by Dee J. Stone
My arms wrap around him and I squeeze him tight against me, drawing out every ounce of comfort. Being in his arms makes me feel so loved and protected, but I need to face reality and not live in my own love bubble. “Welcome to reality,” I say against his chest.
He gently pushes me back and looks into my eyes. “To what are you referring?”
“Well, ever since I turned eighteen, I’ve dreaded dealing with being an adult. Having a job and my own place to live and whatever else. And then I met you and it was the most amazing thing to happen to me.” I give him a deep kiss. “Everything about you was so magical and like a fairytale. It was nice to escape life and just live in our own fantasy bubble. But we have to face reality. That means having to learn how we’re going to live as humans and children of the sea.”
His face gets cloudy, his expression growing uneasy. “Are you stating you no longer wish to be mated to me?”
“What? No! Never, Damarian.” I quickly shake my head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it seem like I don’t want to be with you. I guess I’m just worried how we’re going to live the way we want when it seems so difficult.”
Damarian gathers me close to his chest. “Do not worry, Cassie. We will, as you humans say, ‘Figure it out.’” He caresses my cheek with his finger. “I, a child of the sea, am living on land. You, a human, have shifted into a child of the sea. You have entered the sea and have saved my life. We have undergone a lot in a short amount of time. We are one, Cassie, and together we shall surpass all that stands in our way.”
I bury my face in his chest as his words enter my head. He’s right. We’ve been through so much together and have grown stronger and closer than we’ve ever been. Our lives may be tough, but whose isn’t? As long as we’re together and are happy, we shouldn’t let anything stop us from living our lives to the fullest.
I press my lips to his. “This is why I love you so much.”
***
I wake up with a feeling in the pit of my stomach. I can’t describe it exactly, but it’s not a good one. My eyes snap open and I feel the spot next to me for Damarian, but my hand touches the mattress.
“Damarian?” Sitting up, I strain my eyes in the dark in search for him, but he’s not in the room. Did he go back to his bed? Peeking at the clock, I see it’s one AM.
That feeling again. It’s coming from…Damarian. It’s telling me that something’s not right.
I throw my legs over the side of the bed and rush to the guest room. He’s not in there. I check the bathroom, only to find it empty. Could it be he was feeling sick and ran to the ocean? Why wouldn’t he wake me?
Taking a deep breath and letting it out, I tell myself to calm down. I have the ability to sense Damarian. I close my eyes. Even though it’s easier to feel him when I’m a mermaid, I can still sense him as a human. I try to regulate my breathing as I search for the love of my life. It’s as though I’m searching my soul.
My eyes fly open. He’s somewhere downstairs. I get down and see him sitting at the kitchen table, his head lowered, snacks all around. I’m not sure if he’s asleep. Raising my foot, I take a hesitate step closer. His head shoots up. The light is off, so I can’t see his face. “Hey,” I say.
“Hello.”
I reach to turn on the light. “What are you doing down here?” I ask as I join him. I now see there are gummy worms, pickles, cake, and sardines on the table. I look into his eyes and see how troubled they are. “You’ve been stress-eating.”
“Pardon me?”
“Eating because you’re stressed. Are you?”
He doesn’t say anything, but his lips are in a firm line, his eyes on the empty sardine can.
I place my hand on his. “Damarian.”
He raises his head and forces a smile. “I am well.”
I take one of the gummy worms and bite it in half. “You seem troubled.”
He shakes his head. Why won’t he talk to me?
“Even if it wasn’t evident all over your face, I can sense that something’s wrong,” I say.
“Do not worry, my sweet Cassie.”
“You don’t have to be brave. You can talk to me. Please talk to me.”
“But there is nothing to discuss. I am well. I was hungry and came down for this delectable food.”
“You don’t like pickles.”
He blinks at them like he only realized now that the jar is sitting on the table.
I run my hand over his knuckles. “Are you worried about what’s going on in the ocean? That the rebels attacked your family?”
“It does not seem likely. We have left the sea only a few days ago. That is not enough time for the rebels to recuperate.” He touches the side of his head. “I do not feel anything amiss. Do you?”
I close my eyes and picture Damarian’s family in my mind. His father Syren, his mom Kiandra, his sisters Doria and Zarya. His twin brothers Syd and Syndin, and King Kiander and Queen Flora. And I can’t forget Kyle, my ex-boyfriend and a member of the Emerald clan who helped me save Damarian.
Opening my eyes, I say, “I don’t feel anything. But maybe that’s because I’m not as close to them as you are.”
Damarian nods, but his face still shows how uneasy he is.
I take his hand again. “Damarian, if you want to go back, let’s go back.”
“No. You must remain on land.”
I hold out my palms. “I’ve been on land for a few days now. I’m pretty sure I can be in the ocean for a while before changing back into a human.” He opens his mouth, but I continue, “We lost track of time last time. We had no idea that we were down there for two weeks. We’ll be more careful now.” I rest my hand on his cheek. “Just like we need to pay attention to how long you go without salt water, we need to—”
He stands and faces his back to me, plowing his hands through his hair.
“I know it scared the hell out of you, Damarian. What happened to you back at Misty’s Juice Bar scared the crap out of me. But this is our life now. After some time, we’ll get used to it and—”
“I shall visit the sea myself.”
My mouth shuts. I stare at him. “No, I can’t let you go yourself. Not after what the rebels did to you in the Deep.”
He whirls around. “I cannot take you away from your life here. You have responsibilities.”
“You have a responsibility, too. To your family and your people. But I won’t let you go alone.”
“My love—”
“We’re stronger together. You know that.”
Damarian opens his mouth, then closes it. Opens it and closes it. He finally says, “There are many matters we must attend to on land. Such as seeking work, and I must continue my studies on how to live as a human.”
I get up and slide my hands up his face until my fingers tangle in his hair. “Damarian, your life in the ocean is just as important as our life here on land. Please don’t push anything away to accommodate me. Your life is my life, your problems are mine. The merpeople are in danger and we need to do what we can to help.”
“What if they are not in danger?” he asks, his voice low. “What if we travel to the colony only to learn that they are safe? If I am to return to sea, I cannot return home shortly after. It would hurt my family.”
I understand what he’s saying. Damarian has hardly been home. He spent so much time on land, and then he got captured. Now he’s back on land. It would hurt his parents and siblings if he were to drop by and then suddenly leave.
“So we stay in the ocean for a few days,” I say.
He shoves his hands through his hair again. “I do not know what the correct decision is. Will your mother not grow upset if you leave?”
Good point. I hadn’t considered that. And I don’t want to admit it, but the sooner I find a job, the sooner I can start saving money to help out with paying for the house.
Damarian takes my hands. “The most sound solution is for me to travel to the sea alone. I shall assess that all is well before returning to y
ou.” He kisses me. “I shall return to you.”
Tears enter my eyes. “I’m so scared for you to travel alone. Last time…”
He nuzzles his face into my neck. “My wish is for you to remain on land. I will rest assured with the knowledge that you are safe.”
“And I will be rest assured if I entered the ocean with you.”
He looks at me. I look at him. We stay like this for a little while.
I pull my gaze away from him. “Look, we’re not going to agree tonight. Let’s just go to bed for an hour before we have to go the beach for your swim.”
He nods.
I turn to leave, but he takes hold of my arm. “You are my world, Cassie. I love you.”
I bend forward to kiss him. “I love you, too. We’ll figure this out. We always do.”
Chapter Six
When I wake up the next morning, the delicious smell of batter and cinnamon travels to my nose. Damarian’s pancakes. Stretching my arms, I smile as I’m filled with memories of the days before I left for the ocean, of Damarian and me spending every second together, how sweet and romantic he was, making breakfast for me and carrying it up to my room. The passionate kisses we shared. When we slept together for the first time. It’s such a good feeling to wake up to it again, to the possibility that things can go back to normal—as normal as it can be for us.
I make my way to the kitchen and find him standing at the stove, a spatula in his hand. Mom doesn’t seem to be home. I come from behind him and wrap my arms around his middle, kissing his cheek. “Good morning, my merman.”
He twists his head to kiss me properly. “Good morning, my human.” His eyes crinkle as he gives me a wide smile. I return it.
I’m not sure if things are strained between us. I mean, we technically didn’t have an argument last night, but we couldn’t seem to agree, and I’m not used to this. Damarian and I haven’t always agreed in the past, but we always compromised. Things aren’t so simple anymore. We both want the same thing—to make each other happy. The way I want to do that is to be supportive when it comes to his life in the ocean, and he wants to do the same with my life on land.
“Thanks for making breakfast, Damarian.”
He gives me another smile. “It is my wish to make you happy.”
“I know. But sometimes you have to let me make you happy, too.”
“It is enough that you are my mate, my love.”
I want to give to him. I just love him so much and want him to be the happiest person on the planet. But I don’t know what I can do to achieve that.
“Do you know where my mom is?” I ask.
“She claimed she needed to…forgive me, I do not recall…” His eyes light up. “Yes, I believe she claimed she needed to ‘Run some errands.’”
“Oh, that means she’s probably going to the salon to get her hair and nails done, and she’ll probably do some shopping. We have a few hours to ourselves.”
Damarian nods. “Please, let us sit.” He gestures to the table.
I sit down, and he comes over with two plates stacked with pancakes. He settles down across from me. The only sounds are our forks clanking as we eat.
After Damarian finishes his first pancake, he says, “Perhaps I shall speak to your father regarding the…pardon, the work he has offered me.”
“The construction job?”
“Yes.”
I bite down on my lower lip. I have a lot of concerns regarding Damarian taking the job, but I don’t want to be so overprotective. As much as I want to look after him, he’s not a kid and he needs to learn to live in my world if he and I will spend the rest of our lives together. Like everything else, we’ll have to learn to deal with it.
“Okay. I’ll call my dad as soon as we’re finished with breakfast.”
“Thank you.”
Again, it’s silent.
I clear my throat. “Damarian?”
“Yes, my sweet Cassie?”
“I was thinking…if you want to go back to the ocean without me, maybe some of the sharks can go with you?”
His whole face brightens like a light bulb went off in his skull. “That is a magnificent idea!”
“I’ll still be worried, but it will make me feel better.”
He springs up and gathers me to his chest, raising me off my chair with so much vigor that he almost loses his balance. “How I love you, my beautiful Cassie. Thank you for thinking of a solution.” He kisses me with so much feeling, I can practically read what lies in his heart.
I push myself into him, wanting to merge our bodies into one. “I don’t like arguing with you. I mean, not that we really had an argument...”
He fingers my bottom lip. “Neither do I.” He lowers me to the floor and kisses me again. Then he brings his lips to my forehead and brushes them down until they’re on my lips again, forcing them open and delving into my mouth. My nails dig into his back and my legs feel like jelly.
Damarian hooks an arm around my waist and holds me up against him, moving his lips over mine with more speed and intensity. I melt into him, tasting cinnamon and salt water and the yumminess that is Damarian.
We break apart, our chests heaving, our breathing ragged. I don’t have time to catch my breath because he sweeps me into his arms and carries me to the couch. He sits down with me on his lap, my legs wrapped around him. His hands are on my waist as he bends forward to nibble my neck. A moan escapes me. His lips move down my throat, slowly, like he’s savoring every taste of me.
He tightens his hold on my waist and shifts over, laying me down so that my head is on the armrest. He pushes my shirt aside to gently bite on my shoulder. My head is thrown back, knocking into armrest. At any other time, it would hurt, but all I feel is the throbbing in every part of my body.
I open my mouth to say something, but my breathing is too heavy. Damarian’s lips are on mine before he whispers, “Do not speak, my love. For now we are pleasing each other.”
He lifts the bottom of my shirt to press a kiss on my stomach. My nails dig into his back again. He kisses every single part me, leaving me breathless and wanting more.
I reach for the hem of his shirt and tug it over his head. Then I brush my lips across his chest, enjoying the groan leaving his mouth. I gently shove him to the other side of the couch so that his head is against the armrest, and trail kisses from his forehead all the way down to his stomach. He looks up at me with heavy eyes, a look I love seeing on him.
The door shuts. Footsteps enter the room.
I scramble off Damarian while he yanks his shirt over his head. Mom stands before us with a grocery bag in her arms, her eyes and mouth gaping open.
Crap. So much for having a few hours to ourselves.
I pat my hair down, my cheeks blazing. Mom stands like that for a few more seconds before gathering her bearings and disappearing into the kitchen. Damarian and I are frozen in place. All I hear is Mom unpacking the groceries, and the whooshing sound as my heart beats in my head.
Damarian pulls his shirt down so it covers the rest of his torso. “Forgive me, Cassie. Is your mother upset? Will she not allow me to remain here with you?”
I take his hand. “Don’t worry. This situation has never really happened to me, other than the time when Mom walked in on us together in bed. But we weren’t really…well, you know.” I laugh lamely. “I guess we need to learn to keep our distance while she’s here.”
Damarian frowns. “When is she due to leave?”
“A few more days.”
He kisses my ear. “What a challenge it will be.”
I sigh like this is the most horrible thing to happen, and we both giggle. Damarian’s features turn dark and he looks away. I close my fingers over his chin and turn his face toward me. “They’re okay, your family. And when you go home tonight, you’ll see them again.”
He nods, but I see the worry in his eyes.
“I’ll call my dad now, okay?” I swipe my phone off the coffee table and scroll through my contacts u
ntil I find him. Hopefully, the construction job is still open.
I get his voicemail and leave him a quick message to call me back. “He’s probably too busy at work,” I tell Damarian. “Do you want to watch a movie?”
“Certainly! May we watch science fiction?”
I grin. “Anything you want.”
Mom peeks her head in as I load in the movie, a plate of pancakes in her hand. “You never told me Damian is such a good cook!” It seems like she’s pretending she didn’t see what happened on the couch.
“Damian is full of surprises.”
His face is a little pink. “Thank you, Joanie Price. You are most generous.”
She waves her hand. “Please, Joanie.” Her eyes move to the TV screen. “Can I join you guys?”
“Sure,” I say while Damarian says, “Certainly.”
As Mom settles down, I keep my eyes on her, seeing how excited she is to spend time with us. I feel guilty for keeping such a big secret from her. I know I need to tell her, and I will. I just don’t want anything to change between us.
Chapter Seven
I take a handful of gummy worms and squeeze them into a small baggie for Damarian’s younger siblings. Zarya loves them, and the twins are taken away by them, too. I stash it in my bag of essentials, reach for Damarian’s hand, and together, we leave the house.
The night is cool and quiet, with a full moon. Damarian’s clutching me a little tighter than usual, and I can sense how anxious he feels. Anxious to leave me for a few days, anxious to discover what’s going on in the sea. It pretty much matches exactly how I feel.
When we’re at our usual spot, I heave myself onto the largest rock, my feet dangling. Damarian sticks his hands under my knees and massages them. “All will be well.”
“I wish I could come with you.”
“You will,” he assures me. “Once matters are taken care of on land.”
“I’ll look for a job and try to reach my dad again.” He hasn’t called me back, which is a bit strange, considering he’s done so every time in the past.
He strokes my hair. “Do not fret. If your father cannot provide me with work, I will seek it elsewhere.”
