by Dee J. Stone
I rest my head on his shoulder. “No, it wasn’t. But it’s just about to get harder. I’m meeting him for coffee.”
He lays his head on mine. “It will go well. I believe in you. If you would like me to accompany you, I would love to.”
“Thanks.” I reach to kiss him. “You’re amazing.”
***
Leaving Damarian in the car, I enter the café. It’s practically empty. The only customers inside are a young couple—probably newlyweds, since they have that honeymoon glow—and a middle-aged man wearing a plaid shirt and dark pants. His hair is graying at his sides.
My dad.
He looks just as I remember him. A few years older, though. But he’s still the same. He’s got my nose and my lips, and some people say my ears, although I refuse to believe that, since his are large and stick out of his face. I searched him online a few years ago out of curiosity and was glad to discover he still looked the same as when I was a kid. I worried he changed his look because he hated the man he used to be, the man that used to be my father.
I muster my courage and head toward his table. He’s drinking a cup of coffee as he scrolls through his phone. As I get closer, he raises his eyes. He stares at me.
I stare back.
He gathers himself and clumsily gets to his feet. “Cassie.” Before I can blink, I’m in his arms. His scent enters my nose, the same scent I remember growing up. His favorite cologne.
He steps back and studies me. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman.”
It’s the typical thing a man in this situation would say to his estranged teenage daughter. But still, it fills my heart and makes me feel good. “Thanks.”
He gestures to the table. “Please sit down. I already ordered my coffee.”
We sit down and he calls for a waiter. My stomach buzzes with nerves, and I’m not sure I could put anything in my mouth. I order a glass of water.
We’re quiet for the first few moments. Dad has his eyes on me, but I have trouble looking at him. I knew the meeting would be awkward, but it’s really awkward.
“How’s your mom?” he asks.
“Fine. She’s in New York.”
He nods. “I’m glad to see that she’s happy.”
I nod.
Quiet again. Dad leans back. Then he leans forward. Then back again.
I trace the wooden table with my finger. I’m bursting with questions, but I’m not sure it’s the appropriate time to ask them.
“I heard you’re going to school in Texas,” he says.
I’ve been contemplating applying to the community college here so I can stay close to the ocean—close to Damarian. But nothing’s final yet, so I just say, “Yeah.”
“I’m very proud of you.”
Small talk sucks. “Why did you leave?” I ask.
His expression changes from cheerful to anxious. He must not have been anticipating me asking this question right off the bat.
He rubs his hand down his face. “Business was bad,” he says. “I was stressed. I know that’s not an excuse.”
I bite down on my lip. I’m not sure I want to hear this, but I know I need to. It’s the only way I can forgive my dad and get past this.
After I nod for him to continue, Dad says, “We were having problems before that. I said one thing. Your mom said the opposite. We never were able to compromise.” He shakes his head and sighs. “We got married too young. We grew apart. When I met Sheila, I started being happy again.”
“You left me,” I say, trying to keep my voice from shouting accusations, but I fail. “I get why you and Mom split up, but I was your daughter.”
I see the regret on his face. This man’s not putting up a show. He places his hands on the table and staples his fingers. “I know.” He shrugs like he has no excuses. “It was a big mistake. I admit that. But I’m willing to fix it. Whatever I can do.” He slowly reaches out his hand and lowers it on mine. “I want to start fresh. Do you think you can forgive me?”
It’s so easy to say no. To throw this man out of my life and pretend he never existed. It would make me forget about all the hurt. Reject him before he can reject me again. But I don’t want to do that. He made a mistake. Yeah, it sucked and screwed me up, but the important thing is that he’s trying to make amends.
I slide my hand away. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
He tries to mask his disappointment, but I see his face fall. “I’m glad you’re being honest.”
“I need time. Maybe after a while, I can learn to trust you again.”
He nods, smiling a little. “That’s more than I hoped for.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What did you hope for?”
“That you’d actually show up at the café.”
I find myself laughing. His face relaxes and he laughs, too.
“I’m willing to try,” I tell him. “It’ll take some time, but maybe we’ll get there.”
The waitress arrives with my water. I take a sip, then get to my feet. “Thanks for opening the door. I’m grateful you’re trying to make me part of your life.”
He stands up, too, and hugs me. “Maybe we can meet up some time later this week.”
I nod. “I’d like that.”
“Maybe go fishing like we used to.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
He hesitantly kisses my cheek. “See you around, Cass Bass.”
“See you around…Dad.”
I leave the café and head toward the parking lot. Damarian is sitting in the passenger seat. When he sees me approach, he waves and opens the door for me. I slide inside. I’m not sure what expression I’m wearing on my face, but if it matches what I’m feeling inside, I look confused, comforted, relieved, and happy.
“I gather the meeting with your father went well?” he asks.
A smile creeps onto my face. “Yeah. It went well. Better than I expected.”
He rests his hand on mine. “I am glad.”
“Me, too.”
“Do you want discuss it?”
“I want to spend some time with you.”
He laughs. “All right.”
“Seafood restaurant?”
“Perhaps we shall taste that ‘pizza’ you constantly speak of?”
“You’re gonna love it.” I start the engine. “After one bite of pizza, you won’t want to ever step foot in the ocean again.”
“I feel that way when I am with you.”
Our gazes lock. We bend forward and touch our lips. “Same with me.”
Chapter Nineteen
Damarian springs up with such a force I nearly roll off the bed. I rub the sleep out of my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
He stares at the door. “It cannot be.”
“Damarian?”
He blinks and his eyes snap to mine. “We must dress.”
He gets up, and I follow him. The expression on his face—it’s a mixture of shock, fear, confusion, and worry. He’s scaring me.
We get dressed. He takes my hand and we climb down the stairs. Damarian walks over to the door and just gazes at it. I step forward, reaching for his hand, but his fingers start opening the locks. After taking a deep breath, he opens the door.
Two people stand there. A guy and a girl. They have golden hair and striking dark blue eyes. Identical to Damarian’s. They’re beautiful, with translucent skin and broad shoulders.
Damarian’s brother and sister.
The girl’s wearing a male’s plaid shirt the wrong way and a male’s trunks. The guy has jeans on and no shirt. The muscles on his chest would make any girl melt at his feet.
“Kiander,” Damarian says, his voice laced with shock. “Doria.”
He ushers them inside and quickly shuts the door. I gape at them. Mermaids. Well, a mermaid and a merman. Three merpeople in my house.
Doria looks at me with hostile eyes. Kiander’s eyes aren’t friendly, but I don’t feel like I need to run as I do with his sister.
“Who is this, Damarian?” she demands.
/>
It feels like a chunk of sand is lodged in my throat. I swallow a few times, but my throat is as dry at the beach on a scorching day.
Damarian comes to stand near me, wrapping his arm around my waist. Doria’s face fills with disappointment and rage. “I cannot believe this! She is the reason you have not been home? All this time you have been living on land? As a human?” She says the last bit with such disgust that for a second I’m ashamed to be a human.
My eyes slowly move to Damarian. He hasn’t been going home? Where has he been all this time when he returned to the ocean?
Kiander steps forward and holds his hands up, as if making peace between the two of them. “Remain calm, Doria.”
“Father is most upset,” she mutters. Her gaze flashes to Damarian. “King Palaemon—”
“I understand,” Damarian says.
Her eyes narrow. “No, you do not understand! Father is upset that you have fled.”
“I did not flee,” he mumbles.
“Have you not?” She looks at me. “A human,” she scoffs.
“Doria,” Kiander warns.
“How have you located me?” Damarian asks.
Doria folds her arms. “Did you not wish to be located?”
“We have sensed you,” Kiander explains. “We worried you had been injured.”
“You must come home at once,” Doria says. “Do not waste your time with a human.”
Ouch. Okay, I definitely do not like Doria.
“I promise I shall return home tonight,” Damarian says.
“Tonight? The ceremony—”
“Tonight,” Damarian stresses with a finality in his tone. Doria purses her lips.
Kiander turns toward the door. “We shall take our leave now.”
“You cannot,” Damarian says. “You must wait for nightfall, when the humans are asleep.”
Doria’s hands drop down to her sides. She fists them. “I do not wish to wait until nightfall.”
Damarian glares at her. She glares back.
“We can use a boat,” I offer.
Doria now gives me the death glare, like I’m forbidden to talk. I try not to shrivel under her gaze, but I’ve never been good with confrontations.
“We can,” Damarian agrees. He nods to me and takes my hand. I feel the disapproval leaping off his sister. I ignore it as I grab my bag and lead the three of them to the marina. People stare at us as we pass. They look mesmerized at the three beauties. When we approach Ian, his eyebrows skyrocket. I push the unease out of my mind.
He grins. “Another boat, I gather?”
I nod. Doria is glaring at him while Kiander’s face is emotionless. Damarian’s is tense. The “what the hell?” look is evident on Ian’s face.
We head to the boat. After Damarian helps his brother and sister inside, the two of us settle in. I start the engine. The boat is quiet, save for the sounds of the ocean. All three merpeople gaze at the ocean, their lifeline.
When we reach the sandbar, I kill the engine. Damarian nods to his siblings, and the two of them dive into the ocean. I watch, amazed, as their clothes tear into shreds and identical sapphire crystal tails spring up in the air. Doria’s head and the top of her torso pop up. Sapphire scales—just like the ones on her tail—splatter her chest. It seems like they trail down to her tail. Kiander’s head breaks the surface. The sun beats down on them, causing their hair to look more golden.
“Return with us,” Doria calls.
I glance at Damarian. His eyes meet mine. I notice he has an internal battle going on. He knows the right thing to do is go back with his siblings. To talk to his father. But I know how much he wants to say with me.
“Go,” I tell him.
He locks his fingers through mine and brings the palm of my hand to his lips. “I do not wish to go.”
“You’ll come back.”
He doesn’t say anything.
I touch his arm. “If you go, you won’t come back?” I ask. His eyes shut tight. Tears fill my eyes. “Damarian…”
He opens his eyes and faces his siblings. “I shall return tonight.”
Kiander nods while Doria’s lips are pulled into a firm line. Damarian waves. “I assure you, I shall return.”
Kiander turns around and dives into the ocean. Doria keeps her gaze on us for a few seconds before following her brother. After a bit, the splashing stops and the water stills. The area grows silent. I can’t bring my eyes to him. I don’t want to face any of this. That bubble I talked about? I think it’s about to burst.
“Cassie,” he says, touching my knee.
I pull my leg away. “You lied to me. You haven’t been going home.”
The guilt on his face makes it hard to be mad at him. But the one thing that really causes me to lose trust in a person is when he lies to me. The fact that Damarian did makes my chest slice open and my heart plummet to the bottom of the boat. Tears threaten my eyes, but I force them away.
“I did not lie to you, Cassie,” he says softly, this time reaching for my hand. I pull it away, too. “I do not feel happy at home. That is the reason I have not returned.”
“For how long? Since the beginning?”
He shakes his head. “Since the day your mother returned.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
His gaze falls to his hands before creeping back to me. “I do not wish to discuss unpleasant things with you.”
“Why not?”
“I wish only to make you happy.”
The anger seeps out of me and is replaced with understanding. Damarian’s not keeping me in the dark. He just doesn’t want to drag me into the crappy parts of his life. I cover his hand with mine. “But I want to talk about the unpleasant things in your life. That’s what makes me happy—to be able to talk about your problems and help you get through them.”
His eyes drop back to his hands. They stay there for a bit, like he’s contemplating my words. They then trek to mine. “Yes, you are correct. However…” His voice trails off.
“What is it?” I ask.
He shakes his head.
“Please, Damarian. You can talk to me.”
He takes in a sharp breath. “I am a disappointment.”
“Who says that?”
“Father.”
I reach up and push some hair out of his eyes. “Why does he say that?”
He shifts in the boat, clearly uncomfortable. I squeeze his hand reassuringly. “Father does not approve of my lack of maturity.”
My eyebrows shoot up. Compared to many guys his age, he’s very mature. “Why does he think that?”
“The day I returned home—after our first encounter—I played squid wars with Zarya, Syd, and Syndin.”
“Squid wars?”
“It is a game we play. Zarya and I were partners. The twins were partners. We each held a squid and he who shot ink at the opponent first was rewarded a point.”
I nod. Squid wars sound just like paintball. It’s crazy how our species are so similar. “What happened?” I ask.
“The twins were winning. Zarya was most upset. She is not one to accept defeat easily.” The corners of his mouth lift a little. “As twins, Syd and Syndin possess a special connection, one I do not share with Zarya, despite how attached we are.” He looks down to his lap, then at me. “Father was furious. He does not approve of my playing with the little ones. He wishes for me to be mature. To find a mate.”
My heart collapses. “Find a mate?”
He nods, his eyes pained. “I am the eldest. I must set an example for the others.”
“What do you mean by set an example? It’s not like your siblings are going to run off with humans. What’s your dad worried about?”
Damarian shrugs. “This is our life. We are born, we grow up, we mate, we produce offspring.”
To ensure the survival of their species. Like any specie, they could become extinct. I’m guessing there aren’t that many of them.
I place my other hand on top of ours. “I get i
t. Whether you’re a human or a merman, parents just don’t get their kids.”
Damarian nods. “I understand Father wishes only the best for me. But I do not wish to mate and have fry. I wish to explore the ocean and learn.”
I rub his hand.
“I do not enjoy the manner in which Father behaves toward me. As if I am a failure.”
I reach for him and gather him in my arms. Damarian buries his head between my neck and shoulder. “When I met you, Cassie, I did not know such a sweet being could exist.” His lips press down on my skin. “I worried at first and returned to my family. Father was upset and wished to know my whereabouts, but I concealed the truth. When I returned the next time, Father was furious and once again wished to know my whereabouts. I claimed I visited my companions in the Ruby colony. We quarreled. I decided not to return home. It was difficult to part with Zarya, but my choice was final.”
He sniffs, which means he’s crying. I hold him tight against me. “What about your mom?”
“Mother tells Father that I have time. He does not listen to her.” He lifts his head and runs the back of his hand across his eyes. “Please, Cassie. I do not wish to discuss this further.”
The pain in his voice is overwhelming. Biting my lip, I nod and change the subject. “Was it dangerous living away from the colony?”
“Fiske has protected me.”
I now have much more appreciation for that baby great white shark.
Damarian stays in my arms for some time. The clouds move aside and the sun peeks out, bathing us in its heat. Damarian will need to be in seawater soon.
“I suppose I am to return to the sea tonight,” he says, his lips grazing my throat. “I must speak with Father.”
I brush my hand through his hair. “I wish I could come with you. Just like you came with me.”
He raises his hand, leans forward, and gives me the most intense kiss he’s ever given me. Everything he’s feeling comes through this kiss. His frustration, fear, desperation for his father’s acceptance, the love he feels for me. I fall back as his lips rove over mine, sucking and swallowing, sending jolts throughout my body.
I fall flat against the bottom of the boat as our hands roam over each other’s bodies, claiming one another as our own. His hands slide down my thighs and his fingers dig into them. His name escapes through my lips and my back arches. “I want you,” I rasp. Our mouths slide over each other in unison and our bodies rock in the same motion. It’s as if our souls are connected. Damarian softly bites on my bottom lip as my nails dig into his back.
