in her home made her, but she was attempting to be kind all the same. I appreciated it so much. She gave a timid wave and disappeared up the stairs.
Akinli and I were alone. Well, almost alone. Evan snored through his unconsciousness. It was a little loud. Akinli laughed.
“Good luck trying to sleep through that. You probably aren’t tired at all, huh? I can stay up with you for a while if you want.”
Of course that’s what I wanted. More time. Any time. But it would just make it worse. And he had skipped work on the boat today to be with me already. The guys had a rotation which my arrival had thrown off. He had to work tomorrow, and I couldn’t make him stay up with me. I gave a little shooing motion, telling him to get upstairs. He smiled, but waited.
“Okay, okay. Well, I think Julie’s going to stay here in the morning, but I’ll be home a little after noon. We’ll hang out then,” he promised.
I nodded.
We both stood there a little awkwardly. What was the right way to say goodnight? If Elizabeth had been in my place she would have kissed him, but I wasn’t quite that brazen. A hug felt right, but I couldn’t bear to initiate it. So what I got was a pat on the arm and a “Goodnight there, Sparkles.” I wondered if he’d run out of references to this dress. I hoped he’d keep trying until he did; I was so amused. That boy wore his tie all day. He grabbed it just then and mock pulled himself up the stairs by it, turning off the lights as he went.
I didn’t bother trying to sleep. I put on the shirt and boxers Akinli gave me yesterday, but only for the sake of the show. After being around him all day, I noticed Akinli had a smell. There was a little of it on his clothes, and it was strangely comforting.
I sat for hours staring out at the Ocean. One more day, I thought to myself. I couldn’t drag this out any longer. It had been an exciting little field trip, but after whatever we did tomorrow— and once no one showed up looking for me again— I’d calmly go with the police. From there I’d make my getaway.
As I was debating my options, I heard muffled movements. Something fell with a thud. There was some more shuffling and a loud crack. I heard Evan cussing under his breath. He must have run into the coffee table in his quest for the bathroom.
I was only slightly off.
I was taken back a bit when Evan opened the door. A surprise registered on his face, too.
“Oh yeah, I forgot you were here.” He was glaring at me, standing on slightly unsteady feet. The only light was the moon coming through the bay window. It was full and bright enough to light us both. Evan’s clothes were disheveled, and he held the glass of water in his hand. He gave me a once over, and I thought that would be the end of it, but he kept coming toward me. “You know, it’s a good thing you can’t talk, because you’d get yourself in a lot of trouble around here.”
He said all this slowly, threateningly. He’d crossed the floor with the same measured pace of his speech. Suddenly, he reached across the bed and squeezed my face in his free, massive hand.
“You mess with me again, I’ll break your little fingers, too. Got it?”
The look on my face must not have seemed contrite enough, because he released my cheeks, pulled that hand back, and slapped me across the face. It didn’t hurt me, but the action resulted in two quick events.
First, I realized that after all these years, I had come to think of myself not just as something deadly, but something special. You didn’t hit a siren. We were something to be respected. Who did this guy think he was daring to put his hands on me? And, for that matter, siren or not, he didn’t have the right to do that to anyone. I thought I had been angry at the Ocean when She took my parents; I thought I had been angry with Her when She took Jillian. This guy thought he was going to take me? I’d happily die trying to take him out.
The second reaction tied into the first, because I couldn’t help the tiny yelp that escaped when he hit me. It just happened. In the next second, he had poured his glass of water on his face, trying to breathe it in. The sound was short and the water was limited, so it only resulted in a few choking coughs before his head cleared. He was embarrassed by the unexplainable event and looked prepared to take it out on me. But my revelation had made me prepared to fight.
Evan threw the glass on the floor where it exploded into tiny shards. He went to pin me on the bed, straddling me. I was just about to scream— yell words he deserved to hear— and watch contentedly as this pathetic excuse for a man would shatter the window and run into the Ocean to his death. Good riddance. But I started to doubt that plan.
What if Akinli heard? Or Julie? Or Ben? Or even the sweet old lady across the street? I had never tried to use my voice to defend myself. Was a light whisper all I needed? If it failed, he would certainly try to keep me quiet after that. And if he was still alive after I tried to fight him off without being able to use my voice, would he tell Akinli I had been lying to him all this time? That I could speak all along? In the moments I was trying to figure out what was best, he had painlessly slapped me again, and now had me lifted off the bed by my shirt. The look in his face shifted. It looked evil enough when he came in the room, but now I saw a different monster coming to the surface.
“Well,” he thought aloud, “if you’re not going to scream…” He ripped my shirt, Akinli’s shirt, open. If he thought he was getting any farther than that he was wrong.
Dead wrong.
I inhaled to speak, sing, scream if I had to. Evan wasn’t going to hurt me. I would have to kill him. God forgive me, it was all I could do. My lips trembled as I prepared to speak.
Arms flew over Evan’s back pulling him to the floor. He released my torn shirt to fight back, and I moved quickly to cover myself. The room was still dark, and I was a little too shocked to be sure of what was happening. I sat up and saw we were no longer alone. I didn’t need lights to make out Akinli’s features. He had Evan straddled on the ground, punching him repeatedly in the face. There were muffled groans and cuss words as Evan fought back. A few punches later, the light flipped on.
Ben and Julie were standing in the doorway. Now that there was light, I could see blood. Blood on Akinli’s hands, blood under Evan’s nails. The glass was cutting them both up as they struggled against one another. I covered my mouth so I wouldn’t scream. Akinli pulled his fist back and connected with Evan’s cheek, sending the monster’s head back. Evan was still a little too out of it to really move, but his arms gripped around Akinli, ripping at his clothes in an effort to get him off his chest. Evan let go with one hand, searching for a weapon. His hand found a hard-backed book, and he swung it into the side of Akinli’s head.
What was I supposed to do?
I couldn’t speak. I wanted desperately to help, but I didn’t really know how to fight. All of this happened in a few quick seconds. Then, responding in a way I didn’t know how to, Ben jumped in the middle of it.
“Kahlen, get out of here. Come here!” Julie yelled at me. I obeyed, taking a roundabout way to leave the room.
“Akinli, ease up!” Ben yelled.
Julie took me upstairs quickly, and the sound of the fighting died in my ears.
CHAPTER 8
“Did he hurt you?” Julie had me on her bed, touching my face gingerly. I shook my head. A normal girl would have been bruised probably, but this temporary body was strong, unbreakable.
Nothing could cripple me. I was angry, enraged even, but not in any physical pain. My worried expression was for Akinli. I didn’t see how he looked. I didn’t know if Evan had managed to land another swing on him.
I knew it was all over now. I heard Evan protesting as they threw him out the door, Ben yelling he didn’t care how he got home. I had just finished wiggling into a new shirt that Julie had provided. This one fit me. I looked over at the clock on Julie’s nightstand. It was nearly five in the morning. She wasn’t convinced.
“Are you sure? Does it hurt anywhere? Do you need ice or anything?” she persisted.
I shook my head again, this time looking at her face. She looked terrified and sympathetic. That expression meant the world to me. I had forgotten how comforting it was to be a younger sister.
“Thank God you’re okay. Evan has a temper sometimes, but I’ve never seen him act like that towards a girl. I’m so sorry. It makes me sick thinking that it could have been worse.”
She had no idea. I’ll admit being cornered by someone bigger and stronger was pretty awful, but I was about to kill that man. I was unbelievably close. One more second was all it would have taken. Akinli saved me twofold. He saved me from someone who would have hurt me— or at least tried to— and he saved me from truly turning into the monster I always feared I was. I’d never be able to thank him enough for that.
“Kahlen?” It was Akinli’s voice, but it was low and gruff, labored with worry, fear, and fatigue. I looked up to see him in the doorway. His shirt was torn on the sleeve, and his skin was splotchy. It looked like his lip was bleeding or had been a moment ago, and there was a cut on his left temple where the book had crashed into his head. A collection of band aids on his arm covered a multitude of scratches. The blood had been washed from his hands, but traces of it remained on his shirt. Otherwise, he was safe, whole, unbroken.
My relief overpowered any sense of modesty. I flew at him, wrapping my arms him, burrowing my face into his chest. It didn’t seem like he was tensed when I had taken in his injuries, but he must have been. With an indescribable pleasure, I felt his whole body relax in my embrace, and he held me back.
“She’s just fine,” Julie said. “She doesn’t have any bruises or cuts. She’s shaken up, which can’t be good for her on top of whatever happened the other day, but she’s fine.” I felt the weight of Akinli’s hand holding my head, his fingers getting a little tangled in my hair. He spoke over my head to Julie.
“Ben’s fine. Not a scratch. He’s just making some coffee. He’s pissed. Fired Evan, and now he’s trying to figure some things out, ya’ know?”
“Yeah. Right thing to do though. I guess it’s close enough to start the day. I’ll be downstairs. You want some coffee?”
“That’d be great.” I stayed nestled in his arms. I listened to all his words vibrate in his chest. It was the most reassuring sound in the world.
I didn’t see her, but Julie’s hand rested on my shoulder as she exited the room. Akinli took a few stabling breaths and then pulled me back to look at me.
“Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head.
“Are you sure? Because if he did, we really should do something about it.”
I put my hand over my heart as if I were taking an oath. I shook my head again slowly, looking into his eyes the entire time. I had to convey that I was safe, that he’d saved me.
“I’m so sorry.”
I shook my head again. Evan’s behavior wasn’t his fault. I reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. I moved my hand too slowly down his cheek, enjoying the feeling of his skin and stubble as my fingers passed. I hoped he didn’t notice. I was just so glad that he wasn’t hurt.
He pulled me close and held me for a long time. I felt tiny. His arms wrapped around me easily, with room for two of me to hide there. His hands— those strong hands that were strapping enough to hurt me much more than Evan could have— rubbed my back and my hair, incredibly gentle with my indestructible body. His lips and nose rested on my forehead. His breath was hot on my naturally cool skin, and it felt electrifying.
It ached. Because I knew with a certainty no doubt or fear could cloud that here, in Akinli’s arms, was exactly where I was meant to be. And with a certainty that I wanted to doubt and absolutely feared, I knew I would never be allowed to stay here.
The morning was a little tense, but everyone was in good spirits when I walked out of the guest room in Akinli’s overalls. They were huge, of course, but Julie didn’t really own anything appropriate for going out on the boat. I left the boxers on for extra coverage, folded up the hems of the legs until I found my feet, and wandered into the living room. Ben laughed out loud, Julie giggled, but Akinli looked pleased. This was me trying to make amends.
Over breakfast they had discussed the plans for the day. Turns out they usually started working around six in the morning, so this wasn’t an unusual time to discuss their schedules. John was leaving town today to visit Kristen’s family. Again. Ben grumbled. Yesterday the family car had made some funny noises, and Ben had to take it into the shop— which wasn’t even in town— first thing in the morning if they had a prayer of getting it back in a day. I didn’t know much about cars, so I didn’t follow that branch of the conversation well. Evan had taken Ben’s shift today, but now Evan was gone. Akinli said it was no problem; he could take care of the traps alone. It would be harder and take longer, but it wasn’t an issue. He said he’d gladly take the trade, looking at me pointedly. I felt so bad, I took up my paper.
Can I help?
Ben laughed, but Akinli was for it.
“You need some new memories. This should be fun,” he said. And with that, it was settled. After breakfast, he went upstairs to find me clothes.
“Your Miss America gown doesn’t look exactly sea-faring,” he claimed. If only he knew. But I couldn’t effectively argue, so giant overalls it was. I pulled my hair back with a rubber band, and Julie lent me a pair of shoes. They were almost exactly my size, but they had the strange indentations of another person’s footprint. I felt bulky and silly, but I was happy. I was finally going to be of service to my caregivers, and I was going to see exactly where I was.
The town was so small, we walked to work. In the front yard, I noted the mailbox. With iridescent stickers, the word “Schaefer” was printed on the side. I stopped, and Akinli turned. I pointed to the word.
“What? You expecting mail here? Gosh, Kahlen, you’re here for a day and you’re already having all your bills forwarded here? I’m not paying ‘em! I’m serious. And if I find you having wild parties while we’re gone all day, you’ll be sleeping on the porch.”
I had rolled my eyes twice during that little speech, but he kept on. When he finished, I shook my head and underlined the name with my fingers.
“What? Schaefer? Ben and I are Schaefer men. Proud of it, too. And,” he got close so that only I would hear the whisper, “you didn’t hear this from me, but I’m thinking Julie might be a Schaefer woman someday soon.” He winked.
My mouth opened with shock and joy. I liked Julie. I hoped she’d be happy.
“Now don’t go blabbing that all over town, you chatterbox. Gosh, Kahlen, it’s like I can’t get a word in edgewise with you.” Akinli tugged on my overalls, and we continued into town.
Port Clyde was beautiful and tiny. We walked down a maze of streets, passing other people who were already awake and starting their day. Akinli waved to them all, introducing me as his “friend Kahlen.” We turned down a road and the whole scene finally unfolded.
There were several small docks in the distance leading to the Ocean. Boats were everywhere with men already starting on their day’s work. Buoys of every color littered the water like confetti. There were buildings that looked like houses but were almost assuredly businesses. A row of cars lined a concrete barrier that was next to a tiny beach that was made up of more o
f the same large, dark rocks behind Akinli’s house, except here there was a small stretch of sand that dipped slowly into the Sea. It was quaint. I liked the colors. It painted a picture of a place that was somehow innocent.
Now that I noticed, even the Ocean behaved different here. I thought of the beaches in the south where people were there almost exclusively for pleasure. Down there, She was louder, boisterous, almost playful. Here She was all business. Her waves were quiet and slow, realizing people depended on Her here. Even upset with Her, I could appreciate that.
Ben and Akinli’s boat was named “Maria.” It was moored out in deeper waters; we actually took a smaller motor boat to get to it. Then we traded off and were out to catch some lobster. Akinli didn’t let me do much in the way of work. I should have known it would be that way.
Since I couldn’t die of starvation, I almost exclusively ate cake. I knew it was only a matter of time until I had to go back to the other food groups, the hideous, non-cake food groups. My plan was to enjoy it as often as I could while I couldn’t gain a pound from it. I was always nervous that I would pay for this indulgence later. My cake-loving led me to an embarrassing place when Akinli asked if I liked lobster.
I just shrugged. It was more difficult than usual because he had insisted upon strapping me into a life jacket.
“You can’t exactly call for help if you fall overboard. I’ll never be able to forgive myself if you drown on my watch,” he had said. His concern was cute.
My shrug shocked him.
“Tell me you’ve had lobster before,” he declared. “Seriously, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried it. Stop looking down! Look at my face and tell me: Have you had lobster?”
I slowly looked up at him with a blush on my cheeks and shook my head no.
