“Well, I thought we’d start with a salad, with homemade vinaigrette,” he told her. “It’s my grandmother’s recipe, and it is delicious.”
“Ooh, sounds intriguing.”
“It is.” He went back into the kitchen and grabbed a small decanter of the vinaigrette from the fridge. “Then, for our next course, I thought we would have a bowl of Pearl’s famous clam chowder.”
“Pearl paid you in a bucket of soup again, didn’t she?” Harper asked as he sat down across from her.
“She did, but it’s amazing,” Daniel admitted. “For dessert, I have not one but two flavors of ice cream. Is your mind blown yet?”
She smiled. “Yeah, it kinda is.”
“So, yeah. That’s my dinner.” He stared expectantly across the table from her. “What do you think?”
“I think it sounds wonderful, and I appreciate the thought you put into making it. It’s very sweet.”
“Sweet enough to earn me a make-out session after supper?” Daniel asked with an arched eyebrow.
She pretended to think it over. “Depends on how full I am.”
“We could always skip the soup,” he suggested, causing Harper to laugh. “The salad might be filling enough.”
Harper dug in, eating a mouthful of salad, and nodded. “This is really good.”
“Thank you,” he said, sounding a little relieved. “The vegetables are fresh from the garden out back. It was a bit overgrown when I moved in, but I think I’ve got it under control now. The dressing is really simple, and it’s one of three things I actually do know how to make.”
“Your gramma taught you how to make it?” Harper asked between bites.
“She did, yeah.” He nodded. “She passed away a while ago. I was really close to my grandparents. They basically raised me and my brother.”
“What about your parents?” She watched him for his response.
“What about them?” Daniel asked and didn’t look up from his food.
“You never really talk about them.”
“Oh.” He poked emptily at his food for a few seconds before going on. “There’s not a lot to tell. My dad was a drunk, and he wasn’t the nicest guy. He used to beat up on my mom and stuff. He finally left when I was ten. I thought things would get better after that, but they didn’t.”
Harper had been about to take a bite, but she stopped. Daniel hardly ever talked about his family life or his childhood, and she hadn’t any idea that he’d grown up in an abusive home.
“Why not?” Harper asked finally.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It was weird because my mom was so miserable when he was around, but it was like, after he left, she didn’t know what to do when somebody wasn’t telling her what to do or putting her down.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said and took another bite, mostly so Daniel wouldn’t think that she didn’t like his meal.
“It’s okay. Eventually she found someone to fill that void, and they got married. My brother died, then my grandparents died and left her some money. She didn’t see any reason to stick around here anymore, so she and the new husband moved out to Vegas.”
“And you stayed here?” Harper asked.
“Well, I wasn’t exactly invited to join them, but I don’t think I would’ve gone anyway. My boat’s here, and that’s about the only thing I really owned. And I grew up here, so…” His voice trailed off.
“I’m glad you stayed.”
He looked up at her finally and smiled. “Me, too.”
They finished their salads, and moved on to dinner and dessert. Harper tried to wash the dishes, but he wouldn’t let her. He insisted that it was a romantic evening, and the cleaning could wait until tomorrow.
Daniel let her pick the movie from his rather modest collection, and she chose Edward Scissorhands. It wasn’t her favorite, but given a choice between that and Jaws, Mad Max, or The Godfather, she thought it seemed like the most romantic.
They started out sitting on the couch next to each other, but it wasn’t long before Daniel was lying on his back and Harper was curled up with him. Her head was on his chest, and he had one arm wrapped around her.
Normally, Harper would lie awake in bed for hours before she could fall asleep. Her mind would race through all her concerns, almost all of them involving Gemma, sirens, or college, and when she was really in a mood, she could stay up all night worrying about her mom, her dad, Alex, Marcy, really anything and everything.
But something about being with Daniel like this, feeling safe and secure as he held her to him, the sound of his heart beating slowly under her ear, was putting her to sleep.
For his part, Daniel had been working incredibly hard over the last few weeks. When he wasn’t at the theater trying to get the set together or doing odd jobs, he was fixing up the house.
So within minutes both of them were sleeping soundly on the couch.
She woke up first, and she knew she should’ve felt some panic at waking up in a strange place, but she couldn’t muster the anxiety. Lying with Daniel felt too good. Besides, the clock on his wall said it was only a quarter after eleven, so Gemma probably wasn’t even home yet.
He was still asleep, but he must’ve woken up at some point because the television was off. The only light was the moon pouring in through the open windows. It wasn’t full yet, but it was bright enough that Harper watched him sleep for a minute.
If he woke up and caught her, she’d be incredibly embarrassed, but he looked so peaceful and handsome as he slept. His unshaven scruff made him ruggedly sexy, and she had a feeling that if he shaved it completely, he might look too pretty. His skin was smooth, and his mouth had a sexy, sinful quality to it.
The urge to kiss him overtook her, and she decided that she’d better wake him first. They hadn’t had their after-dinner make-out session yet, and to set the mood, she wanted to wake him in the right way.
“Daniel?” she whispered in his ear, doing her best to sound sultry and seductive. “Daniel?”
He didn’t stir at all. Not even slightly, and she was speaking right into his ear. She instantly began to panic, and she couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not. When she’d fallen asleep she’d heard his heartbeat, but had she heard it a few minutes ago when she awoke?
“Daniel?” Harper asked again, and by now she was certain that he’d died while she was asleep. “Daniel?”
He moved his head. “Hmm?” He turned to look at her, opening his eyes slowly, and she let out a deep breath. “What?”
“You didn’t hear that?” she asked. She sat up a bit, and he moved his hand to her back.
Daniel still appeared groggy and didn’t seem to completely understand the situation. It must’ve been apparent that she was upset, because he rubbed her back to comfort her.
“What?” Daniel asked, becoming more alert.
“I was saying your name. I was whispering right in your ear.”
He furrowed his brow. “Why were you whispering in my ear?”
“I was trying to wake you up all romantic-like.”
“Aw.” He smiled. “That’s very sweet of you.”
He tried to pull her down, either to kiss her or so she’d lie with him again, but she resisted. She was still confused and anxious.
“Yeah, but why couldn’t you hear me?”
“The accident.” He sat up a little bit, since he’d begun to realize that Harper wasn’t going to let this go.
“You mean the boating accident you were in with your brother?”
“Yeah. It messed up my back. I don’t have complete range of motion in this shoulder, and I have all these nifty scars.” He rolled his right shoulder, trying to show it didn’t move so well. “But it hurt my ears, too. It didn’t damage the outer part, but it messed something up so I can’t hear certain octaves. I’m not deaf, but just some stuff I can’t hear.”
“Did it mess up both ears?” Harper asked.
“Yeah, the right is worse than the other.” Daniel mot
ioned to the ear she’d been whispering in. “I almost lost my hearing completely in it, but I had a surgery, and it’s pretty much fine now. The other one was never that bad to begin with. But there’s a nasty scar running across the back of my skull. If I ever go bald, it’ll be gross.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Harper asked, and she knew her tone was more pointed than she wanted it to be, but she couldn’t help it.
“I showed you the scars before,” he reminded her.
“But you didn’t tell me about your hearing.” She sat up completely now, pulling away from him, and that only made his confusion deepen.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think of it. Why does it matter?”
“That’s got to be it. The sirens, Daniel. That’s probably why you’re immune to them.”
She leaned down, kissing him on the lips, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. He moved, rolling her over so she was on her back, and he kissed more deeply. Harper felt the scruff of his face on her cheeks, and something about it seemed so perfect. The way Daniel kissed her summed him up perfectly—a little rough on the edges, but so sweet and sexy.
Abruptly, Daniel pulled away from her and sat up straighter, looking around the room. “What was that?”
“What?” Harper smiled, thinking that he was teasing her about when she whispered in his ear.
She had her hand on his chest and slid it up, meaning to pull him back down to her, but then she heard something, too. For a few moments, she’d been lost in his arms. But now she heard it—a wet thwacking sound as something slammed into the front door.
“Stay here.” Daniel got up, managing to move both quickly and calmly while fresh panic spread out over her.
Harper stood up and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of something through the windows of the cabin, but she saw nothing. “Did you see anything?”
“I don’t know. Just stay here,” he repeated and walked to the front door.
“Maybe you shouldn’t open the door,” Harper suggested. “At least not if you don’t know what it was.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Daniel said.
Harper lagged behind him and grabbed the poker from next to the fireplace. Daniel may not be cautious, but she wasn’t about to open a door unprepared. Not when she knew what kind of monsters could be out there.
“You’re out alone on an island,” Harper said. “It’s either a wild animal or the sirens, and either way, it’s not safe.”
“I’ll be fine,” Daniel insisted. He smiled reassuringly at her, then turned and opened the front door.
Harper gripped the cold metal tightly in her hands, preparing to strike Penn or Lexi dead if they were on the other side of the door. But when it opened, Harper saw nothing.
“Oh, good,” Daniel said as he stared down at the ground. “It’s only fish.”
“Fish?” Harper moved closer to him so she could peer down and see what he was talking about.
Two huge bluefish lay at Daniel’s doorstep. Or at least they appeared to be bluefish, but it was hard to tell, since they’d been thrown at the door with such force that their guts had splattered out, leaving droplets of blood and viscera all over the side of the cabin.
Harper was about to ask him what that was about, but then she saw it—a gigantic black feather floating through the air. Rather fittingly, it landed right in a small puddle of blood, the black veins of the feather appearing almost iridescent in the moonlight.
“Penn,” Harper said. A chill ran through her. “Do you think she was watching us?”
“It’s hard to say.” Daniel rubbed his hand on his forehead. “Well, I should get you home.”
“A siren throws dead fish at your house and your only reaction is to take me home?” Harper gaped at him.
“It’s getting late.” He turned back toward her, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“Daniel, I’m not just gonna leave you here like this,” Harper insisted.
“Harper, it’s fine,” he said. “Penn’s just messing around.”
“Just messing around?” Harper scoffed. “She’s clearly threatening you. She could still be out here now.”
“No, she’s not.” He shook his head. “If she wanted to hurt me or you, she would’ve. This is just a stupid prank. It’s the siren equivalent of egging my house.”
“Daniel, I think it’s a bit more serious than that.” Harper stared up at him for a while before exhaling deeply and letting her arms fall to her sides. “Fine. You can take me home. But only if you’re sure you’ll be safe out here.”
“I’m sure.” He smiled and kissed her gently on the mouth. “I can take care of myself.”
Daniel took her hand and led her down the trail back to the boathouse. The earlier magic of the night had faded away. The trees around them felt imposing, and the moonlight shining through them made the branches look like arms reaching out for her.
EIGHT
Cliff Diving
After weeks of it sitting immobile in the driveway of her house, Brian had finally gotten Gemma’s beat-up Chevy running again. He’d refused to work on it until after Gemma was ungrounded so she wouldn’t be tempted to take it.
It was just in time for Gemma’s Saturday visit out to see her mom. With college rapidly approaching, Harper was picking up as many shifts as she could at the library. She usually had Saturdays off, but with Edie back around, Marcy had been more than happy to give up days to her.
Harper had begun talking about not going off to college, saying it was too dangerous to leave Gemma now, but Gemma wouldn’t hear of it. As far back as she could remember, Harper had been talking about going off to school and becoming a doctor.
Well, maybe it hadn’t been as far back as she could remember, but it definitely had been after their mom’s accident. Harper had spoken with the neurosurgeon a lot while Nathalie was in the hospital, and she’d been preoccupied with the field ever since.
Everyone had made it clear how much work and dedication it required to become a doctor, and even if she did all the work and the schooling, there was still no guarantee that Harper would ever be one. But she hadn’t been deterred. If anything, it had only made her work twice as hard.
There had been many nights when Gemma had woken up to go to the bathroom, and Harper would still be awake, studying for an exam or working on her homework. She’d been working part-time since she was fifteen, on top of school and keeping the household running.
Gemma knew how badly her sister wanted this, and she refused to take it away from her. If Harper didn’t go to college this year, she’d lose her scholarships and her place in the premed program. It would throw off her entire future and ruin everything.
After all the things Harper had already given up for her family, Gemma wouldn’t let her give up anything else.
As she made the twenty-minute drive out to Briar Ridge, Gemma tried to think of arguments to convince Harper to go. All the logical ones wouldn’t really work because they were stuck in a totally illogical situation.
It would’ve been nice if she could have asked Nathalie for motherly advice, but she didn’t have any. She was in a good mood, chatting away about all sorts of things, and it was a little hard for Gemma to get a word in edgewise.
Gemma had tried to tell her about the play she was working on, because Nathalie had been somewhat of an actress in her day. That was how she’d gotten involved in the Paramount Theater restoration in the first place. Nathalie had wanted a place to perform.
But Nathalie couldn’t focus today. No matter what Gemma asked her or said to her, the conversation would veer in some bizarre direction. Her current obsession was a BeDazzler she’d gotten, although her lack of hand coordination presented a problem in her using it properly.
Somehow Gemma managed to escape the visit without any new jewels stuck to her clothing. Seeing her mother was always a little draining, and that only exacerbated the watersong.
When she went awh
ile without swimming or got too far away from the sirens, the ocean would call to her. It was like music in her mind, but the stronger it became, the more obnoxious and even painful it could become. The watersong had given her horrible migraines when she first became a siren and was refusing to swim.
The air conditioner in her car was broken, so hot August air was blowing in through the windows. The watersong had gotten to an irritating level. Not to mention her hunger was beginning to gnaw at her. She’d need to go on a date soon. The physical contact could help stave off her hunger before things got completely out of control and she ended up hurting someone like she had before.
Sirens craved four things—singing, the ocean, eating, and physical contact with boys. So kissing helped keep her appetite suppressed, as long as she kept herself in control.
But since she didn’t have any plans with Kirby, she’d have to settle for a swim. It would help her blow off some steam, quell the watersong, and even curb her appetite a little.
Right before she made it to Capri, she turned off the main drive and went up the winding road that led to the top of the cliff where the sirens were staying. Gemma didn’t particularly enjoy spending time with the sirens, but she had to do things with them sometimes. Not just to keep the watersong quieter, but to keep the peace.
She needed to act the part of a dutiful member of Penn’s little clique, at least some of the time, so Penn would be less tempted to go back on their deal about staying in Capri and not killing anyone, including Gemma.
Besides that, Gemma wanted to check up and see what the sirens were up to. She knew they were trying to figure out if there was anything supernatural going on in town other than themselves, but she didn’t really know how forthcoming Penn would be if she found anything.
When she pulled in front of the sirens’ house, she didn’t see Penn’s car. That didn’t mean anything, except that Penn probably wasn’t here, but that was a good thing. Gemma got out of her car and rang the doorbell.
She was just about to leave, deciding that nobody was home, when Thea opened the door. Her red hair was pulled back, and that was the first time Gemma had seen her with her hair up.
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