《The Bad Boy And The Mermaid》


 Chapter 1: Prologue

    Chapter 1: Prologue


    COPYRIGHT


    This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, ces, brands, media and incidents are either products


    of the author''s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemnce to persons, living or dead, is


    coincidental and not intended by the author.


    All rights reserved. Including the rights to reproduce this book or the portions thereof, in any form. No


    part of this text may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the author.


    Copyright ? 2021 KITTYKASH


    * * *


    BLUE


    Was marriage the only think a mermaid was supposed to do when she grew up? I asked myself that as


    I began getting ready for the big day ahead. My friends Coral and Oceana were braiding my hair and


    fixing it with sea shells. Since my hair was the longest among my friends, they loved braiding it. I


    looked at my appearance in the mirror and realized how beautiful the hairstyle had turned out to be.


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    ¡°You look like a princess Blue!¡± Coralplimented me. ¡°I¡¯m sure Adrian will fall head over heels in


    love with you.¡±


    Iughed.


    Today was supposed to be a big day. I was going to be engaged to my best friend, Adrian. He and I


    had been friends since childhood and everyone used to tease us back then about how cute we looked


    together. The teasing had gotten serious during high school when Adrian confessed his feelings to me.


    My parents and his were actually thrilled about us getting married. Me? not, so much.


    I had a sinking feeling inside, like I didn¡¯t want to do this. I didn¡¯t want to marry yet. I thought we were


    supposed to be in love with someone to marry. I read in those clich¨¦ Mermaid love story books that a


    person in love constantly felt the butterflies in the stomach or the longing to be with that person. With


    Adrian, I sensed nothing. It felt more like I was packing and moving into my best friends home. I


    couldn¡¯t think of Adrian that way. He just did not evoke any romantic feelings and that made me


    nervous. I knew he was head over heels in love with me, and that kind of made me feel guilty about not


    feeling the same.


    I wish I had some feelings for my future husband.


    Maybe after I married, I¡¯ll fall in love with him. That¡¯s what happened with all the mermaids. They were


    matched in their respective ns, and betrothed soon after their birth, destined to marry their partners


    just how Coral and Oceana were and they were always giddy with excitement whenever I mentioned


    the names of their respective fianc¨¦s.


    Coral added some pearls into my braid that made it shine brightly.


    ¡°There.¡± Oceana said delightfully, ¡°You look so beautiful today, Blue. I¡¯m so jealous you¡¯re getting


    married before me.¡± She pouted.


    Iughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Your engagement is next month. It¡¯s not that far.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m so excited. I can¡¯t wait. We should do shopping for our wedding together.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I said.


    My gaze flitted towards the ring finger. Soon I¡¯ll have an engagement ring on my finger. I hoped Adrian


    didn¡¯t go all out and bought the most expensive pearl or something like that. I wanted something


    simple. The sea-horse carriage was waiting outside my home. After I got ready, the girls and I settled


    down inside the carriage that would take us to the venue which held my engagement ceremony.


    Throughout the ride, I felt agitated and nervous.


    Once Adrian puts that ring on your finger, it¡¯s a done deal. There won¡¯t be another chance.


    Swim away


    The voice hissed in my hear.


    Swim away while you still can, Blue.!


    But what about my parents? They won¡¯t like it.


    You can deal with your parentster. Swim away and when you¡¯re back you can exin how you¡¯re still


    not ready to be engaged.


    What about Adrian? He would be heartbroken!


    You can exin Adrianter. He would understand, he¡¯s your friend after-all.


    Swim away, Blue.


    The voice kept repeating the same thing in my head until I screamed. ¡°Stop it!¡±


    Coral and Oceana stared at me, their expressions puzzled. ¡°Are you alright, Blue?¡± Coral asked.


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The girls ced their hands on mine. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It will be fine. Everyone¡¯s nervous on their special day.


    Think of your first kiss today. You can¡¯t just keep dangling that in front of him, you know. At least let him


    kiss you.¡±


    I smiled at them, unable to say anything else.


    It would be like kissing my brother.


    The engagement venue was a sea-garden decorated with illuminating shells and corals. Jelly-fishes


    swam around the ce. There were also water balloons and flowers. It was going to be a private


    ceremony. Coral and Oceana began fixing my appearance again, analyzing their handiwork.


    A few minutes before the ceremony began, I excused myself to go to the merdies restroom. I was


    afraid the girls would follow me there too but thankfully they did not. Instead of heading towards the


    restroom, I swam out through the entrance making sure I wasn¡¯t being noticed.I swam far away from


    the gardens, swimming until I knew I was far from the ce. I didn¡¯t have a particr n in mind, I


    just wanted to stall the engagement with Adrian. A few hourster, I nned on calling him through the


    shell-phone and telling him the truth.


    The truth that I didn¡¯t want to get engaged yet. I assumed he would be hurt and maybe he would also


    scream at me and stop talking for days but eventually I knew he would understand because Adrian was


    a good merman.


    I kept swimming for a good thirty-minutes until I realized I¡¯d strayed into a much deeper end. The part


    of the ocean where no mermaid swam into.I panicked. I¡¯d heard a lot of stories about the deep-end,


    about how mer-folk disappeared down there, eaten by arge species of fish or something more


    sinister. The horror stories of the deep end were infamous. In school we used to do dares and see if


    anyone could swim until the deep end and swim back but no one dared to do it.


    I saw a shadow of arge fish. Perhaps a shark. Those were some nasty fish and attacked the mer-folk


    constantly. I eyed him and slowly began swimming back.


    All I could see was darkness surrounding me. Tears began reaching the corner of my eyes, getting


    dissolved in the sea water. I swam in no particr direction and that¡¯s when I saw something fall from


    the top. It was too fast for me to dodge. The thing fell around me and wound me up in it. I was tangled


    in a. I¡¯d heard these stories from mer-folk about how the humans came for fishing constantly and


    killed the mer-folk with theirs.


    I continued to swim in the opposite direction but the rope pulled me up.


    Up.


    Up.


    Up.


    Until I saw the boat and the fishermen smiling and then I saw their expressions turn horrified. Once


    they pulled me up onto the humannd, I¡¯d loose my tail and shape-shift into a human, I decided. They


    pulled me up into their boat and I pretended to y dead.


    I could hear their hushed whispers, talking to each other. ¡°What the hell Buck? You did not just pull out


    a swimmer!¡±


    ¡°How did she get stuck in the fis?¡± The Buck guy asked someone else.


    ¡°Now you killed her because of your stupidity.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she already was a dead woman.¡± Buck said.


    Someone brought their finger to my nose and I held my breathing. It was so easy, I could hold my


    breathing for as long as I wanted.


    ¡°The girl¡¯s dead.¡± One of them dered.


    ¡°Too bad. She¡¯s a nice piece of ass.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. What did they mean by that? My ass was a piece? Like was it broken into pieces


    now that I was onnd?


    ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just throw her body on the surface. Who knows if she wakes up. Don¡¯t wanna kill nobody.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Good idea.¡± The other man said.


    No..No..Noooo! Throw me back inside the water!


    But they went along with their stupid n and ced my body near the shore by the sand. I kept my


    eyes closed. The ropes had pulled me hard and it had made me weaker. I saw the ocean waves and


    crawled towards it through the grainy sand, my hand reaching out.


    I had memories of my parents, friends and Adrian sh through my mind.


    What was I going to do?


    How will I swim back home? Or rather, how will I get back inside the water?


    Tears blurred my vision, and this time I felt the wetness on my cheeks because I was on humannd


    and not in the water anymore. I was having a hard time seeing clearly.


    How will I find my way back home? This had been a huge mistake!


    That was myst thought before everything cked out.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Blue


    When I opened my eyes, I realized I was in apletely different ce.


    Where was I?


    Suddenly, it came back to me in shes. Coral, Oceana, my home, the sea and Adrian. I¡¯d swam away


    from them and then some mean humans had caught me in a fis. I¡¯d pretended to be dead and


    that¡¯s why they¡¯d left me on the shore.


    I knew I was on humannd. I shuddered and hugged myself as a sob raked my chest as I cried. I


    touched my cheek, this was the second time I was feeling the wetness of the tears on my cheeks. I was


    lying on something soft, a bed. That¡¯s what it was and a nket covered me. I¡¯d read things about the


    human life and it had always fascinated me. Now all I wanted to do was to go back into the ocean; my


    home.


    A small brown creature stared at me from the window. It looked fluffy and cute. His big eyes stared, and


    he padded towards me on fours. I was scared at first so I pushed back against the bed. The little


    creature licked my hand.


    He was cute. The name tag said Leslie.


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    I looked around myself, inspecting the ce. It was like a small room. My eyes drifted towards where


    my fishtail used to be which was now reced by human legs. As soon as I was out of water, my body


    had taken the human form.


    I sobbed some more. I missed my tail. How was I going to swim back home?


    I cried even louder and there was suddenly a thunder outside, followed by lightning. It scared me.


    What¡¯s going on? Was I about to die?


    Maybe for real this time?


    Just then, something else moved. My eyes searched for it only to find that it was a human boy. He


    stared at me curiously and sat upright from his little bed. It was the same kind of bed we used for


    sitting, like a rock bed but this seemed softer.


    I watched as the human stood on his feet and walked towards me. He was so tall, taller than even


    Adrian. His eyes were silver, the color of shining pearls and his hair golden-brown. His face was very


    handsome; his features were simr to the men¡¯s description that the authors wrote about. I¡¯d read


    about the romance novels in the sea about a mermaid rescuing a man from a ship wreckage and how


    the sailor falls in love. I¡¯d loved that book, my friends and I had read that book over and over again and


    even dreamed of saving some valiant sailor from a ship wreckage but those had just been stories, but


    now that I was seeing an actual boy standing in front of me, I was frightened.


    He took a few steps closer to me, I shook my head at him.


    Don¡¯t hurt me!


    He took the shaking of my head as a sign to stop approaching and halted. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to scare you.


    I¡¯m sorry. I heard you crying and I thought maybe you were scared of the thunders. I tried to keep the


    windows shut but I guess it¡¯s a really bad storm out there.¡± he made his way to the little window and


    closed it shut saying. ¡°Damn these stupid windows. Need to get them fixed soon.¡±


    The boy turned to face me again, he seemed concerned. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±


    I was still so shaken up with everything that had happened earlier today that I wasn¡¯t even able to


    respond.


    ¡°Do you remember what happened to you?¡±


    Before I could answer, understanding dawned his face. ¡°Oh. Um, Can. You. Talk?¡± He asked in a slow


    deliberate way, drawing some conclusion.


    ¡°Do. You. Understand. English?¡± He spelled out each word for me and that made me look even


    dummer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not deaf.¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh thank god.¡± He said relieved. ¡°I was actually starting to wonder if you were.¡±


    I sniffled, feeling a bit calmer than before. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He scratched his head. ¡°Um...I¡¯m Hunter.¡±


    That exined.


    ¡°You hunt fishes?¡± I asked him, the watering out of my eyes again.


    He gave out augh. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯re a hunter. Is that why you brought me here? I¡¯m your big catch?¡± I started crying again.


    ¡°Whoa! Slow down, Tiger!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Tiger. If you¡¯re a hunter, you should at least know that much. I¡¯m a mermaid, I live in the


    ocean.¡±


    ¡°Girl, not to be rude or anything, but are you still high? I suspected you were drunk and passed out on


    the beach after some stupid ass party and probably even slept with someone you don¡¯t remember. I


    couldn¡¯t find your wallet or your phone so whoever you had this carnival ride with robbed you.¡±


    I swallowed. I didn¡¯t understand a word he¡¯d said. ¡°What are you saying?¡± I cried. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    The man who was a fisherman or a hunter blew out a breath. ¡°Lady, I drove to the beach tonight and


    found you passed out, lying in the sand. You were unconscious so I brought you home.¡±


    I wiped my tears. ¡°So you are not from the humans that caught me in the?¡±


    He shook his head.


    I felt relived. He wasn¡¯t among the fishermen. ¡°So you are just a hunter who happened to go hunting on


    a beach and found me?¡±


    He put his hand to his head and rubbed it. ¡°My name is Hunter. My upation isn¡¯t. I study in a


    university, I work part time at a barista and this is my home.¡±


    Hunter


    I looked at the beautiful aqua blue haired girl in my bed and felt an emotion of pity and sympathy wash


    over me. Obviously the girl had a screw loose and ended up at a party, became part of some shitty


    friend circle, a guy probably noticed how wasted she was and took advantage of her.


    She reminded me of myself back during my rebellious phase, leaving out the crazy part.


    ¡°So..¡± She said, ¡°will you help me get back to my home?¡±


    ¡°Of course I would.¡± I assured her. ¡°Just tell me the address and I¡¯ll drop you home on my way to


    college tomorrow. No biggie. Where¡¯s your house by the way?¡±


    ¡°The ocean.¡±


    I closed my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Maybe her apartmentplex was named ¡°The Ocean¡±.


    I was hoping that was it and if she seriously couldn¡¯t remember her residence, I was doomed.


    I didn¡¯t want to argue any further, I just nodded. ¡°Whats your name again?¡±


    ¡°Blue.¡±


    That was quite an unusual name for a girl. I smiled, she must like her name enough to get her hair


    dyed in the same color.


    ¡°Go to sleep, Blue. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow morning.¡±


    She nodded andy down on the bed nervously, looking around the room with curious and frightened


    eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m a good guy. I won¡¯t touch you, I promise.¡±


    Who was I kidding? I¡¯d never been a good guy in my life. In fact, bringing a stray home like her was the


    only best thing I¡¯d ever done, if you ignore Leslie.


    Again, she nodded. I turned and started walking towards the couch where I was crashing for tonight.


    The couch was cozy and wasn¡¯t big enough to amodate my entire body and my neck had already


    started to hurt but I could tolerate it for one day. I¡¯d make sure I found her home by tomorrow.


    Before I could hit the couch, I heard a low growl. I nced back at her. That sure hadn¡¯t been me. I


    caught her staring at me. Iughed. ¡°You should have told me you were hungry.¡±


    Blue didn¡¯t respond to that. I switched on the kitchen light, she looked at me from the bed with curious


    blue eyes. ¡°What...what are you doing?¡±


    I opened the refrigerator and pulled out some ham, veggies and Mayo. ¡°I¡¯m making a sandwich for


    you.¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    I suspected Blue could be having some mental issues or just having some sickness I wasn¡¯t aware of. I


    may have been wrong about the schizophrenia part.I watched as she reached out for the night stand


    and stood up. She took one step towards me and tumbled onto the floorboards. And then I heard a


    hysterical cry for help. I dropped the veggies and the knife and rushed to help her.


    What happened? Was there some injury on her leg that I hadn¡¯t noticed earlier?


    ¡°Blue, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her. ¡°Did you slip?¡±


    She sobbed, the nket was neatly folded around her slim body but I knew she was naked


    underneath. She touched her leg and sniffled. ¡°I can¡¯t...I don¡¯t know how to walk.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Blue


    I hated the way Hunter was looking at me, like I was crazy. He touched my ankles and pressed it


    gently. ¡°Does it hurt here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head.


    He touched some other part of my leg, his expressions concerned. ¡°Can you talk about what happened


    at the beach?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything.¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    ¡°I live in the west side of the Ocean near the Palm Ind. I was supposed to get engaged with my best


    friend but I didn¡¯t want that to happen so I swam away and...and I realized I¡¯d swam into the deepest


    end. I thought a shark was chasing me so I swam harder and then...¡± I knew I was getting hysterical, I


    still continued. ¡°Some fishermen caught me in their.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± That¡¯s all Hunter said.


    He didn¡¯t believe me!


    I could tell by his expressions.


    I didn¡¯t even expect humans to understand me either, but it still hurt my feelings.


    ¡°Let¡¯s help you on your feet for now, okay?¡± Hunter suggested. ¡°Here, let me hold your arm.¡±


    Hunter ced his arm around my shoulders and the other arm slipped around my waist as he pulled


    me up into a standing position.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t stand...¡± I said.


    But then suddenly, my legs had a strange sensation almost magical like they were finally getting a grip


    of thend. I felt better, the pain was leaving my feet slowly and I stood on my legs without much effort.


    ¡°Put your right leg forward and then your left. Keep doing it.¡± He instructed.


    I tried doing it and once again I was thrilled how I could walk like humans. I¡¯d been swimming all my life


    and now I could walk like them too.


    Iughed, feeling so wonderful. ¡°I can walk now!¡±


    Hunter nodded and then he let go off me and walked towards the cooking area, folding his arms across


    his chest, he watched me. ¡°Try walking until here. I will catch you before you fall. I won¡¯t let you get


    hurt.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± I asked, glued to the spot where he¡¯d left me.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Hunter


    Blue seemed hesitant at first and then she started walking towards me in slow steps. Small steps, one


    at a time and she was doing it.I knew it had all been in her head, you know, since the poor girl had


    some kind of an mental disorder. It must have been sad to be alive in the world and not know what to


    do in circumstances.


    For now, I probably looked like a parent of a one year old, waiting for my child to take the first baby


    steps towards me.


    Daddy is waiting here baby,e to daddy!


    I groaned. That sounded so wrong even in my head. I wondered what I¡¯d signed up for the minute I¡¯d


    picked her up from the beach.


    Slowly, she took steps towards me and when she reached the counter, she smiled at me. A real,


    genuine smile. There were tears in her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Hunter.¡±


    And at that point, something riled up deep inside me. Why was she thanking me? She shouldn¡¯t. She


    already knew how to walk, whatever happened to her earlier had probably just fogged up her memory.


    ¡°Anytime.¡± I said.


    Blue sat down on the kitchen stool and ate her sandwich in silence. She removed the top bread and ate


    it first, the ham next and thest bread followed after. She ate it all separately and I tried not tough


    but it was hard.


    The next morning, I woke up to find Blue still asleep in bed. She was sleeping with her mouth partly


    open, snoring softly. Shey beneath the nket that she was wrapped inst night. With her glowing


    aqua hair and her petite body, she was downright adorable. She would totally be game if circumstances


    were different and if she¡¯d been right in the head and met me at some random bar. But Blue wasn¡¯t


    normal. I gathered that much and it really was against my nature to have dirty thoughts about someone


    like her.


    Someone so innocent and selfless.


    Suddenly, she opened her eyes and gazed up at me with her clear blue eyes. Now that I looked closer


    in the sunlight, her eyes had a violet hue to it, they were a blend between blue and violet.


    Why did she look so perfect?


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± I asked her.


    She nodded, smiling and then ran her hand through Leslie¡¯s soft fur. ¡°He¡¯s really nice to cuddle with.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Careful, don¡¯t fall for him though. He¡¯s adies man.¡±


    She giggled and then sat up straight and the nket covering her front slipped down to her waist.


    ¡°Jesus Christ! Cover yourself, Blue!¡± I shrieked at her.


    She flinched and pulled the nket to her front. Her expressions told me she didn¡¯t understand what


    the big deal was, like exposing boobs to strangers was normal behavior as normal as serving tea to


    guests.


    ¡°Listen up, Blue. I don¡¯t know what they taught you from where youe from, but you don¡¯t show your


    assets like that to men you just met, okay? It¡¯s private. Very private.¡±


    Blue stared at me in confusion. She tilted her head. ¡°Assets. What assets?¡±


    Ohe on.


    ¡°Your breasts and your...your...¡±


    I¡¯d say pussy, vagaina or some other words like that but it didn¡¯t feel appropriate because it was her.


    ¡°Your dark triangle.¡±


    ¡°My what?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t just let people see you naked like that. It¡¯s something very private to you. Understand?¡±


    ¡°But I swam like this all the time and the men didn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Which were these men even from? of Apes?


    I had my bets she was a sex ve to some pervy old man. That could be a possibility, she ran away


    from him in some ugly circumstances and then hit her head on the rock bed and lost her memory. I


    knew I was drawing up conclusions, but there had to be some exnation to the mystery. I couldn¡¯t


    leave her unclothed like that. What if my half-sister or any of my friends decided to visit me. They¡¯d see


    a naked girl in my bed and call me a caveman outright.


    I needed to do something. I dialed my best friend, Fred. He had a solution to every problem.


    A few ringster, he answered. ¡°Hey man.¡±


    ¡°Fred, I need your help.¡± I said, as I threw on a basic t-shift over my head. I bnced the phone on my


    shoulder as I made my way to the kitchen and pulled out a cartoon of milk, sugar and eggs.


    ¡°You need my help at nine a.m which calls for some emergency. Ex-girlfriend try to murder you yet?¡±


    I knew who he was talking about.


    I snorted. ¡°I¡¯m already armed if she tries anything. Thest thing I need right now is a restraining order


    against her.¡± I prepared the batter for waffles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky. So what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Can you run an errand for me? It¡¯s kinda urgent and I can¡¯t leave the house until this matter is settled.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you need.¡±


    I cleared my throat. Bracing myself for his smart-assment that would follow. ¡°Women


    undergarments. Bra size thirty-four and a few other things. I¡¯ll text you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I heard you right. You want me to buy you a bra? Huh? Is there something you¡¯re not


    telling me, Hunt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. Just get me the things.¡±


    I hung up on him before he could make any morements.


    I prepared the waffles and added an extra whipped cream on it. Waffles were the only thing I was good


    at making for breakfast. I missed the cook Tina from back home. Just remembering her breakfast put


    me into severe depression.


    ¡°Um, Hunter?¡±


    I heard the sweet voice call out to me. She seemed hesitant about something and fidgeting. ¡°I really


    want to use the bathroom.¡±


    There was a certain urgency in her voice, I quickly led her to the attached toilet. No matter how


    beautiful she was, I didn¡¯t want her to wet my bed. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t require instructions on how to use


    it, right?¡± I asked her as I handed her one of my old t-shirts.


    Thankfully, she shook her head or I didn¡¯t know how I would have survived the embarrassment of


    showing her how to do it.


    ¡°Good.¡± I had ran out of patience for teaching toilet etiquette. I pointed at the t-shirt. ¡°Take a shower and


    wear this.¡± I proceeded to show her how the shower worked and asked her to help herself to my


    toiletries and spent the next ten minutes showing Blue the functions of a t-shirt. I wondered how long I


    was supposed to do this? How hadn¡¯t the girl learned anything at all?


    When I checked the clock, I realized I waste for my lectures.


    Oh well, I¡¯ll sleep in for today.


    I heard the sound of a bike pull onto the street. I knew at once it was Fredricko¡¯s. A few minutester, I


    heard the knock on the door.


    That bastard had gone all out and bought stuff from Victoria¡¯s Secret.


    ¡°What the fuck, dude?¡±


    He threw me a look. ¡°Well, I thought you¡¯re going on a pre-marriage honeymoon to Hawaii so I figured I


    might as well buy a few sexy pairs.¡± Then he threw two boxes of condoms on the floor.


    ¡°Asshole.¡± I said as I handed him the money. ¡°You already know how broke I am. And I didn¡¯t need


    condoms!¡±


    Fred had gotten everything I¡¯d asked for.


    Panties -Check


    Thirty-Four size Bra- Check


    Birth control Pill - Check


    I¡¯d wondered if something had happened to Blue that perhaps she wasn¡¯t ready to tell me. The pill


    would definitely avoid any unwanted pregnancies and she¡¯d thank meter.The question was, how do I


    get Blue to take them without her asking me a gazillion questions. Fred was already giving me a


    questioning look, his expressions getting darker by the minute. I knew he was already jumping to


    conclusions so I gave Fred a quick recap of my current circumstances.


    His mouth was a surprised ¡®O¡¯


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t me me. It all sounds unbelievable. You sure she¡¯s not a runaway or perhaps a burr?


    Check your drawers at night and keep the knifes hidden under your pillow. Just in case....¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous. I¡¯m absolutely safe around her.¡±


    Blue emerged out of the steaming bathroom a few minutester, and it was kind of weird to see her


    wearing my shirt that stretched up just above her knees making it look like a loose dress. Her hair was


    wet from the shower and smelled of my soap.


    She smelled like me.


    She nced between Fred and me. ¡°Who is this?¡± She asked politely.


    ¡°Blue, this is my friend, Fredricko. And Fred, this is Blue.¡± I made fast introductions.


    ¡°Hi.¡± She said, and then her gaze shifted to something that was on the floor. She picked it up and


    inspected it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She smiled. ¡°Is it some snack?¡±


    The box of condoms!


    I snatched the box out of her hand faster than you can say the word condom. ¡°Let¡¯s just say if you were


    to stay here with Hunter long enough, he¡¯d be more than d to teach you how to use it. Right


    Hunter?¡±


    I red daggers at Fred. That bastard.


    ¡°All you need to know is that it¡¯s not a snack.¡°I said with a smile.


    ¡°It has something round in a wrapper. Is it candy?¡± She asked curiously.


    You should have seen the expression on Fredricko¡¯s face. He was starting to look like a mannequin.


    ¡°Um, Hunt, can I talk to you in private for a moment?¡± Whatever trance that he¡¯d been a while ago, he¡¯d


    snapped out of it.


    He pulled me near the window, away from Blue¡¯s ear shoot. She settled down on the bed and began


    petting Leslie,ughing as she did. The dog had taken a great liking to her in a very short time.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Fred questioned.


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m as confused as you are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any grown up woman who hasn¡¯t heard about condoms. Could she possibly be autistic?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nah. Not autistic, but definitely some other mental disorder.¡± I continued. ¡°Look she¡¯s


    not my problem but it¡¯s not safe to just let her go like that. What if she was abused at the house she


    was at or maybe neglected?¡±


    Fred nodded. ¡°I know where you¡¯re getting at. She¡¯s really pretty though. Can¡¯t think of anyone who¡¯d


    want to hurt someone as beautiful looking as her.¡±


    ¡°There are some really disgusting people out there so yeah, it¡¯s possible.¡±


    And then we heard a loud scream piercing through the walls. Blue had done some of her own


    exploration and touched the hot Waffle Iron. ¡°My hand! It hurts!¡± She cried.


    ¡°Oh, Fuck!¡± I yelped and dashed towards her. I took her hand in mine and ced it under a jet of cold


    tap water.


    She rxed a bit but the crying hadn¡¯t stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything without asking me first! You


    understand?¡±


    She continued to cry like a damn baby. That¡¯s what she mostly did. Cry for every little thing. I didn¡¯t


    mean to yell at her like that but the too eager attitude of hers was getting on my nerves. Why couldn¡¯t


    she just sit at once ce without causing trouble? I had serious anger issues and I was doing


    everything in my power to not scream or throw something against the wall.


    ¡°I just wanted to taste that.¡± She whined.


    I pulled the waffle out of the iron and ced it on the te, dousing it with chocte syrup. ¡°Sit here


    and eat.¡±


    People had a hard time dealing with me mostly because of my bossy nature. Girls like to be around me


    until they got to know the real me. I was someone who constantly had a temper and dished around


    orders and expected the person to do it. Fred was the only friend I had because he thought I had a


    good heart under all the tough exterior (whatever that meant)


    She sat down on the ind bar, grabbed the waffle and began eating it with her hands, the syrup


    dripping down all over her chin.


    Fred looked away and chuckled. I threw him a pointed look.


    ¡°Just adopt her already.¡± Fred suggested. ¡°She¡¯s adorable.¡±


    ¡°If you like her, you¡¯re free to take her home.¡± I said.


    ¡°She¡¯s not some stray kitten.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she seems like right now. A fucking stray kitten.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to take her home


    tonight, even if she lives on another.¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    We both nced back to find her licking the chocte syrup off her arms.A few minutester, Fred left


    the ce asking me to call him again if I needed him for something. Blue was napping on my bed,


    Leslie right beside her.


    An hourter, I woke her up and asked her to wear another one of my t-shirts.


    I was going to drop her back to her house.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Hunter


    When I informed Blue that I was taking her back to her home, she was excited and sat right up on the


    bed, rubbing her eyes. She was ready to go. Leslie continued to bark as if he has a premonition that


    Blue wasn¡¯ting back home once she left.


    Stupid dog. He got attached to every person that walked into the house but Blue was the first that he¡¯d


    taken a liking to in such a short time.


    She smiled at him lovingly and ruffled his ears. ¡°He loves you a lot.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I can see that.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I can feel it, and Les told me that himself. He loves you and cares for you, but he


    just wishes you didn¡¯t date bitches.¡±


    I stared at her incredulously. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He said all the girls you dated before were lying bitches.¡±


    I stared at Leslie, looking at me with gooey eyes, his pink tongue lolling out.


    How could Blue be making some of these stuff up? And what the hell? She looked so innocent yet she


    said something like this without even batting an eye.


    ¡°Leslie¡¯s a dog. He can¡¯t speak!¡± I said, I couldn¡¯t keep the frustration off my voice.


    ¡°But he speaks to me.¡± Blue said defensively.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I folded my arms across my chest. ¡°Okay. Prove it to me then. Tell him to tell you something that


    you don¡¯t know.¡±


    Blue touched him, and the way Leslie was looking at her was suspicious. She then looked back at me


    and said. ¡°He told me you¡¯re really careless and left a full cartoon of milk out on the counter for two


    days until it went bad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something that you can guess. Tell me something else that only Leslie and I would know.¡±


    ¡°He saysst month when you got another girl on a date, he was in the front seat and you thought he


    was sleeping but he saw how badly you fucked that chick in the backseat.¡± And as if that wasn¡¯t


    enough, Blue added. ¡°He says real smooth.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Okay enough. Does Leslie know something else that¡¯s not explicit? Something that doesn¡¯t


    include me and random girls.¡±


    I was starting to wonder if she even understood the meaning of it. From the looks of it, she surely


    didn¡¯t.


    She nced at Leslie and back at me, her fingers caressing the dog. Her eyes suddenly turning sad.


    ¡°He says that...even though you are a manwhore, he¡¯s really thankful that you picked him up from the


    dumpster that day. It was raining and his previous owner had dumped him there because he was sick.¡±


    A few more tears grazed her cheek. ¡°He says he would have died if it wasn¡¯t for you, Hunter. He says


    Thank you.¡±


    And as if Leslie could hear what Blue just said, he approached me and stood on his hind legs, wing


    my legs with his paws. When I reached out to him, he licked my hand.


    There was no way Blue could find out about that bit of information in just one day, and I was pretty sure


    I hadn¡¯t said a word about how I¡¯d met the dog.


    ¡°Oh god!¡± I whispered, putting my hands behind my head and looking at the ceiling. I was going to cry.


    Did that mean Blue had some super powers to talk to animals? How was that even possible?


    I petted Leslie, and ced a leash around him. Blue was looking at me curiously. ¡°Do you believe me?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°For some reason, I do.¡±


    Blue climbed into the passenger side of the car while Leslie sat in the backseat. He normally like to ride


    shot-gun in the front seat but I guess he loved the girl enough to sacrifice his usual space.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    Blue led me to the beach again, the same beach that I¡¯d found her on. She insisted we walk to the


    beach so followed her, Leslie was on his heels on a leash trudging through the soft sand. He went wild


    and began rolling in it like he always did.


    We walked a few minutes and then Blue turned to me. ¡°This is it, I guess. Thank you for everything,


    Hunter.¡±


    I had a sinking feeling even though she¡¯d been with me for just over twenty-four hours. It¡¯d been nice to


    have someone around the house. Also, the four legged fur-ball loved her.


    ¡°No problem.¡± I said. ¡°But, I don¡¯t see any beach house around here. Where do you live? I could walk


    you there.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll have to swim there. You stay here at the store okay? Don¡¯t follow me into the


    water.¡±


    Before I could say another word she reached for the hem of my t-shirt, pulled it over her head and


    dropped it on the sand below, sping her hands to her breasts and began walking into the ocean


    slowly. The wavespping with force.


    I stared at the t-shirt in disbelief.


    What the hell did she think she was doing?


    I watched her for a few seconds thinking she must be bluffing and then when she didn¡¯t didn¡¯t stop, I


    went right after her but she continued to walk deeper into the darkness. I caught her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re


    suicidal, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I was so stupid. I should have known. She kept talking about going into the ocean, what I¡¯d seen


    yesterday wasn¡¯t her getting wild at a party, but she had probably tried to kill herself by walking into the


    ocean and somehow managed to survive.


    ¡°What are you doing, Hunter? I told you not to follow me in the water! Let me go!¡± Blue pleaded silently.


    I didn¡¯t even think what I was doing as I pulled her into a hug. Maybe all she needed was a little


    reassurance that her life mattered. Nothing in this life was worth dying for.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be sad, Blue. We all go through that at one point of our life but dying isn¡¯t the answer to it.


    It¡¯s just a phase.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    I continued. ¡°Don¡¯t do this to yourself. I know we aren¡¯t that familiar with each other but giving up like


    this is so wrong. There¡¯s more to life than depression.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not killing myself!¡± She eximed, almost too frustrated.


    ¡°Listen to me. If you ran away from home or you were badly treated by anyone, I can make some


    arrangements. You can stay at my ce or my father¡¯s. My sister is a nice girl, she¡¯ll help you find a


    good ce and a steady job. But, don¡¯t just....¡±


    ¡°Hunter! You¡¯re being ridiculous.¡± She shrieked. ¡°I¡¯m a mermaid, I can swim home.¡±


    I was knee deep under water but I didn¡¯t care, I couldn¡¯t let her do this. If Blue walked further, she


    would be neck deep in and it would only be a matter of time before the water level rose up to her


    mouth. She would stop breathing eventually. Just then, I felt something graze my feet. I let go of my


    hand holding her hair and let it dip into the water. My hands were shaking when I touched her waist and


    my fingers grazed scales.


    Fucking fish scales.


    I pulled my hand out as if I¡¯d touched a hot pan. Blue continued to stare at me when I dipped my head


    inside the water and saw it with my own eyes.


    A silver blue fish tail glowing underwater. I came up for air andpletely freaked out. I totally lost it


    and ran in the opposite direction, panting. Leslie was barking in circles in the sand and howling in the


    distance, whimpering at the waves where the mermaid had been in. I sat up straight and tried to see


    through my watery eyes. Blue wasn¡¯t in view. From a distance, I saw a tail flutter once before it


    disappeared into the dark waves of the ocean.


    She¡¯d disappeared into the fucking ocean!


    I pped myself.


    Wake up, Hunter! It¡¯s a dream.


    I pped myself even harder.


    Wake up goddamnit!


    But this was reality. It wasn¡¯t a dream at all. Whatever that I¡¯d witnessed a few minutes ago had actually


    happened which proved Blue wasn¡¯t lying. It also meant that she wasn¡¯t mentally ill. She hadn¡¯t known


    these simple human ethics because she hadn¡¯t been from here.


    She really was a mermaid.


    Those beautiful half fish, half women species we¡¯d always heard about and thought of it as a myth.


    No wonder I¡¯d seen that fish tail yesterday when I picked her up before it vanished and turned into


    human legs. No wonder she couldn¡¯t walk.


    It all made sense now.


    I couldn¡¯t see Blue anymore so I assumed she was swimming back home. Leslie continued to bark in


    the oceans direction, like he was calling out to Blue asking her toe back.


    I pulled at his leash. ¡°Come on, Les. She went home, she¡¯s noting back and it¡¯s time for us to head


    home too.¡±


    He whimpered as he followed me, still looking behind him to see if Blue would magically appear.


    I drove home feeling strange and quite frustrated with myself. I¡¯d met a rare mythical creature and had


    treated her like she was a normal girl.


    Yeah, that was such a fucking douche move.


    I wanted to punch myself.


    If Mermaids existed then so would the aliens, unicorns or Bigfoot. Perhaps even the Loch Ness


    monster.


    I wasn¡¯t even hungry when I got home so I fixed myself with a ss of hot cocoa and went straight to


    bed. I couldn¡¯t sleep for about an hour, I kept changing sides.


    My mind was still on the aqua haired mermaid. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking of her.


    I kept wondering if she made it home safely or was it possible she could have lost her way into the


    ocean? She¡¯d been lost before, she could get lost again.


    I remembered she¡¯d mentioned some fishermen catching her in a. I could only imagine what would


    happen to Blue if anyone found someone like her. People could see her fishtail and inform the police or


    worse, take pictures and give it to museums and scientists and im some ridiculous amount of


    money.


    I imagined Blue caged in a ss tank surrounded by people analyzing her, watching her.


    Torturing her.


    Keeping her locked.


    I jumped right out of bed, grabbed my jacket and keys and went straight downstairs to my car. This time


    I made sure, Leslie stayed home.


    I drove fast like I always did and it usually got me a ticket, I looked in the rear view mirror and made


    sure there weren¡¯t any patrol cars because heck thest thing I needed right now was to get pulled


    over and have my time wasted.


    I was sure Blue had made it safely home, but there was a small part of me that wondered about the


    what if? What if she were to get lost again and decided to swim back?


    I parked my car exactly near to where I¡¯d left her and walked towards the beach.


    There wasn¡¯t anyone on the beach. Not a soul.


    ¡°Hey Blue!¡± I called out to her even though I knew I wouldn¡¯t get an answer. ¡°Blue!¡±


    Guess she made it home.


    I turned to leave home when I saw something near the dark rocks from the corner of my eye. Blue hair.


    I approach slowly towards the rocks. She was huddled by the rock, hugging herself. I could hear the


    familiar soft sobs. I stood behind her.


    Thank God I¡¯de back.


    ¡°Blue?¡± I called out to her.


    She stopped sobbing suddenly and turned her tear stained eyes towards me, her expressions


    surprised. ¡°Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± I said

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Hunter


    The entire ride back to my apartment was silent. Blue continued to look out of the window. Even though


    she¡¯d stopped crying, her expressions were a dead giveaway that something was wrong. She¡¯d slipped


    on my t-shirt from before, her hands joined in herp. When we came back to my apartment, Blue


    settled down on my bed and continued to stare into space. Leslie was rolling on the floor with joy,


    unable to contain his happiness on the return of his new best friend.


    My eyes flicked to the t-shirt she was wearing. The neckline was so big on her that it slipped down from


    the right shoulder showing off a creamyplexion. With her beautiful naturally dried aqua hair, she


    looked effortlessly pretty. She was so perfect that I wanted her to keep that t-shirt on forever.


    That reminded me, if she were to stay here even temporarily, I ought to get her some real women¡¯s


    garments and that meant I was going to be low on cash once again. I could coax Hannah, my half-


    sister to help out with the dilemma.


    Blue and Hannah seemed like they were pretty much simr sizes. The only differences I could see


    between Hannah and Blue were, Hannah was as ugly as a fucking duck, no matter how much Fred


    lusted over her, I didn¡¯t see that idiot being anything attractive to any guy. When I looked at Hannah all I


    could see was her snotty nose and her being in diapers and me having to change it multiple times


    during the time I used to babysit her while our parents attended parties and when the nanny got sick all


    of a sudden. (You know, sick after sucking face with our house butler)


    Blue was shorter, cuter and gorgeous. When I looked closely, I could see why I¡¯d thought she was


    different since the day I found her. She seemed like she¡¯d walked right out of a Mythological book.I


    didn¡¯t ask her what happened or why she had returned, it seemed to me like she needed some alone


    time to think and I owed her that privacy.


    A few minutes passed in silence and then she whispered. ¡°The gates were closed.¡±


    ¡°What gates?¡±


    ¡°The gates to the underworld. Those were open before I left that ce but now the gates are closed. I


    can¡¯t open them and the guards didn¡¯t let me in. It seems the Gods don¡¯t want me toe back.¡± Her


    body shook.


    I opened my messy wardrobe and pulled out a clean nket and ced it over her shoulders. ¡°Why


    won¡¯t they let you?¡±


    ¡°Coming into the human world is forbidden. It¡¯s one of the greatest sins. When I swam away from the


    engagement party, I didn¡¯t realize where I was going until it was toote and the fishermen took me.¡±


    She exined. ¡°I wasn¡¯t supposed toe into your world, Hunter, and now that I¡¯m here, I don¡¯t know


    how to go back.¡±


    Her nose had gotten drippy and I realized she would turn my bed into boogerville so I brought a tissue


    box and ced a tissue on her nose. ¡°Blow.¡± I instructed.


    And she blew into the tissue in a very unattractive fashion. Any other girl would have been shy at the


    prospect of even considering to blow their nose in a tissue under my supervision because most girls I


    knew acted like they had clean noses since birth and never burped or farted their entire life.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± She cried and wiped at her tears with the heels of her palm. ¡°These tears,


    they just won¡¯t stop. I was not such a emotional person before. What is happening to me?!¡± She asked


    frustrated.


    The reality was still feeling like a dream.


    She was a mermaid.


    There was a freakin Mermaid on my bed.


    Blue stared at me, agitation on her features. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just hard for me toprehend the fact that I¡¯m having a conversation with a


    beautiful mermaid, a real one.¡±


    Her cheeks turned crimson. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t believe until yesterday that I was living with a handsome


    boy either.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you think I¡¯m handsome, huh?¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°As if you didn¡¯t know that. Are you betrothed to someone?¡±


    I stared at her incredulously, ¡°beth...what?¡±


    Blue sighed, as if I was stupid and didn¡¯t understand anything. ¡°I was betrothed to Adrian, who I was


    supposed to marry. Were you also betrothed to someone?¡± She repeated.


    Betrothed! How old fashion. Who said that word anymore but Blue wasn¡¯t even from here. Maybe they


    were still old fashion down below. Maybe the mermaids still wore Hoop skirts and the boys wore dress


    shirts open from the front.


    ¡°I¡¯m not engaged to anyone and neither am I dating. Well, I used to but that¡¯s another story.¡±


    Blue stared at me in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s dating?¡±


    ¡°When a man and a woman like each other, they date.¡±


    ¡°What happens when they date?¡± She asked in her childlike curiosity and it was killing me. No one can


    be so beautiful and be this innocent.


    Although the questions were a bit annoying, I didn¡¯t mind answering them as long as the girl wasn¡¯t


    looking sad any longer. It seemed like the ¡°Dating¡± conversation was working and she wasn¡¯t having


    dark thoughts.


    ¡°When a girl and a guy date, they go out and have fun. Dinner, movies...¡± sex... she didn¡¯t need to know


    that so I avoided that word. ¡°You know stuff like that.¡±


    Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity. ¡°And then they get married right?¡±


    ¡°No, Blue. Dating doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that it ends in marriage. Most rtionships don¡¯t work.


    People who marry are in love. Dating is something to just get to know someone.¡±


    She nodded like she understood what that meant. ¡°So after they get married, they kiss and have a


    human baby, right?¡±


    I almost burst outughing. If only babies were born through kissing, I¡¯d probably be fathering over a


    hundred.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡± She asked me, irritated.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot more than just kissing that gets a woman pregnant, alright? But it¡¯s best I¡¯ll tell you that


    some other time.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me now?¡± She insisted like a four year old asking her mom if babies were given by


    fairies.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s fuckingplicated, okay?¡± I said almost irritated.


    ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± She asked.


    I signed. I realized I must practice more control over my anger issues. I couldn¡¯t be violent around this


    girl. She was sweet, and trying to learn about humans and there was nothing wrong she was doing if


    she was just a wee bit curious.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, Blue. I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s an appropriate subject to discuss at the moment. I


    promise you I¡¯ll exin everything soon.¡± I assured her with a smile. ¡°For now, go to bed. Tomorrow


    morning, we can go shopping.¡±


    ¡°Shopping?¡± She beamed ¡°For human clothes? Can I get a nice dress?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Anything you want.¡±


    With that I knew I¡¯d pulled her out of her bad mood momentarily. We had to figure out how she would


    go home but that thought could rest for the moment. She was here for as long as it took for the


    underworld mermaidnd gates to open or whatever shit she¡¯d said so that meant she was going to


    stick around for a while. And while Blue was here, the least I could do was show her a good time. I


    went to sleep on that thought.


    I couldn¡¯t skip college today not when I¡¯d already been cklisted a few times for being a ¡®no show¡¯ a


    dozen times. If I wanted to pass the semester, I needed to attended sses just for the heck of it. I


    decided to take the afternoon sses, that way I had time with Blue.


    I prepared breakfast, scrambled eggs this time and Blue gobbled it down like she¡¯d escaped a deserted


    Ind. It was amusing to watch her struggle with a fork and a knife. She couldn¡¯t even hold it properly,


    she was like a three year old hell-bent on poking the food. I chuckled softly, not wanting her to feel bad


    about meughing at her.


    I taught her how to hold it by wrapping my fingers around hers and helping her cut the food with a knife


    and fork. It was like teaching table manners to a child. Blue was clearly exhausted so I let her eat with


    her hands the way she fancied; sucking her fingers and licking her palms.


    I couldn¡¯t help as I burst outughing. She stopped licking midway and pouted. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Blue


    I¡¯d caught Hunter staring at me more than once and I wondered if it was because there was something


    wrong with my face or the shock of seeing a fishtail had scarred him for life.


    I couldn¡¯t shake this feeling of nervousness inside me. I¡¯d always wanted a human friend and this was


    my chance but I knew showing my tail to him had blown it.


    I was lying down on the bed, leading through a magazine when Hunter walked out of the steaming


    bathroom, a towel wrapped tightly around his trim waist. His golden-brown hair was wet. His chest was


    bare, water droplets grazing it and I couldn¡¯t help but notice the light brown hair on his abdomen. The


    designs on his arms looked nice. I mentally reminded myself to ask him about thoseter. I licked my


    lips and there was a strange sensation between my thighs. I mmed them shut tightly. The human


    body was strange, and I was still learning.


    Hunter chuckled. ¡°Wanna have me for lunch?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He was still grinning. ¡°You were drooling just a minute ago and that made me wonder if you were


    lusting over this fabulous body.¡± He said reaching for a water bottle and taking a drink.


    ¡°Lusting?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is. Although if I should admit, I was curious.¡±


    ¡°Curious about?¡±


    ¡°About what¡¯s under that towel of yours.¡±


    Hunter spat out a spray of water unattractively, set the bottle down and roared withughter.


    ¡°Well..what do you think there is?¡± He asked, leaning back against the kitchen stool.


    I shook my head. Mer-men just had scales like mine from the waist down and reproductive organs like


    a fish so I had no idea what humans had. I couldn¡¯t even guess if I tried because there weren¡¯t any


    books with pictures to exin that. ¡°My friend Oceana said boys onnd have a penis.¡±


    ¡°Huh, and what is a penis, do you know?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I was wondering if you can perhaps show me.¡±


    Hunter covered his face with his hand andughed. I thought I saw his face turn a bright shade of red.


    I filled both my cheeks with air, showing that I was mad and threw a pillow at him. ¡°You¡¯re always


    laughing at me Hunter!¡±


    He dodged it and stoppedughing, but there was still a trace of it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Blue but you¡¯re really


    amusing because you¡¯re blunt. I have never met a funnier girl than you.¡±


    I pouted. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just show me your male part?¡±


    Still amused, he padded towards his cupboard and pulled out a t-shirt simr to the one I wore. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, sweetheart, but it just doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±


    ¡°Just show it to me. I won¡¯t touch, I promise.¡± I assured him.


    He threw the t-shirt over his head,ughing and I watched as the fabric fit him perfectly, tight over his


    broad chest and snuggled to his biceps. ¡°I can¡¯t, Blue.¡± He then pulled something that was called a


    pants that humans wore until the waist.


    I tilted my head to try and get a peek, just to see if the towel slid down to showcase the mystery but it


    didn¡¯t. The towel slid down but the pants were right in ce. Since his back was faced towards me, I


    couldn¡¯t see a thing.


    I groaned and dug my face in the covers. I watched as he picked up the keys of that car he drove and


    realized he was going somewhere.


    ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± I asked.


    ¡°College.¡± He responded. ¡°You¡¯re going to be alone for a few hours. Do you think you can handle being


    alone?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie with you?¡± I asked.


    I knew college meant school for the grown up kids. I would have loved to go to his college and learn


    more human things.


    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± He said tly. ¡°But while you¡¯re here you can watch the idiot box.¡±


    ¡°Idiot box?¡± I asked.


    He took a ck thing that resembled a rock and switched on a screen on the wall. ¡°The television I


    mean. Watch anything you like. It¡¯s fun.¡±


    He proceeded to another technology device that he called a ptop¡± and showed me Youtube where


    there were a bunch of videos and educational stuff. The tab on top of it said ¡°Kids Youtube¡±


    ¡°If you are bored of cartoons, you can always switch back to the normal channel and watch something


    else. Okay?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Thanks Hunter.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°There¡¯s a kid who lives downstairs, Keegan. Hees over sometimes to take Leslie to the park.


    Hand over the leash to him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Hunter.¡±


    He then showed me how to lock and open the door. ¡°Will you really be alright?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± I wasn¡¯t a baby but Hunter seemed to be treating me like one. How hard could it be?


    ¡°And then when Ie back home say around five p.m, we can go out for some shopping to get some


    new clothes for you. Sounds fun?¡±


    I pped my hands excitedly. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Hunter also gave me another device and said I could make ¡°calls¡± on it. It was the same as a shell-


    phone back in the Ocean. He asked me to call him if I needed anything.


    ¡°Leslie, be a good boy and take care of Blue, okay?¡±


    Leslie barked and said ¡°yes¡±. Jumping excitedly. ¡°Bring me the meat vored sticks Hunt!¡± He barked


    but of course Hunter couldn¡¯t hear it as he shut the door behind him.


    Leslie quietly walked towards me and sat down in myp.


    He looked at me with sleepy eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s watch a movie.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Hunter


    Drink! Drink! Drink!¡±


    The cheer of the people in the club continued as I took the small ss of tequ and downed it.


    ¡°Drink! Drink! Drink!¡±


    ¡°Whoooo! Hunter! You can do it!¡± Someone else cheered as I downed my fourth ss. I sneaked a


    nce at Howie, the nerd from the English ss that had foolishlye to the party without realizing


    that he was going to be the center of all their attention.


    I downed the final ss and another roar of cheer pierced through the club. I couldn¡¯t even see


    straight, much less walk in a straight line.


    I was so screwed.


    I¡¯d won the tequ drinkingpetition as always, but what had I achieved doing that?


    Absolutely Fucking Nothing! As usual.


    Instead, I was going to have a migraine tonight followed by a bad hangover tomorrow. I staggered to


    the bathroom and managed to call Fredricko. He picked up on the third ring.


    ¡°Need a ride?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I managed to say and threw up violently into themode.


    Twenty minutester I was lying in the passenger seat of the old Beetle. My legs were starting to hurt


    from having little to no leg space but the throbbing in my head wasn¡¯t letting me think of anything else.


    My legs might as well be in a knot by the time I climbed out of the car like the cartoon shows.


    Then I remembered Blue.


    Shit! Shit! Shit!


    I¡¯d told Blue I¡¯de home by five p.m but it was past midnight and that meant I was more than six


    hourste. I had promised her. I rubbed the back of my head with my fingers; I mostly did that when I


    was disappointed with myself. I didn¡¯t want to think of Blue¡¯s reaction when I got home. After puking all


    the contents in the club¡¯s washroom, I¡¯d felt a bit better. I climbed the stairs to my apartment and turned


    the key to the door, already dreading her wrath.


    I found the apartment filled with an eerie silence. Even Leslie didn¡¯t bark. Cautiously, I tiptoed into the


    room, making sure to maintain the pin-drop silence. Normally, when I got home; I¡¯d throw each of my


    shoes in two different directions before tossing the keys on the dresser. This time, I had to be extra


    careful like there was a freakin¡¯ baby in the crib that would give me a hard time if disturbed. I found


    Blue sprawled on the bed, sleeping soundlessly.


    Topless.


    That¡¯s right. She was topless again.


    The first time I¡¯d seen her bare like that was her first morning with me when I¡¯d lectured her on how she


    should always cover herself. She¡¯d been alone for a few hours so I couldn¡¯t me her if she felt the


    need to be nude. I nced at the open window and made a mental note to bring some solid blinds;


    didn¡¯t need any pervy men across the street to ogle her.


    My gaze dropped to the t-shirt she¡¯d discarded on the floor, along with the bra that I¡¯d bought her


    yesterday. The girl had serious issues with clothes, I noticed. She was lying on her front so I had a


    perfect view of her backside. Her milky slender waist down to her very round...


    I groaned, fixing my jeans because things were starting to get lively down south. Blue was too pure for


    words, and far too innocent for someone like me. She didn¡¯t even understand what it was like to be


    naked in front of young men and I didn¡¯t know how I could exin it to her. Thinking of her in any erotic


    way was just off-limits. I was so tainted that I could go to hell if I even thought of touching her. Having


    her was out of the question.


    I decided to not wake her up from her sleep and to prolong my string of apologies for tomorrow.


    Apologies? I didn¡¯t even remember thest time I ever apologized to a girl for standing her up. Hunter


    Brantley never said the word ¡°sorry¡±.


    Blue mumbled something incoherent and turned her face away. I pulled theforter to her chin and


    watched her sleep silently. Warmth spread through my heart as I watched her. Shaking my head, I


    stripped down off my denims, peeled off my t-shirt and left the boxers on.


    Sleeping on the couch had be more and more ufortable by the passing day and I had to


    think of solving this predicament soon since sleeping on the bed was aplete ¡®No¡¯. I didn¡¯t trust


    myself to share my bed with a girl. If she was going to be in my bed, I had to have my hands all over


    her and hers on me. That¡¯s the only way I knew and I couldn¡¯t risk that with Blue.


    I¡¯d drifted off to sleep and thought I was dreaming when I dreamed of Blue walking over to my couch in


    all her naked glory and snuggling up to me in what remaining little space that was left on the couch


    beside me, and I felt those warm hands wrap around me and something soft touching my chest.


    Warmth.


    My hands touched the soft skin...


    The realization hit me. I wasn¡¯t dreaming, was I?


    My eyes shot open and I saw the crown of her wavy blue hair nestled against me, those soft breasts


    touching my chest and her hands around my back. I yanked myself away from her and climbed off the


    couch.


    ¡°What the hell, Blue?!¡± I snarled as I backed away from the couch.


    She sat up on the couch, surprise registering her face. ¡°Hunter, what happened?¡±


    ¡°For Fucks sake, wear a t-shirt or something and why were you on the couch with me?!¡± I couldn¡¯t keep


    the anger away from my voice.


    Surprise turned to rejection. I¡¯d made her upset because I was too angry to think straight. I had serious


    anger issues and most often when I was pissed at myself, I snapped and there was no way around it. I


    took my t-shirt that was lying around and flung it at her, it went right on top of her head, covering her


    face.


    An obvious douche move.


    Any other girl would have given me a string of curses, followed by a smack in the face and walked out.


    Blue just quietly wore the t-shirt and lied down on the bed beside Leslie. I was still angry as I closed my


    eyes and slept on the couch when I heard soft sobbinging from the bed.


    It was instinct when I sat up again, rubbing my eyes and cursing to myself; I walked back to the bed.


    Blue appeared to be hugging her body fiercely, her knees bent to her chest as she cried softly. My


    temper from earlier dissipated and I started toe back to my senses. I¡¯d obviously hurt her feelings.


    I touched her hair softly. ¡°Hey Blue.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond and I felt her body tense under my touch.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Blue. I shouldn¡¯t have talked to you like that.¡±


    I heard her sniffle, but she didn¡¯t say a word. I caressed the side of her face, raking my fingers through


    her hair. How could I possibly have gotten mad at her? I wasn¡¯t thinking straight when I pulled her into


    my arms. She didn¡¯t protest and came to me willingly. Blue clung to my chest, her wet tears smeared


    on my bare chest.


    I tilted my face to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Finally, she raised her ocean blue eyes towards me. ¡°I miss my family...¡± she sobbed. ¡°I feel so lonely,


    Hunter.¡±


    My heart broke. She wasn¡¯t even familiar with this ce yet and I¡¯d left her alone for hours and when


    I¡¯d finally returned, I¡¯d snapped at her.


    ¡°Is that why you came to the couch to snuggle with me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Snuggle?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like a cuddle. You had your arms around me and I was pretty surprised, you know.¡±


    ¡°I waited so long for you.¡± She whispered, inching closer and sliding into myp. ¡°And then when I saw


    you were home, I was so d. I didn¡¯t think me being without a t-shirt would bother you so much.¡±


    I tried to calm my racing heartbeat, trying not to think of the fact that the only thing between us was the


    thin fabric of my t-shirt on her. Her tits were basically touching my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m a man, Blue.¡± I reminded her. ¡°And you are a very gorgeous woman. Although you are absolutely


    safe with me, I can¡¯t guarantee if I would be able to keep my hands to myself if you hugged me naked


    like that. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying, baby?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a baby, Hunter. I¡¯m a grown up.¡± She said with a serious face.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing.


    ¡°You¡¯re always making fun of me!¡± She pointed.


    I cupped her cheeks. ¡°Do you forgive me for beingte tonight?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You have to go to school and also work, right? All that keeps


    you busy, I can understand.¡±


    A wave of guilt washed over me. I¡¯d finished early with my work today and I¡¯d headed straight to the


    bar. It had always been a part of my routine and I¡¯d kind of forgotten all about Blue untilter that night.


    ¡°Did you even eat anything?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°The Ice bucket in your fridge tasted sweet and I also had the Nute jar. I can¡¯t believe


    humans have such amazing things for food.¡±


    I wondered if a dentist¡¯s appointment was on its way.


    I wanted to hit myself. How had I forgotten about her dinner?


    ¡°Would you like to have some snack? Like a sandwich maybe?¡± I asked her.


    She shook her head, and yawned. ¡°I¡¯m really sleepy. I want to go back to sleep.¡±


    I decided to let it go, maybe she wasn¡¯t hungry. I checked the time. It was past four a.m. I groaned, I¡¯d


    have to wake up a few hourster for my first lecture.


    ¡°Okay, sweetheart. Go back to sleep. Nighty-Night.¡± I said as I climbed off the bed.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Blue¡¯s hand grasped mine. I stopped and looked at her. She started acting weird and started fidgeting;


    the way she always did when she wanted to ask something but didn¡¯t know how.


    ¡°What is it Blue?¡±


    ¡°Would you get angry if I asked you something?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You already are.¡± I grinned. ¡°Go ahead, ask me.¡±


    She scooted a little farther and patted the right side of the bed. ¡°Sleep with me.¡±


    That totally could have been interpreted differently, but it was Blue we were talking about here who had


    no idea about my less than noble thought process.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    She nodded, blinking at me. ¡°I want to be beside you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can sleep here but then..¡± I raised both my hands towards her and wiggled my fingers. ¡°My


    fingers start to tickle the person beside me in bed like this.¡± And I tickled her and she lost it,ughing


    and giggling loudly until her tears hadpletely dried up.


    I liked watching her smile, and there was a tightening in my chest again.


    ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡± She said, still giggling.


    ¡°Oh, you are yet to find out how mean I can actually be.¡± I said.


    I liked seeing her happy, and I didn¡¯t remember feeling so warm and happy myself in a long time.


    I ced a pillow between the bed. ¡°That¡¯s your side and this is mine.¡±


    That¡¯s what I told her five hours ago. When I opened my eyes in the morning, I found the pillow kicked


    off the bed and Blue¡¯s head lying in the crook of my neck, her body snug against mine. It didn¡¯t help


    that I had morning wood. I stayed like that for a while because she had my arm under her in a death


    grip.


    Her eyes flew open and she looked at me from under her longshes. ¡°Good Morning, Hunter.¡±


    Blue


    When I woke up in the morning, I found Hunter staring at me. Something hard was pressed against me


    down below but I didn¡¯t mind because it was Hunter. I liked it when he looked at me like that, it made


    me feel like I had butterflies inside.


    I raised my hand to his face and casually brushed the brown hair from his forehead. His eyes went


    wide. The sunlight streaming from the window made his hair glow and made him look so much more...


    Handsome.


    The hard part of him was still pressing against me so without thinking I poked it.


    It was soft. So I poked it again.


    I heard Hunter moan and he caught my wrist in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do that again.¡± He warned


    me. ¡°Ever.¡±


    ¡°Can I see it?¡±


    But before I could touch it further, he was on his feet with the nket wrapped around his waist. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± I begged.


    ¡°I¡¯m going for a shower.¡± He announced ignoring my question, a towel draped over his shoulder and


    clothesid out on the chaise.


    ¡°Can I join you?¡± I asked. ¡°We can scrub each other¡¯s back.¡±


    There was a grin on his face. ¡°I¡¯d love to scrub other things but...¡± he shook his head. ¡°Not with you.


    You¡¯re my good little mermaid.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you scrubbing me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice offer, but nah. If I was still drunk I¡¯d take you up on the offer.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ll fill in the tub for


    you, have a nice bath. My sister Hannah will be here in an hour, and she will take you out for shopping.


    Okay?¡±


    Any sort of amusement I was having, faded. ¡°You¡¯re noting with us?¡±


    Hunter shook his head. ¡°Not for the shopping, but maybe I¡¯ll join you guys for lunch.¡±


    With that he stormed into the bathroom and banged the door behind himself and left me thinking of his


    sister.


    Will she like me?


    I had never met a real woman before and the thought of meeting another human of the same gender


    made me nervous somehow. I had befortable with Hunter, he was a friend, (at least that¡¯s


    what I¡¯d like to call him) but meeting someone else that was his family?


    It¡¯s not like she¡¯s your sister-inw or something, Blue! Cut it out!


    I still wanted his sister to like me so I decided I would not act weird and be nice.


    Today would be so much fun.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Hunter


    I was in the midst of gobbling down a toast when I saw Blue¡¯s towel lying on the chaise. I sighed.


    It was her habit of forgetting things and having me to bring it back to her. I contemted walking into


    the bathroom while she was having a bath, surely she¡¯d drawn the curtain, right?


    I tossed the toast back on the te, picked up the towel and padded into the bathroom. When I walked


    inside, I heard her singing. A melodious tune, and her voice was a sweet, peaceful to the ears.


    I stood there, listening to her hum.


    ¡°You have a beautiful voice, Blue. I didn¡¯t know you could sing.¡±


    She stopped singing at once, and I had the feeling like she was going to be shy about it. ¡°Did you like


    it?¡± I heard her ask me from behind the curtain.


    ¡°Yeah. I did. You should sing more often, mostly outside of the bathroom.¡± Iughed, hanging the towel


    on the hook.


    I heard her giggle. ¡°If you like my singing that much, maybe I¡¯d sing just for you.¡±


    The bathroom curtain was a thin fabric, almost see through. I could see her blue hair and instead of her


    legs, I saw a tail. My heart started beating. That night when I¡¯d seen her full mermaid form, it had been


    dark so I couldn¡¯t get a clear view.


    Now was my chance.


    Cautiously, I approached the bathtub, caught one end of the thin material and pushed it aside revealing


    a very confused Blue. Of course she didn¡¯t scream or try to cover herself like any other normal girl.


    She just smiled shyly at me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± And suddenly the tail plopped beneath the water


    into the bubbles.


    Blue looked even more gorgeous in water. Her aqua blue hair glowed, her expression was gleeful and


    carefree. Her skin was wless without having used any cosmetics in her life. She was just beyond


    perfect. I could see why they said mermaids were the reason for some ship wrecks and even storms. If


    this girl asked me to jump off a high building, it would be hard to say no. The next thing, I¡¯d probably be


    making poetry about her.


    Fuck!


    I pointed at the end of the tub. ¡°I want to see it.¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Your fishtail. Show it to me.¡±


    Blue shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re going to be disgusted again likest time.¡±


    I stared at her incredulously, andughed. ¡°You are the most gorgeous woman I¡¯ve ever met. Nothing


    about you will ever remotely disgust me. Now, I want to see it.¡±


    Hesitantly, she brought the tail up from the bubble filled water. And for a minute I just froze, wondering


    if I was still dreaming. What if this was all a figment of my imagination? Maybe Blue was a normal


    woman, and my mind made her up. I could be a schizophrenic imagining things that didn¡¯t exist.


    But no, this was reality.


    A long fishtail with blue and silver lines on it, scales covering beneath it. I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d been


    staring, she said. ¡°Well? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You are still beautiful, sweetheart, and this is a part of you. I like it.¡± I grinned.


    She smiled back, the one that I was so used to getting. ¡°Really?¡± She looked relieved. ¡°That makes me


    so happy, Hunter. I thought you didn¡¯t like seeing it at all. I mean that other day when we were at the


    shore and I was going home, you seemed disturbed after seeing it.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Surprised, that¡¯s all.¡± I started walking out of the bathroom. ¡°Breakfast is ready when


    you are.¡± I winked at her, closed the door behind me.


    Blue walked out of the bathroom wearing my t-shirt like a dress which she merely floated in. I passed a


    pair of shorts towards her that was lying around. curtsy of my sister Hannah, who crashed at my ce


    when she was too drunk to go home.


    I brought Blue close to me, she smelled of the strawberry shampoo that I¡¯d bought her. Carefully, I


    tucked the t-shirt into the shorts and helped Blue blow-dry her hair.


    ¡°Would you like me to braid your hair?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Do you know how to? Coral used to do that for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I may not be as good as your mermaid friend, but I used to do it for my sister.¡±


    She settled down on the mattress and I began to braid her long hair. In the end, I was d that she


    was happy with the results.


    Twenty minutester, I was driving Blue to the mall where I was supposed to meet my sister. It had


    been a difficult task to keep Leslie from trying to tag along with us. He was under the impression that I


    was leaving Blue again. Blue exined where we were going and only then did he retire in his little


    doggie bed.


    I parked the car in the parking lot empty space. Hannah waste as usual. The word ¡°Punctuality¡±


    didn¡¯t exist in her dictionary, and I was going to bete again for college.


    That little shit!


    While we waited, I noticed Blue was acting strange. In the few days that I¡¯d known her, I knew the was


    always anxious when she had something on her mind.


    I ced my hand over hers. ¡°Are you worried about Hannah?¡±


    She shook her head vigorously.


    ¡°Then are you upset that I¡¯m not going with you?¡±


    She turned from the window to look at me. ¡°Hunter, you¡¯re not leaving me, are you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She dug her fingers into my palm, a worried expression on her face. ¡°You wille back for me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will, sweetheart.¡± I assured her. ¡°You think that I wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Because I cause you a lot of trouble.¡± She admitted.


    I cupped her face in both of my hands, looking into her soulful blue eyes, I said. ¡°You are not a burden


    and will never be. Don¡¯t you ever think like that, okay?¡±


    Still uncertain, she gave a nod. I was amazed that there was still someone who cared about my


    thoughts, who wasn¡¯t selfish enough to care about me only because I came from a wealthy family.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you this morning?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°If your sister asks me where I came from, I should tell her that I¡¯m from a small country in Europe


    called Askada. Since Hannah¡¯s intelligence is simr to that of a carrot eating rabbit, she won¡¯t know


    where to pin Askada on a world¡¯s map. If she asks me about my age, I¡¯m to tell her that I¡¯m twenty


    years old even though I¡¯m a little over two hundred. If she asks how we met, I should mention that we


    were online buddies and since I had a huge crush on you, I packed my bags and decided to take a


    ne to meet you.¡±


    Like a parent who was proud of its child for learning everything they taught her, I patted her head. ¡°Very


    good, Blue. You remember everything. I¡¯m so proud of you. Now, what if she asked you why you need


    to do shopping?¡±


    ¡°Then I will tell her that when my nended, all my baggage was lost.¡±


    ¡°Good. And you are my friend, okay? We are just friends, you and I¡±


    ¡°Just Friends.¡± Blue repeated.


    I saw a red sports Porsche circling around the parking lot, hunting for a parking space. After a few


    minutes she spotted an open space and parked it. Hannah¡¯s parking was bad. Her car was literally


    touching the next car but she didn¡¯t care. She climbed out and banged the door shut, taking off her


    shades in style like she was a lead in a Fast & Furious movie.


    ¡°My sister¡¯s here. Be a good girl, Blue.¡± I kissed the top of her head.


    ¡°Can I kiss you too?¡± She asked me eagerly.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I gave her my cheek and she kissed it.


    * * *


    Blue


    Hunter¡¯s sister Hannah was tall and beautiful. She had really nice hair and her eyes were green and


    looked like gems. I was worried if she would like me, I wanted Hunter¡¯s sister to like me.


    A lot.


    When I¡¯d asked Hunter if I could kiss him, I¡¯d meant his lips and not his cheeks. Hunter was a dummy,


    he thought I didn¡¯t understand things. I¡¯d watched on televisionst time in a movie where the boy and


    girl kissed and I wanted to try that because it looked so nice but I didn¡¯t have the courage to ask


    Hunter.


    What if he doesn¡¯t like being kissed at all?


    A cheek kiss was fine too, as long as I got to do it all the time, besides I liked feeling the little prickly


    facial hair on my lips every time I kissed his cheeks, and he smelled so nice.


    Hunter took me inside a veryrge building with lots of people. I didn¡¯t like to be around many people, it


    made me nervous and Hunter wasn¡¯t even going to be with me.


    ¡°Blue, this is my sister Hannah, and Han, this is Blue. She¡¯s my friend.¡± Hunter did the introductions.


    She looked at me curiously, her eyes moved from the bottom to the top, a smile crossing her lips. ¡°Nice


    to meet you, Blue. God, can I just tell you how cute you are? Your skin looks so soft. What kind of lotion


    do you use?¡±


    Out of all the questions, I didn¡¯t expect this. Hunter told me if I didn¡¯t understand a question, I¡¯ll just


    have to say ¡±I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I responded and she frowned.


    Hunter shrugged. ¡°Can I talk to you for a second, Han?¡±


    He took his sister by the elbow and they stood at a distance and I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying.


    I folded my arms across my chest and moved from one foot to the other, feeling ufortable. I raked


    my hand through my hair. People were staring.


    Was it because of my strange outfit?


    A minuteter, she was back and Hunter waved me and started walking in the other direction. I stood


    there looking at him disappear through the magic doors that opened and closed automatically. Human


    culture was so different and interesting.


    I didn¡¯t want Hunter to leave.


    I felt like I was going to cry again. I wanted to run after him when I felt Hannah ce a hand on my


    shoulders. ¡°Come on, Blue. Let¡¯s go do some shopping.¡±


    I stared at her with a teary-gaze. ¡°Why is everyone staring at me? I want to change out of these


    clothes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m your Fairy Godmother for today so rest assured I will give you a great wardrobe. Hunter¡¯s jaw


    is going to fucking drop on the floor in a puddle of his own drool the minute he sees you tonight. You


    have my word, sweetie.¡± She said.


    I stared at her. ¡°But I don¡¯t want his jaw to drop. He looks good with a jaw. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll like him


    without teeth.¡±


    Hannah roared withughter, the same way Hunter always did when I said something. ¡°Hunter did warn


    me you were hrious. Anyway, I really like you. So shall we proceed?¡±


    Hannah took me to a number of little ces with lots of clothes hanging. They were called ¡°shops¡±


    Hunter told me I could pick anything I liked and then Hannah would pay with money. It wasn¡¯t like back


    in the under water world where we did barter system like I would give my pearls or shells in exchange


    for anything I wanted. Hunter said money was to be earned by doing a job.


    We came to one shop and I picked a t-shirt that had a Mermaid on it. It was a Mermaid with red hair. I


    liked it and Hannah agreed to buy it. She gave me a pair of jeans that was torn on the knees. I told her


    that it was torn, but Hannah said that was fashion. I trusted Hannah. I got a new pair of shoes she


    called sneakers. Hannah said I looked cute. Even the nice shopdy agreed so we bought it.


    After browsing at a number of different shops, we were carrying a number of paper bags with all my


    purchases. Two dresses which I liked, a number of t-shirts, denims and three pair of shoes. Hannah


    said that was enough for today.


    Suddenly my stomach growled and she took me to a nice eating area where Hannah bought me the


    food that I wanted. Burgers.


    She brought the burger to her mouth before asking me, ¡°So where are you from, Blue?¡±


    What had Hunter told me again? Oh yes, I remembered.


    ¡°Hunter told me that I¡¯m from a small country in Europe called Askada. Since Hannah¡¯s intelligence is


    simr to that of a carrot eating rabbit, she won¡¯t know where to pin Askada on a world¡¯s map.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    There. I said it. Just like Hunter told me, but somehow Hannah didn¡¯t seem happy to hear it.


    The patty slid from between the bread and hit the tray. ¡°Did he just call me dumb?¡± She asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°Just a carrot eating rabbit.¡± I corrected her. If Hunter called her dumb, I hadn¡¯t heard


    him. ¡°I like rabbits. I saw one on Animal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him.¡± She was furious.


    ¡°No! Please, don¡¯t kill Hunter. I really like him.¡±


    ¡°Well, I scored more in Geography than him for sure. I know there¡¯s no country on this called


    Askada.¡± She threw his hands up in the air. ¡°He¡¯s crazy if he thinks I¡¯m so stupid.¡±


    I nodded not knowing what else to say.


    ¡°Anyway, forget my brother. Your hair looks naturally blue and so glossy. How do you maintain it?¡± She


    asked me, assessing my hair.


    ¡°Just let it grow.¡± I answered.


    ¡°What shampoo?¡± She inquired.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Conditioner?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I took the bread off the burger and ate it first, then I ate thest bread and the veggies between them. I


    saved the patty for the end. Hannah continued to stare at me with interest.


    Between chewing, I said. ¡°But I really like your hair. It looks like honey that Hunter pours on my


    pancakes. I like honey.¡±


    Hannahughed. ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re one of the sweetest girls out of all the other girls that Hunter¡¯s


    introduced me, you know.¡±


    ¡°Other girls?¡±


    Who were the other girls? I didn¡¯t like other girls.


    ¡°Mmmm-hmm. Other girls he dated in the past who were total bitches, like the guy¡¯s got really bad taste


    in women. Not that he¡¯d constitute as a good guy either.¡±


    ¡°Where are the other girls now?¡± I was curious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably dating others by now.¡±


    ¡°Hunter is mine. I don¡¯t want other girls to take him.¡±


    Hannah giggled. ¡°Do you want to know some seducing techniques?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s seducing?¡±


    ¡°You know, to get Hunter in your bed?¡±


    I was confused. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a problem. I¡¯m always in his bed. Every night.¡±


    Hannah spurted the coke that she was drinking and started coughing loudly. Some person from the


    next table began thumping on her back. She kept repeating ¡±I¡¯m okay" to them.


    She cleared her throat and in a soft voice, she asked. ¡°So you and Hunter like...¡± she made a circle with


    her thumb and index finger and kept moving the other index finger in and out of the circle. ¡°You know


    what I mean.¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you having sex?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Girllll...¡± Hannah groaned. ¡°Where do youe from?¡±


    I¡¯d have to say it again. ¡°Well, Hunter says...¡±


    She raised her hand to stop me. ¡°No! I know what you are going to repeat. And I don¡¯t want to hear


    anymore about what Hunter says!¡± She rubbed her temples. ¡°Sweetie, I think you need a ¡±Birds and a


    Bees¡± talk.¡±


    ¡°I know about Birds. I saw it on Hunter¡¯sptop. My favorite is a parrot and a mingo.¡± I said proudly.


    At least there was something I knew.


    It looked like Hannah was trying to stifle herughter. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you canugh.¡± I said.


    She then burst outughing, and then she said. ¡°I know we don¡¯t know each other much, but I love you,


    Blue. If my brother gives you too much trouble, you can always call me.¡±


    ¡°Does that make us friends?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± She said.


    I was happy. I¡¯d made another friend today.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Blue


    ¡°Hannah, where do your parents live?¡± I asked her since I¡¯d never heard Hunter talk about their


    parents.


    ¡°We used to live together at first. Me, Hunter, Ryan. I¡¯m still in high school so I live with my parents,


    Ryan has a condo downtown and he takes care of the family business. And Hunter, well. He¡¯s not the


    obeying kind so Dad disowned him temporarily after a series of bad behavior. He¡¯s the ck sheep of


    the family.¡±


    Hunter certainly didn¡¯t seem like a sheep to me.


    ¡°What kind of bad behavior?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think there was anything remotely bad about Hunter¡¯s behavior. Sure he was a little scary when


    he was angry, but he was still nice.


    ¡°He used to get kicked out of schools, the ser team, getting into fights. That sort of thing.¡± She


    exined.


    I nodded. I could ask Hunter about itter.


    ¡°Who is Ryan?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s our oldest half-brother. Ryan¡¯s mom died when he was four and then Dad remarried Hunter¡¯s


    Mom who...well, it just didn¡¯t turn out well. They separated, and then he remarried for the third time to


    my mother.¡± She said taking a sip of her drink that she called a ¡°slushie¡± it made her tongue look blue.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s been through some rough marriages.¡±


    ¡°So the three of you have three different mothers?¡± I was surprised. I¡¯d never heard of something like


    that.


    She nodded. ¡°Yup, but we share the same Dad. My moms pretty cool though.¡±


    ¡°My mom¡¯s cool too.¡± I told her.


    Then Hannah started talking about music and some boy band that I didn¡¯t know anything about so I


    continued to nod my head. I guess she was really tired of my nodding, because she suggested. ¡°How


    would you like a nice haircut?¡±


    ¡°A haircut?!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll just trim your hair a bit.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not allowed to.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Mermaids can¡¯t cut hair. It¡¯s a sin.¡±


    Hannah seemed suspicious. ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± She eyed me warily. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± It was clear she didn¡¯t


    believe me at all.


    It¡¯s a good thing she didn¡¯t push about cutting my hair. I liked my hair long.


    ¡°Hannah, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°How do I make Hunter like me?¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°I think he already likes you, honey.¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Whenever I ask him if we could kiss, he gives me his cheeks.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Well in that case, you should take the lead.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask for permission, just kiss him.¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°Really? I can do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, and I¡¯m pretty sure Hunter wants that too.¡±


    ¡°Hannah, can I have your number so that we can talk sometimes if I needed your help in these


    matters?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She rummaged into her bag but came empty, then she picked her bag (that read Prada) and


    dumped the contents onto the table. Finally she picked the phone out of all the junk. ¡°Save my number.


    It¡¯s double four...¡± after we¡¯d sessfully saved our numbers and she¡¯d dumbed the garbage back in


    her bag, she asked me. ¡°What do you wanna do next?¡±


    ¡°I like the color of your nails. Can we paint my nails?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. I know a great saloon in this mall. We are giving you a mani and a pedi and then we¡¯ll do


    some makeup for your face.¡± She dered with a mischievous smile. ¡°I¡¯m just dying to see Hunt¡¯s


    reaction.¡±


    Hannah was too excited for some unknown reason. As decided, we went to the shop called a ¡°beauty


    saloon¡±. An hourter, when thedy started dipping my feet inside water, I refused to let them. Hannah


    insisted that it was fine but I kept refusing. In the end, they painted only my toes and did a mani for my


    hands. My nails looked lovely with the peach nail color. I stared at it in awe. I had matching beautiful


    nails like Hannah. I loved it.


    I thanked her and tried to hand her the money that Hunter gave me but she waved it off and told me to


    keep it instead and use it when I wanted to buy something for myself in future. I thought that was a


    good idea.


    I wore a nice short lemon colored dress from one of my purchases. Hannah did some face painting that


    she called ¡°makeup¡±. She assured me that she was good at it. When I looked at myself in the mirror for


    the final product, I really looked different. I had something called a lipstick on my lips. It was the color


    pink. I touched my lips.


    I looked pretty, right?


    Would Hunter like it?


    It was almost evening when she told me it would be time for me to go back home and that Hunter


    woulde to collect me after his part-time work. I was ted with the idea of going back to him.


    Just then, Hannah received a call and she excused herself. ¡°It¡¯ll just take a minute.¡± She said and


    walked a little farther away from me.


    I nced around myself. People were still staring at me, mostly boys the age of Hunter. I didn¡¯t know


    why. Maybe I looked really bad.


    I saw a little shop with a huge ice-cream cone on it. ¡°Ice-Cream!¡± I shrieked loud. I think some people


    turned but I kept walking towards the cone. It was humongous and lit up, shinning like a star. I stared at


    it in awe and reached my hand towards it. If I could reach it, maybe I could taste it.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The guy inside the shop yelled. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I pointed at the ice-cream on the truck. ¡°I was wondering if I can get that ice-cream.¡± I pulled out the


    money I had from Hunter. ¡°I can pay.¡±


    Heughed, just like others had. ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± He looked me up and down and I really didn¡¯t like the


    way he was looking at me, it was simr to Hunter¡¯s but also different. Hunter¡¯s gaze never made me


    feel ufortable. This man seemed like he had bad intentions.


    I backed away. He continued to leer at me. ¡°Are you alone, honey?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer because I was not his honey and started walking away. I nced behind me but there


    was no sign of Hannah. Where was she? It was crowded and I couldn¡¯t see her. I¡¯d strayed away from


    her because I was dummy and I¡¯d been too mesmerized by therge ice-cream.


    Stupid Blue!


    ¡°Hannah?¡± I called out to her but knew there was no use. There was no way she would hear me over


    the noise in the mall.


    I tried walking back towards the path I¡¯d walked in but I still couldn¡¯t see her. I remembered I had a


    spare phone that Hunter had given me. I could call him and then he¡¯d know where to find me. I reached


    for my pocket when I realized I was wearing the new dress. The phone was in the pocket of the shorts


    that I¡¯d worn in the morning, the shorts were in a bag and the bag was with Hannah.


    My lower lip trembled, and I knew I was going to cry. What if Hannah couldn¡¯t find me and went back


    home? What if Hunter didn¡¯t bother toe to the mall and decided I wasn¡¯t worth all the trouble?


    What if he looked for me but failed to find me?


    ¡°Hunter.¡± I whispered.


    The tears had blurred my vision.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Someone called out to me. It was an older man with a bushy mustache. He was tall and


    had a bulging stomach. He cleared his throat. ¡°Need help with something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my friend.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve lost her.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Hannah.¡± I said.


    ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll help you find her.¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°You would?¡±


    He nodded as I followed him.


    * * *


    Hunter


    When I got a call from Hannah saying that ¡°there was a problem¡± I knew something was terribly wrong


    or else she wouldn¡¯t have called me again when I¡¯d already called an hour back to check up on them.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I said.


    ¡°Hunter, please don¡¯t be mad.¡± That was the first thing that my sister said when she answered the call.


    Hannah answering on the first ring was a clear reason this was something serious.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Blue.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    A chill ran down my body, and my palms were starting to feel sweaty. ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± I told her as I


    stormed into the staff room of the caf¨¦, pulled down the apron and stuffed it inside the locker. Good


    thing my brother wasn¡¯t around, or else I¡¯d have to give an exnation as to why I was leaving an hour


    earlier. The cafe was a family business, my brother Ryan was the in-charge here and fortunately he


    wasn¡¯t around.


    Ste was moping the recently vacated table. I was going to talk to her and make up an excuse for an


    emergency, hoping like hell she¡¯d fall for my excuses onest time.


    ¡°Ste, I got a call from my sister, Hannah. She¡¯s in trouble, kinda.¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    She regarded me through her Harry Potter sses with suspicion. ¡°Huh. For once, she¡¯s taken your


    position of falling into trouble. Good for you.¡±


    I suppressed an eye-roll. I hated how she enjoyed teasing me. ¡°Can I go? Will you cover for me? If


    Ryan asks about me, tell him it was an emergency.¡±


    ¡°Sure. If you agree for a coffee date with me.¡± She added.


    Joy, the chef had warned me that Ste had a thing for me and it seemed like everyone knew about it,


    excluding me. Sometimes when we were working together, she¡¯d find a reason to touch my hand or just


    yfully hit me, things like that. I¡¯d assumed it was just a friendly thing between colleagues. Now, it


    seemed like that little ¡°rumor¡± had some truth to it.


    Ste was kind of hot in a dorky way. Trim waist, boobs the size of watermelons, dark hair tied in a


    ponytail and eyes the shape of almonds. She was nice but totally not my type.


    ¡°Sure. A date. It¡¯s a deal.¡±


    That¡¯s when her eyes lit up like a damn Christmas tree. Her cheeks turned pink. ¡°You sure?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°If you cover for me, we¡¯ll do a date. One coffee in the shop.¡±


    She started pushing her hair behind her ear. ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll handle everything here. Now go, save your


    sister.¡±


    I climbed into the car and drove to the mall fast and furious style. I managed to reach the mall in under


    ten minutes when it would actually take twenty, thankfully she¡¯d texted me where to find her so I didn¡¯t


    have to waste any more of my time. When I approached Hannah, she seemed agitated, talking to a


    security guard which is when she noticed me.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± She said. ¡°I was just taking a call and then when I looked around she was


    gone.¡±


    ¡°Gone?¡± I asked her. I was feeling the fury starting to burn inside me, any time I was going to explode.


    ¡°Into thin air?¡±


    Hannah pressed her lips together. ¡°I looked everywhere for her, Hunt. I couldn¡¯t find her.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should have tried harder.¡± I growled at her. ¡°I told you specifically to look out for her. Blue is


    not a normal girl, Hannah. She¡¯s different.¡±


    I knew I¡¯d upset Hannah. She was already teary-eyed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time arguing about it. Let¡¯s go find her.¡±


    We¡¯d finished looking most of the ces, just breezing through and then there was an announcement.


    ¡°Calling attention of ady named Ms. Hannah. Calling attention. Your friend Blue is in the reception


    waiting for you. Calling attention Ms. Hannah.¡±


    Hannah and I looked at each other before we took off towards the reception on the ground floor of the


    mall.


    A short young woman greeted us at the desk, she smiled at us. ¡°May I help you?¡±


    ¡°We heard the announcement.¡± Hannah and I both said in unison.


    ¡°About a girl named Blue.¡± I said.


    Realization dawned the woman and she nodded. ¡°Oh yes, she¡¯s in the security room and she¡¯s really


    upset.¡±


    Thedy led us into a small room, Hannah walked in front of me. It seemed she was more worried than


    I gave her credit for and it¡¯d been wrong on my part verbally attack her.


    I was furious and worried. When those things happened, I was usually snappy. It¡¯s one reason why I


    never got along with my father nor my older brother, Ryan.


    I spotted Blue seated in one of the stic chairs, hugging herself fiercely, staring at the floor, mumbling


    something to herself. Her aqua blue hair that had been in a braid, now had a few tendrils loose and her


    eyes were stained with tears.


    My heart sank looking at her and my hands were balled into fists.


    Before Hannah could approach her, I was already by her side. ¡°Blue.¡± I called out to her.


    Her eyes snapped to mine, relief crossing her features as her lower lip trembled. ¡°Hunter!¡± I didn¡¯t even


    have time to think before she flung into my arms so fiercely, I almost stumbled back.


    ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you ever again.¡± She sobbed, holding me tightly.


    I rubbed her back. ¡°Oh, no, sweetheart, why would you even bring that into your mind? I told you I


    wasn¡¯t leaving you, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Her body shook. ¡°Home...¡± She choked. ¡°Take me home.¡±


    For a minute I thought she meant the ¡°ocean¡± as her home but then I realized it was my apartment she


    was talking about.


    While we were walking to the parking lot, Blue already seemed traumatized by the incident. Her fingers


    were tightly wound around mine, she was almost choking the air out of hand but I didn¡¯t mind. I saw her


    eyes darting towards the ice-cream shop once or twice so I bought her a chocte cone. She calmed


    down a bit after that.


    Hannah kept apologizing to Blue about leaving her alone for a minute but Blue admitted that it was her


    fault and thanked her for helping her out.


    Soon, we were riding in the silence of my Jeep. She was usually cheerful but when she was upset


    about something, she kept to herself and I had to coax her into talking to me.


    I took her hand in mine and held it through the entire ride, some new feelings were riling up inside me


    that I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of.


    The only thing I knew was that I wanted to hold onto her.


    Forever.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Hunter


    I had been so caught up in the moment that I had failed to notice that Blue was wearing a new dress. It


    was lemon color, showing off creamy shoulders. The dress was knee length that made her look cute as


    a button. She was also wearing lipstick. My heart began to flutter like a little girl chasing butterflies in a


    meadow.


    ¡°You look really nice in that dress, Blue.¡± Iplimented her ¡°Was it Hannah¡¯s choice?¡± I tried to divert


    her attention from the little incident in the mall.


    She just nodded as we walked together inside my apartment, her hand still in mine. She dropped her


    stuff at the door and settled down on the chaise. I ced the shopping bags on the floor, and turned to


    her. ¡°Seems like you guys did a lot of shopping.¡±


    Suddenly, Blue started sobbing again bringing her hand to cover her face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Hunter.¡±


    Leslie noticed that she was crying and was at her rescue. He continued to brush his body against her


    and pushed his cute brown nose to cheer her up.


    I was by her side the very next second, kneeling down in front of her, taking her hands in mine. ¡°Why


    are you apologizing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a good girl. I¡¯m always causing you trouble.¡± She sobbed. ¡°I was just standing there with


    Hannah and then I saw the giant ice-cream on the shop so I walked towards it, but when I turned


    around, I couldn¡¯t find her. I coughed Hannah trouble. She was worried for me.¡±


    ¡°I used to get lost all the time.¡± I assured her. ¡°You¡¯re still learning the human ways, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    She appeared a bit relieved about that piece of information, although I didn¡¯t add that I was between


    the age of three to five when I got lost in ces.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Hunter. It¡¯s because I¡¯m so clumsy that I ended up here in the first ce. If I had


    been a little less of an idiot, I wouldn¡¯t have been caught by those fishermen and you wouldn¡¯t be


    looking out for me all the time.¡±


    I kissed both her hands. It was instinct again, with Blue it was always instinct. I didn¡¯t even have to try


    to pretend to like her. She was such a wonderful person. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been clumsy, Blue, we wouldn¡¯t


    have met at all. You could still be somewhere in the ocean, probably getting married with your then


    boyfriend and I would still be lonely.¡±


    She reached out and touched my face. ¡°Adrian is just a friend. And, I don¡¯t like that. I don¡¯t like the fact


    that you were lonely.¡± She continued. ¡°Hunter, I wish I could have been with you a little sooner.¡±


    ¡°So stay with me.¡± I blurted out.


    I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking when I said that. Asking a mermaid to forget her marine life and live


    with a good-for-nothing like me? What did I even have to offer her?


    ¡°The ocean is my home. My parents would want me there. I can¡¯t.¡± She made a choking sound. ¡°I can¡¯t


    live here forever.¡±


    ¡°Then just for a while. Please.¡± I had resorted to begging now. ¡°I want you here, sweetheart. With me.¡±


    She ran her fingers through my hair, and I wondered if she¡¯d waited to do that for a long time. ¡°A while.


    Three months?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes. That would be okay. I guess.¡± I agreed but my heart was breaking into pieces. Three months


    wasn¡¯t good enough but I¡¯d take whatever I¡¯d get. It would be the best fucking ny-one days of my


    life and I was going to make the best of it. I wanted to give her what she wanted. I would make sure


    she left with some beautiful memories and hoped like hell those ny-one days would change her


    mind to stay with me longer if not forever.


    I sat beside her on the chaise and she automatically crawled into myp like it was the most natural


    thing to do. This time I didn¡¯tment, neither did I tell her that it was inappropriate behavior to crawl


    into someone¡¯sp you didn¡¯t consider them as your boyfriend.


    I thought she knew enough to realize that friends didn¡¯t do this kind of thing. I mean, which friend would


    climb into their bed, let alone in theirp? Would you also stick your naked breasts against them during


    the wee hours of the morning? Unless, they had a ¡°friends with benefits¡± kinda thing but I didn¡¯t believe


    Blue was capable of thinking of that.


    Perhaps she even did this with her mermaid boyfriend and ex-fianc¨¦. It could be normal behavior for


    mermaids and I could be an idiot reading too much into this.


    The thought of her in someone else¡¯s arms made me furious.


    I ran my hand through her aqua hair, the moonlight streaming from the window was making it glow as


    usual. She stayed cuddled into my arms, her right cheek against my chest. ¡°Blue, can I ask you


    something?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Did you do this with your friend Adrian?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Sleep in his bed, sit on hisp like you sit on mine.¡± I said.


    She pulled her head away from my chest to stare at my face, her cheeks were turning a shade of red


    and she was looking at me like I¡¯d spoken in Japanese. ¡°Why would I do that, Hunter? Adrian is just a


    friend. Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡±


    I¡¯d made her angry. I caressed her cheek with the back of my hand. ¡°You told me you were betrothed to


    him so doesn¡¯t that make him your fianc¨¦? If I were this Adrian, and if I found out you were snuggling


    up to another man, I¡¯de looking for answers. I don¡¯t think I would like it very much.¡±


    She blushed but made no attempt to get away from me. ¡°I don¡¯t have a say in what the elders and my


    parents decide, none of the mermaids do. We were betrothed even before we were born, but that


    doesn¡¯t mean that I belong to him. It doesn¡¯t mean anything unless we are married which we are not.¡±


    I nodded feeling like a burden was lifted off me. I didn¡¯t need to feel guilty about stealing someone


    else¡¯s girl if that was the case. She wasn¡¯t his. Blue had confirmed it. ¡°And what am I to you?¡±


    She appeared confused and she searched my face for the answer. ¡°Well, you did say we were friends.¡±


    So I was going to be friend-zoned by a mermaid?


    How about a Hell No?


    ¡°Female Friends don¡¯t sit on their male friendsps. A boy and girl who are friends never sleep in each


    other¡¯s beds. We seem to be doing both. All the time.¡±


    ¡°Then what is our rtionship Hunter if we are not friends?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± I said and touched the crease forming on her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to


    worry about. Stop overthinking.¡± I messed the top of her hair.


    ¡°Hunter, is it okay if I kiss you?¡± She asked suddenly.


    I nodded and offered my right cheek. She pressed her lips to my skin in a chaste kiss and then a little


    close to my lips, right at the corner of my mouth.


    ¡°Hunter, I watched a movie the other day on TV and the boy kissed the girl on the lips. I was wondering


    if we can...¡± she trailed off, her voice a whisper. ¡°If we can do that. I mean, if it¡¯s okay with you.¡±


    I nodded without hesitation as she slid her hand behind my neck and pulled me closer and pecked my


    lips just like she did on my cheek.


    I wanted more. That wasn¡¯t enough.


    I was being selfish and I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°That was nice.¡± Blue¡¯s voice wasced with disappointment like she believed the movies were faking


    it.


    Iughed. ¡°Nice is not good enough, is it? Do you want me to show you ¡°Amazing?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I pulled Blue even closer, I hoped she didn¡¯t feel how hard I was down below. ¡°When I kiss you, part


    your lips a little and then you¡¯ll just have to repeat what I do. Can you do that?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± I whispered.


    I cupped her face in my hands lovingly as her eyes fluttered close and brought her mouth to meet


    mine.Blue opened her mouth a little so I took advantage of that and kissed her softly. When I knew she


    was getting used to my mouth on hers, I drew her bottom lip into my mouth and suckled it and repeated


    the same with her upper lip. Before I knew it, Blue was mimicking the kiss and god help me if it wasn¡¯t


    sweet. Her lips were hesitantly moving, just doing what I¡¯d done to her. Her sweet tongue darted out


    and licked mine. I moaned and delved my tongue into hers. With each stroke of my tongue inside her


    mouth, the kiss got deeper and deeper.


    I heard her moan and sigh, ¡°Oh, Hunter.¡±


    It was the most erotic sound I¡¯d ever heard.


    Leslie on the other hand, threw a quick nce at us and faced the wall, showing me his butt clearly


    pissed that I was getting all the kisses.


    I pulled back to look into Blue¡¯s face. I thought it closely resembled mine which wasced with desire.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    Almost hysterically like a fish needing water, she moaned. ¡°I need more.¡±


    Iughed again. ¡°It was quite lovely wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    She got hold of the cor of my t-shirt and stranded myp, facing me. ¡°Kiss me again. I want it again.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡± I whispered before I obliged to her request.


    I didn¡¯t know how long we were kissing but it seemed like forever. She tasted like chocte ice-cream


    and she was demanding which I totally didn¡¯t mind. We¡¯d kissed until we were both out of breath and I


    was pretty sure my lips were swollen because hers totally were.


    Blue had had enough kissing practice for one day but the mermaid was insatiable, when I pulled away


    toe up for air, she would pull me right back. Her tongue had gotten bolder by the minute as it


    explored every corner of my mouth. I groaned. ¡°Baby, it¡¯s enough.¡± I whispered.


    Her expressions were crestfallen. ¡°I was doing it wrong, wasn¡¯t I?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ve been going on for about thirty minutes, sweetheart. We could win a kissing match if


    we went on for longer. I need to breathe. Plus, your lips are all red and swollen. I don¡¯t want to hurt


    you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem convinced by my reasoning. My cute little mermaid wanted to keep kissing. She


    wanted to kiss until we died eventually.


    Blue was still pouting. I touched her lips. ¡°How about you get ready for bed and then we kiss some


    more there?¡±


    She was delighted to hear that and sprang out of myp to look for her nightgown. I watched as she


    pulled on a silky pink gown, almost see through. I knew I was going to sleep tonight with a case of blue


    balls unless I took care of it myself.


    Hannah had probably helped her pick something sexy just so Blue could tease me by wearing it, not


    knowing the effect it had on me. The nightie hugged her curves perfectly, all I wanted to do was feel


    those curves under my palms.


    I took off my t-shirt and tossed it aside as Iy down in bed beside her. Blue snuggled up closer to me.


    She traced my abs with her fingers. ¡°Can I ask you something, Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m confused about my feelings. Whenever you¡¯re around, I want to keep touching you and kiss you.


    I¡¯ve felt that way since the day you brought me to your home. I like Hannah too, but I don¡¯t want to kiss


    her the way I want to do it to you. And there are Coral, Oceana and Adrian. It never felt that way with


    them either. But with you, it¡¯s like my heart. It feels like it¡¯s heavy and would burst. Can you tell me


    why?¡±


    Because you are falling in love with me.


    Tears began pooling in my eyes. I tried to blink them away but it wasn¡¯t helping. ¡°Hunter, I didn¡¯t mean


    to upset you by saying that. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset, Blue. Just happy.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re crying?¡±


    I wiped my manly tears. ¡°Nope. Something flew into my eye.¡±


    ¡°So why am I feeling this way?¡± She asked me curiously.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°You have to figure it out on your own. But I can tell you that I feel the same way.¡±


    She traced her fingers on my chest. ¡°Then we are together, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Do you want to be my girlfriend?¡±


    She blushed. ¡°I would love to. What do I have to do as your girlfriend? Do I get to go on dates?¡±


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯ll be my girlfriend now you¡¯ll have more responsibilities.¡± I decided to tease her and


    watched her expressions turn serious like I¡¯d suggested the end of the world.


    ¡°What responsibilities?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to kiss me in the morning, while I leave to work, then when Ie back home. Let me


    cuddle with you in bed. Stuff like that.¡±


    Have regr sex, I wanted to say but didn¡¯t want to scare her. If she stayed here longer, I¡¯d want us to


    do it but I wouldn¡¯t force her.


    Blue smiled. ¡°I think I¡¯ll like that a lot.¡±


    I ced a chaste kiss on her lips. ¡°Now go to sleep.¡±


    She made a face. ¡°I thought we were going to kiss some more.¡±


    I chuckled as I bnced my head over my right hand. ¡°We could but this time my hands won¡¯t remain


    by my side. They will be all over you. Will that be okay?¡±


    Blue grinned and pressed her soft body against mine. ¡°Anything with Hunter is okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sugar. You¡¯re just too precious.¡± I groaned.


    Of course she didn¡¯t need to ask me twice as we kissed like there was no tomorrow. We kissed like


    keeping our lips locked was the only way to continue surviving. But this time, my hands ravished her


    body, just touching all her sweet curves through the thin fabric of the garment.


    Blue was my girlfriend.


    When we woke up in the morning, she was cuddled perfectly into my body. The slightest steering


    caused her to look up. She tried to kiss me again but I told her I needed to brush my teeth.


    The next few days passed in simr fashion. We woke up, made out on the bed, ate, I went to college,


    went to work, came home, ate dinner, made out some more, then some more and went to bed. The


    cycle continued and it filled me up with so much love.


    She even looked at Youtube cooking videos and tried to cook for me which didn¡¯t turn out that well. The


    spaghetti looked like Ramen soup but I didn¡¯t want to see the disappointment on her face so I told


    she¡¯d done a good job. It would have been a sin to put a sad expression on that face.


    She was acting like a real girlfriend and while girlfriends were demanding, Blue wasn¡¯t. All she wanted


    was unconditional love and attention. If she had me where I wanted her to be, she was a happy-


    camper.


    Friday morning, I received a text.


    Ste: Hey! You promised me that date ?


    I groaned as I remembered my promise to my co-worker. I texted her back.


    Me: Tomorrow after work at 9 pm in the cafe.


    Ste: ohe on, Hunter. Don¡¯t be like that. Let¡¯s go out somewhere.


    Me: Nah. Gotta study. 9pm in the cafe sharp.


    Ste: Still works for me. C ya ?


    I didn¡¯t bother to respond to it and I was already dreading wasting my time with a promised date.


    Blue raised her head from the bed sheets. ¡°Who is it Hunter?¡±


    Should I tell her the truth or lie?


    ¡°No one important, baby. Just my co-worker.¡± I said.


    I sounded like a lying husband cheating on his wife.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Blue


    Hannah had told me that the one way I could keep Hunter happy was through cooking so I¡¯d tried


    cooking a few times for Hunter and he¡¯d liked it.


    I was excited. Today I was making him grilled chicken sd and a chocte cake for dinner. Hannah


    told me Chocte cake was Hunter¡¯s favorite. The cake was too moist but it was tasty. I knew it was


    tasty because I¡¯d dipped my finger into the cake icing and licked it.


    I covered the food on the counter, wore my favorite mermaid t-shirt and jeans and applied lipgloss.


    Finally I settled down on the couch with Leslie and waited for Hunter. He was supposed to be home by


    nine p.m but it was past nine thirty and he wasn¡¯t back yet.


    I waited until the clock read nine forty and that was a little too much waiting. The food wouldn¡¯t taste


    good when it wasn¡¯t warm anymore.


    An instant idea hit me. I packed all the food and ced it in a basket that I found in the kitchen. I was


    going to Hunter¡¯s workce to surprise him.


    He would be happy to see me, wouldn¡¯t he?


    I felt excited with that thought. ¡°See you Leslie.¡±


    I knew where Hunter worked, he¡¯d drive me there a few times and I knew the address by heart. It took


    five minutes by car and fifteen minutes by walking.


    ¡°Be a good boy, Leslie.¡± I told him, closing the door and locking it behind me.


    I heard a few horns on my way to the cafe. One car slowed down and said, ¡°wanna ride, sweetpea?¡±


    Someone said ¡°nice ass you got there.¡±


    I wanted to thank him for thepliment but the car rounded the corner and disappeared before I had


    time to say anything. I nced at my wrist watch. I had seven more minutes of walking before I


    reached the cafe. I smiled, imagining Hunter¡¯s reaction.


    Would he tell his co-workers that I was his girlfriend? I hoped so. I also hoped he would tell them that


    we kissed a lot so they didn¡¯t think he was joking about the ¡°girlfriend¡± part.


    It was the first time I would visit the ce myself.


    Hunter


    I was dreading every second of every minute of this date. To say Ste was a bore would be an


    understatement of the year. I was suppressing a yawn every time she made an attempt to joke.


    Instead, I took a sip of the chocte milkshake as Ste continued to drone on about how Gabbie in


    English slept through the entire lecture and was pped awake by the janitor in the evening.


    Ha. Ha.


    We were seated at the corner booth since we were both done with our duty. She and I both had


    changed out of our work clothes and I knew I still smelled of grease. Ste was wearing a maroon V


    neck blouse that was a little too deep for my liking. Her watermelon sized breasts were literally spilling


    out of her top and I wasn¡¯t even tempted to keep looking. Her skirt was extra short and I knew she was


    desperate for my attention like a chimp craving for a banana.


    She had her gooey eyes on as she sucked the life out of the milkshake straw. I was starting to wonder


    if she thought that was seductive.


    So...what are you doing tonight?¡± She asked me, batting her fakeshes.


    ¡°Gottaplete some assignments.¡± I lied. Well, technically I had pending work but it could wait until


    the end of the year. She didn¡¯t need to know that.


    Ste pouted. ¡°Ohe on, Hunt. My parent are out of town.¡± She said suggestively.


    First off I don¡¯t shit where I eat. That was just against some of my rules, secondly, even if the idea of


    gettingid was tempting, I wouldn¡¯t do it because my mind was fogged by a certain blue haired


    mermaid with blue eyes and luscious lips, her voice soft and feminine just like her body. And thirdly, for


    instance if I decided to keep my thoughts off the mermaid for a while and getid, I¡¯d still have Ryan


    kick me from the job because it was still against the policy.


    And no piece of ass was worth losing a job.


    I tried to think of a reason to politely decline her offer. ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡± I said finally.


    Her face fell, but her hand closed around mine. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I guess we could hang out some other time.¡±


    I nodded, taking my hand out of her grasp and fake coughed so I could use my hand as an excuse to


    cover my mouth.


    This was going to be a long fucking evening.


    ¡°Hunt, would you be kind enough to take the trash outside?¡± My brother, Ryan yelled from the other


    side of the kitchen.


    Disadvantages of being employed in the family business. There was no such thing as a ¡®shift end¡¯ or a


    ¡®day off¡¯. I kind of wished I was a normal employee so I had a fucking excuse to get a pay raise every


    time.


    I walked straight to the kitchen and started pulling Ryan towards the back door.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you ask me to take the trash outside?¡± I asked.


    Bobby, the chefughed and hisugher died when Ryan threw daggers at him. ¡°Ha. Ha. I guess living


    a poor man¡¯s life has diminished your sense of humor greatly.¡±


    A snigger was heard somewhere in the corner. We always yed this game. The ¡®Let¡¯s insult each


    other game¡¯ it was fun until the one of us tried to rip each other¡¯s throats. That was in fact part of the


    game. You get mad you loose.


    ¡°Poor and proud. I can still wear a fifty dor suit and walk into a room full of pompous rich assholes


    like yourself and own the fucking show.¡± I grinned. ¡°Not to forget woo thedies.¡±


    Ryan chuckled. ¡°Past tense. Nody is going to be wooed by the likes of a man who gets kicked out of


    college frequently, gets arrested once a month and looses money faster than a gambler in Las Vegas.


    Trust me, women don¡¯t flock around the fallen.¡±


    That did it. He¡¯d hit the nail. He was checking if I was going to burst into mes. I clenched my fist


    around the ck garbage bag, stormed outside and dumped the contents into the dumpster when I felt


    a hand on my arm.


    It was Ste. Her expressions mixed with worry. ¡°Are you upset about what Ryan said?¡±


    I was really not in a mood to talk. I inhaled from my nose and exhaled from my mouth. ¡°Listen Ste, I


    know you¡¯re worried, but it¡¯s not the time to talk to me right now. Just leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°I know just the way to cheer you up.¡± She said in a seductive voice.


    Before I knew what was going on, Ste took my hand in hers and slid it inside her shirt right up to cup


    her breasts.


    * * *


    Blue


    I entered the cafe and my nostrils were filled with the aroma of fries and burgers.


    I loved Burgers, especially the ones that Hunter made. It consisted of sweet onions, lettuce, a meat


    patty and the white sauce he called mayonnaise.


    I wondered if I would see Hunter dressed in an apron serving the customers. There weren¡¯t many


    patrons in the cafe, only a young couple huddled in the cornerughing and joking about something.


    Hunter wasn¡¯t in view either and that made me anxious.


    What if he went back home in the duration of fifteen minutes while I walked here? It was possible that


    he reached home and was still looking for me. I couldn¡¯t believe who I was seeing at the door.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    It was Bob!


    Bob from the Minion¡¯s movie. He was holding a tray full of cookies. I approached him and took his hand


    in mine in a handshake. ¡°Bob! Oh god, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s Bob. I¡¯m such a huge fan.¡± I told him.


    A kid threw me a look. I ignored the looks and concentrated on Bob. ¡°I loved your movie.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Mom, is thisdy crazy?¡± The kid pointed at me and said to his mother.


    I was distracted momentarily which is when I spotted him. Hunter stood near thest table, and was


    talking to someone. I giggled. I was going to surprise him. He would probably ask me a million


    questions about how I made it here alone. I walked slowly and stepped behind him, covering his eyes


    with my hands. Hunter stopped speaking as his body stiffened. I couldn¡¯t help myself and I burst out


    laughing.


    And then I realized something was different. The back of his neck, the feel of his strong shoulders. He


    turned to face me, my hands caught in his.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Hunter.¡± I realized, snatching my hands out of his grasp.


    ¡°Thank god, I¡¯m not.¡± Heughed. He had a face simr to Hunters. From the identical golden-brown


    hair to the bold structure of his jawline down to the little spots of cute freckles on his nose but the eyes


    were a dead giveaway. Anyone from far would think this was Hunter, but having a closer look proved


    otherwise.


    While Hunter¡¯s eyes were silver, this boy had blue eyes, the same color as mine only a shade darker.


    ¡°I can¡¯t me you for mistaking me for my brother. It happens all the time. Heck, our step-mother gets


    mixed up even after eighteen years.¡± He said, and raised his hand out towards me. ¡°I¡¯m Ryan. Hunter¡¯s


    older brother.¡±


    I looked at his hand for what felt like an eternity. A whileter, he let his hand fall to his side. He gave


    me a skeptical look. ¡°College friend?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Hunter¡¯s girlfriend, Blue.¡± I said proudly. ¡°We live together. I sleep in his bed.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s eyes were wide, and he roared withughter. He was the third person I¡¯d met that wasughing


    at me, other then Hunter and Hannah. ¡°Cutie-Pie, can I give you a bit of an advice?¡±


    ¡°What advice?¡±


    ¡°Hunter doesn¡¯t do girlfriends. He promises different things to different girls. If he wants to getid with


    you, maybe he did tell you that you were his girlfriend but if you do want to save yourself from a little


    heartbreak and some tissue boxes at your house, then it would be in your best interest to not take him


    too seriously.¡± Ryan said. ¡°Anything thates from his mouth is a lie. He lies to his family, gets into


    trouble, and now he¡¯s led you on.¡± his eyes flicked to the basket I¡¯d ced on the counter. ¡°What¡¯s in


    this?¡±


    I didn¡¯t exactly understand what Ryan had said but I knew he was talking bad about Hunter and he was


    telling me not to trust him. Before I could stop Ryan, his hand went inside the basket and he pulled out


    a sandwich. He took a bite. ¡°You honey, can cook. I can see why Hunter would call you his girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Is he here?¡± I asked.


    Ryan shrugged, between chewing the sandwich, he said. ¡°He¡¯s...well, he¡¯s a bit busy right now. Why


    don¡¯t you head home. He¡¯ll be back to the apartment in a an hour.¡±


    ¡°This packed food is for Hunter. I cooked it for him.¡± I told him, in case he got the wrong idea and


    decided to finish it himself. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until I see him.¡±


    Ryan sighed. ¡°I think that¡¯s not a good idea.¡±


    Then I heard a familiar voiceing from somewhere at the back. I walked towards the door slowly,


    the sounds getting closer as I walked further. I turned the knob and opened the door.


    It was dark, but my eyes could never betray me. Huddled against the wall was Hunter with another girl.


    A tall, dark haired beautiful girl pressed against Hunter and whispering something to him. What


    shocked me further was how his hand was under her blouse. She was trailing a kiss down his jawline


    just like I did to him.


    Maybe human boys did this all the time. Maybe it was okay to kiss and be close to one or two girls at


    one time. Even if it was alright, it didn¡¯t sit well with me. There was a burning feeling inside me, like my


    insides were twisting painfully.


    I closed my eyes, willing the pain to go away. My lower lip trembled. I couldn¡¯t bare to look anymore,


    nor could I help when a sob erupted from my throat. I think they heard me because both of them turned


    to face me. Lightning shed in the inky sky, followed by the sound of thunder.


    Hunter¡¯s eyes rested on me, and he stared at me like he couldn¡¯t believe I was here. ¡°Blue?!¡±


    I turned on my heel and stormed through the door and out of the cafe. By the time I stepped out, it was


    raining heavily. My tears dissolved under the rain as I jogged away from the cafe. I could hear Hunter


    call out to me from a distance but I¡¯f already tuned off his voice. Lightning shed again.


    I didn¡¯t like this feeling. I didn¡¯t like seeing Hunter so close to another girl.


    A car rolled by as I walked. ¡°Blue, listen to me, sweetheart. It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone, Hunter!¡± I said.


    ¡°Please let me exin. Come inside the car, you¡¯re getting wet.¡± He pressed, his voice sounded


    concerned.


    ¡°Go away.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Let me take you home and we¡¯ll sit and talk.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a home and there¡¯s nothing to talk about!¡± I yelled at him through the tears.


    ¡°Oh, Blue. Don¡¯t say that, baby. Come inside the car.¡±


    I continued to walk, until I realized the car had stopped following me. I¡¯d at least expected Hunter to be


    more convincing and try to get me inside his car, but he¡¯d decided I wasn¡¯t worth the trouble.


    Where would I go now?


    As scary thoughts began popping up in my mind, I felt a pair of arms go around my waist and before I


    knew it, Hunter was carrying me to his car. He hauled me into the passenger seat, secured the seat


    belt and slid behind the wheel. Next, he parked the car at the side of the road.


    The wipers continued to swipe at the rain and I waited for him to talk.


    Hunter had a lot of exining to do.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Warning?: Chapter gets a little hot ?


    Hunter


    This situation was as bad as a normal girlfriend finding your hands down another woman¡¯s pants.


    Granted, Blue was far from normal, but she had a woman¡¯s mind, body, soul. There was no doubt she


    would think like one too.


    I had to thread through this situation very carefully. I didn¡¯t want to hurt the mermaid¡¯s feelings anymore


    than I¡¯d already had.


    I touched her hand and she pulled back abruptly like I¡¯d poked her with a hot iron rod. I sighed. This


    was going to be harder than I imagined.


    Hesitatingly, I brushed the locks of wet aqua hair away from her face and grazed her cheek with the


    back of my hand. ¡°Sweetheart, please let me exin.¡± I whispered.


    The downpour was the only sound with the wipers shing away at the windshield. The trees


    whooshed, and there was the harsh wind indicating towards a storm. It was quitemon to have


    storms in our town.


    I took her silence as an invitation to keep talking. ¡°What you saw there at the back of the cafe, it¡¯s not


    what it seems like.¡±


    She red at me. ¡°Not what it seemed like? You had your hand up her t-shirt, Hunter, and she was


    kissing your face.¡±


    ¡°Not my lips.¡± I corrected her.


    ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to make me feel better?¡±


    Okay, maybe Blue was not as naive as she led me on.


    She continued. ¡°You told me you were going to bete because you were getting held up with some


    work but turns out you were lying. What¡¯s the usible exnation for it?¡±


    ¡°The day you got lost at the mall, I had to leave early and Ste covered my shift in exchange for one


    date. I agreed, and I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± I apologized. It was the most sincerest apology I¡¯d ever given a


    girl in my life.


    ¡°It still doesn¡¯t exin why your hand was up her shirt!¡± Blue pointed, making a pained expression. And


    it broke my heart. ¡°Is it a game for you Hunter? Are you calling me your girlfriend because you want me


    to getid with you?¡±


    ¡°Ryan told you that, didn¡¯t he?¡± I clenched my hands hard on the steering wheel. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill him.¡±


    I took deep breaths again, and counted to ten. I had these anger shes all the time when my mind got


    fogged up with an urge to destroy something. I didn¡¯t know how long I was thinking hard, I heard Blue¡¯s


    soft voice calling out to me.


    Blue was holding my face and talking to me softly. I instinctively pulled her closer and kissed the top of


    her head. ¡°I was just taking the trash outside when she came up behind me. I didn¡¯t realize when she


    took my hands and put them under her shirt, I swear to you, Blue. I was just about to tell her to stop but


    that¡¯s when you walked in saw us.¡±


    I watched as relief crossed her features. ¡°Is that true? You didn¡¯t touch her willingly?¡±


    ¡°No. Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Suddenly, Blue seemed like this really mature girl, the kind that wouldn¡¯t take nonsense from another


    girl who tried to steal her man. I wondered if one of my fantasies were talking.


    I pulled my seat back, scooped her up from the seat and ced her in myp. She didn¡¯t protest so


    there wasn¡¯t any need to hold back. Her lips came down on mine first in a soft caressing kiss and then


    turned headed a secondter, she¡¯d gotten a kissing expert after days of continuously kissing me, and


    boy, if it wasn¡¯t sweet and sexy as hell.


    Normally, it wasn¡¯t like Blue to take any initiative, but today she was all possessive as her tongue


    entered my mouth. My fingers brushed at the edge of her blouse, but I wasn¡¯t making any attempt at


    going further.


    But as I said, Blue was acting bold. She took off her t-shirt and let it fall under the seat then she


    reached for mine and pulled it over my head. Truthfully, it was a little crowded in the car but I wasn¡¯t


    comining.


    She took my palms and ced them on her breast¡¯s. ¡°Is this how you touched her?¡±


    ¡°Oh god, Sweetheart, please.¡± I warned her, ¡°My hand just stayed there, nothing happened. I wasn¡¯t


    even turned on.¡±


    She seemed confused. ¡°Turned on?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Like I¡¯m turned on just looking at you full clothed everyday. With Ste, it was just normal.¡±


    She touched my crouch and rubbed her palm on it. ¡°This is what you call being turned on?¡±


    I took her hand off my pants, groaning. ¡°Jesus Christ, stop it, Blue.¡±


    I nced at the windshield, good thing I¡¯d fogged them up, I didn¡¯t want anyone to witness what was


    going to happen next. I looked back at Blue, her breasts were almost spilling out of thatcy bra.


    Tentatively, I unhooked her bra and flung it on the empty passenger side of the car.


    Just a little further wouldn¡¯t hurt, right?


    Blue would certainly enjoy it.


    ¡°Lie down your back against the dashboard.¡± I told her.


    Blue moved a little back, still stranding me. I caught her right breast in my hand and squeezed it and


    she moaned. ¡°Will it be alright if I take it in my mouth?¡±


    A nod is all I needed. She cried in ecstasy when I tongue began doing a little exploring. She was


    panting loudly by the time I suckled, nibbled and kissed her all the way down to her bellybutton.


    ¡°So..¡± kiss.


    ¡°Fucking.¡± Kiss


    ¡°Beautiful¡± Kiss


    She caught a fitful of my hair in a harsh tug it hurt my roots. ¡°Do it again.¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Ouch, sweetheart, not that hard.¡±


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Her grasp on my hair loosened and I chuckled.


    I didn¡¯t wanted tough when she was obviously so turned on but I couldn¡¯t help doing with all those


    bizarre reactions she was giving me.


    ¡°Why are you alwaysughing at me?¡±


    It was cute how she always got angry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just that. If this activity got such a reaction from you, I don¡¯t know how you will react to the


    sex.¡±


    Interested, she sat upright and wound her arms around my neck. Her Saphire blue eyes sparked in the


    dark in with the usual curiosity, but this timeced with lust. ¡°Show me.¡±


    I was tempted to rip her jeans and take her right here but no. I couldn¡¯t do that to Blue. Her first would


    be special and in a bed.


    ¡°Not now, Blue but some other time.¡± I told her.


    Just then there was a rap on the car window and the both of us were almost scared out of our skins.


    The knocking got a little more harder. Due to the fogged up windows, I couldn¡¯t see who was outside.


    I covered Blue¡¯s body with mine and quickly snatched my t-shirt from the passenger seat and gave it to


    her since hers was lying at the foot of the car. ¡°Wear this right now.¡± I said urgently.


    ¡°But it¡¯s your t-shirt, Hunter.¡±


    More rapping on the window.


    ¡°Just wear it, Blue! Don¡¯t argue!¡±


    I didn¡¯t mean to growl at her but I didn¡¯t want anyone to see her naked.


    When I rolled down the window, I cringed seeing the person.


    He grinned at me ruefully, ¡°Getting yourself into trouble again, Brantley Junior?¡±


    I cringed. I had lost count as to how many times the Officer had caught me doing god-knows what.


    Every time I ended up doing something stupid, I had him constantly tease me about it. Today was no


    different.


    Officer Julius Brantley was a middle aged man probably in his starting forties with a beer belly and a


    bushy mustache.


    And he was also my uncle.


    Although he was my uncle, my father and him had grown apart and I mostly med that for my Uncle¡¯s


    growing envy for my Dad¡¯s poprity in town, not to mention the wealth.


    Every time I was almost arrested, he speed-dialed my Dad and problems were taken care of. Now that


    Dad had practically disowned me and forced me to work in his cafe, I was on my own.


    It was like Uncle Julius was watching and waiting until I did something wrong so he could call Dad and


    rub it in his face about how bad his kid had turned out to be.


    As if his children were busy bing the next Bill Gates. He had two kids, both of them having their


    own set of problems. His son, my cousin, Will was wasted most of the time and no one seemed to be


    arresting that meat-head so that exined my Uncle¡¯s level of hypocrisy.


    His gaze flicked towards Blue. ¡°She underage?¡±


    I snorted. She was over two-hundred years old, if someone needed questioning, it was Blue for taking


    advantage of a guy two hundred years her junior.


    ¡°She¡¯s legal.¡± I said.


    He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Son, are you still doing drugs?¡±


    My heart turned ice with that question.


    He hadn¡¯t just asked me that question. Not in front of her!


    ¡°I¡¯m clean.¡± I muttered.


    Something about my attitude probably struck him strange, next thing he said. ¡°Can I see your driving


    license?¡±


    I handed it over to him. ¡°Uncle Julius, I¡¯d really appreciate if you could do it fast. I need to get home.¡±


    ¡°Step out of your car, Hunter.¡± Hemanded.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Step out of you car.¡± He repeated.


    I did as I was told because I knew arguing with him wasn¡¯t going to get me anywhere. He did the


    routine police check and asked me to take a drug test that¡¯s when I lost it.


    ¡°Am I slurring? Was I even driving? I don¡¯t understand why I should even be taking this stupid test.¡± I


    said. ¡°What if I say I won¡¯t allow this test?¡±


    Inside the car, I saw Blue growing worried by the minute. Poor girl. She was probably wondering what


    was going on.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to issue a search warrant to get a test out of you and trust me, Hunter, you don¡¯t want


    me to go that far unless you¡¯re eager for a trip at the station.¡±


    I remained mute and let him take my test. Next, he scanned it with an electronic device and I waited. It


    turned out negative.


    ¡°Happy? Can I leave now?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°If I find out that she¡¯s a minor and you¡¯re messing with her, I will put you in jail and this


    time there won¡¯t be any Daddy¡¯s money to bail you out. Got that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Good.¡± He said, leaning in the window he stared at Blue. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Blue.¡± She said in a shaky voice.


    ¡°Very unusual name for a girl.¡± Hemented.


    I was hoping he didn¡¯t ask for her ID. If he did, then we could be in a shit load of trouble.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to give you some advice, Blue.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. Hadn¡¯t she received enough advice for the day. First Ryan and now him?


    She had a questioning look on her face.


    ¡°Be careful with this one. Very careful. Have a good night, kids.¡± He said and walked away towards his


    patrol car that was parked right behind ours.


    I rolled up the window and handed her t-shirt back as she gave me mine. The previous activities did not


    continue, mostly because Officer Julius had conveniently cock-blocked me.


    ¡°Who was he?¡± Blue asked as usual.


    ¡°Police Officer. Also my Uncle¡± I replied, before she could ask me what that was I exined, ¡°He¡¯s in


    law-enforcement. Anyone who does bad things, they end up in prison which is where they keep all the


    bad guys.¡±


    ¡°What did you do, Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Bad things.¡± I said honestly. ¡°When I told you that I¡¯m a good guy, that was actually a lie because I¡¯m


    not.¡±


    She shook her head and grasped my hand in hers as I drove. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. You do a lot of nice


    things for me, for Leslie.¡±


    I stared straight forward at the road ahead. ¡°If you knew about the things that I¡¯ve done in my past,


    Blue. I¡¯m pretty sure you wouldn¡¯t want to be anywhere near me.¡±


    Blue was saying something else but her voice had drowned with the chaos of my dark thoughts.


    Ryan, Uncle Julius, they were all correct. Anything I touched, it just withered. Every time I dreamed of a


    little happiness, it was quickly stolen away. I nced at Blue and I knew I had to take a decision.


    A hard one.


    She¡¯d hate me for it but she would understand eventually because this was a matter of our hearts. Mine


    was already breaking, and I knew hers would shatter too.


    It was a tough decision.


    But it was best for both of us.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Hunter


    When we arrived back at the apartment, the faint aroma of food was still lingering in the room. It


    smelled of grilled chicken and cake. One nce at the kitchen counter told me why.


    I turned to Blue. ¡°Did you do that, Blue?¡±


    The mermaid pressed her lips together and tried to avoid eye-contact. ¡°I...I cooked for you.¡± She


    strutted.


    My eyes widened. ¡°You did?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I packed everything and brought it to your cafe and forgot all the food there.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how much that gesture means to me, sweetheart. Thank you.¡± Then I added. ¡°The


    cooking for me part of the gesture I mean, not the leaving part.¡±


    Her eyes lit up with the smallpliment. ¡°I think there still might be some left overs if you¡¯d like to try.¡±


    ¡°I would love to.¡± I said as I followed her into the tiny kitchen and raised the lid to find only two pieces of


    remaining cake and one grilled sandwich. ¡°Where did got loose the packed lunch then?¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s still at the cafe. Your brother Ryan probably ate it.¡± She shrugged.


    The cake was still raised towards my mouth when I frowned, imagining Ryan taking all the food home


    and stuffing his face with it. That food was meant for me. And only me. It was prepared by Blue¡¯s


    delicate mermaid hands.


    Finally I took a bite of the cake, the chocte melted in my mouth, it was so soft and gooey, I didn¡¯t


    remember eating anything like this before. I stared at her in awe. She smiled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m finding it quite hard to believe this is your first time cooking human food.¡±


    She grinned. ¡°But I did it. I watched a lot of YouTube videos for it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Blue.¡± I said, feeling proud and a twinge of envy mixed with it.


    I felt proud because it just proved how smart she could be with a little guidance and envious because, it


    was a dead give-away that I didn¡¯t deserve a girl like her.


    She was a burning light in my ever growing darkness, she brought brightness into my life with each


    passing day. The least I could do for her was mentor her, teach her the human ways until she was


    capable.


    But she was never mine to keep.


    And that reminded me of the hardest decision I had to make.


    That night, she came to snuggle against me in bed as usual, wearing a cute panda nightie. But as soon


    as she lied down in bed, she took off the top and the bra went with it. The activity in my car with me


    ravishing her topless had probably given her the idea that it was okay to sleep bare.


    It was funny and cute how she made her own logic with certain incidents. She pressed her soft breasts


    against my bare chest. I¡¯d kiss her and then I wouldn¡¯t be able to control my hands and that probably


    would lead to other things and I didn¡¯t n to do any of that if she was in fact leaving soon.


    I felt her fingers trace my gruff jaw, ¡°what¡¯s wrong, Hunter?¡± She whispered.


    ¡°When I¡¯m not with you, please keep the t-shirt on your body. Okay?¡± I asked.


    She nodded.


    I practiced self-control that night, and in the morning I started packing Blue¡¯s clothes in her bag. She


    eyed me curiously, excitement glimmering in her ocean blue eyes.


    ¡°Are we going somewhere?¡±


    I hated to break her heart.


    ¡°Not me. Just you.¡±


    She continued to stare. ¡°Where am I going?¡±


    ¡°Hannah¡¯s.¡± I said and then added. ¡°My family home, the ce where I used to live before.¡±


    ¡°I get to meet Hannah?¡±


    I gave her a nod.


    We settled in my car, and I drove with excruciating slowness, prolonging the time I was spending with


    her. She fiddled with the radio stations, looked outside the window, asked me over a dozen questions


    and then finally sat back.


    ¡°And then when can Ie back?¡± She asked.


    I stared straight ahead.


    I couldn¡¯t just lie to her. I had to tell her the truth.


    I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. ¡°From here on, until we figure out how you can go back to


    your world, Blue, you will stay with Hannah. I already spoke with her and she¡¯s as much capable of


    caring for you as I am.¡±


    ¡°But can¡¯t I stay with you again?¡± She repeated.


    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You know, the things that we have been doing these past days. Whether in my room, or my car, the


    way we¡¯ve been fooling around with each other, it¡¯s not good for either of us if you are nning to leave


    soon. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying, Blue?¡±


    She shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I like you and you like me, you


    said so yourself.¡±


    How could I exin her this without sounding like a selfish asshole?


    ¡°Blue, it¡¯s nothing to do with what we want. You have to understand, you could get hurt. I can¡¯t go


    through with being alone again after you¡¯re gone so it¡¯s best we stay away from each other until it¡¯s


    time for you to leave.¡±


    Harsh but it was the truth.


    She remained silent, like I¡¯d stolen her ability of speech and that felt like a dagger piercing through my


    heart. I didn¡¯t dare a nce in her direction because I knew she was my weakness. If I let her talk me


    out of this, I¡¯d be driving back to my apartment.


    After a while she murmured. ¡°Please let me stay with you.¡±


    My head was exploding and it would be a matter of time before something ugly came from my mouth.


    Blue was thest person I needed on the receiving end while I had that temper.


    I mmed on the brakes and parked the car at the side of the road, some cars honked but I ignored


    them as usual.


    ¡°Okay, say, I let you stay with me and we continue to live as we are. What do you think happens then?¡±


    ¡°We would be together always. You would go to college,e home to me and I¡¯d cook for you and we


    would sleep together.¡±


    If life was that simple.


    Blue continued. ¡°And then we would kiss each other.¡± She squeezed her breast. ¡°You could touch me


    here again and do the things you were doing. I like the hard part of you down there but you never let


    me see it.¡± Her eyes drifted to my crouch that was already starting to get excited.


    Blue was being honest as usual, she was child-like, yes but also a grown woman with a fully developed


    body and thoughts as filthy as the next woman and that didn¡¯t help with my less than honorable


    thoughts about her.


    Damn her!


    I shifted ufortably in my seat. ¡°Okay, if we keep doing what you are suggesting and let¡¯s


    say...more. Would you stay here on thend with me?¡±


    ¡°For three months, Hunter. Yes.¡± She admitted.


    ¡°No. Forever.¡± I was taking my chances again. ¡°In my apartment with me as my girlfriend. You could go


    back to your Sea world but you would have toe back to me. Tell me, Blue, would you consider it?¡±


    Her expressions were anguished and I hated to be the one to put it there. ¡°No. I can¡¯t.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it. There¡¯s your answer. It¡¯s your home and you have to go back, and I can¡¯t live like


    I¡¯m a fuck-doll for three months for your pleasure. If you want to continue what we started, then it would


    be for a long run.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a fuck-doll?¡±


    Out of everything that I¡¯d said, that¡¯s all she¡¯d picked. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, this was Blue we were


    talking about.


    ¡°Never mind.¡± I said. ¡°I meant I can¡¯t be used as a whore to satisfy a mermaid¡¯s carnal desires while


    she lived here and get tossed away again when she decided to leave. I can¡¯t make it any more clear to


    you then I already have.¡±


    ¡°I just want to stay with you. Please, Hunter.¡± She pleaded.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t reply, and pushed the car into drive. I wasn¡¯t going to change my decision. I¡¯d spoken to Hannah


    and she¡¯d been cool with letting Blue stay with her. In fact she¡¯d been d. Mom and dad were hardly


    in town, what with their constant trips so the house was mostly all hers.


    Blue stared at the house with wide eyes as we stepped out of the car. An elderly housemaid, Mrs.


    Timble weed us at the grand entrance of the mansion.


    ¡°How are you, Nana?¡±


    She enveloped me in a warm hug, her hazel eyes glimmered, a radiant smile ying on her lips. I felt a


    wave of nostalgia when the scent of her strawberry perfume hit my nostrils. My mother had left when I


    was quite young and I never had a motherly figure in my life until my father remarried. Mrs. Timble had


    been the grandmother I never had and I called her Nana.


    Nana ced her warm hand on my cheek. ¡°You haven¡¯t been eating well, Hunter, what¡¯s wrong? Are


    you unwell?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nana, this is Blue. She¡¯s going to stay here for a while.¡± I squeezed her hand.


    ¡°Please take good care of her.¡±


    Nana smiled at me and then at Blue. ¡°Of course. She¡¯s so gorgeous. How are you, my dear?¡±


    Blue took a step back. She was always a little wary of strangers. ¡°I¡¯m..I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Nana seemed amused for some reason. ¡°Forgive me for being forward, dear, but you look like one of


    those exotic Princesses in Disney movies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually a mer...¡±


    I caught Blue¡¯s hand and dragged her towards the marble staircase. ¡°See you, Nana.¡±


    ¡°Stay for lunch today, Hunter. It¡¯s your favorite.¡± Nana called our behind me.


    ¡°Are you some kind of a Prince, Hunter?¡± Blue asked as she followed me upstairs.


    A three story red bricked Victorian mansion. I¡¯d lived all my life in the house and yet, I couldn¡¯t


    remember a single good memory that was worth recalling. It had been a house merely, where people


    came and left at their convenience and no one bothered to actually sit at the table as a family. If we did


    that, my father usually found ways to taunt me or rub salt on my open wounds so I¡¯d usually avoided


    the dinner table like a gue.


    I guess opened the door of my old bedroom on the first floor. Blue could live here for as long as she


    was here and I had to find a way to divert my mind from the mermaid.


    I realized that was going to be very difficult.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Hunter


    I ced Blue¡¯s luggage on the bed and began unpacking it. I was going to help her put things in ce


    so she didn¡¯t face a problemter when she was alone.


    She sat down at the edge of the bed and looked around curiously. ¡°Is this room...¡±


    ¡°Mine. It was my bedroom when I used to live in the house with my family.¡±


    She climbed to her feet and walked towards some shelves and looked at the trophies and awards I¡¯d


    received during school. ¡°You were a good student.¡± She remarked.


    ¡°Yeah. Kinda...I guess.¡± I said. I tried to remain modest about these things. I didn¡¯t think too much about


    the trophies. I didn¡¯t think much of anything. My entire life had no meaning whatsoever.


    She pointed at a framed high school picture of me sitting on bedside table. It was a picture of me with


    my ser team, the entire group of jock yers who used to be my friends at one time. When my


    father dered to disown me, those same group of friendsughed at me for being poor and alone.


    ¡°You looked so cute.¡± Shemented.


    I mmed the frame close. My stepmom had a very bad habit of snooping around in my room and


    cing things where they didn¡¯t belong. That woman had nothing better to do with her time. Sometimes


    I wondered if she wished I was born to her so it would have been easy to keep me in line. It didn¡¯t


    matter to her either way.


    I shook my head. Blue settled down on the bed, and touched the pillows. And before I knew it she was


    burying her face in the cushion. She inhaled aggressively and moaned loudly.


    So loud that I had to step back and close the door of the room.


    What the hell?


    I¡¯d never heard her moan like that.


    ¡°What are you doing, Blue?¡± I asked her softly.


    If a maid were to walk by, I was positive they would hear the sounds of her moans and think of some


    explicit scenario. My reputation didn¡¯t make things any better.


    ¡°This pillow.¡± She whispered in an intoxicated voice. ¡°It smells so good. It smells of you¡±


    Her toes curled. I was growing hard down south. Before she could moan even louder, I shushed her.


    ¡°Blue, lower down your voice.¡±


    I remembered lying down in bed a few weeks back when I was drunk out of my mind and Hannah tried


    to sneak me into the house at the crack of dawn. I was busted in point five seconds of walking through


    the threshold. I found myself under the sting eye of my Dad who¡¯d been waiting in the darkness of the


    kitchen. The next few days were followed by his rants and some bickering which had warranted him


    taking a final action on the lifelong threats that he¡¯d made. I was thrown out of my own house. If I didn¡¯t


    straighten out soon, I¡¯d be out of the will too.


    Definitely not the night I wanted to remember. Maybe I¡¯d doused myself in so much perfume that day


    that the scent had stained my pillow. The maids probably hadn¡¯t bothered to change the sheetster.


    I pushed my thoughts aside and unpacked some of Blue¡¯s clothes and arranged them into the now


    empty wardrobe. I ced her shoes in the bottom shelf. Then I found her lingerie and I tried not to


    imagine her wearing them as I arranged them in the drawers. It took me almost an hour to put her


    things in ce.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°There.¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re all set now.¡±


    Blue peered at me curiously through her long lusciousshes, her long hair swept around her like a


    cloud of blue cotton candy.


    ¡°You¡¯re really leaving me here, aren¡¯t you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice, Blue. If we don¡¯t put distance between us, it could get worse.¡±


    ¡°What could get worse?¡± She asked innocently.


    ¡°My feelings for you.¡±


    She obviously didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Can I get a hug before you leave?¡± She asked.


    Who in the right mind would ever say no to something she wanted?


    I gave her a nod. She went up on her knees and flung her arms around me in a strong, possessive


    embrace. I held her close to me and breathed in her scent. I could stay this way forever and never


    comin. In just a short amount of time, Blue had be someone very important to me.


    ¡°Be a good girl.¡± I told her. ¡°If you need anything, Hannah will help you. I will see you when I can,


    okay?¡±


    Blue nodded. Hesitantly, she raised her hand towards my face. Her hand stayed on my cheek and then


    she raised her other hand and ced both her palms at either sides of my head. She closed her eyes. I


    felt a bolt of electricity pass through me and fragments of my past resurfaced in shbacks like it was a


    short movie. When she opened her eyes, they were wide. I knew from the anguish in her expressions


    that she¡¯d seen a glimpse of it.


    A glimpse of my past that I¡¯d tried to keep hidden.


    Anger surged through me. I smacked her hand away from my cheek, ¡°What the fuck?!¡±


    Her hands were still raised towards me, her expressions baffled.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever given Blue a death re until now. She exined, ¡°Hunter, I¡¯m sorry...I didn¡¯t mean


    to...¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to what?¡± I bellowed. ¡°Why would you do that? It¡¯s not fair to peek into other people¡¯s


    mind like that, Blue!¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to see why you were hurting!¡±


    Feeling angry about the fact that I¡¯d let my emotions show, I snapped. ¡°You¡¯re not a goddamn


    psychiatrist so stop trying to look into my past! I¡¯m not to be fixed like some toy and I definitely hate


    when someone invades my privacy.¡±


    Blue flinched; I guess she wasn¡¯t used to seeing me so pissed off and it¡¯d caught her off-guard. I didn¡¯t


    me her. People often thought I was sweet and all until they saw the ugly side of me.


    She teared up and I instantly felt bad for behaving rudely. That was the problem with me. I was lethal


    when I got really angry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I said. I decided to change the subject all together. ¡°I have arranged all your clothes in the


    closet. You¡¯ll find the shoes in thest drawer. The middle drawer has your...¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Your


    lingerie.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t look at me. The damage was done, and I guess it was for the best. I wanted to p


    myself for how sad I¡¯d made her. Blue didn¡¯t deserve tears; she deserved the smiles and the child-like


    laugher that I¡¯d fallen in love with.


    What?


    Had I really fallen in love with the mermaid?


    That couldn¡¯t happen. There was no way that I could fall in love with Blue and not hurt her. There was a


    one hundred percent possibility that I would fuck up and I didn¡¯t think I could stomach to see her hurt.


    I met Hannah halfway downstairs. ¡°You seem tensed, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she was quick to notice.


    ¡°We had a fight.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°What for?¡± she asked giving me her signature pissed off look.


    ¡°It¡¯s personal. Look, Han, Blue is not normal as you may already be aware. Due to some circumstances


    I can¡¯t keep her at my apartment so I¡¯m entrusting you with her responsibility for the time being. She will


    stay here until she figures a way to get back to her home.¡±


    Sadness shed in Hannah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hunter, is Blue autistic?¡±


    Of course the most logical exnation for Blue would be to agree with her being an autistic.


    I didn¡¯t answer the question and let Hannah decide for herself. There was no way I could tell her that


    Blue was a mermaid. It would lead to chaos and more questioning. ¡°I want you to take care of Blue, just


    keep an eye out on her and call me if you need anything.¡±


    Hannah nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s safe with me.¡±


    ¡°I trust you, Han.¡±


    I drove back to my apartment that night feelingpletely drained. Leslie searched every corner of the


    tiny ce to check if Blue was hiding anywhere.


    ¡°She¡¯s not going to live with us from now on, buddy.¡± I told him.


    When he realized I wasn¡¯t joking and that Blue really wasn¡¯ting back, he left to sulk in the corner.


    He didn¡¯t even touch his dinner, and neither did I. I¡¯d just lost my appetite tonight. Iy down on my bed


    that night and contemted my decision to let her stay with Hannah.


    Had I made the right decision by sending her away? She was going to leave me eventually so what did


    it really matter?


    I stared at her side of the bed. It remained empty. It¡¯d been just over an hour and I already missed her. I


    rolled onto her side and stayed there. Her pillow smelled of the shampoo that I¡¯d gotten her.


    I was instantly going hard.


    I groaned. This was bad.


    My phone suddenly began buzzing. I picked it off the dresser hastily, thinking it was Hannah calling me


    for emergency.


    An Emergency like Blue begging and brawling her eyes out to see me. If Blue called and insisted, I


    wasn¡¯t entirely sure I wouldn¡¯t cave in. That girl had so much power over me, it was surprising. I¡¯d never


    let any woman control my life and yet, Blue pulled my strings.


    The phone wasn¡¯t from Hannah. It was from Ka, my ex from a long time ago who I¡¯d hooked up with


    a few times even after our breakup. We had a sort of like a friends-with-benefits kinda thing.


    I saw her text and cringed.


    Ka: I¡¯m not wearing anything tonight. Wannae over? ;)


    Normally, I would have taken her up on her offer, because she liked the whole ¡äWham Bam Thank you


    Ma¡¯am¡¯ and honestly, it was a lot easier with Ka, no drama and no tears but this time my conscience


    wouldn¡¯t let me.


    My mind and my cock wanted one girl badly enough to not even consider the thought of another.


    Me: I¡¯m not feeling well, Kay. How about I take a rain check? :(


    Ka: aw ;( my poor baby. Maybe I cane over, and even treat your booboo. I¡¯m sure by the time


    I¡¯m done, you¡¯ll start feeling better. Lol.


    I rolled my eyes.


    Me: I¡¯m sure I would but I¡¯m down with a flu, wouldn¡¯t want you to catch it.


    Ka: Oops! Well, next time then. Good night hon ???


    I tossed the phone on the mattress. I was pretty sure Ka was going to call one of her other exes.


    She¡¯d always been quite open about how she could never stick with one person. Gender wasn¡¯t really


    her issue. She liked girls as well, but she¡¯d mentioned more than once that she liked the boys better.


    I closed my eyes and pushed Ka out of my mind and imagined Blue¡¯s long wavy hair, her luscious


    curves and her pouty mouth. I imagined that same mouth teasing mine, and then she was kissing me


    everywhere.


    It was a torture but I needed relief. I took off my clothes andy under the nkets. I reached for my


    cock and imagined pumping into her, whispering her name in the darkness.


    Later that night, I felt guilty as if I¡¯dmitted a grave crime.


    * * *


    Blue


    I woke up that night with a jolt. It took me a while to collect my thoughts, but I realized a minuteter


    that it was a dream.


    A very naughty one at that.


    In the dream, I waspletely naked and so was Hunter and we were doing some unknown amount of


    acrobatics. I really didn¡¯t understand but he was plunging into me with a veryrge...


    Oh my!


    Was that what he¡¯d been hiding behind the towel all along? Or was it just my imagination?


    The funny thing was that I was saying some really nasty things in the dream and it seemed to please


    Hunter.


    At one point I told him, ¡®You look good enough to eat.¡¯


    What?


    Now why would I want to eat him? I would never ever entertain the thought of ever killing, let alone


    cooking Hunter. That was so wrong.


    ¡®Fuck me hard, Hunter.¡¯ I said huskily.


    We were both making sounds. It was mortifying, yet I felt myself squeeze my legs together.


    ¡®Let me taste your peaches.¡¯ Hunter said.


    My peaches? I didn¡¯t have any peaches. My body didn¡¯t grow any fruits at all!


    In the end we were both panting andy beside each other. And I couldn¡¯t forget the look on his face.


    Those silver eyes. I wanted Hunter to look at me like that all the time.


    What he said further, knocked my breath away.


    ¡®Blue, I love you so much. And I want you to love me back, sweetheart.¡¯


    In the dream, I said, ¡äI love you too, Hunter.¡ä


    I didn¡¯t understand this dream. Could it be possible that I was watching fragments of Hunter¡¯s


    thoughts? Often, when I peeked into someone¡¯s past, my mind got temporarily linked with theirs and I


    could see their thoughts for a while.


    My cheeks burned. Is this what Hunter was thinking about me? Did that mean he loved me?


    I buried my face into the pillow. I wanted to apologize to him for looking into his past, that was very rude


    of me.


    I needed to find a way back to start living with Hunter again. No matter what he said, I knew he wanted


    me to be with him.


    If anything, that dream proved it.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Blue


    When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I did was reach for my phone. My finger¡¯s hovered


    over Hunter¡¯s phone number. He had told me I could call him but only if I was in a major crises. I was


    just missing him; I missed waking up to the warmth of hisrge body, tracing those tattoos on his arms


    and even running my tongue over it when he was fast asleep. I missed that little apartment, and the


    aroma of breakfast that he prepared for me. I missed Leslie.


    My eyes were suddenly moist as I remembered every single detail. I hadn¡¯t realized that someone had


    been calling out my name.


    ¡°Blue.¡±


    The door barged open and Hannah walked in. I tried to wipe away the tears but she¡¯d already seen it.


    Her expressions softened. ¡°Oh, honey...¡± she sat down on the oversized bed. ¡°You miss Hunter, don¡¯t


    you?¡±


    I gave her a nod. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go back to him?¡±


    She ran her hand through my hair. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Sweets, but he says it¡¯s for your own good.¡±


    Hannah handed me a stuffed Panda that Hunter had gotten for me. He had even left my favorite toy


    here and that exined he¡¯d walked away from me for good.


    I hugged the Panda to myself as the tears continued to graze my cheek. It was all my fault. I¡¯d told him


    that I wouldn¡¯t stay here forever, of course he didn¡¯t want to continue a rtionship that didn¡¯t promise a


    future.


    Stupid human tears. I swiped at them furiously.


    ¡°Breakfast is ready downstairs. Would you like me to bring it here in your room?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Ille downstairs.¡±


    The dinning room was quite big and elegant. The house looked like it was probably a hundred years


    old but restored in a modern way while keeping the old essence. It was a lovely home.


    I sat down at the table for breakfast. The olddy, that everyone called Nana was a great cook, and yet


    I missed Hunter¡¯s cooking. She had a nice smile too. I ate the sumptuous food and then Hannah said


    she had to go to college so I was left alone in the empty house. I explored the garden outside, tried to


    y with the house cats Mister Whiskers and his wife Miss Pudding who didn¡¯t like me for some


    reason. I think they suspected I wasn¡¯t from around here. Mister Whiskers started gettingfortable a


    few hourster, but Miss Pudding still had a grudge against me, maybe she hated how her husband


    was flirting with me as he sat in myp.


    * * *


    Hunter


    It¡¯s been four days since I left Blue in Hannah¡¯s care. The first few days I had called Hannah every two


    hours to check if everything was alright and it seemed that Blue had been insisting oning back to


    me but had eventually stopped whining two dayster.


    I had mixed feelings. I was a little d, but I was majorly disappointed that she wasn¡¯t still asking for


    me. I mean, if she had at least called me once, I would have gone to get her. Screw the staying-away-


    from-each-other n.


    I was ying Tekken on my yStation and loosing a lot of matches because my mind was not in the


    game.


    I was mad that Blue had peeked into my mind, seen a part of my past that I usually liked to keep


    hidden. From the look in her eyes, I knew she pitied me. She felt bad for what had happened and I


    hated that look.


    I didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s pity.


    I took a long drink from the chilled beer can, crushed the can and tossed it into the trash can. I reached


    for another can from the six pack and opened it.


    Maybe I was just sexually frustrated, not having gottenid in months or maybe staying celibate for so


    long was fucking with my head.


    When my cell phone dinged, I picked up the phone to check who was messaging me at such ate


    hour. I suspected it would be my friend, Fred or perhaps the security guard.


    Blue: I¡¯m sorry. I miss you.


    I stared at the message for a long time, wondering if I had imagined it. She was obviously apologizing


    about the little fight we¡¯d had the other day.


    And goddamn if I didn¡¯t want to text I miss you back. I needed to keep my emotions in check. If I


    wanted Blue to go back to her world without being heart broken, I had to remain strong.


    My heart hurt. I was too damn lonely and miserable. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing with my life, what


    future awaited me and if I would ever be sessful enough to walk past my father¡¯s shadow. I was


    twenty-three, dropped out of one college, thrown out of one and looking at the way things were going


    now, I didn¡¯t think I wouldst in this University either.


    I closed my eyes and thought for once why I deserved someone as sweet, caring and pure as Blue and


    my mind went nk.


    Because the answer was right there. Blue deserved better just like Barb in Stranger Things deserved


    better. And I wasn¡¯t going to ruin her life by forcing her to be with me when she could be out in her


    world doing whatever mermaids did, getting married to that childhood Mer-man friend and watching


    cute blue haired kids grow up.


    The thought of her with another man disturbed me but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do other than sit


    and let it happen. I couldn¡¯t ask her to betray her own kind.


    Wait, how did mermaids even have sex? Did Mer-men have...?


    Three more dayster, I got a call from Hannah.


    ¡°Hunter, where are you right now?¡± She sounded agitated.


    ¡°I¡¯m in ss. Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I waspletely on alert. Hannah wouldn¡¯t call unless there was an


    emergency.


    ¡°Can you please drive home and check on Blue?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What happened? And why isn¡¯t she with you?¡± I asked it so loud that most of the ssroom had turned


    their heads towards me. I excused myself, climbed to my feet, stormed out of the room.


    ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re not forgetting, I do have sses too, duh. And we had an educational tour today so


    I¡¯m at the museum. If I leave here right now, it would at least take me forty-five minutes to reach home.


    You¡¯re rtively closer.¡± Hannah said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Nana?¡± I asked about our housekeeper.


    ¡°Nana¡¯s at home but Blue wouldn¡¯t talk to her or the other maids. She¡¯s been asking for you. When I


    tried to ask her on the phone I couldn¡¯t understand a word she was saying because she was mostly just


    sobbing. I¡¯m worried, Hunter. If this wasn¡¯t such an emergency, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered calling you.¡±


    She said thest part with a lot of venom. I wondered what warranted it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in fifteen.¡± I was already walking towards the parking lot.


    When I reached the mansion, I made a beeline for my old bedroom, one that was now upied by


    Blue. Nana stood outside the bathroom and was talking to Blue on the other side, and the door was


    shut.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked her.


    The old woman shook her head in a concerned manner. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, dear, she¡¯s been crying for a


    long time and now she¡¯s stopped crying which has gotten me even worried, I hope the poor girl is


    alright. Why don¡¯t you try to talk to her, Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Nana. I¡¯ll take it from here. She¡¯ll listen to me. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    Nana smiled and walked out of the room. The tray of foody on the mattress. There was the roast


    chicken, egg rolls, meat pie and some fancy sd. My mouth watered and my stomach growled


    reminding me that I hadn¡¯t had a proper breakfast since morning, just bread and butter (Amon


    man¡¯s basic food)


    I knocked on the bathroom door once. ¡°Blue, it¡¯s me, Hunter.¡±


    There was no response from the other side. ¡°Open the door, sweetheart. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    A momentter, I heard her sweet melodic voice call, ¡°Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, love, it¡¯s me. Open the door.¡±


    Thankfully, the door unlocked and I saw a much disoriented Blue, her usual wavy hair was a mess and


    so was the green dress. Sheunched into my arms and hugged me, holding onto me tightly. She


    broke into a sob. I stroke her back lightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She pulled away a little to look at me. ¡°Hunter, I think I¡¯m going to die soon.¡±


    I stared at her in confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I went to use the bathroom in the morning and I saw...¡± she cried, ¡°I saw that I was bleeding. I thought


    it would stop but its gotten worse. I think I¡¯m going to bleed to death.¡±


    ¡°Where...where are you bleeding from? Did you hit somewhere?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s what I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m bleeding from here...¡± she touched her crotch


    area. ¡°Am I going to die, Hunter?¡±


    I looked heavenward. I understood she was trying to tell me.


    ¡°No, sweetheart, you¡¯re not going to die.¡± I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bathroom.


    I opened the tap and filled the tub with warm water. Next I poured some liquid for bubble bath into it. I


    told her to strip and get inside the tub. She obeyed like a good girl that she was.


    ¡°Give me two minutes, I¡¯ll be back.¡± I closed the bathroom door behind me and texted Hannah.


    Do not freak out about me asking you this. Where do you keep your feminine hygienic products?


    Han: Is it for Blue?


    Me: no, it¡¯s for me.


    Han: whoa! When did you grow a vagina?! I always thought you were a dick.


    Me: Jesus, Han, how old are you? Of course it¡¯s for Blue. And I don¡¯t think Mom would approve of you


    speaking to your older brother like that.


    Han: whatever. You can go to my room only if you promise not to touch anything else.


    Me: Trust me, I¡¯m not eager to go into your bedroom. I just need the feminine hygienic product.


    Han: how difficult is it for you to just say ¡®sanitary pads¡¯?!


    Me: just answer my question.


    Han: Check my bathroom, in thest drawer on the left side. And there are also some meds that would


    help her with the cramps.


    Me: thanks.


    I stormed into Hannah¡¯s room and tried not to move my eyes around too much. The room was a mess.


    This girl needed a lesson on how to keep her things in order. Then again, she was my sister; there was


    no ¡®organized¡¯ bone in her body, just like me.


    Despite of myself my eyesnded on the open magazine on the bed and I saw the pictures. Those


    images couldn¡¯t get scrubbed out of my mind with the best detergent money could buy.


    What else had I expected?


    Hannah was not a snotty kid anymore. She was a teen, and she found men attractive. I ignored the


    magazine and walked into the bathroom.


    I had to see a YouTube video to learn how women used a sanitary pad so I could exin it to Blue. I


    told Blue what she was supposed to do and asked her toe sit with me when she was done with her


    bath. She walked out wearing a yellow colored baggy t-shirt that read ¡®Chick¡¯ with a picture of a chick


    on it. She was wearing that over denim shorts.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± She asked as soon as she was out of the bathroom, her eyes swimming with


    tears and her cheeks were pink from the hot bath.


    I patted the space on the bed beside me. ¡°Come sit with me.¡±


    She climbed onto the bed and sat down. I pulled the covers over her legs, took her hand in mine and


    kissed her knuckles. ¡°I don¡¯t know how this happened to a mermaid but it did so I¡¯m going to exin


    you what it means. You¡¯re not going to die, Blue. Does it hurt anywhere?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My tummy hurts a little.¡± She said.


    ¡°Lie down.¡± I said without thinking.


    Blueplied without much thought. The scent of strawberry body-wash entered my nose. I pulled her


    t-shirt up slowly, and kissed her stomach. I continued kissing her there until I heard her giggling.


    ¡°It tickles.¡±


    She made my insides warm. If she asked me to rip my heart out so she could make a hot stew out of it


    to have for dinner, I¡¯d probably be standing in the kitchen with a butcher knife and a cutting board going


    through the recipe.


    I was a lost case.


    I loved her to bits.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Hunter


    I loved her. There was no turning back from it. I was ruinedpletely and I was ready to ept my


    fate. If she didn¡¯t return my feelings, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure I could get over it. I wouldn¡¯t get over her. I


    knew it that much.


    I moved a little upward and pressed my lips between her breasts and heard her sigh in pleasure. She


    wasn¡¯t wearing a bra. I reached for her right breast and took the left one in my mouth. I heard her


    moan, and her fingers digging into my hair. Just when I thought I was doing the right thing, I saw the


    tears spilling out of her eyes.


    I rolled the t-shirt on her body and sat back. Why was this Goddess like woman crying? I¡¯d only been


    trying to distract her from the painful cramps that Hannah was talking about, heck if I knew anything


    about women on their periods.


    ¡°Did you hate it?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°No.¡± Blue said. ¡°But you¡¯re only trying to distract me because you don¡¯t want me to know the truth.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Blue?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid to admit that I¡¯m going to eventually bleed and die today.¡± And then she closed her eyes,


    joined her hands and started rambling in anothernguage which I assumed was mermaidnguage.


    And this had to be her prayer.


    ¡°What are you saying in your prayer?¡± I asked, still confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking the gods to forgive my sins.¡±


    ¡°In what way have you sinned, please exin.¡± I may have sounded a wee bit sarcastic, but who was I


    kidding, sarcasm never worked on Blue.


    If Blue was a sinner, then if I had to count the amount of bad things I had done in my life, I should have


    been in hell working as Lucifer¡¯s personal advisor.


    She passed me a look that said I was interrupting her prayers. ¡°I have sinned ording to the rules of


    the Underwater World, Hunter. My first sin is running away from home and stepping onnd, even


    worse that I like living here and I enjoy the human food, my second sin is letting a Human boy touch


    me, my third sin is...¡± she was close to tears again. ¡°my third sin is wanting to be touched and kissed by


    a human. My fourth sin is letting a human soil mepletely. I¡¯ve broken all the rules there are and I


    guess I¡¯m paying the price now.¡±


    I sat there in sheer astonishment. Blue was implying that I had spoiled her by touching her with my dirty


    human hands, she hadn¡¯t said it outright but that¡¯s what it had meant.


    I deserved it. I deserved hearing the truth from her. She¡¯d made it loud and clear.


    I gave out augh. ¡°Maybe you should have thought about it before you came snuggling into my arms


    when I slept on the couch or when you asked me to sleep with you in bed. How about the times you


    begged me to kiss you, Blue? Did you ever realize that you were partly responsible for letting mey


    my hands on you?¡±


    Her mouth was hanging open because I¡¯d raised my voice again. I didn¡¯t care. I was angry. ¡°You asked


    me why I was a sinner and I¡¯m telling you what I think.¡± She said still not realizing that she had hurt me


    with her words. It was like a sharp knife twisting in my gut. The pain was almost unbearable.


    ¡°Trust me, Love, you¡¯ve told me everything that I needed to know. And I sincerely apologize for


    touching you with my degenerated hands, oh and my mouth wherever that it touched your body.¡±


    ¡°But Hunter...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry; please forgive this debauched poor man, Your Grace. I promise it won¡¯t repeat again.¡±


    ¡°Why are you saying all this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! All I did was help you out because you were lying naked on the beach. I was just looking


    out for you and what did you do?¡± I shrieked. ¡°You said I was dirty and you looked into my past


    forcefully.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know when I waspletely consumed by my anger that I grasped her shoulders in a fierce


    hold, ¡°Would you rather have preferred if it was your mermaid boyfriend kissing you and touching you


    instead of me? I¡¯m sure if it was him, it wouldn¡¯t have been a sin because that¡¯s allowed, am I right?


    Answer me!¡±


    ¡°Hunter...¡°She was crying again. ¡°Stop Please...¡±


    I instantly loosened the grip. What was happening to me? I had been so mad with anger, jealously and


    rage that I even scared Blue.


    I stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really am. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into me. And about the bleeding, there¡¯s


    nothing to worry about. It just means that you¡¯re a woman now. Every woman goes through this every


    month for five days. It¡¯s quite natural so you¡¯re not dying.¡±


    Relief flooded her features, but she didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°You can ask Hannah.¡± I handed her medicines. ¡°If you¡¯re having cramps, take these.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait to see her expressions, and walked out of the door shutting the door behind me with a loud


    bang.


    Hannah was making her way upstairs but I ignored her and began rushing my way downstairs, she was


    calling out to me. ¡°Hunter, where the hell are you going?¡±


    I walked out of the mansion, and sat down in my car and turned the ignition key. I saw Blue staring out


    the window, trying to hide herself. Even though her face was concealed behind the curtains, I could still


    see her. Silly woman.


    That¡¯s right. She was a woman now.


    Hold on a minute.


    What was I saying?


    Blue was a mermaid and looking at the way she reacted she obviously had no idea about


    menstruation. She started her periods today like any normal woman.


    Was there a reason for it?


    Oh god. Was it because of the ¡°sins¡± she kept talking about? Had I really screwed her chances of going


    back to her world?


    I held the steering wheel tightly, fighting back the urge to walk back to the mansion and take her into


    my arms. No good was going toe out of me touching her. If anything, I would just fuck up her


    chances of bing a normal mermaid, (if that was possible at all).


    Did that mean she couldn¡¯t go back to the Ocean? Why did I feel an utter sense of relief? I also felt


    utterly guilty for having this feeling. It was so wrong. She was better off without me. Hadn¡¯t I been


    insulted by her enough?


    I had to ept my faith. No body was going to love me. There would be Hannah, and my family, but no


    one in my life that would ever call me theirs.


    It was the harsh truth.


    * * *


    Blue


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I had never seen Hunter that way. His eyes were filled with an emotion that I couldn¡¯t even describe, he


    had been so angry that I was scared he would hurt me. When he had grasped my shoulders, I could


    feel his energy.


    He was sad, lonely and disappointed but his intention was never to hurt me. I didn¡¯t understand what I


    had said that had made him so furious. I had merely stated the truth.


    The door suddenly opened and for a second I thought it was Hunter.


    ¡°What happened now?¡± Hannah asked.


    ¡°I said something that I think I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± I admitted.


    I told Hannah what happened and the conversation that went between me and Hunter. Hannah stared


    at me, she waspletely shocked and baffled.


    She took my hands in hers. ¡°Honey, most of the time you say the sweetest things, but sometimes it


    could be lethal.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± I said.


    ¡°What you said was obviously hurtful, especially for Hunter who¡¯s craved for love every since he was


    little.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me, I wanted to ask you about Hunter. His mother, I mean. What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°What did you see in the visions you had of his past?¡±


    ¡°A golden-brown haired little boy with silver eyes. He looked so adorable, it took me a while to realize


    that it was Hunter when he was just three years old. I saw him eating ice-cream in the mall. He was


    asking for his mom, but his mom wasn¡¯ting back. He stayed with the authorities for a long time


    until someone recognized Hunter and his father came to take him back home.¡± I told her. ¡°I don¡¯t


    understand. Did Hunter¡¯s mom leave?¡±


    Hannah¡¯s eyes were sad. ¡°Jessica, Hunter¡¯s mother, she was a very ambitious woman. I mean there¡¯s


    nothing bad to be ambitious but well, she was different. She married our father because she wanted a


    hike in her modeling career and dad realized that quitete. She married only for money.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t exin why she would neglect the child?¡± I said.


    ¡°Jessica never wanted a child, but when she got pregnant with Hunter she cursed the child, Blue. She


    wanted to get an abortion but father won¡¯t let her. As soon as she gave birth, she wanted to be rid of


    the responsibility of being a mother so she found excuses to hurt Hunter. Didn¡¯t you notice his back?


    He has scars inflicted from cigarette burns.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god.¡± Tears rolled down my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a bad person.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t know. Thest thing Hunter needs right now is pity or sympathy


    because it was a long time back.¡±


    The air was filled with silence. ¡°Do you love Hunter, Blue?¡±


    ¡°I think I do.¡± I admitted.


    She smiled knowingly. ¡°Hunter is haunted by his past, and he¡¯s quite selfish and overbearing when he


    wants to be but he¡¯s a good person. I think he loves you too.¡± And then she added, ¡°you will just have


    to figure out how a mermaid and a human can work it out.¡±


    I nodded. A minuteter my eyes widened. ¡°I did not...I¡¯m not...¡± I stuttered.


    Sheid a finger on my lips. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t human, I just wasn¡¯t sure. At first when I realized what


    you were, I freaked out but then I noticed you¡¯re the same like any of us. I¡¯m d to have met you,


    Blue.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Hunter told me not to tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, your secret is safe with me.¡± She giggled. ¡°I¡¯m going for clubbing tonight, do you want to join


    me?¡±


    ¡°What is clubbing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun. You will enjoy.¡± She said with a dazzling smile. ¡°Now all we need is a sexy dress for you.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Blue


    ¡°What¡¯s clubbing? What do I have to do there?¡± I asked Hannah. I was excited at the prospect of going


    out somewhere. I was tired to being holed up in the house for an entire week.


    Worse all I did was ended up thinking about Hunter. Now I had really made him upset and I had to find


    a way to apologize but before that I wanted to go out.


    ¡°Clubbing is where you will be dancing.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t like dancing. Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°You will be fine. It¡¯s a club sh bar so there will be a lounge where you can sit and chill if you don¡¯t


    like dancing. They serve the best torti chips and guacamole, and don¡¯t even get me started with their


    burgers. The club is owned by my friend, you know. Trust me, it will be fun, Blue.¡± Hannah concluded.


    She seemed pretty excited and I didn¡¯t want to burst her bubble of happiness with the gloominess that I


    was feeling myself.


    It wouldn¡¯t have to have a little fun, would it? If Hannah said it was going to be fun then I trusted her.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this. Can I wear the Dora the explorer t-shirt that Hunter got me?¡± I asked.


    Hannahughed. ¡°No way. You¡¯re not a kid, Blue. You¡¯re a woman. And if that wasn¡¯t the case before, it


    is right now. Leave it to me.¡±


    Hannah then processed to throw her clothes out of the closet and started telling me to dress up in them


    one after the other. Lastly I was dressed in a short skirt and a white off-shoulders blouse that was low


    cut and when I looked at myself in the mirror I felt my cheeks burn. I pulled my hair to cover my breasts


    because Hunter used to say I shouldn¡¯t be showing them off in the public.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hannah said exasperatedly.


    ¡°Hunter said I shouldn¡¯t wear something like this outside in public.¡±


    ¡°Yeah not in public but sh all those wonderful boobs to him in private. What an asshole. Here¡¯s a


    reality check, sweetie, Hunter is just jealous.¡± She said. ¡°But worry not, this is thest ce you will find


    Hunter going to.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I felt a bit disappointed. I had thought maybe I could have a glimpse of him.


    ¡°Now let me choose a dress for myself and then I¡¯ll do some wonderful things to your eyes. We will


    leave in thirty minutes.¡±


    Hannah was dressed in a red short dress, her beautiful golden-brown hair tied in a long pony tail. She


    then sat me down at her dresser and styled my hair in what she called ¡°beach waves¡± and Smokey eye


    makeup that made me look BOMB as she put it. When I took a final look in the mirror, I agreed that I


    looked different. She sprayed some amazing smelling scent on me and handed me a small pouch


    where I kept my phone and some money.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    * * *


    I wasn¡¯t really a fan of Hannah¡¯s driving skills. She drove recklessly, and tried to coax some boys into


    racing with her. I didn¡¯t understand what was fun about it. I liked being in Hunter¡¯s car. He was a safe


    driver, which reminded me...


    I wanted to learn to drive too.


    Finally Hannah parked outside a really fancy looking club called ¡®Lucifer¡¯s Den.¡¯ I didn¡¯t like the name of


    it. I had learned that Lucifer was a fallen angel turned demon, why was this club named after him?


    A very angry looking man stood at the entrance of the club door, staring at me. ¡°ID ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with me, Rodney.¡± Hannah said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Hannah. I didn¡¯t know you had brought a friend.¡± This time his angry expression


    dissipated into a smile. I was relieved.


    ¡°Is Phoenix at the club tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t see him. I saw Mr. Lockhart apany his friend though.¡±


    Hannah giggled. ¡°Which one of the Lockhart¡¯s, Rodney? There are a bunch of them.¡±


    ¡°The oldest brother, Max. He¡¯s having some friends over tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. He invited me too. Thanks, Rod.¡± Hannah waved at the big man and led me inside the


    club.


    The ce wasn¡¯t something that I had imagined about. It was like walking into apletely different


    dimension, one that was all shinning and filled with glitter. Huge pink Chrystal chandeliers suspended


    from the ceilings. Even though the ce was dark, the entire club was lit with pink lights that were


    glowing. I had no idea a ce like this existed on earth, and yet Hunter had never even taken me to


    see it. Sure he had showed me to the malls, amusement parks and cafes but this was different. A


    group of boys were chatting and drinking from lovely looking sses. There was a stairwell leading


    upstairs to people dancing. It looked crowded and I didn¡¯t want to dance.


    ¡°Hannah!¡± I looked into the direction of the voice and saw a tall, attractive man beaming at my friend


    and making his way towards us.


    As soon as the man neared us, Hannah jumped into his arms. ¡°Max! It¡¯s been so long, why haven¡¯t you


    texted me?¡±


    Max was a tall attractive boy with brown eyes and silver hair. He had a piercing in one ear and lower


    lip. There was this design that Hunter called a Tattoo on his neck. If I had to specte his age in the


    human world, I would say he was the same age as Hunter, around twenty-three.


    He looked at me curiously and smiled at Hannah. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to your friend?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, right.¡± Hannah said, her cheeks were pink. Did she like this Max boy? ¡°Blue, meet Maximus


    Lockhart, he¡¯s the owner of this club, hates being called Maximus and Max, this is Blue. She¡¯s a friend


    who¡¯s¡­.well; she¡¯s on a holiday here.¡±


    Max grinned, ¡°Pleased to meet you, Blue. Any friends of Hannah¡¯s are my friends by default. I hope you


    enjoy your time at the club.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said shyly.


    Max smiled again. ¡°She¡¯s totally beautiful, Hannah. Where is she from?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I liked him talking about me third person.


    ¡°Uh¡­she¡¯s not from around here.¡± Hannah said.


    ¡°Ie from the underwater world.¡± I said proudly.


    Max stared at me inplete silence and thenughed. ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡±


    ¡°Everyone says that.¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re in college?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± I answered.


    ¡°Work?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t had a job before, I would love to try one day though. So far, I just eat, sleep, and watch Dora


    the Explorer.¡±


    Again Max stared for maybe an entire minute and then he wasughing until he had a tear leak through


    his eye. Hannah stepped lightly on my foot and whispered. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to say that, Blue¡±


    ¡°I like a girl with a mystery. It just makes me want to solve it all the more.¡± Max said through all the


    laugher. ¡°Are you single, love? Wait; don¡¯t answer that because it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s eyes widened. I could sense the fearing through her in waves and I didn¡¯t understand


    why. ¡°Max, she¡¯s actually with Hunter.¡±


    ¡°What if she is? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking her to be my girlfriend or something, chill Hannah.¡± Max said and


    then turned to me. ¡°About the job you were talking about. One of the waitresses bailed on usst


    minute. I needed someone to cover her shift tonight, just for a few hours. Do you think you can help me


    out, Blue?¡±


    ¡°What do I have to do?¡± I asked him curiously.


    ¡°Oh, not much actually. Just serve some drinks to my friends, talk to them, hang out with us. I¡¯ll even


    pay you by the hour.¡±


    ¡°Max!¡± Hannah said in warning.


    I¡¯ll have money to buy anything. I would experience what it was like to do a job and I knew working here


    would be a really fun.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it.¡± I said.


    ¡°Blue, it¡¯s not easy working here with men trying to w at you.¡± Since the time I had known Hannah, it


    was the first time that I had seen her this upset over me.


    ¡°Rx. I promise that your friend will be in good hands besides, Tyler is here too.¡±


    I watched Hannah rx a little. ¡°Really? When did hee back from London?¡±


    ¡°A few days back.¡± Max said and put his hand around my waist. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get changed, love. I¡¯ll


    lead the way.¡±


    I followed Max to a corridor that led to some rooms. Hannah was hot on her heels behind me. I didn¡¯t


    know why everyone had to act like I couldn¡¯t take care of myself. I wasn¡¯t a child; in fact they were all


    quite younger than me in mermaid years.


    We stopped in a room that looked like a dressing room. A girl with short hair in a bikini was seated on a


    half-naked boy¡¯sp. He looked a lot simr to Max, only the boy kissing had dark brown hair instead of


    silver but the face structure and the eyes were same. I stared at them mesmerized, the way they were


    kissing, it wasn¡¯t like anything I had seen before. Hunter always kissed me like I was a doll who would


    break. This looked like they were literallymitting a sin. The boy¡¯s hands pressed both her breasts


    and she moaned loud in his mouth.


    They didn¡¯t seem to care we had interrupted them, and continued like we weren¡¯t even standing here.


    ¡°What the fuck, Phoenix?!¡± Max yelled at the two, picked up a piece of discarded clothing and threw it


    at the couple. ¡°And I¡¯ve been wondering all evening where my waitress was hiding. I almost thought


    she left the job.¡±


    The boy named Phoenix turned his re towards Max, putting the girl back on her feet. ¡°I was bored.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re bored, there are plenty of women outside in the club who would be more than willing to be at


    the receiving end of your affections. I didn¡¯t need you stealing my employees, too.¡±


    The short haired girl began wiping her lipstick and putting on her clothes hastily. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir. This


    won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Max smiled. ¡°Sure, it won¡¯t, sweetie, because you¡¯re fired.¡±


    She appeared shocked, ¡°Phoenix say something¡­¡±


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    The handsome boy just wore a t-shirt over that perfect set of abs, ¡°What can I say, Holly, you knew my


    brother¡¯s rules when you took up the job. You shed me your super-hot body and indulged me. Can¡¯t


    really me me, can you?¡± He said it in such a cold way that I was surprised the girl hadn¡¯t started


    crying. If Hunter kissed me like that and feigned indifferenceter, I would have broken down crying.


    Holly¡¯s face turned hot. ¡°You¡­¡± she pointed an using finger at Phoenix and then rested it on Max,


    ¡°You Lockhart brothers are fucking demons! You may be wealthy, but it¡¯s no wonder none of you have


    any real happiness in your lives.¡±


    The poor waitress stormed out of the room, closing the door with a loud bang.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡± Phoenix asked wearing his clothes. ¡°All this wealth, and power, and we still have


    absolutely nothing. The curse follows us everywhere. You may as well call her back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need her. I need a waitress that¡¯s immune to your charms.¡± Max retorted.


    Phoenix¡¯s eyes rested over me for a second before he passed me and walked out of the room. I liked


    to believe he went after the girl. Max followed my eyes and shrugged. ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t introduce you to


    my younger brother. He¡¯s moody most of the time, but you don¡¯t have anything to worry about. I will tell


    him you¡¯re off limits.¡±


    ¡°You are a demon?¡± I asked.


    Hannahughed behind me. Again, I failed to understand the joke. Max had an amused expression on


    his face. ¡°Well, not technically but that¡¯s what people like to call us.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Trust me, love, you don¡¯t wanna know.¡±


    I made a mental note to ask Hannah about itter. Max handed me a cute apron and briefed me about


    what I was supposed to do as a waitress. I just had to serve drinks and chat with a group of boys.


    Huh. That sounded easy enough.


    When Max left us alone in the room, Hannah turned to me. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should have agreed to


    this, Blue.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Um¡­anyway, if Hunter finds out I brought you here, we may have a problem. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be


    here, but just in case you do see him, I want you to hide.¡± Hannah said.


    I gave her a nod. ¡°Alright. I can do that. I¡¯ll hide under the table.¡±


    Hannahughed. ¡°Also, I¡¯ll warn you to keep a distance from the Lockharts, the brothers are a little


    toxic if you get involved. Max is nice, there¡¯s the brooding one you saw before, Phoenix and the


    youngest, Travis, who is still a kid. They also have a cousin who is older than the three, he is Tyler


    Lockhart.¡± She looked around, as if making sure the walls weren¡¯t listening to all the gossip. ¡°The family


    is known to be cursed, you know.¡±


    This was super interesting. My eyes lit up. I loved horror stories, especially after Hunter told me one


    about a cursed doll. ¡°What do you mean cursed? I thought humans couldn¡¯t be cursed.¡±


    Hannah lowered her voice. ¡°Well, for instance the women they date, something bad always seems to


    happen to them. People are easily attracted to the brothers, but it¡¯s almost like there¡¯s something dark


    residing within each of the brothers. They are one of the richest families around here and yet, they are


    cursed.¡±


    ¡°That sounds awful. Well, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not scared of them.¡±


    ¡°Well, Tyler is¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I just hear my name?¡±


    The door opened all the way and in walked a tall man, early twenties with dark raven hair and blue


    eyes that kind of looked like turquoise. He was so handsome, almost otherworldly. Of course I thought


    Hunter was better looking, but if I hadn¡¯t been so infatuated with Hunter, I could see myself liking this


    man. While Hunter was roguish, Tyler had a lean yet elegant built.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve never met.¡± He said in an ent I couldn¡¯t exactly ce. ¡°Is this your new friend that


    my cousins are gossiping about?¡±


    Hannah rolled her eyes. ¡°How many years has it been since you left to study in the UK?¡±


    ¡°Seven years.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Tyler Lockhart, this is Blue, and Blue, meet Tyler. I should warn you¡­¡± There was a teasing tone to


    Hannah¡¯s voice. ¡°Tyler is the most dangerous one out of the lot. I¡¯d tell you to be very careful of this


    one.¡±


    She was teasing but there was a serious undertone to it.


    Tyler grinned and raised his hand towards me, giving me a smile. I ced my hand in his and his warm


    lips touched my knuckled briefly. ¡°Delighted to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°Lovely to meet¡ª¡±


    It was like I touched his soul. I saw darkness.


    Pitch ck.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Blue


    When I touched Tyler¡¯s hand, I could see snippets of his life. His tragic past, bits of his childhood, so


    much pain and the face of a beautiful woman. I pulled away abruptly and he stared at me in confusion.


    I took a step back, then another. He had his hand raised towards me. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I was panting. If I had kept the connection much longer, it probably would have taken a toll on me. That


    is one reason why I tried to block away people¡¯s memories when they touched me.


    ¡°Blue?¡± Hannah asked, she was clearly anxious. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I stered a fake smile and turned to him. ¡°Can...Can I start with my work?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure Max briefed you about what you¡¯re supposed to do. I¡¯ll be out of your way.¡±


    I just smiled, not sure how else to respond.


    ¡°Great.¡± Tyler said and then turned his attention to Hannah, ¡°You and I need to have a serious talk.¡±


    Hannah rolled her eyes. Tyler kept the door open for the both of us. I walked out followed by Hannah


    right behind me. She took my hand in hers, a reassuring smile on her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the lounge if you


    need me. If in case you didn¡¯t enjoy working, you can let me know, okay? No pressure. You¡¯re doing it


    for fun.¡±


    I smiled back at her. ¡°Kay.¡±


    ¡°One more thing. Max knows you¡¯re my friend but the others don¡¯t, if anyone else asks, I¡¯m going to tell


    them you¡¯re my cousin okay? You gotta tell them the same, and no talking about being in Hunter¡¯s


    bed.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± I said.


    I had a warm fuzzy feeling inside, Hannah was so nice I could feel her energy. I knew if I was a man, I


    would have asked Hannah to marry me.


    But I was a girl...a woman as Hunter put it and I was sopletely attracted to him, it was hard to


    ignore this feeling. I had never felt this way towards mer-men and I wondered why.


    I tried to concentrate towards the work at hand. I had a job now even if it meant just for one day and I


    needed to be really good at it, good enough for Maximus to hire me for a long time, at least as long as I


    stayed on thend.


    I straightened up my appearance and walked towards the bar where the bartender was preparing


    drinks.


    ¡°Hi!¡± I said.


    He was an angry looking man with a facial expression that said ¡®be gone¡¯ but I kept the smile on my


    face stered. He was tall too, and silky ck hair, and his nose was too pointed. Both his arms were


    covered in tattoos, from his biceps, all down to his fingers. Overall he was nice looking. Kind of


    reminded me of my mermaid best friend Adrian, the only difference was Adrian had silver hair and no


    tattoos.


    ¡°Can I get you any drinks?¡± He asked me politely but his face was still the same. No smile. Stoic.


    ¡°I would have loved too, but I¡¯m not allowed.¡± I said cheerfully. ¡°You see, I¡¯m working as the waitress


    here tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± He said, pouring drinks in a tall ss and then shaking it.


    I leaned against the counter. ¡°I¡¯m Blue.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah. I guess we all are feeling a little blue today, what with I had to cancel my weekly off


    just to cover that jackass.¡± He also had a round silver metal in his tongue. Didn¡¯t that hurt?


    Iughed. ¡°No silly, I mean my name is Blue. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    That¡¯s when his lips cracked into a smile. A real smile. ¡°God, I¡¯m so stupid. Sorry. I¡¯m Alec.¡± He raised


    his hand towards me for a handshake.


    I didn¡¯t want to shake his hand and look into his past, I¡¯ve had enough of that for today but not shaking


    his hand would also be rude right?


    I slid my hand in his and before I could have any visions, I pulled my hand away.


    He stared at me in surprise. ¡°Uh-okay.¡±


    ¡°They said Max¡¯s friends are here and I need to be their host.¡± I informed Alec.


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s the whole point of you covering for Holly.¡± He muttered. ¡°Just give me a minute, I¡¯ll


    make a few drinks for you to serve them.¡±


    ¡°Uh..hmm. Say Alec, did it hurt when you got that metal in your tongue?¡±


    ¡°A little, but nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡±


    I thought for a moment. I had another question in my mind and it was bad that I couldn¡¯t get rid of it until


    I asked the person. I decided to ask him.


    ¡°What does it feel like when you put that tongue in a girl¡¯s mouth? Does she feel the metal?¡± I asked.


    And there was a crash of a few sses. The sses had slipped from his hand. Heads turned to look


    in my direction. Alec¡¯s face was red, as red as a tomato in Hunter¡¯s refrigerator. He produced a broom


    and began cleaning the pieces of ss.


    ¡°Let me help you.¡± I offered.


    Alec put his hand up, dismissing me. Then he ducked down near the bar and his body was shaking. I


    wondered if it was shaking because I had made him cry but a momentter I saw he wasughing.


    Laughing until there were tears in his eyes.


    ¡°Where...where did youe from?¡±


    Should I mention him about what Hunter said about the Askanda part? Maybe not.


    ¡°Not from around here.¡± I said,ughing with him. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    ¡°Give me one sec.¡± He called out.


    Later, he made another round of drinks and handed them to me in a tray to carry. His expressions were


    clearly amused, he leaned in close. ¡°How could you say something with a straight face? Actually, I


    never asked the women I kissed about how they felt about the metal in my tongue. But the noises they


    made at the back of their throat, it proves they enjoyed it a lot.¡±


    ¡°I see. That answers my question.¡± I said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What do you say, you want me to kiss you so you could check for yourself?¡±


    I mean I was curious about that round metal, but would kissing this man be appropriate? Considering


    the fact that I liked kissing Hunter. For instance, if I were to see Hunter kissing other women like the


    way he used to kiss me, would I like it?


    The answer was clear. It was a big NO. Just the fact that the Ste girl touching him had disturbed me


    so much that he had promised me he wouldn¡¯t let any other woman touch him.


    So surely that meant me kissing other boys would be inappropriate.


    I shook my head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think my boyfriend would like it.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Loosen up girl, I was just kidding. Who is your boyfriend?¡±


    I shook my head again. ¡°Sorry Alec. I¡¯m not allowed to say.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°Are you sure you have a boyfriend or you¡¯re just saying that because that¡¯s what girls say


    nowadays to ward off flirty men.¡±


    I thought about that for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. Ward off flirty men? What¡¯s a flirty


    man? Is that like a new species?¡±


    He roared withughter just like others do when I talk to them. I was afraid he would break the new set


    of sses and the drinks he had prepared that I pushed them a little father away from him.


    ¡°You,dy, just turned my gloomy day into a bright sunny one. I needed a goodugh.¡± He shed me a


    set of straight white teeth. ¡°I hope Max keeps you around.¡±


    ¡°I hope he does too. It would be fun.¡± I said.


    Alec handed me the drinks in a tray and I slowly walked towards the table filled with...I did a mental


    headcount, say five boys including the brother, Phoenix who was found kissing the Holly girl.


    I passed the drinks around to each one of them. One of the boys smiled and one of his eye fluttered at


    me. I stared at him.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t flutter my eye like yours.¡± I said to him.


    ¡°What?¡± He looked dumbfounded.


    ¡°What you just did. I don¡¯t know how to do it with my eyes.¡± I confessed. ¡°Is it like this...¡± I proceeded


    squinting one of my eye but decided I looked foolish doing it because the Lockhart boy wasughing.


    Phoenixughed. ¡°She means a wink. A wink. Darn it, girl!¡± He pointed at the embarrassed boy who


    had supposedly ¡°winked¡± at me andughed. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen a girl call you out so tantly on flirting


    before.¡±


    There¡¯s the word again.


    Flirting.


    Iughed because that¡¯s what Hannah had told me before. They were paying me tough and be


    cheerful while I served this table.


    Later after the boys left, I went back to Alec who was serving drinks to some people. ¡°Hey Alec, what¡¯s


    flirting?¡±


    He shed me a grin. ¡°Well, flirting is exactly what you and I were doing a while back.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The art of flirting is to impress someone by the way theypliment them or make em smile. You


    made me smile a while back so you were flirting with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I said as realization dawned in. I made Hunter smile a lot too, that means I flirted with him. ¡°Well,


    does that make us friends?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He said. ¡°Of course. We are friends. Hey listen, I have like two tickets for a movie on Saturday,


    you wannae with?¡±


    ¡°What movie?¡±


    ¡°Horror. Do you like horror?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have seen horror before.¡± I admitted because Hunter never let me. He said I would be


    scared.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I think you will enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Is that what friends do?¡± I asked him. ¡°Go out together for movies?¡±


    Alec stared at me like he was in awe for a while. ¡°Yeah, they do. And then we could some grab dinner, I


    mean, only if you¡¯re free that is. If your boyfriend wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    I waved my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would mind, really.¡±


    Alec pulled out his phone. ¡°Let¡¯s exchange numbers.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I said.


    He shed me a smile that almost melted my heart. Alec was a sweet soul.


    After my shift was over, I was suddenly rich that day. My wallet couldn¡¯t even fit all the money that the


    Lockhart brothers had given me. I liked Tyler and Max but I really wasn¡¯t so sure about Phoenix. He


    seemed like a boy who could use a whooping from his mama.


    Hannah and I celebrated my first job that night by ordering pizza. We had pizza and coke while


    watching the huge tv screen in her bedroom. I hadn¡¯t felt happier in a while.


    But something felt missing.


    Hunter. I wish he was here so I could share everything with him. All about my job, the brothers who


    hired me, my new friend Alec.


    I wanted to call and apologize him about yesterday but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to call him mostly


    because I knew he would only get furious. I didn¡¯t know what I would do if I asked him to take me back


    home with him and if he said no. I would bepletely heartbroken.


    My trail of thought was interrupted by a phone call that I was getting on my phone which was quite a


    surprise. I always got text messages from Hunter and Hannah but I had never answered calls.


    I answered the call. ¡°Hey, this is Blue¡¯s phone. Leave a message after the beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeep.¡±


    I heardugher on the other end of the line and Hannah spurted coke onto the white mattress of the


    bed.


    ¡°Okay..¡± some moreughing and then, ¡°I understand why Alec keeps asking me if you¡¯re on the team


    for good.¡±


    ¡°Uh..who is this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. This is Max calling. Blue, I know you said you were doing this as a one time gig but I was


    kinda wondering if you would be interested in the position permanently or at least until we could find a


    recement for Holly.¡±


    ¡°You mean being a waitress at your bar?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah. We are currently short staffed and I would pay you by the hour, the same as what we didst


    night.¡±


    ¡°That would be great. Yeah. I would love to take the job.¡±


    ¡®She said yes.¡¯ I heard Max say in the background and then there was a hoot. ¡°Awesome. See you


    tonight at eight. Bye sweets.¡±


    Hannah was staring at me. ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°They are so tight-assed when ites to hiring new girls. You clearly charmed their pants off.¡±


    Hannahmented.


    ¡°I never had to take off their pants, they just said yes.¡±


    Hannah spurted the Coke through her nose this time. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that to anyone else.¡±


    Hunter


    I was currently trying to get a report done for college, but it was hard to concentrate. I wasn¡¯t able to put


    my mind into this. Period.


    All I needed was a six pack of beer cans that I could keep chugging until I didn¡¯t have to think anymore.


    My mind kept wandering towards the hurtful things that Blue had said to me and the pain just continued


    to get worse. I couldn¡¯t call her, Blue had toe to me on her own ord.


    I realized my phone was ringing. I hadn¡¯t even been paying attention to it.


    My best friend, Fredricko¡¯s number shed on the screen.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, man?¡± I asked. ¡°If this is to ask me if I can hangout, bro. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible. I gotta


    submit this fucking report by tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Dude, I¡¯m not asking you to hangout.¡± He said in a monotone. ¡°I just think you needed to know even


    though Hannah asked me to promise her not to tell you.¡±


    ¡°So, you gonna break my sister¡¯s promise? You want me to punch you or what?¡±


    ¡°I had my fingers crossed at the back so it doesn¡¯t count. Anyway, do you want to hear this?¡±


    Curiosity got the better of me. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Blue is in the club.¡± He said and I froze.


    ¡°What club?¡±


    ¡°Lucifer¡¯s den.¡±


    Fuck.


    ¡°What¡¯s she doing there?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Working as Max¡¯s new waitress.¡±


    Double Fuck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Hunt. You shoulde and see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± I said.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Blue


    Alec was a funny guy. I realized that he was the only boy I actually liked other than Hunter, but I knew


    that my liking for Hunter was different. When I was with him, I had butterflies in my stomach taking flight


    all at once, but with Alec I felt no such thing. I was just veryfortable around him, the way I felt


    around Hannah too.


    ¡°Did I tell you that you look like a mermaid?¡±


    That snapped me out of my thoughts and brought me back what he¡¯d just said. ¡°What?¡±


    Did he say mermaid?!


    How did he find out? I was pretty sure I hadn¡¯t said a word about the Underwater world or being a


    mermaid. I was starting to panic.


    ¡°I said you look like a mermaid.¡± Alec said with a grin.


    I was utterly confused. ¡°How did you...how did you know that I was a mermaid?¡±


    Alec burst outughing. ¡°Nice one. I meant that Blue hair really suits you; I know it doesn¡¯t suit much


    people. I have seen some girls in college dye their hair blue, you know to try something different but


    they ended up looking likeplete witches. But I can¡¯t believe how natural it looks on you.¡±


    Oh. So he liked my blue hair hence thement about me being a mermaid. I sighed in relief.


    ¡°Thanks, Alec. I like my hair too.¡±


    ¡°You know what? that just made you sound downright conceited.¡± He saidughing. ¡°But with that face


    and body of yours, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m really mad. You¡¯re allowed a bit of narcissism.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what you guys talking about?¡± Phoenix leaned against the bar and pushed an empty ss


    towards Alec.


    ¡°We were just talking about how narcissistic you are, Phoenix Lockhart.¡±


    ¡°I could fire your ass for thatment, Alec Rogers.¡±


    Alec just smiled. ¡°I would love to see you try, bro.¡±


    What was that scent? I brought my nose close to Phoenix, going on my tiptoes, took a long sniff and


    sighed. ¡°You smell nice.¡±


    His face went red. I had no idea why. ¡°Uh...Okay. Thanks, I guess.¡±


    Alec cleared his throat. ¡°In all seriousness, we were just talking about mermaids. I¡¯m so fascinated by


    mythical creatures. Did you know that more than eighty percent of the world¡¯s oceans have been


    undiscovered? Imagine if they did some serious underwater researches, they maye across


    merfolks. Who knows there are probably some beautiful mermaids down there. Blue could totally look


    like one.¡±


    Phoenix rolled his eyes. ¡°You should totally stop geeking out like that, dude. Blue looks like she could


    use a drink for all that nerdy talk.¡±


    Alec passed me a look full of suspicious. ¡°Would you like a drink?¡±


    ¡°What kind of drink?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The type that I¡¯m making.¡±


    I looked between Phoenix and Alec. ¡°I mean Maximus told me not to drink during the shift.¡±


    ¡°Trust me; if your hand or mouth is nowhere near my dick, your position is not in danger. I can


    guarantee you that. Besides, your shift is almost over.¡± Phoenix assured me, a cocky smile on his lips.


    ¡°A dick?¡± I asked. ¡°What part of the male anatomy is that?¡±


    Alec grinned. ¡°See. I like Blue and her easy-going personality. She doesn¡¯t even get remotely


    embarrassed. Lucky boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°I wish my boyfriend knew how lucky he was.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Alec asked, putting an arm around my shoulders. ¡°If you have his number, I¡¯ll


    totally call him up and tell the douchebag how lucky he is to have a girl like you who clearly adores


    him.¡±


    ¡°On that note, I dare you, Blue, to drink a round of tequ with me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a dare?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Phoenix....¡± Alec had a warning tone to his voice but Phoenix ignored it.


    ¡°Four little sses of the red liquid. It¡¯s fun. If you don¡¯t want to do it, you can say so and I¡¯ll say you¡¯re


    just a scaredy little cat. If you do the dare, you can dare me to something really outrageous and I¡¯ll do


    it.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You¡¯ll do whatever I say?¡±


    Phoenix nodded. ¡°You have my word.¡±


    ¡°Pour me that red liquid.¡± I told Alec confidently.


    ¡°If Tyler finds out that you¡¯re ying this game again with the new waitress, he¡¯ll whoop your ass out of


    net Earth.¡± Alec said to Phoenix.


    ¡°Heck, we have enough money to find a ce for me on any other, and do your job, Rogers.


    Thedy told you to pour the fucking drinks.¡±


    Alec shook his head in disbelief and filled the three tiny sses with the drink. I¡¯d seen a lot of other


    girls¡¯ drink this in one go. I could do the same thing too, I just knew it.


    ¡°Four. Not three.¡± Phoenix reminded Alec.


    ¡°Come on, dude.¡± Alec insisted.


    ¡°I said four.¡±


    Alec grumbled something under his breath and pulled out one more ss and poured the liquid into it. I


    looked at the sses suspiciously. Picked one, touched the rim to my lips, I could taste the salt on it. I


    quickly gulped it down.


    The liquid burned down my throat, and it tasted bad like some medicine but Phoenix called this a dare


    and if I didn¡¯t manage to finish it, he would start calling me a scaredy-cat and I wasn¡¯t going to let that


    happen.


    Alec handed me a wedge of lemon. I licked it and continued to down thest three sses. It felt easier


    after the first two. My head suddenly felt woozy, and then kinda light. Alec seemed worried, his brows


    were knit together. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Never better, actually.¡± I said sucking the life out of a lemon. I started to fan myself. ¡°Why is it so hot in


    here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll increase the temperature of the air-conditioner.¡± Alec said, scurrying over to where the switches


    were.


    ¡°Please and thank you.¡± I giggled. I looked at the time; it was already past two a.m. which meant it was


    the end of my shift. Hannah should be here any minute to pick me up.


    I was feeling really hot so I took off the headband holding my hair together and then unbuttoned my


    blouse and let it fall to the floor. I was wearing my favorite satin maroon bra cami. I didn¡¯t dare take off


    my jeans. Heads turned in my direction and eyes stared.


    I ignored them and settled down on the bar stool. To Phoenix I said, ¡°You promised you would do


    whatever I asked you to.¡±


    His eyes widened but I could see the amusement ying on his lips. ¡°You look nice with that blouse off,


    sweetie.¡±


    ¡°I dare you to drink...¡± I took a pause to create suspense. ¡°I dare you to drink ten shots.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s all? Piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Blue, why did you take off your top?¡± Alec asked as he put his arm around my shoulder. The


    air-conditioner was in full st and I liked the assault of the cool air on my skin.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not all.¡± I gave them my own mischievous smile. ¡°I want Phoenix to kiss Alec.¡±


    Their faces turned white as sheets. I heard a loud crash of a ss.


    ¡°No fucking way.¡± Phoenix exploded.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a scaredy cat.¡± I taunted him, pouting my lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the personality change all of a sudden?¡± Alec asked.


    ¡°I want to see two boys kiss! What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± I was frustrated.


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem. The only problem is we are both straight men.¡± Phoenix concluded. ¡°I¡¯ll take the


    ten shots I owe you though and then as added reward, I¡¯ll kiss you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what possessed me when I said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    * * *


    Hunter


    When Fred told me that Blue had gotten a job at the club owned by the Lockharts, I knew there was no


    turning back. My biggest mistake was letting Hannah take care of Blue. That was really fucking stupid


    of me because if I knew that Hannah was going to let Blue work in their club, I would have never


    allowed that to happen in a million years.


    Everyone knew what power the Lockharts had over the entire town. When something or someone


    caught Tyler or his cousins¡¯ eyes, they would snatch it, if they thought the person was useful to them,


    they made sure to keep a tight leash on them by using things like money, bribe, sex, maniption,


    charm. The boys were unstoppable, or at least that¡¯s what the rumors said. Tyler wanted something;


    Tyler got it even before the word came out of his mouth. He was two years my senior but had garnered


    immense sess in a short time. Maybe some boys were scared of them, but not me.


    To extract Blue from their employment was like walking into a lion¡¯s den and asking the lion to politely


    share their meal.


    Multiple scenarios clouded my mind as I parked my car outside the packed parking lot. I rehearsed my


    lines and what I was going to say. I hoped I could find Maximus, the actual owner of the club. Max was


    the peacemaker, despite his jarring appearance with the silver hair and tattoos; he was quite a nice


    guy. Way nicer than his middle brother Phoenix or the cousin Tyler. I knew if I exined the situation to


    Max, he would understand.


    I walked inside the club without the bouncer creating a scene. He knew me as Phoenix¡¯s friend and that


    gained me free ess all the time. They didn¡¯t know we had a fight a few months back and that our


    friendship was no longer in existence.


    As usual the club was packed. I pushed through the throngs of people, my eyes searching for her. And


    then I saw her. Talking to Alec Rogers and his arm was casually around her. She wasughing at


    something Phoenix was saying which was pretty ironic because as far as what I¡¯d seen in my past,


    Phoenix only knew how to make women weep. One week, and that¡¯s all it took for men to flock around


    her as soon as I stepped out of the picture.


    She was amazing that way. She was beautiful with that natural blue hair and blue eyes. The traditional


    folklore said mermaids could lure men to their death and I could see why. She obviously had them


    wrapped around her finger. I was already having a hard timepeting against one mermaid boy, that


    now I had topete against a harem?


    And what was she wearing? Was it some kind of a cropped t-shirt or something that women wore in


    clubs to look sexy.


    I noticed a secondter. Holy shit! It was a bra in disguise.


    I watched bbergasted, frozen in ce as Phoenix leaned in to kiss her. If she let him kiss her, I didn¡¯t


    know what would happen. I was pretty sure I would tear this ce down and maybe Phoenix would be


    on the floor with a bloody nose.


    But I controlled myself. If Blue let him kiss her, that¡¯s what she would want.


    She put her finger on his lips and pushed him away, but she was still smiling up at him in a flirty way. I


    could almost sense her words ¡änot here. Maybe somewhere more in private.¡ä


    Before I knew it, I was marching towards them. I hade here with a purpose in mind. I needed to tell


    her something. If Blue didn¡¯t want me, she could tell me to fuck off, but I wouldn¡¯t be a coward and at


    least talk to her.


    ¡°Hey Blue.¡± I called out to her.


    She was stillughing when she turned to face me and then her smile disappeared. Wait was she


    drunk?


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t have been here. It was pretty clear she wasn¡¯t happy to see me. I had spoiled her


    fun. I was scared of rejection, I was scared that she would tell me to walk away so I started talking. ¡°I


    just need a few minutes of your time.¡± When I saw the confusion on her face, I rified. ¡°I want to


    speak with you in private.¡±


    Alec stared at me. ¡°So you¡¯re the boyfriend?¡±


    I looked at Blue, who still stared at me in confusion with a nk expression. ¡°Well, if Blue says I¡¯m her


    boyfriend then maybe I am. And as her ¡®supposed¡¯ boyfriend I want you to take that arm off my


    girlfriend¡¯s shoulders. This instant.¡±


    Alec shrugged and took his hand off Blue. I pinned him with a hard stare.


    ¡°Oh thank heavens you¡¯re here, Brantley, I thought I was gonna have to kiss Alec for a stupid dare.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to tell Tyler how his cousin got the waitress drunk for a childish game.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Go right ahead. She¡¯s not a kid. She could have easily refused, but she didn¡¯t. You think I¡¯m scared of


    Tyler? Pfft.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Yeah. You are doucheface!


    ¡°There¡¯s no harm if Phoenix tried to divert her attention. If you had done a better job at being her


    boyfriend, she wouldn¡¯t have been crying, but you obviously hurt her and that¡¯s the reason she¡¯s been


    moping around. And then again, we can¡¯t me you, Hunter. You¡¯re not known to chain yourself to one


    woman.¡±


    ¡°Mind your fucking tongue, Rogers.¡± I warned him.


    ¡°Or what?¡± He asked bringing his face close to me.


    Two against one. Clearly, they were ganging up on me. And Alec found Blue crying? Why?


    I decided it was better to just ignore them and picked up the blouse from the floor which I assumed was


    hers. I turned to Blue. ¡°Can we talk now?¡±


    * * *


    I could havepletely gone ape-shit psycho on those two but I¡¯d controlled myself. I had controlled


    the anger brewing inside me. I had hurt Blue enough and I didn¡¯t want to scream, yell, or create a


    scene.


    We stood outside the club where the music could be barely heard. I handed her the blouse. ¡°Wear it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really hot. I don¡¯t want to wear anything.¡± Sheined.


    ¡°I said wear it.¡±


    It was probably the tone, or my expressions but she quickly took the blouse from my hands and began


    putting it on.


    I¡¯d given myself a pep-talk about not acting like a dickhead and yet I found myself asking her, ¡°So which


    one is it? Is it Phoenix you like now, or Alec?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t exactly what I wanted to talk to her about but jealously was a bad thing and it ran deep in


    my bones when it came to Blue.


    ¡°Answer me.¡± I pressed her. ¡°Which one of them?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even realize that my voice was wavering and that I was about to cry. Me. A twenty-four year old,


    red blooded man who¡¯d never shed a tear for a woman. Never begged and here I was a blubbering


    mess. I guess Karma was real.


    ¡°Please...¡± The tears streaked down my face and I finally cracked. ¡°Pleasee home with me,


    sweetheart. I love you. I really fucking love you so much, and it doesn¡¯t matter to me if you don¡¯t love


    me back. I¡¯m okay if you don¡¯t want me to touch you either. I¡¯ll be happy just to take care of you, just to


    have you beside me.¡±


    Now I was being downright pathetic.


    I could see the pity clear in her eyes. ¡°Hunter I...¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to give an answer right now. Juste live with me again.¡±


    ¡°I want to more than anything.¡± She said, beaming up at me. ¡°I want to go home with you.¡±


    I was relieved to hear that, so fucking relieved that I wanted to kiss her but stopped myself.


    I smiled for the first time in one week.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Hunter


    An impish glee was settling inside me as I packed Blue¡¯s things from my older room where she stayed


    for the entire week. I was happy because I was finally bringing her back where she belonged. With me.


    The entire time that I packed her things, she hadn¡¯t said a word to me. Just remained by my side,


    helping me pack her bag. I didn¡¯t miss how she kept sneaking nces at me and when I smiled at her


    she would just look away.


    Strange.


    I tried not to feel wounded with the fact that I had said I loved her and she hadn¡¯t said that she loved


    me back. Then again, what had I expected? If it was going to remain a one-sided unrequited love, so


    be it. I was going to love her nevertheless. It wasn¡¯t everyday that you fell madly in love with a


    mermaid.


    I zipped up her bag, ¡°Is there anything else that I forgot to put inside?¡±


    She nodded and scrambled towards therge oak dresser that I had used half my life when I lived with


    my parents. I saw as she pulled something out of one drawer and slid it inside her little handbag. A


    handbag that was the shape and color of a watermelon, clearly picked up from the kids section. But the


    water melon wasn¡¯t the thing that picked my attention. It was the way Blue popped the items in as if she


    didn¡¯t want me to see it.


    Smooth.


    I smiled at her. ¡°What was that you put inside your bag?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her, ¡°C¡¯mon. You can tell me.¡±


    She sighed and unzipped the little bag. She pulled out a few pictures out of it and showed them to me.


    She was definitely shy. I looked at the pictures which were of me when I was four, dressed for


    Halloween as Peter Pan. I wasn¡¯t smiling into the picture; I guess I was just emo since the day I was


    born. The second picture was of me in High school when I yed Basket Ball, the time I¡¯d been


    Captain of the team and had my arm slung around Fred. I was grinning into the camera. When I saw


    the third picture I noticed there was something wrong with it. Senior year prom, I was dressed in a tux


    and the photo looked like it had been cut from the center.


    Then I remembered. There was a girl I dated briefly in High School, Gracie Hall, Captain of


    Cheerleader team. Strawberry blonde hair, green eyes. Miss. Popr, also the girl I¡¯d lost my virginity


    to, if I should admit. She was my prom date that year. We¡¯d broken up the day she decided to move to


    France to join some modeling agency. It had been a really ugly break up with her trying to make me


    look like a bad guy. I recalled Gracie being in this prom picture and now she wasn¡¯t.


    Blue looked at me guiltily. ¡°I¡­I hope you wouldn¡¯t mind. I was just having fun with the scissors that I


    found in Hannah¡¯s room and I happened to see this picture. I just thought I wanted to try cutting it.¡±


    I looked at her for a whole minute, and then burst outughing.


    Of course. Blue wasn¡¯t jealous or anything. This was Blue. She saw a picture, wanted to see how to


    work a pair of scissors and tried cutting it like kids who keep cutting papers if you handed them


    scissors. How stupid of me to try and find a different meaning to it.


    ¡°Can I keep these pictures with me?¡± She asked, unsure if I would say no.


    ¡°Um, yeah. Of course you can.¡± I said.


    Something told me she would have kept it nheless if I had argued and told her she couldn¡¯t.


    I pulled another something out of the bag. My Jockey underwear.


    Huh. I wanted to see the mermaid try ande up with an excuse for this one.


    Now Blue¡¯s face had turned red. She started exining even before I asked her. ¡°I liked the blue color


    of it and thought I¡¯d wear it as a pair of shorts at home. It would go well with my¡­hair color.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­Okay.¡±


    I had to give it to her foring up with these outrageous excuses in five seconds straight, maybe we


    could make a game out of it.


    ¡°Hey Blue, did you¡ª¡± Hannah barged into the room, her eyes trailed to the luggage I was packing and


    didn¡¯tplete the sentence, instead she asked, ¡°What are you doing, Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Well, what does it look like?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Oh my god. Blue are you leaving?¡± There was the obvious distress on my sister¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯sing back home with me because it seems to me like you¡¯re having a hard time taking


    care of her.¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you. I was talking to Blue.¡± Hannah retorted. ¡°Blue, is that what you want, to go back to


    Hunters? Or stay here with me?¡±


    It was the second time I saw Blue shrugging her shoulders. ¡°I like staying here, Hannah, but I want to


    go back to Hunter¡¯s ce. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    And then Hannah¡¯s lower lip began trembling. She was obviously going to brawl her eyes out but


    managed to swallow that snot forming in her nose. She always did that when she didn¡¯t want me to see


    her cry like a baby. ¡°I understand.¡± She said in a shaky voice.


    She took a step back and ran out of the room, closing the door behind her. Blue looked guilty. ¡°Maybe I


    should apologize?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±


    Hannah was in her room, her face buried in the tower of pillows. Her body was shaking with sobs. I


    walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge of it. I touched her hair affectionately; I hated making


    my little sister cry.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry. If I knew you were going to be so hurt, I wouldn¡¯t have asked Blue to move in with me


    again.¡± That was actually a lie.


    But I didn¡¯t know how to make this situation better. I just knew that Blue belonged with me. I wanted her


    to be in a ce where I could constantly see her, talk to her, make herugh, hell,ugh at her silly


    questions and jokes and it wasn¡¯t until she¡¯d moved into this ce and out of mine that I realized I


    couldn¡¯t live without her. It was almost like someone as soiled as me was too damn attracted to the


    innocence of Blue.


    She turned her tear stained face towards me. ¡°youdon nee tobesowee¡­¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­whatnguage is that?¡±


    * * *


    Hannah pulled a few tissues, blew her nose into it. I was d she hadn¡¯t swallowed the snot this time.


    Still wondered how Fred thought she was a ¡®goddess¡¯ literally quoting my best friend. ¡°I said you don¡¯t


    need to be sorry. I knew this would happen one day. I just didn¡¯t know it was going to be today. She


    was my only really friend, Hunt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I snapped at you earlier.¡± I said. ¡°I was a little angry, is all.¡±


    ¡°I think you need Blue more than I do.¡± Hannah said, giving me a weak smile. Did I just detect pity in


    that line? Like the way you¡¯d throw an entire bag of Cinnabon rolls at a beggar due to the goodness of


    your heart and because you thought he needed it more than you did. ¡°Are you still going for the anger


    management group therapy?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t actually. But it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all under control.¡± I continued, ¡°Listen; tell Max that Blue won¡¯t be


    working for him starting tomorrow.¡±


    She stared at me in disbelief. ¡°Says who?¡±


    All that pity she had for me had just evaporated into thin air, now she looked like she wanted to w my


    face with her glittery long nails.


    ¡°Says me.¡± I answered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Blue¡¯s husband and nor her father.¡± Hannah said it like she was stating facts.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not. Your point?¡±


    ¡°My point is, Blue is old enough to make her own decisions. She enjoys working in the club for the


    Lockharts¡¯ and so you can¡¯t make decisions for her. Is she the one who said she didn¡¯t want to work


    there?¡±


    I opened my mouth to answer and then closed it.


    Riiiighhhhttt.


    ¡°Blue will do what I tell her to do. If I ask her to quit the job, she will.¡±


    Forget about wing my face, Hannah was ready to throttle me. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re sounding like a


    male chauvinist pig?¡±


    ¡°What are you? The queen of the feminist club?¡± I asked. ¡°I take care of her; which directly puts me in a


    position to make decisions for her. Blue, as you may have noticed, doesn¡¯t exactly understand the


    difference between right or wrong. You tell her that taking off all her clothes and walking on the streets


    naked with Banana leafs to cover her privates ispletely normal and friendly, she will do it right this


    second without giving it a thought.¡±


    Hannah mmed her lips shut, I knew her smart brain was trying toe up with something more.


    And she didn¡¯t disappoint me. ¡°The way I see it, Hunter, is this. And please feel free to be offended


    because the truth needs to be out.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡± I said. I was ready to let it all in from one ear and out from the other.


    ¡°You¡¯re making up excuses because she¡¯s so innocent and you know she won¡¯t second guess you


    making decisions for her. It¡¯s like you¡¯re scared.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    She cleared her throat, kinda reminded me of that teacher who was making herself ready to dish out a


    long boring speech. ¡°You¡¯re scared that if you let her be free in the wild, she¡¯ll find another mate to..


    ¡°Hold up. We¡¯re not talking about an animal here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so I was saying, it¡¯s just like a story I read somewhere, about a lion trying to cage a lioness in


    his den and wouldn¡¯t let her out in the jungle because he was threatened by the lioness going and


    finding other prospects so he starts telling her lies about the outside world.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talkingplete gibberish now. You should stop watching the Discovery channel.¡± I said,


    although I knew what she was talking about. I thought feigning innocence was the best way out of this,


    if there was any way out that is.


    ¡°Or maybe you should try watching Reality Tv?¡± She taunted me. ¡°I hate when men do that, trying and


    surprising us women. She wants to do the job, you¡¯re no one to stop her unless of course you feel


    really insecure about yourself and think that she would choose someone else over you.¡±


    Damn right, she would.


    I¡¯d seen the way Alec and Phoenix were looking at her, especially Alec. He had the predatory glint in


    his eyes, which men recognized from a mile away. And Blue was literallyughing at his jokes or


    whatever he was talking about. I thought about her working there eight hours a day and my mind


    conjured up some really fucked up ¡®R rated¡¯ scenes. I didn¡¯t want to go to that dark ce. I didn¡¯t think I


    could concentrate on what I was doing if I had to think of her continuously when she was away working.


    Plus, Alec was very popr with thedies. Heck, he could be popr with men too, it¡¯s just the way


    he was.


    So fucking sue me for acting like a possessive alpha male.


    Finally, I decided to stop acting and tell Hannah the truth. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m insecure alright. I¡¯ve just gone too


    far when ites to Blue, and now there¡¯s no turning back. If Blue decides she likes someone else, I


    wouldn¡¯t be able to live with it. I¡¯d probably just¡­I don¡¯t know. Die, maybe.¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re feeling, but don¡¯t you think she deserves this chance to explore and see the world


    for herself through her own eyes. Be a real man, Hunter. Do what¡¯s right by her. Ask her if she really


    wants to do the job or not, if she doesn¡¯t then it¡¯s her decision but you can¡¯t manipte her the way you


    want and take advantage because she¡¯s innocent.¡±


    I sighed. I guess she was right. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Promise me you will treat my best friend right.¡± Hannah said.


    ¡°I will.¡± I promised.


    ¡°Great.¡±


    I loaded Blue¡¯s stuff in the backseat of my car, helped her climb inside the Jeep and then slid behind


    the wheel after saying good-bye. Even Nana was sad that Blue was leaving their nest. Blue was


    humming throughout the car ride and I hated to disrupt her singing.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I looked at her. ¡°Blue, do you like working at the club?¡±


    That stopped her humming. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s so much fun, and Max gave me good money for it.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to quit the job?¡± I asked.


    Please say yes.


    Her expressions were crestfallen. ¡°Did Max say that I should quit?¡±


    My jaw hardened. ¡°No. He didn¡¯t.¡±


    She beamed. ¡°Then I would love to keep working there. Alec is so funny. But what¡¯s even funnier is that


    he says I¡¯m funnier than him.¡± She giggled. ¡°Did that make sense?¡±


    I continued to stare straight forward. I was too fucking pissed to talk or answer. Hannah was right. Blue


    was excited about this job, and I didn¡¯t have a right to take away something she enjoyed.


    She ced a hand on mine. ¡°Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­uh¡­yeah. It makes sense.¡±


    I needed to talk to Alec, man to man and make some ground rules such as; no touching Blue


    inappropriately, or not at all and no flirting.


    Right now, I didn¡¯t want to think of all this and spoil my mood. Blue was back home with me and I


    wanted to celebrate that. I parked the car outside in the designated parking space. ¡°We¡¯re home,


    Sweetheart.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Hunter


    Leslie jumped on Blue as soon as we stepped through the threshold. He was so happy to see her, he


    literally couldn¡¯t stop going around in circles and then sprawled on the floor for belly-rubs.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good boy.¡± Blue cooed. ¡°I missed you too, Les.¡±


    Leslie was indeed a lucky dog. Any man would be more than happy to have Leslie¡¯s ce just for an


    hour. She hugged the little traitor close, burying her nose in his fur.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d to be back.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. I missed you, Blue.¡± I said, ¡°I thought I was doing the right thing by sending you away


    but I was obviously wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª¡±


    I didn¡¯t find a chance to finish the sentence as Blue¡¯s lips were possessively and deliciously crushed


    against mine in a hard kiss. She held onto my neck in a firm grip so I had to bend all the way down to


    her height. She stood on her heels; theck of height didn¡¯t stop her frompletely dominating the


    situation, or me. I moaned into her mouth, she hadn¡¯t even given me enough time to act shocked. What


    I was actually surprised about was how the mermaid had me pinned against the wall. She held my face


    in her hands, tilting it so her tongue was sucking on mine, unapologetically. I could taste the tequ


    mixed with some other fruit vor. I could smell the familiar scent of her shampoo and instantly went


    hard. She bit my lower lip a little harder than usual, and in a husky voice she whispered, ¡°I hate how


    other women stare at you. I don¡¯t want them to; you¡¯re only mine, Hunter.¡±


    Stunned even wasn¡¯t the word for how I was feeling at the moment. I couldn¡¯t even get a word out. ¡°I


    missed kissing you like this.¡± Her hands had slid beneath my shirt, her finger scraping my chest, her


    mouth continuing the onught like a hungry lioness ravaging a piece of meat. ¡°Promise me.¡± She


    looked so fucking amazing in all her drunken glory, with her Blue hair like a halo and her mouth looking


    tempting like hell.


    Maybe I should get her drunk often if this is how she was going to act after.


    ¡°Promise you what?¡± I managed to whisper back between kisses.


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t kiss another woman.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you what you want.¡±


    Without even thinking of what I was agreeing to, I said yes. I may as well be agreeing to be beheaded


    soon after sunrise. ¡°I promise you no other woman, sweetheart. Just you. Only you.¡±


    She sighed in satisfaction, kissing me open mouthed and desperately. My eyes flew open when I felt


    her hand slip to my ass, her fingers squeezed and her front grinding against my front. She was literally


    brushing her front to mine in desperate strokes, her Blue head bobbing up and down. Her mouth


    sighing and making soft moaning sounds. And then I heard her whisper. ¡°Fuck me hard.¡±


    What the hell? Where had she heard that from?


    Her blue eyes were dted into a darker shade, filled with desire. I couldn¡¯t let this happen. I caught her


    shoulders and pulled her away from me. Rejection registered her face.


    Trying to control my breathing, I asked her. ¡°Blue, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just felt like trying it with you.¡±


    An ugly thought crossed my mind, and I was afraid to ask her. Like a strict parent asking their child how


    they had learned dirty words, I asked her. ¡°Who taught you to say that?¡±


    Her cheeks went red. ¡°No one.¡±


    I was going to fucking punch this wall if I heard her say that Alec, Phoenix or someone else had taught


    her those words, or tried it. Her pure little innocent mouth didn¡¯t have to spout those words and while


    she¡¯d stayed with me, I¡¯d made sure to keep my use of the crudenguage limited and now she¡¯d


    literally asked me to ¡®fuck her hard.¡¯


    I folded my arms across my chest and I could see that I was making her nervous why my raging


    attitude. ¡°I won¡¯t get angry. Just tell me the truth.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Well, I was serving drinks in one lounge and a man and woman were pressed against


    a wall and she was making these sounds and she wasn¡¯t wearing anything below, and he was doing


    something to her, going inside her. I think. And, it seemed like she was enjoying it a lot. I thought I


    wanted to try doing it too.¡± She said and then she quickly added. ¡°With you, I mean.¡±


    She¡¯d just exined a couple having sex, the man being buck naked, and her desire to try that with


    me. All that while keeping a straight face. I was partly shocked, yet amused but also relieved that the


    boys hadn¡¯t taught her the words.


    I couldn¡¯t help it when Iughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should do that, Blue. It may look really good and it


    does feel good, I¡¯m not going to lie but if we do it, it also means that you¡¯ve sinned more than you


    already have and it could stop you from going back to your world. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth the risk.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Not when you¡¯re not in love with me and would probably leave in a month.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She said.


    I guessed she didn¡¯t understand what it meant for me. To Blue, it was all an experiment. I was still


    shocked she¡¯d kissed me after that fight we had over me trying to soil her.


    She pressed her hand to her mouth and ran to the bathroom.


    Blue was having her first experience being drunk. Hopefully, she never touched it after this.


    * * *


    After Blue had thrown up all the alcohol from her system, sheined that her head was spinning.


    Considering that I¡¯d been in her ce more times than I could count on my fingers and toes together, I


    instructed her to drink lots of water and handed her an aspirin. Eating sugary food also cured the head-


    spin.


    She tried to loosen the tight corset like thing that she was wearing that looked like a fancy bra, but in


    vain. Her fingers were unable to reach theces. She looked over her shoulder towards me in distress.


    ¡°Can you please help me?¡±


    I began ucing it and if this shit wasn¡¯tplicated as hell. I wondered how women wore difficult


    outfits like these that needed like maybe some equipment and an octopus to just untie. The soft skin of


    her bare shoulders sent tingles down my body and created certain imagery that Blue wouldn¡¯t


    appreciate. Thank god for her hair that was concealing her front.


    She had a warm bath, she confessed she¡¯d barely eaten. I informed her that this was thest time she


    was drinking unsupervised. She couldn¡¯t drink if I wasn¡¯t with her and she actually agreed. It was nearly


    three a.m. in the morning and I was making her a peanut butter sandwich. I sat down on the ind with


    her and we ate in silence.


    She took my hand in hers. I was guessing the alcohol was slowly losing the effect on her. She gave me


    a warm smile. ¡°I missed this, too. Just sitting and eating together with you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. Sweetheart, can you not use the word you used before?¡±


    ¡°What word?¡± she asked innocently. ¡°You mean the word ¡®sitting?¡¯¡±


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    She munched on the sandwich, her eyes watching me, intently; a smear of peanut butter was at the


    corner of her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°The word ¡¯Fuck.¡¯¡± I said finally. ¡°Please don¡¯t use it when I¡¯m not around.¡±


    ¡°What does the word mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°A crude word for having sex.¡± I exined.


    She nodded in understanding, and then she asked, ¡°Then what does dick mean?¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for bed now.¡± I cleared the tes. Alec and Phoenix were due for a long lecture.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± She pressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Blue. I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow.¡± I said.


    And tomorrow she probably won¡¯t even remember this entire conversation.


    That night I tucked her into bed. She was wearing a thin pink camisole, no bra and it was seriously so


    fucking hard not to stare at her glorious tits, especially since I¡¯d been leading apletely celibate life


    after I¡¯d met Blue. I was going back to sleeping on the couch because if I slept with her in that bed, I¡¯d


    try to touch her again. Thest time it happened, I know how it had turned out to be.


    I picked up a pillow and aforter and started making my way towards the living room couch.


    ¡°Hunter.¡± She called out to me.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    She patted the empty space next to her, tilting her head to one side, ¡°sleep with me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question, she was literally demanding it.


    ¡°Uh, not a good idea if you¡¯re not nning on adding any more sins to your long list of broken rules


    because if I sleep there with you, I can¡¯t guarantee that my hands won¡¯t idently try to wander


    somewhere they shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want to talk to you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I could concentrate on the talking when my mind wanted to do something else entirely.


    Three a.m in the morning wasn¡¯t exactly the best time for just talking.


    Still, I caved in. Anything the mermaid wanted, I did it. I sat down beside her and she curled me against


    my side naturally as I dimmed the nightmp.


    ¡°I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said, peering at me.


    ¡°Sorry for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You know...¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t.¡± I wanted to tease her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for a lot of things. Firstly, I¡¯m sorry that I looked into your past. I shouldn¡¯t have done it, but I


    didn¡¯t really mean to, in fact it was kind of idental. All I wanted to see was...¡±


    ¡°What? What did you want to see?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I just wanted to see what you think of me as a woman.¡±


    ¡°And did you find out?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°As I said, I had a glimpse into your past.¡± She ced her hand at the side of my


    face and tear grazed her cheek. ¡°What your mother did to you, wasn¡¯t your fault, okay? You were a


    child. If she left you, there was something wrong with her.¡±


    ¡°Blue, please. Let¡¯s not talk about this, okay?¡±


    She was now kneeling beside me, pressing close. ¡°Talk to me. Tell me how I can make the pain go


    away.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. That¡¯s the problem. Nothing ever can.¡± I told her.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, Hunter. If you wish, I can take the bad part of the memories and you won¡¯t have


    to feel any remorse or pain. You won¡¯t remember the bad things about your mother, or what she did.


    Just the good will remain. Do you want me to do that?¡±


    I looked at her, straight into her eyes and all I saw was sincerity. She really could take the pain away,


    the pain I felt about abandonment and about how I¡¯d been a bad son. I knew what I wanted, and I


    definitely didn¡¯t want her to take anything. ¡°No, Blue. I¡¯m good. It¡¯s a part of me, and I think I should


    starting to terms with the fact that it wasn¡¯t my fault. She was young and didn¡¯t want me, that¡¯s


    that. There¡¯s no glorifying the truth.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but if you ever need me to help you, all you have to do is ask.¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    * * *


    Blue


    I noticed that Hunter was restless that night. I¡¯d held his hand and tried to understand why his energy


    was so off. Maybe it was something that I said again? Maybe I¡¯d offended him by asking to take away


    his pain. There was no other reason to exin why he was back to sleeping on the couch. I had the


    bed to myself now and Leslie had climbed onto Hunter¡¯s side of the bed. I petted his fur, it was


    soothing. There was the loud sound of thunder outside the window, and the thumping of a tree branch


    against the ss windows. Leslie hid inside my covers, obviously hating the sounds of the rumbling


    outside.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared of thunder.¡± Leslie said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± I said kissing his head.


    Hunter had left the window open. I climbed out of bed and went to the window to shut it. I noticed


    Hunter¡¯s form in the moonlight. He wasn¡¯t wearing any shirt and the tattoos on his bicep and arms were


    visible. I kneeled down beside his couch and traced the designs with my hands. Feeling a little daring, I


    kissed his tattoos. He mumbled something coherent and turned his face the other side.


    The rumbling intensified outside followed by the aggressive pelting of the rain. He said something again


    so I leaned in to hear him better. He said ¡®don¡¯t leave me.¡¯


    And I knew he was probably having another bad dream about his childhood, and it was my fault


    because I was the one who¡¯d dug up that old subject which he¡¯d so desperately tried to avoid, and now


    he was having a nightmare.


    Why did I always hurt him?


    I heard him mumble again, but this time he¡¯d been clear. He said, ¡®don¡¯t leave me, Blue.¡¯


    So it wasn¡¯t his mother after-all. It was me. The realization hit me. I was going to leave him soon and he


    didn¡¯t want me to. I¡¯d been so selfish and used to constantly think about going back to the ocean, but


    I¡¯d never realized how much I¡¯d been hurting him.


    All he¡¯d done for me is give me care, and love and I¡¯d foolishly taken everything. I¡¯d led him on, as


    Hannah put it. I climbed into the little space on the couch beside him; my back was to his front. His


    strong arm slid around my waist.


    ¡®Blue, stay with me¡­¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡± My words were starting to sound foreign even


    to my own lips.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± He sighed in his sleep. ¡°Stay¡­¡±


    ¡°I love you, Hunter.¡± I whispered, even though I knew he couldn¡¯t hear me.


    The rain smashed furiously towards the window this time and I had to go back to the window and close


    it.


    A moment caught my eye on the road so I stopped and looked. I saw the man across the street,


    standing on the wet pavement,pletely drenched in the rain. He was tall, muscr and blonde.


    Those icy emerald eyes stared right at me.


    My breath hitched in my throat.


    Adrian.


    The man who had been my best friend, the I was supposed to marry, and had walked away from the


    marriage as I surfaced on thend. My breath came in erratic pants.


    This couldn¡¯t be happening.


    A car zoomed past and the man disappeared. My gaze darted around the road, and there was no sign


    of him. I sighed in relief. I¡¯d just imagined him after-all. Itched the window tightly, pulled the curtains


    close and took my spot beside Hunter, letting him wrap his arms tightly around me in a cocoon.


    It was just my imagination surely, Adrian couldn¡¯t be here. He wouldn¡¯t be able to find me. I told myself


    repeatedly until I drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Hunter


    Blue had been upset for the next few days and I didn¡¯t understand the reason why. Normally, she was


    very cheerful, talker non-stop, made meugh and constantly asked me to strip from down below so


    she could see what all the fuss was about. But since the time that she¡¯d been back from Hannah¡¯s


    she¡¯d remained aloof. I asked her a question, and her head was often in the clouds.


    This was very unlike of her.


    And now her behavior was bothering me because it continued on for another week. When Blue asked


    me one afternoon if she could hangout with Hannah, I said yes. I didn¡¯t understand why she needed


    permission from me to go with my sister, and the same evening she said Alec invited her to go to the


    movies with him.


    Say what?


    ¡°You said yes?¡± I asked Blue as I watched her dump her shopping bags into her space of the wardrobe


    She was earning a lot at Max¡¯s club, way more than what I was making at my family restaurant. She


    didn¡¯t even ask me for cash anymore, and I would be kidding if I said it didn¡¯t hurt my feelings just a


    wee bit.


    ¡°Of course I said yes. It¡¯s just a movie. I haven¡¯t been to a movie theater before.¡± Blue exined. Her


    expressions read ¡äduh, who turns down an invitation for a movie.¡ä


    I wanted to tell her that if she was wasn¡¯t so fucking busy with her work schedules; I would have dly


    taken her out to one. And now Alec had beaten me to the punch. Literally fucking asked her out on a


    date, so casually and she¡¯d said yes.


    What if Blue thought Alec was a better option then me? Maybe she liked the whole rough around the


    edges look he had going.


    I would kill myself before I let Alec take Blue out on a date all alone. What if he had other intentions


    towards her? I couldn¡¯t take any risk.


    ¡°Do you mind if I join you?¡± I asked.


    She gave me a very bright smile. ¡°Of course, Hunter. That would be so much fun.¡± She genuinely


    wanted me to join Alec¡¯s date.


    Take that Alec Rogers.


    * * *


    I went with a blue ripped denim jeans and a ck t-shirt which I¡¯d dressed on purpose to match with


    Blue¡¯s ck t-shirt that had a cat print on it, so now the two of us would end up looking like a couple.


    She took her pink colored emoji poo bag with her that consisted of a perfume, lip-gloss and her phone.


    I tried to change her mind about the choice of her bag but she insisted about taking this one.


    The look on Alec¡¯s face when he saw me climbing into the passenger seat of his car was priceless.


    Blue sat in the backseat.


    ¡°Hey man, hope you don¡¯t mind me tagging along, Blue invited me to go with you guys.¡± I slid that in.


    ¡°No problem, man.¡± He said with a tight smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited for this movie. I can¡¯t wait.¡± Blue said from the backseat.


    Apart from the music, there was an awkward silence in the car. Blue was humming a tune in the


    backseat. She fiddled with the power window buttons, rolling it up and down, up and down. She


    stopped when I asked her to.


    When we stood in line to buy snacks for the movie, Alec raced to the other counter, dodging through


    people and bought arge bucket of popcorn and he presented it to Blue like an Oscars trophy.


    Blue smiled and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t eat popcorn. Last time I tried to, it got stuck in my throat.¡± She


    looked at me shyly. ¡°Hunter promised to buy me nacho chips with a lot of cheese. Right, Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I agreed with her.


    At least ask the girl what she wanted, doucheface!


    Alec¡¯s face was like a ss window that had begun to start cracking into pieces. ¡°Oh, I can buy you a


    drink then.¡±


    Blue shook her head again. ¡°My head gets woozy with drinks. I don¡¯t want that again. Hunter says I


    shouldn¡¯t drink.¡±


    I snorted. She clearly didn¡¯t understand he was talking about soda. Alec started saying something and


    then shut his mouth. He waited at the door until we¡¯d gotten our snacks. I got a ticket that I hoped was


    close to Blue and Alec¡¯s because I ain¡¯t gonna never sit in the back or the front keeping an eye on


    these two.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your seat, Brantley?¡± Alec asked, obviously teasing me.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just have to go sit at the back. You wanna trade seats with mine?¡±


    Alecughed. ¡°Hell no, but you¡¯re lucky to get a seat far up at the back even though you bought it at the


    last minute.¡±


    ¡°But, why can¡¯t Hunter sit with us?¡± Blue asked.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Because his seat isn¡¯t near ours, honey.¡±


    Honey? She ain¡¯t no one¡¯s honey. Stop calling her that!


    I could see the two making their way to the middle row. I sat down in the backseat disappointed and


    frustrated with the entire situation, stuffing my mouth with a handful of popcorn in a very unattractive


    fashion. Thedy beside me threw me a look.


    What? People couldn¡¯t even eat popcorn now?


    The ads before the movies began and instead of focusing on the screen, I was looking at the two in the


    front. I couldn¡¯t see much in the dark, but I saw how Blue wasughing and Alec leaned really close to


    her and whispered something in her ear.


    Panic surged inside me like hot volcanicvas, and acting on impulse, I was walking towards their row.


    I crept up beside the guy and asked him if he could trade seats with me. He was watching the movie


    alone and obviously didn¡¯t want to be stuck seated beside an obviously giggling couple. Also, my seat


    was at the back, it was the best trade ever.


    I sat down beside Blue and whispered, ¡°Hello beautiful.¡±


    She was surprised for a moment and then gave me a wide smile. ¡°Hunter! How did you...¡± she looked


    behind and back at me. ¡°There was someone else sitting here a moment ago, how did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Magic, Sweetheart. I can do magic.¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I didn¡¯t realize you were capable of doing magic.¡± She said genuinely and that made


    meugh.


    Alec¡¯s grin was wiped off his face. He grimaced and muttered something under his breath.


    It was a zombie apocalypse movie starring Blue¡¯s new favorite actor Colby Cooper. She¡¯d watched all


    his movies and had asked me if she could meet with the actor. I¡¯d told her I would try my best one day.


    So basically, the entire ind was infested by zombies, the hero and the heroin of the movie were


    trying hard to survive on the ind, and then start falling in love.


    Some girls around literally screamed and cringed when there was a scene of the hero butchering the


    zombie¡¯s brains, but not our Blue. Her eyes were glued to the screen and she continued to slurp the


    drink until there was no more Just the sound of the loud slurping disturbed the silence while Colby


    delivered an emotional dialogue.


    Sluuuuuurrrrrrrpppppp.


    The ice cubes jiggled loudly. And someone shushed her from the backseat.


    ¡°Blue, you¡¯re not supposed to do that. If the ss is empty, we need to throw it in the trashter, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She said.


    I noticed as Alec slid his hand on top of the Blue¡¯s that was resting on the armrest, but Blue didn¡¯t move


    her hand, she didn¡¯t even notice that he was making an attempt of touching her. He was slowly tracing


    her fingers. I red at him, but he ignored it. I wanted to tell him to back off and I could feel the veins in


    my neck starting to burst with the wrath starting to bubble up. I counted back from ten just how my


    therapist told me to.


    ¡°Sweetheart, that¡¯s Alec¡¯s armrest, take your arm off it,¡± I took my hand off the armrest that I was using,


    ¡°Here. You can rest on mine.¡±


    Blue removed her hand from beneath Alec¡¯s innocently. ¡°Sorry for using your armrest, Alec.¡± She even


    apologized.


    So pure. So innocent. God, or whoever you are, if you¡¯re really up there, thank you for sending this


    mermaid-angel to me. Thank you for letting me find her.


    A whileter, Blue said. ¡°Hunter, I want to use the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯lle with you.¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°I saw where the bathroom was. I can go alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stille.¡± I repeated.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I waited outside thedies restroom for her. A few girls who passed gave me appreciative nces,


    even the ones who had a date. I ignored them all. Gone were my yboy days. I watched Blue walking


    out of the restroom doors, I hadn¡¯t paid much attention earlier tonight how the jeans hugged her round


    bottom or how her aqua hair looked like a glowing stick.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± She asked giggling, as she walked beside me. ¡°What are you


    thinking?¡±


    I stared at her. ¡°You can¡¯t find out?¡±


    ¡°Thest time I tried to look into your mind, you left me at Hannah¡¯s. I don¡¯t want to do the same thing


    again because I don¡¯t want you to leave, and I don¡¯t like to see you upset.¡±


    I took her hand in mine, andced our fingers. ¡°I will not leave unless you ask me to.¡±


    ¡°I would never ask you of that.¡± She said giving my hand a squeeze.


    ¡°And yet you say you will leave me in one month. Tell me, Blue, how is that fair?¡±


    She went quite all of a sudden. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her feelings, but I¡¯d asked her a question that


    continued to bug me day and night.


    We went back to the theater and realized we hadn¡¯t missed much. Alec was still finishing his popcorn.


    At the end of the movie, the character yed by Colby Cooper dies tragically. Blue started sniffling


    beside me, she was crying.


    ¡°Sweetheart, what happened? Why are you crying?¡±


    Alec offered her his tissues.


    ¡°Poor Henry. He¡¯d just gotten married in thest movie, why did he have to die in this one?¡±


    Alecughed. ¡°You¡¯re hrious, Blue.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s acting, Blue. They are actors. None of this happened for real.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Acting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They get paid to do this.¡±


    ¡°So...there are no zombies?¡± she asked.


    I chuckled. ¡°No, there aren¡¯t.¡±


    She smiled, wiping her tears. ¡°I¡¯m happy Colby is alive in real life.¡±


    * * *


    Alec drove us back home, and stopped the car right in front of my apartment building. Blue was


    sleeping peacefully in the backseat, snoring softly. She was literally a child disguised as a woman.


    He let the engine run, and we stared straight ahead. This was the moment where I told him where he


    and I stood in Blue¡¯s life.


    ¡°Look Alec, I really appreciate you asking Blue to go out for a movie, she¡¯d been wanting to for a while


    but I can¡¯t let you do that anymore.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Alec snapped. ¡°She¡¯s not your girlfriend; neither is she your cousin sister, so why


    are you even taking decisions for her.¡±


    ¡°My cousin sister?!¡± I almost yelled at him. ¡°Who the fuck said that?¡±


    ¡°Hannah did.¡±


    I had augh. ¡°She¡¯s not my cousin, alright. Hannah is bullshitting you. She was obviously joking.¡±


    ¡°Then what is she? Surely I don¡¯t see you guys acting like a couple, more like good friends, and it looks


    like you¡¯re the one panting after her.¡±


    ¡°What? Dude, you must be blind! She¡¯s got feelings for me, she just doesn¡¯t say it. It¡¯s as clear as day.¡±


    I stated.


    ¡°And why is she even living with you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Listen, Hunter¡­¡± Alec lowered his voice, and I knew what was going to follow. ¡°I¡¯ve lived in this town


    and known you all my life even though we¡¯d hardly talked in the past. You¡¯re not the type of a guy


    who¡¯d take a girl on a date, or even live with her. With Blue, I understand your fascination, heck your


    obsession with her, but you gotta understand, she¡¯s clearly out of your league man.¡±


    ¡°And that puts you right into her league?¡± I taunted him.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯ve done to some girls, the damage.¡±


    I gave out augh. ¡°Again, my personal life or my past isn¡¯t your business, Rogers and I¡¯d appreciate if


    you didn¡¯t bring that up right now. This is a polite request.¡±


    Alec still went on. ¡°It doesn¡¯t change anything.¡±


    ¡°Those girls knew what they were getting into! I wasn¡¯t the type of a guy who¡¯d sleep with girls and then


    call or text or whatever. I¡¯d told them that specifically. I needed a distraction, they offered to help and I


    took it. That¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Alec¡¯s sneered. ¡°Distraction. That¡¯s exactly what Blue is to you. The moment you get what


    you want from her, you¡¯ll discard her the same way you did the others.¡±


    I gave out augh. ¡°What makes you think I haven¡¯t changed?¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t give the domestic vibe.¡± He said.


    My jaw tightened, and the blood had rushed to my head. I was going to pound his head severely right


    through the car windshield.


    He went on. ¡°You should stop ying with her emotions. She¡¯s obviously a virgin.¡±


    That¡¯s it. I had him by the cor, it was an impulse and I was breathing intensely.


    ¡°Come on, do it. Hit me. That¡¯s what you¡¯re good at anyway.¡± Alec said.


    My vision was getting hazy and all I could concentrate on was the rage inside my head. My hands


    shook, his shirt cor was still clenched in my fist. I could hurt him really bad. How dare he? How dare


    he say that I could never be a good guy for one girl that I loved?


    ¡°Hunter¡­¡± I heard Blue¡¯s voice from the backseat. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    And just like that my anger started to evaporate. All it had taken to calm me down was Blue¡¯s voice.


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to hit me, Blue.¡± Alecined. ¡°That¡¯s what Hunter does when he¡¯s angry at people. He


    hits them.¡±


    ¡°Is that true, Hunter?¡± Blue¡¯s soothing voice asked me innocently. Without waiting for me to answer, she


    said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. He was angry with me a week back and he never tried to hurt me.¡±


    That shut Alec for good. What he¡¯d brought up in this conversation was really lowly of him. I¡¯d been


    involved with some gangs before and I had to do things like that to survive and it had gotten me


    arrested. An innocent man had never been beaten by me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Blue.¡± I said without looking at her.


    We entered the apartment, not a word exchanged between us. I took off my boots, and slumped into


    the lone couch by the window. I felt Blue¡¯s presence behind me and I wouldn¡¯t look at her. I didn¡¯t know


    how long she¡¯d been awake in the car, if she¡¯d heard our conversation and the things Alec had said


    about me.


    Her fingers ran through my hair, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Hunter. I don¡¯t like it when you¡¯re sad.¡±


    I put my arm around her waist and pulled her towards me so my head was buried in her stomach, she


    smelled amazing, kind of like coconuts and her hands were still in my hair, brushing. It was soothing,


    and felt like heaven.


    ¡°I love you so much.¡± I told her.


    ¡°I know you do.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Did you listen to our conversation?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was wake only to hear what Alec said in the end, but I didn¡¯t understand it.¡±


    I looked up towards her. ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t hurt you, right? Not even when I¡¯m at my worst. Please


    tell me you understand.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I trust you with everything that I have, Hunter. Why are you worrying?¡±


    ¡°I will never take anything from you that you¡¯re not willing to give me.¡± I told her.


    She nodded, ¡°You told me that before.¡± She shrugged and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything, just not


    my Panda mug. I always see you using that in the morning and I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to break it. And


    also, I¡¯m not willing to give you my watermelon bag; you keep staring at it whenever I¡¯m using it.¡±


    Iughed andughed so hard, I had tears in the corner of my eyes. ¡°How did you even know that I¡¯d


    wanted those things? You¡¯re a genius, Blue.¡± I joked.


    She smiled in triumph; oblivious to the joke and thinking she¡¯d been correct with her assumption. ¡°At


    least I¡¯m learning a few things now and then.¡±


    ¡°You are a quick learner.¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Just one question.¡± She said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a virgin?¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Hunter


    ¡°What¡¯s a virgin?¡±


    I started to think of a less explicit way that I could exin to Blue what being a virgin meant. Herrge


    bright blue eyes stared at me in what appeared to be sheer fascination and curiosity. She was waiting


    for an answer. My word could bew.


    ¡°Well, person who has never had sex in their life is usually a virgin.¡± I exined.


    Blue continued to stare at me, and that was making me nervous. ¡°What¡¯s sex?¡±


    I blew out a breath and maybe I was starting to sweat a little. ¡°When a man and a woman go to bed


    naked...they do things to each other.¡±


    ¡°Bad things?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Mostly good.¡±


    ¡°That makes me a virgin, right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    I faked a cough. I couldn¡¯t lie to her and say that I was a virgin too, it would be unfair to lie to her and I¡¯d


    never lied to Blue before. She deserved to know the truth. ¡°I¡¯m...not really a virgin.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She said, and I wished I knew how I could read her mind. ¡°That means you¡¯ve been naked with


    other women.¡±


    I gave her a nod. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you at that time.¡± As if that exined anything.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a boy and I¡¯m a girl...¡± she started and I wasn¡¯t ready for what she was about to ask me.


    ¡°And we go to bed naked, I start kissing you and then you keep touching me and I¡¯m constantly


    sighing...is that what sex is?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what it starts with, but the process towards the end is a littleplicated than that.¡±


    And now she was lying in bed, her chin resting on her hands. ¡°Howplicated?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I sighed. There was no other way of exining it. I was doomed to do the sex-ed talk. It reminded me


    of all those teachers in middle school who did their best to make the children understand. We used to


    laugh at them at that time, right now, I only sympathized with them


    ¡°A man has a penis and a woman has a vagina, during sex a man¡¯s penis goes inside the vagina.¡±


    ¡°And is that how babies are made too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re really smart, Blue.¡±


    She smiled proudly, and then dered, ¡°Let¡¯s make a baby.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I always wondered how human babies were made. When you take me out, I see a lot of mother¡¯s take


    their little children out and they look so cute. So happy. I decided I wanted one too, just didn¡¯t know how


    I could get one. You exined me so I understand now.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works.¡±


    ¡°You are a man, I¡¯m a woman. Surely, you can give me a baby, Hunter. If it¡¯s with you, I wouldn¡¯t mind,


    and I...I promise you I will take good care of the baby.¡± She pouted in fake anger, ¡°Why are you always


    I stoppedughing. This was no joking matter, as much as it was fun to tease Blue; I needed to tell her


    the seriousness of the situation. The mermaid was na?ve, and maybe a little stubborn. It was partly my


    fault for giving her whatever she wanted, agreeing to anything on a whim, I¡¯d spoiled her and I didn¡¯t


    regret it, but sometimes I needed to take a step back and consider that while this was hrious for me,


    it was her wish. It was simr to a child walking into a toy store and demanding their parents to buy the


    most expensive toy.


    ¡°Fine. Alec is a boy too. I¡¯ll ask him.¡±


    I spun my head to look at her so fast; I might have even snapped my neck in the process. I caught her


    chin between my fingers. ¡°You can¡¯t go around asking men to give you babies no matter how badly you


    want it, do you understand me?¡±


    I guess she saw the fierce look I was giving her. ¡°I was...I was just kidding. I wasn¡¯t asking Alec. You


    think I want to lie down naked with him?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the one who suggested it first.¡± I said. I tried to calm myself down; I didn¡¯t want to fight


    with Blue. To her, asking for a baby was an innocent request; she didn¡¯t know what it entailed.


    I settled down in bed beside her and caressed her cheek. ¡°Sweetheart, in order to have a baby it is


    best to be married first, or at least be in love. We need to have a home together, and I need you to


    guarantee that you wouldn¡¯t leave me. Having a baby is not something you get just because you want


    it, its building a family together. If I give you a baby, it¡¯s not just yours, it¡¯s mine too. Ours.¡± I exined


    and a burn had started to form in my heart, thinking about how much I wanted this with Blue. To live


    with her, eventually marry her and have our own baby.


    She ced a hand on mine, her eyes were zed. ¡°That sounds beautiful, Hunter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does. Now that you know how babies are made, I hope you wouldn¡¯t go around asking other


    men for it.¡± I said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t I promise.¡± She said.


    And that closed the subject for good. Blue was ready to have a baby, but she¡¯d certainly realized that


    marrying me wasn¡¯t something she wanted to do. I blew out a breath; the sex talk was over and done


    with.


    ¡°Will our baby bepletely human or a mermaid?¡± She asked.


    I curled and uncurled the locks of her hair. ¡°Not sure about that. Maybe a little of both.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± She liked that answer. ¡°Can I ask you one more thing?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you kiss me often anymore?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to take part in any sinful acts that may stop you from entering your world, but that


    doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t like to kiss you.¡±


    She cupped my face in her hands. ¡°I apologized for saying that, but I assure you nothing you do is


    going to make me sinful, and even if it is...so be it because I really want you to kiss me.¡±


    I held her chin and tilted her face. My mouth came down on hers in a slow caress, until she opened her


    mouth to give me better ess and I took full advantage of that as I plunged my tongue deep inside


    her mouth, I pulled her body closer. Her fingers ran through my hair and I heard her moan softly into my


    mouth. Her sweet tongue darted and licked my lips, every stroke getting bolder by the second. I was


    utterly shocked when she sucked savagely on my tongue, as if she couldn¡¯t get enough. I was a block


    of wood down below and had to think of a way to solve the issue. Her delicate hands brushed my jeans


    front and I groaned into her mouth.


    She pulled apart to take a breath, and touched my hard cock through the thick fabric. ¡°Let me see it.¡±


    She whispered, her cheeks flushed and eyes filled with desire.


    I shook my head. ¡°I...I can¡¯t let you. If I take off my clothes, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to stop.¡±


    ¡°At least let me touch it, please Hunter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you touch it, but only with my boxer briefs on. Deal?¡±


    She nodded earnestly as if I¡¯d just promised to give her a million dors. I carefully stripped off my


    jeans, took off my shirt andy in bed with a tent showing in my boxer briefs, the tent wasrge enough


    to amodate up-to five people camping in the woods. I was that fucking horny, if you get the


    picture.


    Blue stared at me like I was a specimen in a mad scientistb; she was the mad scientist who was


    trying toe up with ideas to torture me.


    Of course Blue could never disappoint, she went right ahead and grasped me through the briefs and


    pressed her palms. She whispered, ¡°Show it to me, Hunter.¡±


    I could right? I mean I could just sh my junk and she¡¯d see it, and the mermaid goes home happy.


    But no, I was going to torture myself. I knew if I took off thest piece of garment that was keeping me


    sane, I¡¯d lose it. If her hand came anywhere near my naked male anatomy, I would tear her clothes and


    there would be no stopping it. She was new at this and yet she was an expert at driving me insane. Her


    fingers moved against my shaft, her lips eagerly exploring my mouth.


    I¡¯d reached my limit; I hadn¡¯tsted for a long time. I had to force her off me, as I climbed out of bed. I


    breathed, ¡°I¡¯m gonna¡­e.¡± I took off towards the bathroom and shut the door behind me.


    ¡°Hunter,e back here!¡± I could hear Blue¡¯s sweet bellow.


    I¡¯d ended up taking a long shower, and I expected Blue to be asleep after that but she¡¯d somehow


    gotten herself inside the old storage room at the end of the hallway outside my bedroom. A towel was


    wrapped around my waist, and my golden-brown hair was dripping wet. When Blue saw me, her eyes


    trailed towards my torso and I saw her blue eyes darken, but she just smiled. If I wasn¡¯t sure of


    something before, I was now.


    Blue was as horny as me, maybe a little more. Her cheeks turned red, and she said. ¡°You never told


    me you could paint.¡±


    She picked up two of my discarded oil paintings that had been sitting in the storage room for centuries,


    collecting dust. When I¡¯d been in High School, I¡¯d loved painting. I¡¯d joined the basketball because that


    was something my dad wanted me to do, but my heart had always been in the art room where I could


    y with colors for hours. When I had fights with my father over my career option, I¡¯d burned and threw


    some of my paintings, my brother Ryan had managed to restore two which had been lying around in


    the storage room for years.


    ¡°Yeah. I used to.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, Hunter. You¡¯re so talented.¡± Sheplimented me with genuine appreciation.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said shyly. I wasn¡¯t used to showing people about my personal life, or my talents that I¡¯d


    once tried to keep buried.


    It was an oil painting I¡¯d done of ake, and the other was of the woman that I didn¡¯t care anymore


    about. Blue pointed at the other painting. ¡°Is this your mother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I said.


    ¡°She looked beautiful. The silver in your eyes, it¡¯s so much like hers.¡± She said smiling.


    I didn¡¯t tell her that I hated having any resemnce to my mother, I still carried the pain of what she¡¯d


    done but I¡¯d moved over that part of life, especially since I¡¯d met Blue, I realized I didn¡¯t think of bad


    things anymore.


    ¡°Can you also paint me?¡± She asked, a hopeful glint in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m don¡¯t have much practice now so I don¡¯t know how it will turn out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I still want you to paint me.¡± She insisted.


    Could I ever say no to any of her requests? I think it was near to impossible. I¡¯d beenpletely and


    totally bewitched by her.


    ¡®Hunter, sweetie, drown yourself in a barrel of freezing cold water, because I would love to see you


    freeze to death¡¯ Blue would say and my answer would be. ¡®Yes, sweetheart, anything for you.¡¯


    Iughed thinking of the scenario. Blue was pouting, ¡°You¡¯reughing at me again.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best but you can¡¯t expect some kind of masterpiece and the painting would take


    time.¡± I told her.


    She shrieked in happiness. ¡°I¡¯m so excited! Let¡¯s start now?¡±


    I chuckled at her enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, we should go to bed. How about tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, tomorrow.¡±


    She retreated back inside the room to change into her nightie. I heard my phone buzz on the kitchen


    counter. How had it gotten to the kitchen counter? I remembered putting it near the bedside table.


    Could it be possible that Blue was snooping in my phone?


    Huh, and why did that thought excite me?


    I picked up my phone and checked the text.


    Hunt, tomorrow is twenty-fifth of June. It¡¯s family luncheon day. You¡¯reing to the mansion at 12:00


    pm sharp. ine hasn¡¯t met you in months. If you have any gratitude left towards the mother who


    actually raised you, you¡¯d show up at the table. I look forward to seeing you.


    Dad.


    P.S: Bring that girlfriend of yours, the one who is living with you. Hannah told us everything.


    Hannah was a traitor; I almost threw the phone at the wall in anger. And why did dad type a text


    message like a freakin¡¯ email?


    There was no way out of this. I had to take Blue to the family luncheon and pray that it went smoothly. I


    had about ten hours in total to prepare for it.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Blue


    Hunter woke me up a little earlier than usual the next day, and he appeared to be a little worried. It


    seemed like Hunter¡¯s family had a tradition to spend one afternoon for lunch together at the family table


    every year, and this time, his father and step-mother wanted me to be there with him.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t understand what the big deal was about. I was going to meet Hunter¡¯s parents, and I


    couldn¡¯t have been happier. I¡¯d always wondered what his father looked like, if Hunter was a splitting


    image of his father, what kind of a man he was. I wanted to know everything about his family. Every


    little detail about him.


    The first day that I¡¯d stepped into the human world by ident, and met Hunter, I¡¯d been scared of him,


    and I¡¯d been eager to go back into the ocean, to see my family and while I still missed my family and


    friends, I wondered what would happen if I went back to my world a monthter and couldn¡¯t see


    Hunter at all.


    What would life be without Hunter?


    Could I really live an eternity without him?


    If I left, I was sure he¡¯d find someone to care for him because beneath all thoseyers of harsh looks,


    temper and tattoos, was a guy with a kind and a caring soul. That wasn¡¯t even the problem; the


    problem was that I didn¡¯t want Hunter to find someone. The thought of him with another woman made


    me ill. He¡¯d share his lovely smiles, hisughter, the warmth of his embrace and the sweet ¡®I love yous¡¯


    with someone else that wasn¡¯t me.


    Even thinking of a faceless beautiful girl with him gave me a sudden ache in my chest. I wanted him all


    to myself, and I didn¡¯t know how I could make this work without hurting either my family or Hunter. I


    wasn¡¯t entirely blind to the truth. No matter how much he adored me, he knew I didn¡¯t belong in his


    world and he¡¯d often told me how lucky he was, but I wasn¡¯t so sure of it myself. I had started to believe


    that Hunter was trying to forget that I was a mermaid who needed to go back home one day.


    And while I was here, I wanted to forget about it too and live in the moment because the reality was


    hurting me badly. I couldn¡¯t deny it anymore, the fact that I¡¯d fallen in love with him, and that I would do


    anything to make sure he stayed with me. If Hunter learned of my thoughts, or knew about the mermaid


    traditions, it would scare him and so I¡¯d decided not to let him on my feelings yet.


    I was going to wait for a while.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Blue...¡±


    ¡°Beautiful mermaid.¡± Hunter snapped his fingers in front of me, hauling me out of the train of thoughts.


    He smiled, ¡°What were you just thinking?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°It sure was something.¡± He said, and I liked how he always read my thoughts. He knew when I was


    sad, happy, and angry, there wasn¡¯t one emotion that he couldn¡¯t read, and that made him all the more


    special. ¡°I wish I had some of your powers.¡±


    ¡°What powers?¡±


    ¡°Reading people¡¯s thoughts.¡± He answered bringing his face close to my hair and touching his lips


    softly to my cheeks. He smelled of his usual cologne, a mix of ocean and spices. I liked it. I inhaled


    instinctively and heughed.


    ¡°What would you do if you had the power?¡± I asked.


    He peered up at me, his silver eyes watching me. ¡°I¡¯d use it to read your thoughts. I thought that was


    obvious.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You don¡¯t need that power because you¡¯re not like me, Hunter. I can¡¯t understand a


    lot of emotions you go through, I have to rely on what I normally believe, but you, you read me like a


    book. You always know what I want and I love that about you.¡±


    ¡°You really believe I know everything, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Mostly.¡±


    He watched me with an intensity that was burning in his eyes and it forced me to look away. I knew


    what his mind was capable of imagining, and he didn¡¯t know that I knew about it. The nights that he did


    wicked thinking to himself while he thought of me.


    ¡°Blue...¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking right now?¡±


    I shook my head vigorously, the blush creeping up my cheeks.


    ¡°You¡¯re blushing. Come on, tell me...¡±


    I blew out a breath and decided to confess. ¡°I saw something that I shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°What did you see? Tell me, I won¡¯t get mad, I promise.¡± He assured me.


    ¡°I saw us doing things.¡± I wet my lips, ¡°well, it wasn¡¯t reality of course, it was just something that you


    were dreaming about.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± He said, and I could see two red spots appearing on his cheeks. He appeared to be flushed.


    ¡°And what are your thoughts about it?¡±


    ¡°I understand that¡¯s what sex is. I only got to realize that after you exined it to me yesterday. At first,


    I thought they were some exercises we were doing without clothes...¡±


    Hunter beganughing, the blush growing even more. ¡°Exercises!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind doing it with you.¡± I said.


    I saw a flicker of sadness cross Hunter¡¯s features. ¡°You¡¯re too pure, Blue, too innocent. I wouldn¡¯t dare


    go that far with you in real life.¡±


    Disappointment settled inside me, and then it resurfaced as anger. ¡°But you would do with someone


    else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± He replied.


    I folded my arms across my chest and looked out of the window. His arm snaked around my waist, and


    he kissed my cheek. ¡°Have I made my mermaid princess jealous?¡± I threw him a look and he made a


    terrible acting of holding a hand over his chest. ¡°I think you¡¯re super cute when you¡¯re angry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to change the subject.¡± I said.


    ¡°Blue.¡± Hunter said. ¡°Sweetie, you mean the world to me.¡±


    My heart did a flip flop when he said that.


    He continued, ¡°We have already discussed this before, the fact that I don¡¯t want to be selfish around


    you. If you go as far as to have sex with me, well, to you it may seem like a fun experience with a


    human boy, but to me, it would be everything.¡±


    I wanted to correct him and say that it would mean something to me too, and not just a ¡°fun¡± experience


    as he put it, but I remained quiet and let him speak.


    ¡°If I make love to you, sweetheart, I can¡¯t let you go. I won¡¯t. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± He


    asked, his voice was gravel rough. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you to make a choice, to stay with me, or go


    back to your world and so I won¡¯t ask even though that¡¯s all I¡¯d ever want from my life. And Blue, I had


    never wanted something so badly.¡±


    I could feel his energy. His pain. The intensity of the burning desire and the love he had for me, and I


    wasn¡¯t even afraid that it was consuming me. If I left Hunter, my odds of finding someone who would


    love me as much as him were unlikely, and the same went for me. I wouldn¡¯t love someone like I loved


    him.


    Still...


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to admit to him. I liked having the power to still decide what I wanted to do with


    my life, even though it was so clear.


    ¡°What would you do if I left you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe jump into the ocean after you so I could be with you forever.¡± He joked.


    ¡°You¡¯re so silly.¡± I giggled, and then a thought hit me. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯d jump into the ocean


    after me?¡±


    His silver eyes had turned darker, and he remained silent. Yes, I was na?ve but I wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡°You


    wouldn¡¯t think of ending your life, would you?¡±


    He remained silent and that was the answer. His eyes downcast, concentrating on one spot on the


    floor. I grasped the cor of his shirt. ¡°Promise me you would be safe.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Promise me, Hunter!¡±


    A whileter, he answered. ¡°I have a right to do whatever I want after you leave.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± I yelled, and I¡¯d surprised myself because I was normally never mad at someone


    enough to scream at them. ¡°You cannot do that! If you did, and if I found out, I¡¯d do the same. I¡¯d end


    my life too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± He said coldly.


    The clock ticked, and we stared at each other fiercely.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    I was the first one to speak, ¡°I¡¯ll find a way toe back to you, Hunter, and so I want you to be alive.¡±


    ¡°Do you promise?¡± He asked.


    I gave him a nod. ¡°I promise you. Mermaid¡¯s never break promises.¡±


    ¡°Mermaids are also pretty great at deceiving people.¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯m different, and I already gave you my word.¡± I insisted.


    He stared at me as if to detect some lies that I was hiding. He finally said, ¡°Then I promise that I won¡¯t


    do anything stupid. If you decide to leave me, Blue...I¡¯d still wait for you.¡± He then pulled me closer and


    kissed me. It was one of my favorite kisses. He kissed me deeply, no barriers, it was just us in our


    small little world where nothing else mattered.


    He patted my cheek. ¡°Go put on your dress. You¡¯re going to meet my parents today.¡±


    Hunter


    I found one free parking space next to all the other lined shinny cars. My father¡¯s jaguar, Ryan¡¯s Lambo,


    my step-mom¡¯s Bmw and Hannah¡¯s red Porsche. My old Jeep stood out like a sore thumb between all


    the slick cars. I kinda missed my Maserati which was still sitting in the garage. I blew out a breath. I


    wasn¡¯t even in a position toin. I had a car to drive around, wasn¡¯t that enough? I needed to stop


    comining so much.


    I helped Blue out of the car, and she smiled up at me brightly, and the nervousness I had about Blue


    meeting my family, vanished into thin air. Her mere existence in my life made every bad thought go


    away.


    I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate how beautiful she looked today. She was wearing a floral pattern ck


    summer dress, her aqua blue hair tied with a matching hair tie, the loose tendrils made her look perfect.


    She had to be a sculptor¡¯s dream. I was wearing a jeans and a Star Wars T-shirt, I looked really basic


    compared to the vibrant glow that was Blue.


    She walked alongside me, with Leslie walking a mile ahead of us. She turned herrge blue eyes to


    stare up at me. ¡°Do you think your family will like me?¡±


    ¡°Hannah is your best friend; you already managed to steal my Brother Ryan¡¯s heart with those


    sandwiches. I¡¯m sure dad and ine won¡¯t be spared by your charms.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She giggled.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mermaid, Blue, you¡¯re perfect. Be confident. Can you think of whatmoners like me go


    through all the time?¡±


    She slid her hand through mine, our fingerscing. ¡°But I lovemoners.¡± She teased me, ¡°I kinda


    wish I was one.¡±


    I smiled. I wish you were too.


    It would have been great, wouldn¡¯t it? If Blue was a normal girl studying in a university, working a part-


    time job. I imagined us bumping into each other and instantly falling in love. Then again, if Blue wasn¡¯t


    a mermaid and belonged to this word, she wouldn¡¯t be Blue. She wouldn¡¯t be so innocent, sweet, or


    na?ve. And if I said I didn¡¯t have a type before, I did now. We were pr opposites, yet so prefect for


    each other.


    We walked inside the house together, Tilly, the maid smiled and informed us that the family was


    gathered near the pool side table. And when we walked in together, my step-mom was the first to greet


    us, her smile so bright, I wondered if her cheeks were hurting. She narrowed her eyes at me,


    completely ignored me next like I was a filthywn bug and enveloped Blue in a warm hug. ¡°Wee


    to our home, Blue.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Hunter


    ine, my step-mom led us to the table where the rest of my family had gathered. Ryan, Hannah, Dad,


    Aunt Paige who was dad¡¯s younger sister, her annoying bratty six year old son Elliot and I did a double


    take when I saw Will, my cousin seated beside Hannah. His father, my uncle who worked as a cop


    wasn¡¯t at the table so that meant dad and him were still cross, so as not to turn down the lunch invite


    he¡¯d sent Will on his own. And I was d he¡¯de alone for the lunch gathering.


    I leaned into Blue¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m going to sit beside you at the table. My family will probably


    ask you some questions. I¡¯ll tap your knee under the table if you say something that you shouldn¡¯t,


    okay?¡±


    I noticed how ine was watching us with utter adoration, thinking I was having some private moment


    with my girlfriend. The reality, I was asking my mermaid girl not to reveal her identity.


    When we approached the wide pic table, Ryan and Hannah took turns to greet and hug Blue. When


    Blue said hello to Will, he just shrugged. I wondered if he was just acting shy, having not met someone


    like her and Elliot as usual had decided to make Blue his best friend. Leslie had taken a piss on the


    butler¡¯s leg who had been standing by the table with a serving tray.


    ¡°You¡¯re so pretty, like the doll I saw the other day in the store, right Mom?¡± Elliotplimented Blue.


    ¡°They have mermaid Barbies with Blue hair.¡±


    Aunt Paige nodded her head. ¡°She sure does.¡±


    Blueughed, her cheeks were growing warm. ¡°Thanks, Elliot. I think you look really cute too. I had


    never met a boy your size before, I¡¯m d I did now.¡±


    Elliot¡¯s eyebrows drew together in confusion. He was probably trying to decipher the meaning of ¡®boy


    his size¡¯. I totally sympathized with him. Blue said outrageous things most of the time; I¡¯d gotten used to


    it enough not notice it.


    ¡°A boy my size?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Blue said and brought a hand close to her waist indicating his height. ¡°A short little boy. I¡¯ve


    only ever been acquainted with taller ones.¡±


    ¡°But, but¡­mom says I¡¯ll grow taller when I grow older.¡± Elliot insisted. ¡°Maybe even taller than Hunter.¡±


    You need to get in the line, kid.


    Blueughed her sweetughter musical to my ears. ¡°I hope I live onnd long enough to see you all


    grown up and I¡ª¡±


    I ced my hand over Blue¡¯s thigh and tapped it once lightly. She realized her mistake and stopped


    talking. Ryan looked at us from the corner of his eye from the barbeque station.


    ¡°I brought my UNO cards, Blue we should yter.¡±


    ¡°Elliot, honey, Blue is Hunter¡¯s girlfriend. She¡¯s not from your school nor is she of your age. Don¡¯t


    harass her.¡± Aunt Paige said politely from the opposite side of the table.


    Blue waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. I have never yed these UNO cards; I¡¯d love for Elliot to teach


    me this game.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Elliot¡¯s huge brown eyes became even wider. ¡°Awesome.¡±


    He¡¯d began sliding more towards Blue¡¯s side. Elliot stuffed his mouth with a hamburger that looked


    bigger than his size. The mustard and ketchup had dripped over the boy¡¯s t-shirt front and chin. ¡°Can I


    ask you a riddle?¡±


    ¡°A riddle? Sure.¡± Blue said.


    Hannah over there seemed to be atplete bliss to have our little cousin¡¯s target shifted from her to


    Blue. Hannah wasn¡¯t very good at kids, Blue seemed to be handling it too well.


    ¡°What did the doctor ask the banana?¡± Elliot asked with a mouthful of bread.


    ¡°Let me think¡­¡± Blue said. My mermaid was thinking hard, ¡°The doctor asked if he could eat the


    banana?¡±


    Elliotughed. ¡°No, dummy.¡±


    ¡°Elliot!¡± Aunt Paige warned her son.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Elliot apologized. ¡°Okay, pass?¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡± Blue said.


    ¡°The doctor asked the banana if he was peeling better.¡± Elliot said andughed pping Blue a high-


    five. ¡°You get it? Peeling.¡±


    Blue wasughing so much; she had tears in the corner of her eyes. ¡°That was hrious.¡±


    Yes, hrious for an age from six to twelve. I snorted because theugher was infectious.


    ¡°I have one, too.¡± Blue joined. ¡°What did the ocean say to the other ocean?¡±


    Elliot took a few guesses; he wasn¡¯t the type to give up. He then said, ¡°Pass.¡±


    ¡°They just waved.¡± Blue answered.


    And the two beganughing.


    At this point I¡¯d be a third wheel. Blue could have easily forgotten about me. ine and Dad were


    looking at her with an interesting look on their faces. They were amused.


    Blue wanted the sandwiches from the bowl; she picked up two with both her hands and ced them on


    her te. She then proceeded to eat barbecue chicken piece with her hands, barely having touched


    the fork or the spoon. Elliot was eating the same way, but no one paid attention to the kid of course.


    They were more enthralled by the gorgeous aqua haired girl with ack of table manners.


    I picked up towel and swiped the corner of her lips that was smeared with barbecue sauce. She smiled


    at me. ¡°Thanks, Hunter.¡±


    ¡°You know what I really wanted to do right now.¡± I whispered into her ear. ¡°Lick that sauce off your lips.¡±


    ¡°Ew, gross I heard that.¡± That was Elliot.


    Blue dipped her fingers into the barbecue sauce and smeared it over her lips, and looked at me, giving


    me a chance to do what I¡¯d promised. The entire table¡¯s eyes had turned towards us. Even the servers


    had stopped working.


    I wiped her lips with the towel again. I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Not right now. Maybeter in private.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She said.


    ¡°So what do you do Blue apart from doing distance education?¡± Dad asked her as he sliced his steak.


    I¡¯d told Hannah to lie to my parents about Blue¡¯s education. A person without an education was looked


    down upon by my father, and I didn¡¯t want to give him any reason to ask Blue something that could hurt


    her feelings. Blue didn¡¯t need an education, as far as what I¡¯d seen she could take a book into her hand


    and absorb all those words in. She could be a doctor,wyer, heck even an astronaut or a


    scientist if she wanted. It was kind of dangerous but the mermaid had powers to do anything she


    wished.


    ¡°I work at Lucifer¡¯s Den as a waitress.¡± She said. I liked how she kept her words to a minimum.


    Dad nodded, ¡°You have something inmon with Hunter there.¡±


    I tried to ignore the obvious taunt at me by shoveling my mouth with a mini-pizza.


    The irony was I was seated exactly opposite my father and we hadn¡¯t exchanged a word since I¡¯d


    arrived at the table, and he was going to keep addressing me in third person. What did ones father


    expect to hear from his son that he¡¯d thrown out of the house? Hey, Pops, how¡¯s it going? I think not.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hannah¡¯s been telling us that you make delicious desserts. She says she loves the brownies you


    madest time.¡± ine stepped in to save the day.


    I froze. Blue never made any desserts for me.


    Blue shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I guess I have a sweet tooth. I think I enjoy making cakes and pastries more


    than anything. You shoulde to our apartment next time, and I¡¯ll bake them for you. I can even cook


    dinner, Hunter will help me.¡±


    ine smiled politely. ¡°I would love to.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Brantley, I noticed how Hannah looks like you. I always thought it funny how some children are


    complete copies of their parents. I love your blonde hair, it¡¯s so shinny. You¡¯re so beautiful.¡± Blue


    complimented with all her heart.


    She wasn¡¯t doing this to impress my parents or just to suck up to my step-mom, she was saying it with


    genuine honesty and I couldn¡¯t have loved her more for that.


    ine smiled; she was going to be giddy with all thosepliments. ¡°Why, thank you, darling.


    Everyone seems to say the same thing.¡± Sheughed. ¡°And please call me ine.¡±


    ¡°ine, all your children are so nice.¡± Blue said. ¡°Also, Mr. Brantley, I was so surprised to see that


    Hunter looks exactly like you. I always wondered if he got his good looks from his father, now I know.


    It¡¯s so wonderful, the creations of god, of this world.¡±


    Dad stared at her, his expressions not giving away anything. ¡°Uh¡­thanks.¡± He was blushing, definitely.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Blue went on as she looked at me shyly. ¡°I wonder if I had a son and if he would look like


    Hunter too, or a daughter who looked like me.¡±


    I was just having a sip of my wine, I spurted and coughed loudly.


    ¡°Your parents, Blue?¡± Dad asked. ¡°Are they alright with you living with Hunter?¡±


    Blue¡¯s expressions turned sad. Whenever I talked about her family, her expressions turned gloomy.


    She smiled nevertheless; I captured her hand in mine under the table.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s happy.¡± She said truthfully. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter what my father thinks. He will


    eventually understand. Hunter loves me, and I love Hunter.¡±


    I was in the middle of taking another bite of the pizza when I stopped; the pizza handed back on the


    te. I thought my ears were ringing. The wind had stopped blowing, birds stopped chirruping, babies


    stopped wailing, and my heart had probably stopped beating at this point.


    She said she loved me.


    Blue was saying that she fucking loved me.


    I reached out for the entire ss of wine and downed it. I turned to my parents. ¡°Can Blue and I excuse


    for a moment?¡±


    I was up and around the table before they could even answer, I grabbed Blue¡¯s hand and pulled her


    away from the pic table and towards a secluded spot by therge cupid fountain. My hands were


    shaking with what she¡¯d just confessed to in front of the table and I needed to confirm what she¡¯d


    meant.


    The sound of the water from the fountain was balm to my racing nerves. I ced my hands on her


    waist. ¡°What you said back there, is it true?¡±


    ¡°The fact that my father won¡¯t be happy with us living together? Yes, it¡¯s true.¡± She said.


    ¡°No, what you said after that. You said Hunter loves me, what came after that sentence?¡± I asked


    eagerly.


    ¡°I said that I love you.¡± She confessed, again.


    My mouth probably tasted of wine but I didn¡¯t care as I pulled her body possessively against mine and


    drove my tongue deeper into her mouth. She moaned. I couldn¡¯t believe it. I couldn¡¯t believe this. Blue


    admitted that she loved me. At this point, nothing else mattered to me. She had to literally stand on her


    tiptoes to reach my height. I grabbed her waist and pulled her up easily, so she could have an easy


    ess to my mouth. Her fingers roamed in my hair freely.


    She tasted of the barbecue sauce...hmmm...I loved it.


    I came up for air and looked at her. Her gaze, it was heated, and so different, like she was looking into


    my soul. ¡°Hunter, the silver in your eyes are looking like gems in the sun and your hair¡­¡± she said


    softly, running her fingers in my hair again. ¡°You¡¯re so handsome.¡±


    ¡°Is it really true? Do you love me?¡± I asked again, still having a hard time believing that this was


    happening.


    She nodded vigorously. ¡°I really do love you, Hunter. It¡¯s something I discovered recently, but I think I¡¯ve


    been in love with you for a long time, I just didn¡¯t know what to call these feelings.¡±


    I held her close, and I was going to tear up from the happiness that I was feeling. Nothing was going to


    mess this up. I traced her cheek with the back of my fingers. ¡°We have a lot to discuss, but we can¡¯t


    right now. We will talk when we get home. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She agreed.


    I kissed her once again. Mine.


    ¡°It''s getting hot in here! Jeez, you guys need to get a room.¡± Hannah bellowed from the other side of


    the fountain, bncing three tefuls of food and making her way towards the littleke house. Will


    was right behind her.


    ¡°Get outta here.¡± I saidughing.


    I hugged Blue and stayed like that for a while. The both of us were wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, my


    nose buried in her blue hair. When I pulled away, Blue appeared to be crestfallen again.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetheart?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    Something wasn¡¯t right, but Blue wasn¡¯t going to tell me and I realized I didn¡¯t want to force her to say


    anything now. I knew she¡¯d open up eventually.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even imagine how lucky I feel right now. It¡¯s like¡­I was walking alone all this way, finding a


    purpose in life, a will to live and hold onto something and then you walked in, Blue, and changed


    everything for the better.¡± I held her hands in mine and kissed them. ¡°You¡¯ve made me happy by just


    being you, by existing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cry. You¡¯re not the lucky one, I am.¡± She said wiping the corners of her eyes. ¡°There are


    some things, Hunter, that I haven¡¯t told you.¡± she turned her azure eyes towards me, watching,


    wondering if I¡¯d change my mind if I learned the truth.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what it is. You¡¯re here with me, and you love me, and I don¡¯t think I could ask for


    more.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve bared your soul, told me everything and I kept some things hidden, and I think it¡¯s toote even


    if I decide to tell you right now. I don¡¯t want to keep you in the dark.¡± She said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know, whatever that it is.¡± I said. ¡°For now, let¡¯s just enjoy this moment with each other.


    We can talk about thister. I swear to you, nothing you say is going to matter to me.¡±


    What dark secrets could the mermaid have? Certainty, they weren¡¯t going to be worse than mine. It


    was only until a few dayster that I realized how wrong I was to assume that things would be easier


    from here on.


    Everything was going to change.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Hunter


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    When Blue and I returned to the lunch table, we acted like we hadn¡¯t tried to eat each other by the


    fountain area just a moment ago. Instead, I picked up my mini-pizza and took arge bite off it, and


    reached out to get the Tuna Greek sd wrap. ine and dad knew what had happened of course;


    their faces told me they weren¡¯t oblivious. If anything, they appeared to be content with this new


    development, i.e: me getting serious with a woman in my life. The mermaid part, they didn¡¯t need to


    know.


    I noticed ine¡¯s te filled with her usual vegan food. Not that I hated vegan food, it¡¯s just that I


    couldn¡¯t make a habit of eating it to save my life.


    ¡°Blue and Hunter were swapping saliva out there. I saw you.¡± Elliot spoke to me with a mouthful of


    sausages.


    Aunt Paige sighed and shook her head. She picked up her te, and reached out to grab Elliot. ¡°Let¡¯s


    go sit and eat with Hannah, sweetie...¡±


    Elliot pulled his hand away. ¡°No. I¡¯m sitting here with Blue.¡±


    ¡°Come, Elliot.¡± Aunt Paige warned having had enough.


    ¡°Nooooooo....¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to the Carnival next Sunday.¡± Aunt Paige said. She¡¯d pulled an ace out of her sleeve.


    I realized she must be doing this often.


    Elliot jumped down from the table. ¡°Where¡¯s Hannah? Let¡¯s go sit with her.¡±


    I watched as the mother and the kid walked away from the table and that made this even more


    awkward. At least Elliot yed as a goodical distraction between our conversation.


    ¡°So Blue, what are you nning to pursue as a career?¡± Dad asked.


    "Haven¡¯t really thought of any career as of now.¡± She said.


    Good girl.


    I¡¯d predicted my dad¡¯s list of questionnaire for Blue and had told her specific answers to those


    questions, so far nothing had been asked out of the book.


    ¡°Surely you have something you aspire to be.¡±


    Blue thought of that for a while.


    Oh god, no.


    This wasn¡¯t even rehearsed. Blue was walking into dangerous territory.


    Before I could tap her knee, she said, ¡°I¡¯d like to be anything that Hunter would like me to


    be.¡±


    Huh?


    I could see the surprise on their faces, clear as day. Dad narrowed his eyes at me; even my step-mom


    was giving me cold stares now. What were they thinking?


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let Hunter dictate your life. Do what you want to.¡± Dad suggested Blue.


    Right. They thought I was being a possessive boyfriend and keeping Blue from doing what she truly


    wanted.


    ¡°You could also go into modeling. You have the face and the body. Why haven¡¯t to tried yet?¡±


    Blue shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what modeling is.¡±


    ¡°Have you never wanted to be something?¡±


    ¡°A mother. I just saw a mother while I was going to work the other day, and I really wish I could have a


    child like that, my very own baby that I could watch as he or she grew up. Wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful?¡±


    I was two seconds away from face palming.


    Speechless. That¡¯s how the table was at the moment. I continued to eat my food like Blue hadn¡¯t just


    admitted to my parents that she aspired to be a mother. Someone needed to tell this beautiful


    mermaid-girl that ¡®bing a mother¡¯ didn¡¯t constitute as a career option. It was more of a natural way


    of life.


    The dead silence dragged on when dad asked, ¡°How could you?¡± And that was the first time my father


    had acknowledged me directly.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± That was my step-mom.


    I had to put the spoon of caviar back on the te that was supposed to go in my mouth. I looked at the


    two of them. ¡°What did I do? Why are you guys looking at me like I¡¯m some kind of a criminal?¡± I asked


    them directly, having had enough of getting the using stares and being treated like I had some


    deadly viral diseases.


    My step-mom sighed. Literally fucking sighed, and ine never sighed in front of guests unless she


    was downright pissed. Blue appeared to be folding and unfolding the table cloth, obviously worried and


    confused about what was happening.


    ¡°You do not have a right to spoil a woman¡¯s life, or her career.¡± Dad bellowed.


    Blue was in tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Hunter. I couldn¡¯t lie to them.¡±


    I raised my hands in defeat, in confusion. My family was going to drive me fucking mad. ¡°I have no idea


    what you guys are talking about.¡±


    In a soft voice, ine asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us anything, Hunter?¡± to Blue she asked, ¡°How many


    months pregnant are you, my dear?¡±


    ¡°Preg¡­what?¡± Blue asked.


    I tried to hold in myughter. I understood why they assumed Blue was pregnant. First, her answer to


    their question and secondly, it was still hard for them toe to terms with the fact that I would get into


    a serious rtionship with someone, unless¡­.


    Well, unless I¡¯d gotten her pregnant.


    ¡°Look, son¡­¡± Dad said in a level-headed voice. It appeared to me like he was starting to have jolly


    dreams of ying with his non-existent grandchild. ¡°I understand things like these could happen, she


    got pregnant but so what? Both of you are still young, but it doesn¡¯t mean Blue cannot pursue a career


    she¡¯s interested in.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± ine said, her eyes were zed over too. Seemed like she was nning to take her future


    grandchild to charity events and show off to her circle of poshdies. ¡°You can have a kid and still


    manage it. We will do what we can to help.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been more proud of you, Hunter, taking responsibility for the youngdy and the child.


    We have enough money to make sure the child gets everything he or she needs, you only have to


    worry¡­.¡±


    Dad rambled on. Could either of them stop talking to just breathe? I needed a small chance to talk.


    ¡°We could talk to Blue¡¯s parents. They have nothing to worry about.¡± Dad assured us.


    ine was getting giddy with happiness; she took Blue¡¯s hands in hers. ¡°Forgive me, honey, but I¡¯m so


    excited for this. Can we have a baby shower at the mansion?¡±


    Iughed because now my parents had be really desperate. And my chest was filled with a warm


    fuzziness that I couldn¡¯t even describe. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. To have


    my father admit that he cared for me enough to say that he would support me if I wanted to have a


    family was just so overwhelming.


    How could I be so happy in one day?


    ¡°Dad, ine¡­guys¡­I¡¯m sorry to break it to you¡­¡± I grinned. ¡°But Blue is not pregnant.¡±


    They stared at me with nk expressions for so long that I thought I¡¯d made a mistake by telling them


    this.


    ¡°Oh.¡± ine said. ¡°We¡­we thought¡­oh never mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m not pregnant.¡± Blue said innocently. ¡°I tried to¡­I tried to convince Hunter that we


    could¡ª¡±


    I pressed her hand under the table and when she looked at me in question, I slowly shook my head.


    God only knew what she was about to say. One could only guess.


    Dad brushed his fingers on his thick mustache, I guess he was feeling embarrassed. He was the one


    most excited. He eyed the steak usingly, like it was to me for the misunderstanding. ¡°Mrs.


    Timble, where¡¯s the desert?¡±


    Now looking at their heartbroken faces, I kinda wished Blue was pregnant with me.


    ¡°Dad, thank you.¡± I said.


    He looked up from his te; his silver-gray eyes which were much like mine assessed me. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°For everything.¡± I said. I caught Blue¡¯s hand once again and just held it so I could have her strength,


    her courage to speak what was on my mind because I needed it. ¡°I¡¯ve caused you a lot of trouble; I¡¯ve


    messed up more times than I can count, and you¡¯ve always had my back. I hated you for cutting my


    financial resources but when I look back now, I think you did the right thing. I needed this wake up call.


    Thank you for that.¡±


    I felt Blue¡¯s fingers trace mine slowly; she was helping me to go on. What I was about to say right now


    was the hardest thing ever, because it needed to be done. I needed to let some things go. I went on,


    ¡°And I do not me you for what Mom did to you. To us.¡±


    For a long time, when I¡¯ve had rows with my father, we¡¯d often argued about my actual mother leaving


    us, and when I was angry, I never thought of what words came out of my mouth. I¡¯d med my father


    for her mistakes. I¡¯d told him it was his fault that she¡¯d decided to leave, never wondering if that¡¯s want


    she wanted regardless of the fact that he¡¯d tried in vain to keep the family together.


    Dad nodded. ¡°Wee back, son.¡±


    ¡°ine¡­¡± I said to my step-mother. ¡°I¡¯m mostly not around anymore in the house, and I hardly ever get


    to say this but I¡¯m really thankful that you¡¯re part of the family. My mom left me and dad alone when I


    was so young and then you came along and helped him smile. Instead of appreciating you for taking up


    the role of my mother¡­I¡­I caused you pain for years. I¡¯m so¡­so sorry.¡±


    I heard a sob and when I looked up I saw the fresh tears in her eyes. Tears of joy. She climbed up from


    her seat, ¡°Oh, honey¡­¡± She came around the table towards me and enveloped me in a hug, the same


    way she always did since I was around eight or nine, the time when I hated this woman, when I thought


    all step-mothers were like the one from Cindere¡¯s story, who would ask me to scrub the floor.


    She kissed the top of my head and said, ¡°I love you, Hunter sweetie.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I know you do.¡±


    When it was time to leave, ine asked Blue to visit again and promised that they would do a girls day


    out with Hannah, and Blue appeared to be enthusiastic about the idea. Hannah was her best friend,


    and it appeared that she got along really well with my step-mom, too. It was a win-win situation, any


    way you looked at it.


    Elliot was reluctant to let Blue leave, he¡¯d already told her that she was his girlfriend and that he would


    marry her when he grew up.


    I climbed into my car that evening feeling happier than I¡¯d ever felt in a long time. Blue had confessed


    that she loved me, and it seemed like the wall between my father and I was bing non-existent. I


    couldn¡¯t have asked for more.


    ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed you, haven¡¯t I?¡± Blue asked me from the passenger seat.


    I kept one grip on the steering wheel, and took her hand with the other, brought it to my lips and kissed


    it. ¡°You haven¡¯t embarrassed me at all. In fact, you made me proud.¡± I chuckled to myself. ¡°My family,


    they think I won a lottery with you.¡±


    Blue stared at me in confusion. ¡°A lottery? You mean like money?¡±


    That made meugh some more. ¡°You¡¯re the lottery ticket, honey. A jackpot.¡±


    We snuggled on the couch that night and watched a movie together, I¡¯d ordered Pizza for dinner which


    was Blue¡¯s favorite. She loved eating the pepperoni separately. Dr. Pepper was her favorite drink, and


    she loved running her fingers through my hair.


    This time she didn¡¯t have to insist sleeping in the same bed, I¡¯d climbed in with her willingly.


    Regardless, she still appeared to be worried about something. She kept looking at the window. When I


    closed it and drew the curtains, she seemed to be a bit relived.


    I stripped off my shirt and jeans, keeping only the boxers on. I hadn¡¯t allowed her to do the same, so


    Blue slept in her nightie. When she hugged me under the nket, I instantly went hard down south and


    I had a pretty good idea it was poking her. We spent a lot of time making out, my hand was kneading


    her breast and my balls were literally screaming at me for release. I realized that this wasn¡¯t good for


    my health. But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to go further with Blue other than touching and kissing. I was


    having an inner battle with myself. My body was screaming at me to take what was being offered, but


    my mind was asking me to wait. In the end my mind won over my body, although I knew it wasn¡¯t going


    to be the case any longer. She told me she loved me, and I loved her too; there was only so much a


    man could do to control himself. I¡¯d been holding off from having sex because well, I didn¡¯t want to hurt


    the mermaid by deflowering her.


    God knew what misconceptions she¡¯d had about sex, and I realized I was scared of disappointing her.


    What if she hated having sex? I¡¯d have to die fucking celibate.


    A few minutes passed and I heard her soft snores against my chest. I held her against my chest and


    closed my eyes. Sometime during the middle of the night, there was a light sting in my arm which woke


    me up. I checked the clock on the bedside table, it was way past one a.m. Blue was sleeping


    soundlessly, her arm possessively around my middle.


    I winced when I felt a shot of pain again. Had I been bitten by a bug? I couldn¡¯t even see anything in


    the dark. With nimble fingers, I carefully lifted Blue¡¯s arm off mine and ced it around a pillow. She


    moaned and mumbled something in her sleep. Slowly, I climbed to my feet and tiptoed to the bathroom.


    I closed the door behind me and switched on the light to check my arm. Unlike my left arm, the right


    one was devoid of any tattoos, and right there below my wrist where it was stinging me, I could see it.


    A sinister mark, kind of like a serpent, but not exactly. I looked closer and it appeared like a tail of a


    fish.


    A mermaid?


    It looked like it was iplete and getting branded on my skin. I rubbed my skin there and it stung like


    a bitch. I opened the washbasin tap and let the cool water run all over my arm. A few minutester


    when it stopped stinging I went back to bed.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Blue


    Sunlight was streaming out of the curtains when I woke up the next morning, and my legs were tangled


    between Hunter¡¯s. I caressed his leg with mine, loving the feel of the soft hair on it. It was so wonderful,


    a man¡¯s body, sopletely different and I was shocked how much I craved to be touched by hisrge


    masculine hands.


    I pulled theforter away to marvel his bare back and noticed his boxer briefs having a tent that he


    called morning wood. The more he wanted to hide it, the more I wanted to see it. Hunter was fast


    asleep; would it be inappropriate if I slid my hand under the waist band of his boxers?


    I decided I couldn¡¯t risk doing it. I didn¡¯t want to see Hunter get furious and maybe just pack my bags


    and drop me back at Hannah¡¯s. I just needed to find out a way to convince him to get naked.


    How had I be like this?


    While being onnd, I¡¯d done nothing but break the mermaid rules, one after the other. I¡¯d sinned


    greatly, first by debauching a human boy, secondly by falling in love with him and thirdly for wanting to


    see him naked. I couldn¡¯t remember being like this. I¡¯d be so selfish that the thought of leaving


    Hunter made me super sad.


    The light streaming from the window made his face glow, and his hair looked almost golden. I touched


    the little freckles on his nose. ¡°Hunter...¡±


    He moaned.


    ¡°Hunter, you have to go to college.¡± I whispered.


    His eyes snapped open, revealing the silver. He pulled out of bed hastily. ¡°Oh god, I slept in again.¡±


    I heard the sound of the shower and minutester he walked out with a towel draped over his head. I


    climbed out of bed, smiling at him. ¡°Let me help you dry your hair.¡±


    He sat down on the mattress withoutining and I dried his hair for him, as much as I could using


    the towel and a blow-dryer. He caught my hand in his, ¡°What do you want for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll bete for your sses if you start preparing breakfast now. Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll manage.¡±


    Hunter shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll make breakfast for you.¡±


    ¡°Hunter, I said I can manage. I promise I¡¯ll eat.¡±


    He seemed reluctant. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He kissed my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be done with sses soon; you wanna grab lunch with me?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I said.


    At around twelve p.m, Hannah and her boyfriend Fredrico came home to pick me up. They said Hunter


    had nned for the four of us to have lunch together. I was wearing a short ck stripped jumpsuit, my


    wavy hair tied in a long thick braid. I¡¯d decorated the braid with tiny shell clips. I dropped Leslie with our


    neighbor before leaving.


    When Hannah and Fred saw me, they stared at me in awe and Hannah began clicking pictures of me


    in her phone.


    ¡°You look so cute.¡± She cooed as she continued to click pictures in different angles from the front seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna cry.¡±


    ¡°Why would you cry?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re too damn fucking adorable.¡±


    ¡°Fucking?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Fudging. I said fudging. You¡¯re fudging adorable, Blue.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking you to a taco restaurant. Do you like tacos?¡± Fred said from the front seat.


    I liked Fred since the first time I¡¯d seen him. He was sarcastic, that¡¯s what Hunter had mentioned


    before, and he¡¯d also told me not to ever take Fred¡¯s jokes seriously.


    ¡°I have never eaten tacos before.¡± I admitted.


    Fred and Hannah exchanged looks. Then to Hannah, he said, ¡°Hunter isn¡¯t raising her properly, I see.


    Do you think we should be calling social services on your brother?¡±


    Hannah shook her head. ¡°Yeah, I think we ought to. He¡¯smitted a grave sin.¡±


    The two shook their head giving me pitiful looks.


    The restaurant was called El Toro which Fred said meant The Bull, and I thought that was a weird


    name for a restaurant. Why would someone want to name their restaurant after a Bull? I inhaled the


    aroma of the spices wafting from the food being served. My mouth watered and my stomach was


    already growling.


    There was a waitress named She who led us to a secluded booth in the corner. I didn¡¯t like how


    people stared at me as I passed the tables. The boys who were in a group were talking in whispers,


    and one turned to look at me and grinned.


    I ignored him. Why was he even acting so familiar? I didn¡¯t even know who he was.


    I sat opposite Hannah and Fred. I quickly opened a menu card and ced it right in front of me so the


    guy couldn¡¯t stare at me anymore.


    ¡°What do you want to order, Blue?¡± Fred asked.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll wait until Hunter is here.¡± I said.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Fred and Hannah exchanged looks. She said, ¡°I swear I have never seen a cuter couple in my life.


    Hunter and Blue are the perfect example of how people should treat each other in a rtionship.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? You¡¯re saying I¡¯m not treating you correctly?¡± Fred asked Hannah, a huge


    frown on his face.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    I texted Hunter.


    Me: We are at the restaurant, where are you?


    I got Hunter¡¯s instant response.


    Hunter: Stuck in traffic, Sweets. Order what you like in the meantime.


    Me: I¡¯ll wait for you.


    I ced on phone back on the table and looked at Fred. Hannah waspletely smitten by him, he


    sure didn¡¯t have a lot of money ording to what Hannah said but she also mentioned he was the king


    of her heart, whatever that meant. He was also best friends with Hunter, so obviously I liked Fred, even


    though I didn¡¯t know him well.


    They were both human, unlike me who was stuck between two worlds. Was there anyway that I could


    belong to my world and still find a way to live with Hunter?


    ¡°Blue, I think it¡¯s better if you ced your order now. Hunter isn¡¯t far. He¡¯ll be here in a few minutes, I¡¯m


    sure.¡± Hannah pointed at a picture in the menu. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take the tacos. Those are the best here, and


    the Enchdas.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Hunter.¡± I repeated.


    ¡°Aw, a dutiful wife, isn¡¯t she?¡± Hannah said, poking her elbow at Fred.


    ¡°I¡¯m not married to Hunter yet.¡± I said. ¡°Is it alright if I asked you guys something?¡±


    I had a few things I needed to ask. I wasn¡¯t very good with understanding human behaviors much, I


    was learning slowly and I realized that if I was going to be Hunter¡¯s real girlfriend, I needed to know real


    facts, the dos and the don¡¯ts. Hunter knew my mermaid nature, but I didn¡¯t want him to think of me as a


    silly girl either. He alwaysughed at anything I said, and he would have to correct some of my


    mistakes. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he woke up one morning and thought that he¡¯s had enough, or that


    he didn¡¯t want to be my teacher-boyfriend anymore. My insecurities were endless.


    ¡°Of course Blue, you can ask us. We will help you in whatever way we can.¡±


    ¡°I told Hunter I loved him.¡±


    Hannah smiled and took my hands in hers. ¡°That¡¯s so wonderful, Blue. I¡¯m so happy for you and


    Hunter. I really...really shipped you two so hard, literally.¡±


    Fred smiled in acknowledgement.


    ¡°I was searching on the inte about rtionships, and things like that. It mentioned that couples have


    regr sex when they live together but in my situation, Hunter doesn¡¯t allow himself to be fully naked,


    neither does he let me. What should I do?¡±


    For an entire minute, both of them were silent staring at me in wonder.


    ¡°Let me ask you this, you¡¯re saying even after you confessed to Hunter that you loved him and now that


    you guys are clearly in a rtionship, he still doesn¡¯t want to...uh...bed you?¡± He looked at Hannah,


    ¡°What am I missing here? I¡¯m not one for gossip but why hasn¡¯t he attacked her like a horndog that he


    is?¡±


    Hannah made a face. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯d rather not discuss my brother¡¯s sex life and ruin my appetite. But since


    this is about Blue, who happens to be my best friend, we need a solution. Hunter needs to give up his


    temporary celibate life.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was because I hadn¡¯t returned his feelings, but now that I have, it¡¯s still the same. I don¡¯t


    understand; have I done something wrong? Am I not attractive enough?¡±


    Hannah and Fred looked at me like I was growing horns.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± Fred suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll be discreet about it, I promise. He¡¯s got to be foolish if he¡¯s making


    ady wait for so long.¡±


    ¡°Also, I read something about birth control pills. What are those?¡±


    ¡°Honey, maybe we should focus on Hunter giving you what you want at the moment, and trust me, he


    will exin it to you when the need arises.¡± Hannahughed.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Hey guys, sorry I¡¯mte.¡± I heard Hunter¡¯s voice. He was making his way towards our table with a


    huge smile on his face. I liked to believe I was the reason he was smiling so much.


    He kissed the top of my head, tilted my head and kissed me, softly biting my bottom lip and flicking his


    tongue over it. I didn¡¯t think I could get used to the feeling of his warm lips over mine, it made me giddy


    all the time. He produced a cute bouquet of flowers and handed it to me. ¡°This is for my princess.¡±


    I took the bouquet from his hands and inhaled the sweet scent of the beautiful red roses. ¡°Thanks,


    Hunter.¡±


    I saw Hannah elbow Fred. She seemed to be doing that a lot today.


    Hunter pped Fred on the back which seemed like a customary hello for boys, and high-fived Hannah


    before he sat down beside me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s order our food. I¡¯m famished.¡± Hunter opened the menu card and flipped through it. ¡°I¡¯ll take the


    tacos. What about you, Blue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the same as you.¡± I said.


    We ordered for our food and it took twenty minutes to arrive. The waitress was being super friendly with


    Hunter and I didn¡¯t understand why. She was giggling at every word that Hunter was saying. I didn¡¯t like


    it. Why was she acting like that? Even when she was arranging the silverware, she tried to show


    Hunter what was underneath her t-shirt. I worked as a waitress too, and I never did that.


    When Hunters dish arrived, he found a folded note with a wad of tissues.


    8973638xxxx call me handsome! I snatched the note out of his fingers. ¡°Why is she asking you to call


    her?¡±


    Hunter chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should ask her yourself.¡± Fred said.


    Hannah threw him a look. ¡°Don¡¯t give Blue any wrong ideas.¡±


    I was up from the table in a second and walking towards the waitress. She appeared to be confused


    when she saw me approaching her. ¡°Excuse me, why are you writing your phone number for my


    boyfriend?¡±


    Herrge brown eyes watched me in shock. ¡°Oh, I...uhhh...sorry. I didn¡¯t know that he had a girlfriend. I


    thought you were all just friends.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m his girlfriend, that means we share a bed.¡± I exined.


    Her face was in mes. ¡°Oh, I apologize for the inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I said because I was really forgiving. Hunter was handsome like a prince, I guess I was


    being too jealous. It wasn¡¯t the girls fault for being attracted to him. ¡°Where is the bathroom?¡±


    She pointed towards a passageway, ¡°straight and towards your left.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    After I was done with my business, I was washing my hands in the washbasin when I noticed


    something move behind me. I looked around but there wasn¡¯t anyone in the bathroom other then me.


    Maybe I had imagined it.


    I reapplied some of my strawberry lipgloss because Hunter had previous licked it off when he¡¯d kissed


    me. I always told him he would have a stomach ache if he kept licking my lipgloss no matter how lovely


    it tasted. I was walking towards the table when I heard someone.


    Blue.


    I stopped in the hallway and turned to see who was calling out to me.


    He was standing right there.


    Adrian.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was seeing him, but there he was. My childhood best friend and the man my parents


    had fixed my marriage with. He was dressed in normal human clothes, a t-shirt and a jeans. His long


    blonde hair were cut short to shoulder length. The emerald green in his eyes brighter, I saw the glowing


    ring round it; a clear indication that he came from my world.


    ¡°We need to talk, Blue.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Blue


    This wasn¡¯t a dream. Adrian was right here in front of me. If it had been the Blue who¡¯d left the


    underwater world, I would be running into his arms, thanking the gods for sending Adrian to recuse me


    from here. Right now, going back home was thest thing on my mind.


    In the course of three months, everything had changed.


    And for the better.


    He looked the same as I remembered; but he was wearing human clothes and his blonde hair reached


    his shoulders. He didn¡¯t have a smile on his face like he usually did, and I couldn¡¯t me him for that.


    I¡¯d left him and the others without saying a word; I hadn¡¯t even expressed my desire to not marry him.


    How it must have felt, to think that you¡¯d marry your best friend all your life and then have her just leave


    everything behind. Family. Fianc¨¦. Home.


    ¡°We need to talk, Blue.¡± Adrian said, his eyes looking serene. The calmness in his voice was enough to


    scare me. He hadn¡¯t screamed or tried to argue and that was something newing from my friend.


    I found my voice secondster. ¡°I¡¯m noting home.¡±


    He smiled, not with humor but a sarcastic candor, ¡°At least you know where your home really is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice seeing you, Ade.¡± That was a nick name just between us. ¡°But¡­I don¡¯t n toe home


    anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°How selfish are you, Blue?¡± He asked, literally a fiery greenish hue zing in his eyes. ¡°Your Pa, your


    brothers and sisters are sick with worry! Have you thought of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have! I remember them every single day, but it doesn¡¯t change anything. No one cared when I


    was there, no one cares now. You know how my life¡¯s always been, Ade, don¡¯t you deny¡­¡± I said the


    last words in a whisper. I had tears forming at the corner of my eyes.


    He walked towards me slowly which is when I realized how unusual it was to see him walking on legs


    like humans did. He grasped my shoulders and urged me to look at him. ¡°Come home, Blue. You don¡¯t


    have to marry me if you don¡¯t want to but this is not where you belong, Ag¨¢pi mou (my love).


    I shook my head, feeling a little shameful for what I was about to say. ¡°I love you, Adrian, but not the


    same way you want me to.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He said, pushing my hair behind my ear lovingly. ¡°How much longer do you n to stay here?


    And who is that man you¡¯re living with?¡±


    I averted my gaze away from his. His hand slid down from my face slowly as the reality began sinking


    into him. I didn¡¯t even have to tell Adrian, he could read my mind. ¡°What is this nonsense!¡± He said


    through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I fell in love with him.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°You cannot fall in love with humans! It is a grave grave sin! You know the rules of our world and yet


    you broke them. Do you think this is funny? Listen, nothing much has changed, youe home with


    me and I¡¯ll solve all the misunderstandings, all the problems.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! I can¡¯te with you.¡± I said pulling my hand away from his grasp.


    ¡°You can¡¯t or you won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡± I answered.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± The familiar voice came from behind me.


    Adrian and I both turned to see Hunter standing in the passageway, looking heatedly between us. ¡°Who


    is this, Blue?¡±


    I absolutely hated the look on Hunter¡¯s face, the look of confusion and betrayal. ¡°Hunter, this is


    Adrian¡­my¡­


    ¡°Fianc¨¦.¡± Adrianpleted. I threw him a sharp look.


    Understanding dawned on Hunter¡¯s face. ¡°I see.¡±


    That is all Hunter said and he remained silent.


    * * *


    Hunter


    This Adrian guy was a merman. A freakin¡¯ merman. With the way he was giving me dirty looks, if I


    didn¡¯t know any better, I could have easily pegged him as a bully and after thatment about him


    being her fianc¨¦, I definitely thought that he was the bullying type. It didn¡¯t matter that he was her


    fianc¨¦; Blue had made her choice loud and clear.


    She loved me. And there was no way she was going to let this big fish take her back.


    He appraised me, from top to bottom in a slow eye scan, probably thinking if I had something better


    than he did. From a human¡¯s perspective, there was a glow to him, I couldn¡¯t deny it. He was tall,


    sported long-ish blonde hair that was shiny, high-cheekbones and expressive green eyes. What¡¯s


    more, he even had surfer board abs. I was a straight man, but I could clearly see any woman panting


    for his attention. I think that was something to do with the fact that he didn¡¯t belong to this world, just as


    Blue didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Well, Adrian, Hunter is my¡­¡±


    ¡°Boyfriend.¡± Ipleted it for her. ¡°She and I live together.¡±


    I hoped he got the picture. If he hadn¡¯t gotten the imagery, I was ready to nt it in his head. They were


    engaged when they were kids, Blue didn¡¯t consider him as a fianc¨¦ so this goldilock¡¯s-long-lost-


    mermaid-brother needed to know his ce.


    Blue sighed. ¡°Will you boys please stoppleting sentences for me?¡±


    I caught her hand and pulled her closer to myself, cing my hand over her waist, possessively.


    Adrian¡¯s eyes strayed to where I was touching her. The merman could swim back into the ocean and


    find a suitable mermaid for himself. I¡¯d staked a im on this one a long time ago.


    ¡°This is not the time or the ce to talk about this. Would you like to join us for lunch, Adrian?¡± I asked


    him despite of myself.


    ¡°Yes, Ade, join us.¡± Blue chimed in.


    ¡°Uh¡­okay, I guess.¡±


    Guess the merman was hungry after all.


    At the table, we introduced Adrian as Blue¡¯s friend. My hands were balled into fists when he sat beside


    her, his eyes following Blue¡¯s every move, his hands pushing Blue¡¯s hair behind her ear in that over


    familiar way and I fucking hated it.


    Adrian was busy gobbling the food like today was his final day on earth, and all the food was


    going to disappear if it didn¡¯t manage to go into his stomach. He had put both his hands to use, making


    a mess of out of himself, dripping some of the taco filling on the napkin that was tucked in his t-shirt


    front like a baby in a highchair.


    He coughed and Blue handed him a ss of water and thumped his back. I waspelled to feel bad


    for him. God knows what kind of conditions he¡¯d been living while he hade onnd to rescue Blue.


    Hannah and Fred were looking at the exchange with interesting looks on their faces. They were


    completely baffled, they¡¯d forgotten about their lunch altogether, probably even forgotten that I was


    seated at the table.


    ¡°He¡­went to school with Blue.¡± I said as if that rified theck of his manners.


    Fred and Hannah looked at me. ¡°We can see that.¡± They said like two inseparable twins with the same


    set of dialogues.


    Adrian picked up a pitcher of coke and downed it like it was nobody¡¯s business. Blue looked like she


    was embarrassed for him, which was kind of ironic because she used to do almost the same thing


    when she was new to the human world.


    ¡°That was delicious.¡± Adrian dered.


    Blue giggled and picked up a napkin, she slowly dabbed it on his face with so much familiarity that I


    was starting to regret my decision of inviting him over on the lunch table. I was burning inside, the type


    that could cause explosions and ze an entire forest.


    He looked at Hannah and said. ¡°You look beautiful. Never met a real woman in my life, would like to get


    to know you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡± Hannah said smiling at him. I couldn¡¯t tell if that was sarcasm or if she was being honest.


    My sister? And Beautiful? I was sure Adrian and Fred both needed to get an eye-checkup. I watched


    Fred¡¯s hand tighten over hers. I think I had enough of dealing with one mermaid trying hard to hide her


    nature and saying outrageous things, I didn¡¯t think I could deal with a pair of them.


    When the waitress came to the table to give us the cheque, Fred and I reached our wallets to pay.


    ¡°Fred, put your wallet back. My turn to pay.¡± I dered.


    ¡°No, dude. You put yours back. I¡¯m gonna pay today.¡± Fred replied.


    Adrian pulled his hand out, palm up as if to stop us from arguing, produced a smallted pouch from


    his jeans and emptied it on the table, spilling arge amount of round shell coins, there was even a rare


    looking starfish there. He looked pretty fucking conceited like he¡¯d opened bags of gold and silver in


    front of us.


    It took me a while to realize he was trying to pay for our meals.


    With the fucking mermaid money!


    The waitresses face was priceless as she stared at the table. ¡°Uhm, you guys decide who will pay and


    I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your tip,dy. Just take it. ¡± Adrian said with so much confidence it made me cringe.


    There was a suffocating silence on the table, one heard only in the confines of a library.


    ¡°Nice food. Don¡¯t really appreciate you roasting the shrimps, those are usually my friends.¡±


    Except Blue, the others looked at him like he needed to check into the nearest mental health facility.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really take shells for tips.¡± The waitress said, her lips pursed, now looking outraged for thinking


    we were making fun of her.


    Blue began picking up the shell coins silently and putting it back inside the pouch, throwing me looks of


    apology. And then I heard her whisper to Adrian. ¡°Humans use different money. Mermaid coins aren¡¯t


    used here onnd.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell not?¡± He asked.


    I ended up paying the bill even though Fred insisted he wanted to, I didn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°Blue, I still have things to tell you. When you left the under---¡±


    I coughed really loudly and that stopped Adrian from speaking further. ¡°Guys¡­¡± I addressed Fred and


    Hannah. ¡°I think we¡¯ll call it a day and head back home. Something important hase up.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Fred said.


    ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll see you soon. Bye Adrian.¡± Hannah said and waved at us as we made our way towards


    the exit of the restaurant.


    ¡°Where are you staying, Adrian?¡± I asked as I walked towards my car. Blue was right beside me, Adrian


    walking behind her.


    ¡°Nowhere.¡±


    I stopped dead in my tracks. ¡°What do you mean nowhere?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Just came tond three days back and didn¡¯t know where to look for Blue, but us mer-


    folk can trace the scent of our kind. I sensed where Blue was staying and followed the trail. Spent my


    night in a house where people didn¡¯t live. Picked clothes and other things from there.¡±


    He¡¯d broken into an abandoned house and lived there like a homeless man.


    I hated the idea of Blue¡¯s fianc¨¦ making an appearance and asking her to go back with him, but no


    matter how much I despised this guy, my conscience wouldn¡¯t allow me to let him live in a dangerous


    ce, or go hungry without any proper food.


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay at my ce.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. I¡¯ll stay where Blue does.¡± He hadn¡¯t even argued or tried to act prideful which clearly


    told me he¡¯d been living in a bad condition.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be so much fun.¡± Blue said. ¡°Hunter has a really cute pet called a ¡®doggie¡¯. He¡¯s brown and


    fluffy and lets me kiss and cuddle him. You¡¯ll love him too.¡±


    ¡°As long as he¡¯s not a seahorse.¡± He said.


    ¡°A seahorse?¡± I asked climbing behind the wheel.


    ¡°Yeah. Blue had a seahorse pet that I used to hate.¡± I watched him as he sat in the backseat.


    I snorted.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This is a modern carriage, isn¡¯t it?¡± He asked, looking like a child who was sitting in an amusement


    park ride for the first time.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a car.¡± I told him. ¡°Whatever you do, do not open the car door while I¡¯m driving it, okay?¡±


    As I drove the car, the two began conversing in a differentnguage, one that I didn¡¯t understand. It


    sounded like Greek. I couldn¡¯t tell what they were talking about but Blue¡¯s expressions told me


    whatever that Adrian was saying wasn¡¯t good. He was either convincing her to go back with him or


    telling her updates from their world.


    I loved Blue too much to let her go. My hands on the wheels were shaking, but I fought to keep my


    emotions in check. If Blue decided that she wanted to go with Adrian, there was nothing I could do to


    stop her besides begging.


    Blue¡¯s real feelings were going to be put at test. It all came down to what she ultimately chose.


    Going back to her world¡­


    Or¡­


    Spending her life as a human with me.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Hunter


    Leslie was barking and growling non-stop when he saw Adrian walk inside the apartment. He literally


    bared his teeth and growled which was so unusual for Les. He was the friendliest dog I knew, never


    making a big fuss over the guests. I¡¯d always wondered if Les would casually hand my wallet over to a


    burr if he brought his favorite snacks.


    ¡°Leslie....Adrian is my friend.¡± Blue cooed as she kneeled down to pet him.


    The stupid dog padded over to brush his cute little wet nose at Blue. She looked at Adrian. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just


    so cute?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Adrian replied.


    He joined Blue on the floor; his hand raised towards the animal, an open invitation to the dog growling


    at him. ¡°Come here...I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Leslie continued to growl. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Les, he won¡¯t steal anything from the house.¡± I assured the dog.


    Adrian threw me a look. ¡°Merfolk never steal anything from anyone.¡±


    Yeah, like you aren¡¯t trying to steal my girlfriend right now.


    Heck if I let that happen.


    I faked a cough, ¡°Point taken.¡±


    It seemed like no matter how much unfriendly Les was being, Adrian wasn¡¯t going to give up. He kept


    his hand raised towards him. Slowly Les walked to him and licked a bit of his hand, Adrian took that


    opportunity to pet him on the head and just like that they were friends. Adrian grinned as Les stared at


    him and I realized they were doing the same weirdmunication thing.


    ¡°See. I told you. He¡¯s a sweet doggie.¡± Blue said proudly. ¡°Les and I sometimes bathe together and he


    lets me shampoo him. And I feed him too, a total of four times a day and guess what...¡± Blue rambled


    on excitedly. She totally resembled a kid who was telling her ssmate about her very first trip at the


    zoo.


    Maybe...that was exactly what Blue thought this was. Maybe she found this amusing, and I was just


    another fascinating creature for her. A human.


    I imaged Blue growing old and telling her dozens of children a very interesting story. All her children


    had either golden hair (like Adrian¡¯s) or blue like hers. And she said, ¡®My little ones, did you know that


    when I was young, I went to thend and met this really foolish human boy who fell in love with me. It


    was hrious because I really made a total idiot out of him, right, Ade, honey?¡¯


    I shook the thoughts away, but I couldn¡¯t ignore how she was acting with him, constantly smiling and


    giggling. How selfish of me to want to be on the receiving end of those smiles and giggles. My hands


    were balled into fists but I counted back from ten and slowly the anger began dissipating.


    I had to be confident that Blue would choose me over him. Then again, choosing me would mean


    leaving her world for good. How could I ever make such a selfish request just because I couldn¡¯t let her


    go? Wouldn¡¯t it be so much easier on her to listen to Adrian, forget abouting here, forget about me


    and marry Adrian the way her family had nned?


    ¡°What is that on your hand?¡± Adrian was making his way towards me and before I could roll down my


    shirt sleeves he got hold of my wrist and turned it.


    His eyes went wide when he saw it. He saw the red markings that had appeared a few nights ago just


    below my wrist. I pulled my arm away abruptly. Adrian looked at me and then red at Blue. ¡°What the


    hell did you do?¡±


    How had this gone from zero to hundred real quick?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Blue looked between me and Adrian. ¡°What now?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t told her about this because I didn¡¯t want her to worry.


    Adrian looked like he could use a bag of ice to cool his head. He waspletely scandalized. ¡°You


    branded him!¡± He said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°She what?¡± I asked, baffled.


    He caught my hand and showed me the red markings that resembled a mermaid¡¯s tail. He traced his


    finger over it. ¡°This is a mark of a mermaid. Do you know what she¡¯s done to you?¡±


    Blue had miraculously stopped chattering and was looking a bit guilty and avoiding eye-contact. The


    question was, why?


    ¡°What has she done?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°She¡¯s marked you as her own!¡± Adrian bellowed, as if that was even a bad thing.


    Blue had marked me as her own.


    Hallelujah!


    Maybe I should open that bottle of champagne.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what gibberish you¡¯re talking about. Yes, she said she loved me, and I don¡¯t understand


    how that is even a problem.¡±


    Adrian yelled something to Blue in a differentnguage sounding like greek. Blue responded with


    silence.


    ¡°Do you know what this mark means?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Blue said finally.


    ¡°Brother, can I talk to you alone?¡±


    Blue looked at me once before looking away, she seemed to be so nervous and fidgeting which was


    unlike her. Why was she letting what Adrian said get to her head? We were so much happier when he


    hadn¡¯t barged into our lives, when things hadn¡¯t gotten soplicated.


    Something told me that Blue was lying about not knowing anything. She wasn¡¯t meeting my gaze and


    that was proof enough that she was guilty.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Blue said softly.


    ¡°Of course it is. You¡¯re going to get him¡ª¡±


    Blue passed Adrian a death re which stopped him frompleting his sentence. He ced a hand


    on my shoulder. ¡°Can we please talk without her being around?¡±


    ¡°She has work in a couple of hours. She won¡¯t be here to listen to our conversation.¡± I said.


    ¡°You even got a job in the human world?!¡±


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said a word.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Blue snapped. ¡°Again, none of your business, Adrian.¡±


    Feisty.


    I think I¡¯d never seen this angry side of Blue before, and I kind of liked it. Had to admit that she looked


    downright adorable when she was angry and all I wanted to do was pull her against me and kiss her


    until all the anger and tension had left her body.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed.¡± Adrian said.


    She shuffled through the wardrobe we shared, and pulled out some clothes. Grasping the clothes close


    to her chest she said, ¡°yes I have, and I don¡¯t regret it.¡± She looked at me from


    The corner of her eye before walking into the bathroom and mming the door hard behind her.


    We heard the shower turn on. Adrian sighed and settled into the bean bag. ¡°This is nice and soft.¡±


    * * *


    I dropped Blue at the club, she wouldn¡¯t say a word or even answer to my questions. I wanted to ask


    her to stop working at the club, it wasn¡¯t very safe even with Phoenix keeping an eye on her. And I did


    not trust Alec to keep his hands to himself, what with the way he was lusting over my girl.


    I didn¡¯t have the balls to say it to her.


    She started to leave the car but I locked the door. I touched her soft cheek and leaned in to kiss her. I


    kissed her mouth open, and my tongue entered her mouth. I groaned when she sucked on my tongue


    desperately. She pulled away and began a trail of kisses down my jaw and corbone.


    She was trying to distract me from saying what was on my mind. Her fingers flew to my jeans front, but


    I quickly grasped her wrist. ¡°No, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°Hunter...¡± she whispered. ¡°I know what he¡¯s going to tell you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what he tells me. I¡¯ve told you this before. I love you and whatever that he¡¯s about to


    tell me is not going to change my feelings for you.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡± She asked with swollen pink lips.


    ¡°I promise you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I never told you about it before.¡± She apologized. ¡°I was scared about your reaction. I still


    don¡¯t think that Adrian should tell you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get it over with. I¡¯ll hear what he has to say and let me be the judge.¡± I said.


    I unlocked the door for her. She opened the door of the car and before stepping out she said, ¡°Just


    remember how much I love you.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°You could die.¡± Adrian said when I came back home that evening.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± I asked him.


    Adrian brushed the long blonde locks out of his face, ¡°You¡¯re going against nature, you know that right?


    Mermaids and humans are not meant to be together, and that¡¯s why when the species from those two


    worldse together, it¡¯s considered a sin.¡±


    ¡°I remember she mentioned the sin part.¡± I said. ¡°Look, man¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you look here.¡± He touched my hand and pointed at the mark. ¡°This happens when a mermaid


    marks a human as her own, which Blue has already done by telling you that she loved you. But as you


    can see the mark is still iplete.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°It means the mark can be undone. If the markpletes its circle, that would mean you


    can¡¯t undo it and you¡¯ll be connected to her and it also means you could die with or without a natural


    cause.¡±


    ¡°How do I stop from the circle frompleting?¡±


    ¡°Tell her toe back to the ocean.¡± He said simply. ¡°Tell her you don¡¯t love her.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You¡¯re crazy if you think I¡¯ll do that. I prefer dying over telling her that I don¡¯t love her. I¡¯ll just


    take the risk, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Brother...you¡¯re taking this too lightly. If the circlepletes your fate is tied to hers.¡± He paused as if


    he couldn¡¯t imagine of such a thing happening. ¡°If you die, Hunter Brantley, she suffers too!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If the circlepletes than she¡¯s chosen her soulmate, but you¡¯re a mortal and human lives are very


    delicate and short. God forbid if you died, she will live forever in misery missing you, wanting you back.¡±


    The thought of Blue being sad for me made me a little ted, but that didn¡¯t mean that I wanted her to


    live her life feeling unhappy and not smiling at all.


    ¡°There was such a case with one of the other merfolk in ourmunity. The merman fell in love with a


    woman onnd. He almost branded her.¡±


    ¡°What happened after that?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°He undid the mark by wiping her memories of him and by leaving her.¡±


    ¡°Why? If he did that, I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t love her enough.¡± I said.


    Adrian gave me a heated look. ¡°He loved her a lot, alright. The woman¡¯s life was in danger and he


    decided that he would rather take away her memories and let her live her life than watch her die. It was


    painful for him but he let the woman go. She married a human like herself and had kids, and he married


    a mermaid in hismunity.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fucking tragic.¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the right thing.¡± Adrian said, ¡°Blue is being stubborn, I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t even love you but


    she¡¯s in love with the idea of falling in love with a human. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m still not convinced I should give her up.¡± I looked him over. ¡°Is it possible that you¡¯re


    convincing me to let her go because you¡¯re in love with her and want me out of your way?¡±


    He gave out a sarcasticugh. ¡°She looks at me as just a friend, and I know she¡¯d rather marry a sea


    turtle than me.¡±


    Iughed. I couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s stubborn to a fault.¡± We were actually bonding over our


    affection over Blue. ¡°If she¡¯s curious about something she doesn¡¯t let it go until finds out every little


    detail about it.¡±


    ¡°Did you guys...what¡¯s it called here? The love making humans do. Did you do it with her?¡±


    My cheeks probably turned bright red. ¡°Nah, man. I wish it was that simple.¡±


    ¡°So it means it¡¯s not simple?¡± He asked. ¡°How...how do you do it?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think I was ready to start the sex-Ed speech again. Maybe the mermaids could join a sex-ed


    sses with me just in case they decided to try the most controversial thing with humans.


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin you maybeter. You can have a real experience too.¡±


    ¡°You mean with Blue?¡± He asked.


    I stared at him incredulously. ¡°Where the fuck did you even get that idea? Of course not! I meant with


    some other willing female, who is looking forward to a casual fuck.¡±


    Adrian nodded, something told me he didn¡¯t understand one word of what I¡¯d said.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your decision?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to take the risk.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a foolish man.¡± Adrian said, leafing through a stack of magazines. ¡°You¡¯ll be sorry, but suit


    yourself.¡±


    * * *


    Hannah dropped Blue home from work that night. I¡¯d already prepared dinner. Spaghetti and chicken


    roast.


    Adrian ignored Blue and she ignored him right back, and somehow the tension in the room was getting


    toxic. They were also fighting for Leslie¡¯s attention like he was a Duke of some country.


    The real problem came when it was time to go to bed. Normally, Blue and I shared a bed, but with


    Adrian here I realized it would be awkward.


    ¡°Adrian and I will sleep on the floor. You take the bed.¡± I told Blue.


    ¡°You won¡¯t sleep with me? Why?¡± She asked.


    Adrian was staring at our exchange with interest.


    ¡°Why do we have to change our sleeping positions just because Ade is here?¡± Sheined.


    ¡°Sweetheart...¡±


    ¡°Sleep on the bed, Hunter. I¡¯ll sleep on the floor.¡± Adrian said.


    Blue smiled in triumph, and I kind of felt bad for the dude for being so ridiculously friend-zoned.


    She began taking off her t-shirt, with Adrian still staring. I stopped her from doing it. ¡°No. You cannot do


    that with other men around.¡±


    ¡°But Adrian¡¯s my friend. He¡¯s already seen me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Blue.¡± I warned her.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She said and lied down on her side of the bed.


    When the lights went out she came closer to snuggle with me. I threw a nce at the joined living area


    space where I could see Adrian¡¯srge form sleeping with his face turned to the other side. Then I


    heard the sounds of soft snores, guess he was really tired.


    I pulled Blue closer and reached for her t-shirt. Keeping her covered with a nket, I pulled her nightie


    over her head and unsped her bra and stared at the glorious full breasts. I squeezed one, it was


    exactly the size of my palm. I took the other one into my mouth and suckled, no feasted on it. I heard


    her low moan, so I pressed my hand on her mouth and the mermaid bit me, literally sunk her teeth into


    my hand.


    I chuckled and continued to lick and suck her breasts. When I came up for air, we kissed for a long


    time.


    ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Blue whispered.


    ¡°He told me what the mark means, and the risk that I¡¯m at.¡± I said truthfully.


    I could see her blue eyes smolder with desire and some unknown feeling that I couldn¡¯t even name,


    something far more fierce than love or lust. ¡°Hunter...¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Yes, my love.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your decision?¡±


    If I told her that I wasn¡¯t going to take a risk, that I would rather live my life than die, I knew she who¡¯d


    understand and maybe even return to her world just like Adrian wanted her too.


    ¡°I love you, and I want you to stay, regardless of how much danger I¡¯m in.¡±


    She stared at me in the darkness for so long that I wondered if she had slept with her eyes open or if


    she had forgotten about our conversation all together.


    ¡°I think there is one way that maybe we could avoid it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± I said without even thinking or asking about it.


    ¡°Maybe you wouldn¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me what it is.¡± I pressed her.


    ¡°They can¡¯t take me back, or force me to leave. If I...well if you...¡±


    ¡°If I what?¡±


    ¡°If you married me.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Hunter


    I pinned her with an incredulous stare. Blue did not just ask me to marry her!


    I cupped her face in both of my hands, ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re asking me?¡±


    She nodded earnestly, ¡°Yes. I would love to marry you if you wish to marry me, that is.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°If you¡¯re making this decision just because you think my life is in danger, then please don¡¯t.


    I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m even marriage material. I would hate to disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be disappointing me.¡± She said. ¡°Please understand that it¡¯s the only way that my family


    cannot force me to go back to my world. If I take you as my husband, it would be a sin, I can¡¯t deny it.


    Humans and merfolk are not allowed to get into the union of marriage but it would be even more sinful


    if they tried to separate me from a man that I¡¯ve already considered as a soulmate.¡±


    My heart felt fuzzy. ¡°Is it true?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About what I said? Of course it is.¡±


    ¡°That you think I¡¯m your soulmate?¡±


    ¡°I do, if I didn¡¯t I wouldn¡¯t ask you to marry me.¡± She said truthfully.


    I loved the way she looked at me, like I was her entire universe. Did Blue want to marry me because of


    her infatuation of the human world? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was one of the contributing


    factors. She loved me, I had no doubt about it, but I didn¡¯t know if marrying me was something she¡¯d


    said on a whim.


    ¡°Hunter¡­¡± She looked hopeful and I realized she was still waiting for me to answer.


    ¡°I love you, and I¡¯ve never said that to any woman before. I swear to you.¡± I said.


    Blue waited patiently for me to continue.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know if marrying me would be a good decision on your part.¡± I whispered, making sure to


    keep my tone low so only she could hear me. ¡°You¡¯re pure and innocent and so out of my league,


    sweetheart, you don¡¯t even know.¡±


    Her face fell, ¡°Is it possible that you don¡¯t feel the same way about me? Maybe you would rather have a


    human as your wife.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding.¡± I pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to marry you, Blue, it¡¯s just that¡­I


    don¡¯t want to spoil your life or keep you from going to your world by binding you in marriage. This


    implies if you were a human too. I¡¯m bad¡­I¡¯ve done horrible things in my past and I don¡¯t deserve you.¡±


    Her lower lip quickened, she recovered quickly and she was furious, ¡°You want to risk your life? You


    would rather die than marry me!¡±


    ¡°Again, you misunderstand, sweetheart¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that! Don¡¯t talk to me!¡± She yelled.


    ¡°Guys¡­¡± Adrian sat up from the sofa bed. ¡°Would you please shut up so I can sleep?¡±


    ¡°Go to bed, Adrian. This is a dream.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Is it?¡± He said in a sleepish voice before falling back onto the pillows and snoring.


    Blue drifted away from me, turning her face to the other side, her back was facing my front. I touched


    her arm but she brushed it away. This was the first time that Blue was angry with me. I missed the


    warmth of her body against mine. I brushed her aqua hair away and kissed the nape of her neck and


    trailed kisses down her bare back, she arched under the onught of my lips. I heard her sigh.


    Feeling a little daring, I slipped my hand towards her waist and caught her breast in my palm. I¡¯d never


    seen them clearly, and I had always dreamed of seeing Blue fully naked and worshiping that beautiful


    body. She turned to face me again and attacked my lips in a frenzied kiss, the type that didn¡¯t know any


    limits. Kiss. Lick. Bite.


    She''d heard my thoughts.


    She was literally fucking my mouth with her tongue and I wasn¡¯tining.I came up for air and


    whispered, ¡°Adrian will see¡­¡±


    She looked past me in the dark, ¡°he¡¯s asleep. I can feel it.¡±


    Iughed softly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about you feeling other men.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my kind.¡± She admitted, and then touched my lips which I kissed, ¡°If you marry me, I promise you


    that I¡¯ll make you happy. I¡¯ll be the best wife in this world.¡±


    "I wouldn''t dare deny that."


    I had tough again because I couldn¡¯t help it. Who could have imagined a woman would ever propose


    to a man? Certainly not an ordinary one, but a mermaid would.


    ¡°It will most certainly be an honor to marry you, Blue. You¡¯re the woman of my dreams.¡±


    ¡°Am I really?¡± A blush crept on her cheeks.


    ¡°You are. All you need to do is read my thoughts, but you need to know a few things before you¡¯re


    completely sure about your decision.¡±


    ¡°I know your past.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about my past, I¡¯m talking about what you need to expect in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not wealthy, I¡¯m sure you are already aware of that. What I have or what I used to own outside of


    this apartment belongs to my father. I work in my family restaurant and I¡¯m paid an average sry like


    most people who work in restaurants. I have some amount saved up.¡± I swallowed. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to


    say Blue is that, I can¡¯t give you the best life right now. I study and I work, I¡¯m still trying to figure out my


    life. A lot of times; it''s hard. Do you think you could manage to be with someone like me?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even be asking me that question. I¡¯m giving up my world to be in yours, to


    be with you, Hunter. I don¡¯t care much about money, or a huge house. I¡¯m happy here. This life with you


    makes me so happy¡­I don¡¯t want to leave.¡±


    I stared at her for a minute, wondering why I even deserved this, why I deserved her.


    ¡°You have to quit your job at Lucifer¡¯s Den; I won¡¯t allow you to work there anymore. It¡¯s not safe.¡± I


    blurted out, and it felt better to just get it out of my system. I¡¯d always hated Blue working there,


    laughing and smiling at all those men leering at her.


    There was a moment of hesitation before she smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll quit the job.¡±


    The joy I felt at those three words was something I couldn¡¯t describe. ¡°You understand what else entails


    in a marriage, don¡¯t you?¡±


    She blushed but didn¡¯t look away, ¡°I know, and I can¡¯t wait to find out what it feels like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your husband and this will be your forever home. You can¡¯t wake up one day and decide to leave


    me.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I would never leave you, not unless you asked me to.¡±


    I pecked her lips noisily. ¡°Give me one week. I¡¯ll start preparations for our wedding tomorrow.¡±


    * * *


    Blue


    ¡°The dress looks perfect on you.¡± Hannah¡¯s eyes were shinning with excitement and glee.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I whirled in front of the mirror, admiring myself. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we would''ve found a better wife for our Hunter.¡± ine, Hunter¡¯s step-mom said looking


    appreciatively at me.


    ¡°I agree. She looks like a goddess who¡¯d walked straight down from heaven, right Mom?¡± Hannah


    furtherplimented.


    ¡°She does.¡±


    It¡¯s been two days since the night when Hunter agreed to marry me. Adrian had been sulking since


    then and after a lot of arguing, he¡¯d finally given up. He was my friend and I didn¡¯t like how I was


    making him sad but he needed to understand that my happiness was with Hunter and going back to my


    world wasn¡¯t going to help either of them. I would have married Adrian, would he have epted a wife


    who¡¯d chosen another man as a soulmate? He knew the answer and had agreed to support me on my


    decision.


    Hunter had started preparing for our wedding and had asked Hannah and ine to apany me to


    choose a wedding dress. ine took us to a really nice wedding gowns boutique with a wide range of


    choices that took me almost an hour to browse through until I found the one that I liked.


    Hannah was arranging a little crown over my head. The gown was a beautiful shade of ivory, it was a


    V-neckline and the bodice was covered ince and crystal beading. It was elegant and made me look


    like a perfect bride. My blue hair was something that probably differentiated me from all others.


    ine ced her hand on my shoulders. ¡°Are you sure your family won¡¯t being for your wedding?¡±


    I was ovee with sadness, mixed with pain. I shook my head slowly. ¡°My father doesn¡¯t approve of


    it.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell them that my family didn¡¯t approve because Hunter was human. Hunter had repeatedly


    told me not to mention anything about my world to his parents, they wouldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Wyatt and I could talk to them, honey. They will understand.¡± She said lovingly, brushing a lock away


    from my face.


    Tears began blurring my vision. ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡±


    ¡°At least let us try.¡± She insisted.


    I took her hand in mine. I couldn¡¯t tell her where I came from but I could at least give her a part of the


    truth. ¡°I left my home because my parents were forcing me to marry someone I didn¡¯t love. They would


    want me to obey them if I decided to go back home. I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    She remained silent for a moment and I wondered if it had been best if I¡¯d been evasive instead of


    saying something about my family. Merfolk were still very old-fashioned with their rituals and beliefs,


    and Hunter had told me that his parents or anyone else onnd wouldn''t understand due to their


    modern thinking and lifestyle and by the way ine was looking at me it was clear that she didn''t


    understand as well.


    ¡°Hunter is a little overbearing, but I know he will treat you right and that he¡¯ll make a good husband. He


    really loves you. Your parents have nothing to worry about, and I''m sure they wille around.¡± She


    said with a smile and then squeezed my hand. ¡°He¡¯s been through a lot; he¡¯s battled depression that


    had been caused due to abandonment. Please don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I will never break his heart or leave him. I promise you, ine.¡± I said with sincerity.


    ¡°Good.¡± She said.


    I picked up my bag and produced a ring from it. Hannah and ine stared at it with bemused


    expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Is that Hunter¡¯s?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s Hunter¡¯s ring.¡±


    I gave her a nod. ¡°I wanted to make a wedding ring for Hunter and I knew that if I asked him for the ring


    size, he¡¯d insist on paying for his wedding ring too.¡± I paused, ¡°So I stole this one so I could buy a


    wedding band with the same size.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a genius, Blue.¡± Hannah said.


    ¡°My pay was really good at the club and I saved a lot with tips.¡± I said and then added. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell


    Hunter about the ring.¡±


    ¡°Mom, did Blue say anything?¡±


    ¡°If she did, I never heard it.¡± ine said.


    I smiled. Hunter was so lucky to have these women in his life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry; I¡¯ll help you buy that wedding ring that I¡¯ve already forgotten about. And then, we will


    proceed with other wedding preparations. There¡¯s the cake and my maid of honor dress, the damned


    guest list so many things to do. I¡¯m so excited!¡±


    She threw a nce at her mother and noticed that she was busy conversing with the dress maker.


    Hannah caught my wrist and pulled me a little away from the two. She had a mischievous smile on her


    face. ¡°Also, I need to¡­¡± she fake coughed. ¡°¡­talk about what you should expect on your wedding


    night.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t wait to find out.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Hunter


    Fred and Hannah helped me choose a wedding ring for Blue. It was a round solitaire diamond stud in a


    tinum ring, a little out of my budget but looked really beautiful. My bank ount was almost empty,


    but it was worth it. Blue deserved this and so much more. I kind of wished I had enough money to


    move into a bigger house where there was awn, a fence, a room for when Blue and I decided to


    have kids.


    I dreamed of it, about having my own little family.


    I¡¯d never thought this was possible in my wildest dreams, that I¡¯d find a woman who¡¯d love me enough


    to want to marry me.


    The phone in my pocket began buzzing. It was from an unknown number. I pressed answer.


    ¡°Hello Mr. Brantley, this is Gracie. I¡¯m a wedding nner. Your mother told me you wanted to discuss a


    few things.¡±


    ¡°Hi Gracie, please call me Hunter.¡± I spoke on the phone while walking out of the jewelry store towards


    the parking lot across the street, ¡°I¡¯m looking for simple wedding decorations, I¡¯d like to discuss about


    this. Are you free around three p.m? We could talk it over lunch and¡ª¡±


    A loud re of the honking stopped me dead in my tracks and I turned to look. I wanted to run but my


    legs weren¡¯t moving. I was glued to the ce.


    A car was moving towards me in high-speed and there was absolutely nothing I could do.


    I saw it that time.


    Death wasing for me.


    Blue


    Adrian had tried convincing me that marrying Hunter was a bad idea. And then he¡¯d given me another


    alternative that I knew would make Hunter really furious. Adrian suggested that I could marry him


    instead and visit the Land often to meet Hunter.


    In other words, he didn¡¯t mind me having an affair with Hunter onnd as long as I married Adrian in


    our world. I¡¯d told Adrian that he could stop talking and that I wasn¡¯t going to have an affair with Hunter


    because I intended to marry him.


    I¡¯d been napping with Leslie when I got one of those bad premonitions that something was going to


    happen. Since then I couldn¡¯t sleep and paced around the apartment. I tried calling Hunter¡¯s number


    but he didn¡¯t answer it and that gave me even more anxiety.


    Adrian was reading a magazine upside down, a magazine he¡¯d found discarded in a box within the


    depths of the storage room. The magazine had a naked woman on it. I didn¡¯t know how I felt about


    Hunter going through this one. Adrian was merely leafing through the pages, his face masked with


    interest.


    I tried texting Hunter.


    Me: Why aren¡¯t you answering my call?


    I called him several times but each time it hit voicemail. Thirty minutes and forty textster, I decided to


    call Hannah. When she answered the call she was sobbing and that was a clear warning that


    something was wrong.


    ¡°Hannah, I¡¯ve been trying to call Hunter but he¡¯s not answering my phone. Is he with you?¡±


    ¡°Blue...well, Hunter got into an ident. A car almost ran over him.¡±


    My heart almost stopped beating, ¡°What?!¡± It took me an entire minute to collect myself. ¡°Is he alright?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°I want to see him.¡± I said urgently.


    Hannah told me that she was sending a car and a chauffeur to take me to the hospital. When I hung up


    the call, Adrian¡¯s expressions clearly said ¡®I told you so.¡¯


    ¡°You still have time to stop the wedding.¡± Adrian suggested.


    I gave him a sharp look, ¡°I can¡¯t ask Hunter to do that. We both love each other.¡±


    ¡°Is that love any use of if either of you end up being dead?¡±


    I hated that he had a point.


    What if something happened to Hunter before or during the wedding ceremony? We still had a week


    ahead of us before we got married.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    We argued back and forth in Greek. I felt helpless and angry at my situation, like there was nothing


    else I could do against thews of nature.


    ¡°The boy is hurt for today, and he maye back home looking prim and fine, making those promises


    about lifelong love but it¡¯s going to be your selfish nature that will get him killed one day.¡± Adrian


    pointed out bitterly.


    ¡°You know, I wasn¡¯t so sure before but I think I understand now.¡± I said, keeping the venom out of my


    voice.


    ¡°What do you understand?¡± He asked, still looking through that vile magazine filled with naked women.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re jealous of Hunter.¡± I said finally.


    Adrian looked at me, ¡°And what if I am?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Ade. I¡¯ve made my decision. It would make me the happiest in the world to marry


    Hunter, if my situation doesn¡¯t allow me, then I won¡¯t marry you either or anyone else for that matter.¡± I


    completed. ¡°So there¡¯s absolutely no reason for you to be jealous.¡±


    ¡°Our parents and elders arranged our marriage to be fulfilled when we were old enough...¡± Adrian said,


    ¡°Mermaids marry mermen. That¡¯s ourw, Blue¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of the mermaidw.¡± I snapped. ¡°I¡¯m different than other mermaids. I will take Hunter as my


    husband and no one else.¡± Thest part came in a choked voice, tears were threatening to spill out any


    moment.


    ¡°There¡¯s a price to pay for everyw that¡¯s broken.¡± Hepleted.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to give up convincing me to go with you because I will not.¡± I said.


    ¡°Human lives are short, even if he lives a full healthy life, it won¡¯t be enough, Blue. You will watch him,


    your children, your grandchildren, and everyone else you care about grow old and die while you stay


    the same.¡± He said vehemently. ¡°Do you want to spend the rest of your eternity alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of that possibility.¡± I said. ¡°I would still be hurt if I left and watched him marry and have


    children with someone else.¡±


    Adrian had a expression of resignation on his face, it looked like he was giving up convincing me.


    I dressed up quickly in a casual t-shirt, jeans and sneakers and waited until Hannah texted me


    that the car was parked outside the apartment building. Throughout the entire twenty minute car ride, I


    recalled each and everything that Adrian had said.


    No matter how much I loved Hunter, I valued his life above everything else.


    It was my first timeing to a hospital, and the atmosphere around made me ill. A stretcher upied


    by a boy was wheeled away, a mother crying as she followed it. Another ident. There was a lot of


    blood.


    I felt sick all of a sudden. The ce was giving me a very sad feeling. I couldn¡¯t ignore the scent that


    lingered around me.


    The scent of death.


    I spotted Hunter¡¯s older brother Ryan speaking with a nurse. I walked towards them and found ine


    standing outside a room and knew that it had to be Hunter¡¯s. She wrapped me in a warm motherly hug.


    ¡°Is Hunter alright?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing okay, honey. Thank god nothing serious happened to him. Fred and Hannah are on their


    way. You go see him now.¡± She said sweetly, ¡°I¡¯m sure he wants to see his fianc¨¦ more than anyone


    else.¡±


    I felt guilty looking her in the eye and lying so openly. The lies about everything, about who I was,


    where I came from and what I had done to put him in the hospital. She loved her step-son, and I¡¯d


    almost gotten him killed because of my selfish behavior.


    I entered the room and saw Hunter lying on the propped up hospital bed, and when he saw me, he


    shed me a huge grin, the one that I loved.


    It was probably the relief I felt when I saw him safe and smiling that a sob escaped my lips and I began


    crying. His eyes widened, ¡°Oh, Blue...sweetheart. Come here.¡±


    His hand was bandaged in a white looking thing, and he was sitting shirtless. A patch of bandage


    covered his upper torso. He told me to sit beside him on the bed.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I asked touching his heavily bandaged arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s fractured. It did hurt when it happened and all I rememberter is waking up in the hospital with the


    bandages.¡±


    I covered my mouth with my hand and cried, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Hunter. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°What? This isn¡¯t your fault. You weren¡¯t even¡ª¡± He stopped talking and I saw his expressions register


    why it had happened.


    Certainly this was no co-incidence.


    ¡°Call off the wedding.¡± I said firmly. ¡°Adrian¡¯s right. This was a bad idea.¡±


    Horror crossed his features, ¡°What do you mean this is a bad idea? What are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back home with Adrian.¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t lose you. I can¡¯t watch you die.¡±


    ¡°This is your home, and you¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± Hunter said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been foolish to assume that I could live peacefully here with you, and look what happened. It¡¯s


    best if I left.¡±


    Hunter touched my face with his good hand, his silver eyes were intense, cutting through mine like a


    bolt of lightning, he said the next words slowly, ¡°I¡¯m going to marry you, Blue, and no one¡¯s going to


    stop me. I won¡¯t let anyone or anythinge between us. I¡¯ll move this entire fucking universe on its


    axis. Fight with god himself if I have to.¡±


    I was already deeply in love with him, but when he said that with so much conviction, I believed him.


    His eyes, they told me he¡¯d make good on his word.


    ¡°I love you and I can¡¯t bear the thought of losing you, Hunter.¡±


    ¡°I love you more than you could ever imagine. I¡¯ve loved you for a long time.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue with him, this brave man. He was ready to sacrifice his life in order to marry me.


    ¡°You still have time to think. Take your time.¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±


    ¡°Let me see your arm.¡± I touched his arm softly, trying not to cause any pain.


    I hadn¡¯t done this since years so maybe I¡¯d lost practice but I needed to try. I wrapped my fingers


    around his elbow, holding his arm in ce and closed my eyes. I began chanting softly in whispers,


    and secondster I felt the burning sensation in my body, the glowing beneath my fingers. A feeling


    that something was being lifted off Hunter. As I continued to whisper the words, the heaviness was


    leaving his body.


    I heard Hunter whisper ¡äwhat¡¯s happening? I ignored him and continued.


    When I opened my eyes, I saw Hunter giving me a weird look, he was grinning. ¡°What was that about?¡±


    ¡°Try moving your arm now. Do you still feel any pain?¡±


    Confusion was clear on his features, but he did what I¡¯d asked him to and began moving his arm.


    ¡°I feel...better. I think...¡± He gave me a surprised look. ¡°I think my arm isn¡¯t fractured anymore.¡±


    I touched his torso where he¡¯d been injured and repeated the same thing. When it was done, I slowly


    peeled off the bandage and the part looked smooth like he hadn¡¯t been hurt there at all.


    Hunter stared at me in awe, ¡°how did you do that?¡±


    I giggled, ¡°Powers, but shhh...don¡¯t tell this to anyone.¡±


    He brought my face down to his in a long lingering kiss. It felt so good to have his plump lips on mine. I


    moaned literally and forgot that I was kissing him openly in a hospital room.


    Someone cleared their throat, and we pulled away abruptly.


    Wyatt, Hunter¡¯s father was standing in the the doorway looking amused, ¡°sorry to interrupt you kids, but


    the doctor says Hunter will be discharged from the hospital tonight.¡±


    My cheeks were ming. What would his dad think? That I couldn¡¯t even wait until Hunter was okay


    and had shamelessly started kissing his son when he was in a hospital bed.


    ¡°Dad, I think I¡¯m ready to go home.¡± Hunter said gleefully, ¡°I don¡¯t feel any pain at all. I think my arm


    isn¡¯t fractured, the doctor probably made a mistake.¡±


    Mr. Brantley narrowed his eyes, looking between me and Hunter in confusion, ¡°are you sure there¡¯s no


    pain, son?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m positive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the doctor to re-examine you.¡±


    The door closed after him and we broke into secretive giggles. Hunter touched my cheek and ran his


    fingers from my lips down to my breasts, just kept his hand there on my bosom, slowly he squeezed, I


    gasped. ¡°The the pain in my arm has lifted and transferred to another part of my body.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°where has it transferred? I¡¯ll make it okay right now.¡±


    That ear-splitting grin remained, he moved his mouth close to my ear and whispered, ¡°it¡¯s transferred to


    my balls.¡±


    ¡°Hunter...in order for me to take the pain away from your...well, balls...whatever that is. I need to see


    that part.¡±


    Hunter¡¯s balls. How strange. I never knew that part of the male anatomy. I knew about footballs,


    basketballs...


    ¡°No magic can make it go away.¡± He said, I had the impression that he was teasing me. ¡°I have had this


    issue since I rescued you from the beach.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I said. ¡°Well, if not with magic...can I help any other way?¡±


    Hunter watched me intently, ¡°You can help me after we¡¯re married, that is. You can make the pain go


    away.¡± Heughed again.


    ¡°I see. Can I see it at least?¡±


    ¡°On our wedding night. I promise you. I¡¯ll show you everything.¡± Heughed, and I noticed Hunter


    blushing for the first time. He rarely blushed.


    ¡°Everything?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He said. ¡°Everything that you were so curious about.¡±


    My eyes strayed to the tent in his denim and I was surprised how excited I was to see Hunter fully


    naked.


    ¡°As your wife I can touch you and see you naked whenever I want?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be yours to do whatever you please with me.¡± He said with humor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± I said truthfully.


    ¡°You horny woman, you¡¯re making me blush.¡± He said, ¡°Do you think you want to get married the day


    after instead of waiting next week?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. I would love that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do to hasten the preparations.¡± He grinned happily.


    I pecked his lips, ¡°Do you know where the bathroom is?¡±


    I told Hunter I would stay with him until he was sent back home. He¡¯d insisted that I should leave but I


    refused.


    I made a run to the bathroom, closed the door and puked into themode.


    Blood. The dark red mermaid blood that looked almost ck, a little different than human blood.


    Taking Hunter¡¯s pain away, and repairing his fractured arm had taken a toll on my body. I¡¯d had a


    burning feeling in my stomach since but I didn¡¯t want to trouble him because he looked so happy.


    I sshed water on my face. The white basin spotted with dark spots. I touched my nose and my


    fingers were smeared with the blood.


    I pulled paper towels and dabbed it.


    I¡¯m going to be fine, I told myself.


    There was nothing that was going to stop me from marrying Hunter Brantley.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Hunter


    The wedding was being held at my family residence garden. The altar was decorated with flowers and


    looked so beautiful that I started to wonder if I¡¯d teleported into heaven all of a sudden. The trees posed


    as a good shelter from the beaming sunlight,mps suspended from the branches.


    The weather seemed perfect, and gave the ce a romantic vibe.


    ine had gone out of her way to give it a chic and an elegant look. She loved Pinterest and I had no


    doubt she¡¯d copied some ideas from it.


    People had already taken their seats, we¡¯d decided to keep the ceremony private even though my step-


    mother wanted to do something extraordinary like a Disney themed wedding or something equally


    outrageous. I¡¯d denied, we didn¡¯t need a lot of people for the wedding to make it special and besides, I


    didn¡¯t think Blue would appreciate a huge crowd gawking at her, and then asking her questions that she


    didn¡¯t have answers for .


    The only thing that mattered was that we were getting married.


    My sister Hannah was the maid of honor, and a few of my cousins were bridesmaids, and groomsmen


    who¡¯d flown here especially from other parts of the country.


    Leslie was wearing a simr groomsmen suit, custom-made. One of the groomsmen, my college friend


    Oliver had been holding him in his arms, until the fur-ball ran off to smell flowers. I got the impression


    Les didn¡¯t give two shits about my wedding.


    I was nervous; I could literally feel my palms sweating. All I had to do was get through this wedding and


    I had nothing to worry about. From thest two days, I¡¯d been worried that I¡¯d be run over by a car or


    just shot by a madman in broad daylight. At one point, I¡¯d been scared of slipping on soap and dying on


    wet tiles of my bathroom.


    Now that I was standing here at the altar, I worried that the trees would suddenly fall and crush me


    beneath it.


    It was already time! Why wasn¡¯t Blueing out?


    Fred was my best man and stood beside me, looking through the entrance of the altar to see if he


    could spot Hannah.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± I asked him.


    He passed me one look of appraisal and grinned, ¡°Dashing.¡±


    When I had looked at myself in the mirror, I knew I looked good. With my golden-brown hair seeming


    thicker since I hadn¡¯t gotten a haircut for ages, the light freckles on my nose weren¡¯t even visible until


    you looked closer. Blue always said that was her most favorite best feature of me, along with my silver


    eyes. Andstly, the cream white tux was tailored to perfection.


    ¡°What are the girls doing?¡± Fred muttered close to me. ¡°I have a feeling the minister doesn¡¯t like


    waiting.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Girls. You know how they are.¡±


    Suddenly, Adrian was making his way towards me. He was hot on his heels and his expressions were


    giving me anxiety.


    What happened? Was Blue okay?


    ¡°You need to follow me.¡± He said.


    ¡°Blue...where is she?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer here.¡± Adrian said looking at the crowd. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    I excused myself, gave the minister some bullshit excuse that I wasn¡¯t feeling well and needed some


    time, and somehow walked out of the aisle with my heart in my mouth.


    Away from where the wedding was being held. I walked into a small tent, the ce that I¡¯d used for any


    final touches to the outfit. Arge man was seated in a chair with shoulder length hair dark hair, if you


    looked closely, you could see the dark navy in it, but his features were otherwise roguish and his eyes


    looked familiar. He wore normal ck pants and a white shirt that expanded over his broad shoulders.


    He stood up when he saw me walk inside. He easily crossed six-feet-five.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, not trying to be intimidated by his thuggish looks.


    Adrian cleared his throat beside me, ¡°This is Apollo, Blue¡¯s older brother.¡±


    My jaw probably dropped to the floor. Out of all the days that Blue had been here worrying about her


    family, her brother had a good timing of finally showing up.


    Note the fucking sarcasm.


    My hands were curled into fists, I kept them at my side. If he thought he could walk in and dere that


    he wanted to take his sister back, I didn¡¯t know what I would do. Maybe stab him right here. Instead of


    disying anger, I said, ¡°Blue¡¯s wanted to make contact with her family since quite a long time. It¡¯s


    been around three months.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been searching for her all this time. I went everywhere. I went to Greece first and came empty,


    then went to Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania. Our younger brothers are touring South East Asia; two of them


    have split up between India and the Middle East. And then one of the mermen in ourmunity told us


    they¡¯d seen Blue swim towards the Pacific Ocean.¡±


    It was kind of hrious if you think of this.


    Where is your wife from?


    Oh, I don¡¯t know,st I heard she swam from the Pacific Ocean, I picked her up from a beach in


    California.


    ¡°Turns out she was in America, out of all ces. Adrian sent me signals and I found my way here.¡± He


    said silently.


    Something told me Apollo wasn¡¯t pleased with the fact that his sister found her way into America.


    Maybe he would have much appreciated her in Greece. You know with the samenguage, the culture


    and all.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to make something clear, Apollo. I did not kidnap your sister. I found her on the beach


    laying...well, without clothes on. I brought her home, gave her food and shelter.¡± I cleared my throat.


    ¡°Taught her the human ways of life. During the time that I have spent with Blue, we realized how much


    we love each other. You had time before to find her and take her back, you didn¡¯t. Now, I¡¯m going to


    marry her unless she tells me otherwise.¡±


    He gave me a nod. ¡°I spoke with Blue before I met you.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She says she wants to marry you and has threatened to kill me if I force her to go into our world.¡±


    ¡°But we must take her back, Apollo.¡± Adrian interrupted. ¡°No matter how noble Hunter is, we just cannot


    trust humans.¡±


    I threw Adrian a sharp look, and then looked back at Apollo, politely I said, ¡°I don¡¯t need your


    permission to marry Blue, because I¡¯d marry her one way or the other but I think it would mean a lot to


    her if you gave us your blessings.¡±


    Apollo stared at me intently. He looked like a man with a lot of patience, which was a good thing. I


    didn¡¯t want to make enemies with my future brother-inw, in fact I wanted him on my side.


    Badly.


    ¡°Hunter,¡± He began slowly, ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve meet so I have no way of knowing what kind of a


    man you are. If I let my sister marry you, it would solely be a gamble made with what Blue has already


    told me about you, the fact that you are a good man, and that you took care of her while she was with


    you.¡±


    I gave him a nod, keeping my expressions neutral. Thest thing I wanted was to look arrogant and


    blow this. Whatever he had to say, I was going to listen. I knew I¡¯d do the same way if I was in his


    ce. If my sister ran away from here and saynded on Mars and found an alien guy and told me she


    wanted to marry him, I¡¯d be worried too.


    I¡¯d probably take pity on the alien and tell him how Hannah slept with her mouth open and drooled on


    her pillow in the morning.


    Apollo continued, ¡°We are ten brothers and ten sisters, a total of twenty and Blue is the fifteenth


    youngest child of our parents. I¡¯m the sixth eldest.¡±


    My mind was reeling with all that information.


    ¡°And it¡¯s safe to say that she¡¯s my most favorite. She¡¯s never been very happy in the ocean, almost like


    an outcast, she only got along with two of her friends from her school. When our parents matched her


    with Adrian they thought they were doing the right thing...¡± he sighed. ¡°No one asked what she really


    wanted.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± I said.


    ¡°The truth is that I¡¯m afraid for her. I can¡¯t think how she could live in an entirely different world married


    to a human. It scares me.¡±


    ¡°Apollo, I understand your feelings because I have a sister too. I know you don¡¯t know me, but you


    need to know how much I love Blue.¡± I said sincerely, ¡°she¡¯s everything to me. At first she was a


    mermaid that I wanted to help get back to her home, but things have changed now. I gave her a choice,


    to stay or to go back to her world, and she chose me in the end. I can¡¯t say I deserve her, but I can


    assure you no other man can love her the way I do. If Blue asked me to get her the stars or the moon,


    I¡¯d find a way to give it to her. I will do my best to protect her with my life and do everything in my power


    to make her happy.¡±


    I watched as Apollo smiled in assurance. ¡°You¡¯re not lying, I can sense it.¡±


    ¡°Polo, you¡¯re joking.¡± Adrian said, looking horrified. ¡°He¡¯s a human. How could you give Blue permission


    to marry him so easily?¡±


    At that time, I just knew that Adrian had signaled Apollo to our location on purpose. The snitch! He¡¯d led


    Blue¡¯s brother here in hopes of stopping this wedding. He thought involving someone from his family


    ¡°She¡¯s marked him.¡± He said. ¡°There isn¡¯t much that we can do now. He knows he¡¯s risking his life by


    marrying Blue, right, Hunter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± I said.


    They proceeded to argue in theirnguage. Although I couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying, I


    knew Adrian was trying to convince Apollo to call off this wedding. Adrian was fuming; his hands were


    shaking as he passed me one resentful look, and walked out of the tent.


    Apollo smiled, and I noticed how his dimples were so simr to that of Blue¡¯s even with his rugged


    features. They had the same warm blue eyes, and the smile. ¡°Please don¡¯t mind Adrian. He¡¯s very hurt.


    He¡¯s been in love with Blue since childhood, that¡¯s for about a hundred years. It¡¯s not easy for him to


    think that Blue will have another protector that¡¯s not him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand his feelings.¡±


    I really did. I felt sorry for Adrian.


    Apollo fished out something from his pocket. It was a bracelet made out of white shells. It looked


    simple, like a charm bracelet. He put it on my wrist and secured it. ¡°This is a token from our family. We


    give it to the spouse as a protection charm and something to remind them of their partners.¡± He


    grinned. ¡°You look at another woman, a human and this will remind you about Blue.¡±


    I smiled in understanding, ¡°Thanks for this, but I assure you that even without the charm I would never


    cheat on her, or even look at another woman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it.¡± He said in good humor. ¡°You should see the way she talks about you. It¡¯s all


    Hunter¡­Hunter¡­Hunter¡­the rest of it doesn¡¯t matter. I decided right then to let her do as she pleases.


    She looks happier than how she used to be.¡±


    My cheeks colored with Blue¡¯s obvious fascination with me. I couldn¡¯t help butugh. This first meeting


    with my future brother-inw had turned out to be better than I¡¯d imagined. I liked how chill Apollo was.


    ¡°I just need you to promise me something.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°If Blue wants toe back to our world, to Antis, you would allow her.¡±


    ¡°I will never separate Blue from her world. You or any member of her family is wee to visit here


    anytime you like. If she wishes to go to the ocean to see her family, she can, provided shee back


    to me. Thend remains her permanent home. Those are my terms.¡±


    Apollo thought for a moment and then gave me a nod, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    We shook hands on it.


    ¡°What about the dowry?¡±


    ¡°Dowry?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I was teasing him because this was amusing. ¡°Maybe some money? And a house in Beverly


    hills? A Lamborghini should be good.¡±


    Apollo¡¯s face fell. I¡¯d guessed Blue¡¯s brother would be as innocent as her. ¡°Uh¡­if you mean human


    money, I think it can be arranged. The house in Beverly¡­and whatever you asked after that. I¡¯ll see


    what I can do about that.¡±


    Iughed and pped his shoulders yfully, ¡°I¡¯m joking, dude. I don¡¯t need any dowry, no money, and


    no house. I¡¯ll take your sister as she is.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°But¡­there has to be something that I can give you.¡± He insisted.


    ¡°I told you, we need your blessings.¡± I said.


    He produced a pouch, simr to the one that Adrian had when he was trying to pay at the restaurant


    that day. Mermaid money.


    ¡°Here.¡± He handed me the pouch. ¡°I know it¡¯s no use here in the human world, but you can still keep it.


    You can give it to Blue if you want. There¡¯s a lot of money in it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings by declining his gift so I slipped it inside my jacket pocket. ¡°Thank you. I


    really appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°You have my blessings for the wedding.¡± He said finally. ¡°Papa won¡¯t be happy, but he¡¯lle around.¡±


    ine walked inside the tent; she was clearly tired of waiting. ¡°Hunter, what¡¯s going on here? This is


    not the time to be talking to friends. You have time after the wedding for that. The minister is waiting.¡±


    ¡°ine, this is Blue¡¯s older brother, Apollo.¡± I introduced him. ¡°Apollo, this is ine, she will be Blue¡¯s


    future mother-inw.¡±


    Apollo took her hand in his, ¡°Madam.¡± He kissed her knuckles. ¡°Please take care of my sister.¡±


    ine literally had tears in her eyes. She was an emotional one. ¡°I¡¯m so d you coulde, Apollo.


    Can I call you Polo? It¡¯s such a sweet and a unique name. You¡¯re as beautiful as your sister.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, madam.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured Blue¡¯sing into a very good family. My son is the best husband Blue could find.¡±


    ine said and gave me a warm smile, she squeezed my hand. ¡°Do you still need time to speak with


    us? I¡¯m sure you do¡­well, I¡¯ll call Wyatt and¡­¡±


    ¡°ine.¡± I ced a hand on her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I already spoke with him, there¡¯s no need to call


    Dad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, honey.¡± She said. ¡°We should hurry up.¡±


    It appeared my step-mom was more eager to get me married than I was.


    We watched her elegant form leave the tent. Apollo was going to stay back here and apany Blue


    to the altar. He ced a hand on my shoulders.


    ¡°Just before this ceremony begins, you should know. A human marrying a mermaid, it¡¯s not a blessing.


    It¡¯s a curse.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Blue


    It was time.


    Time for me to finally take the marriage vows with Hunter.


    An hour ago when Adrian brought my brother, Apollo to into my room. I was shocked and I hadn¡¯t


    known what to say. We¡¯d stared at each other for so long, I¡¯d started to wonder if it was a dream.


    Without thinking I¡¯d ran into his arms and sobbed into his chest. It¡¯s during that time I realized how


    much I¡¯d missed my family. To have my brother here on my wedding day was making me even more


    emotional.


    And then a new fear had crept into my mind.


    What if he forced me to leave with him?


    I was surprised when Apollo didn¡¯t ask me to leave with him, only asked me if I was sure about my


    decision.


    ¡°Blue, you¡¯re getting married to a human. Marriage is a union that¡¯s not easily broken, at least not for us


    merfolk. If this Hunter takes liking to some other woman and decides to get married again, you will


    suffer along with him.¡±


    ¡°I trust him,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve known the man for just three months; you hardly even know his character.¡± He said.


    I ced my hand on my heart, ¡°I¡¯ve read his thoughts, and I¡¯ve seen the deepest part of his feelings for


    me. He loves me. He would never break my heart. I won¡¯t marry anyone else.¡±


    Apollo had just nodded, ¡°I knew this would happen.¡±


    My gaze snapped at him in surprise. He went on. ¡°I sensed this the second I knew that you were


    staying onnd that you may have fallen in love with a mortal.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help how I feel.¡± I admitted, ¡°I miss our world, but also I cannot leave Hunter.¡±


    Apollo pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. ¡°I trust your decision, aderf¨ª, but I need to speak with


    the human and I¡¯ll judge him myself. If he is hiding his true feelings in the pits of his heart, I¡¯ll find out.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°He¡¯s a good man, my Hunter. You won¡¯t find any faults in him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡±


    And then my brother had left and for the next thirty minutes, I¡¯d been beside myself with worry. I was


    scared Hunter would say the wrong thing and maybe set off Apollo. If Apollo made one bad impression


    about him, it would stick with him permanently. Hunter would never get a second chance to prove


    himself.


    When my brother appeared smiling and told me everything was okay, I hugged him once again and


    thanked him.


    I was so, so happy. It was scaring me.


    My brother walked me down the aisle with all the guests looking at us with awe. My full attention was


    aimed at Hunter.


    He looked like a prince. With his golden-brown hair so nice and thick, slight stubble of golden hair


    grazing his jaw, he had the mature today. Those warm silver eyes looked adoring. The cream tux fit him


    so perfectly, I was having a hard time breathing just looking at him.


    He gave me a huge grin when he saw me walking towards him and his eyes stayed focused on me.


    If I wasn¡¯t mistaken...


    I saw his eyes fill with tears. I¡¯d never seen Hunter cry. He quickly began wiping his tears. Fred


    whispered something in his ear.


    Why was Hunter crying now?


    Had Apollo said something to him?


    Or had he realized that marrying me was a wrong decision and was crying because he couldn¡¯t cancel


    the wedding before now?


    All at once, I felt scared and I knew I¡¯d stopped smiling.


    * * *


    Hunter


    When I saw Blue walking down the aisle, with her brother on her arm. It was too much.


    She looked so fucking beautiful, just downright gorgeous with her aqua blue hair in curls and the little


    crown holding the veil at the top of her head. Her dress was simple and elegant, not too fluffy, and


    decorated withce and beads. Her lovely figure showed in the dress. I¡¯d specifically told Hannah and


    ine about the dress having no deep necklines. It was just low enough to tease me and did not seem


    too scandalized.


    Looking at her walking towards me with a bright innocent smile on her face, it brought tears to my eyes.


    It just made me realize I¡¯d done nothing to deserve this, nothing to deserve someone so pure like her.


    When she approached closer, her smile suddenly faded; her blue eyes were peering at me guiltily.


    And I wondered why. What happened to the radiant smile she was giving me a second ago? Was there


    a pimple on my face she was disappointed to find? Maybe she didn¡¯t like my new hairstyle?


    Apollo took her hand and ced it in mine. Softly he whispered, ¡°I hope you love my sister more than


    she deserves to be. Blue is precious to me. If you hurt her, I¡¯ll have your head, Brantley.¡±


    I smiled at him. ¡°You¡¯ve made yourself clear.¡±


    The ceremony proceeded. I¡¯d told Hannah to pick a ring for myself but she was just smiling sneakily in


    the corner. I was touched when I saw that Blue had a ring made specifically for me. I guessed she¡¯d


    blown off her pay from the Lockhart¡¯s club.


    We exchanged our rings and vows, and then the minister announced us, man and wife, I leaned in to


    kiss my wife, a simple peck on her lips but Blue held my face in her hands tightly and literally began


    French kissing.


    In front of my parents.


    In front of the fifty guests.


    I had to pull myself away from her reluctantly, feeling embarrassed for both of us. The people in the


    front row appeared half scandalized.


    When Blue flung the bouquet of flowers behind her, arge number of my cousins were wrestling for it


    like she was throwing a bag filled with billion dors and not just flowers. If it was a billion dors, Fred


    and I would have dly joined the gang. Hannah was right at the center to receive it, but my cousin


    Hailey from New York pushed Hannah out of the way to get it. Her face, it lit up like she¡¯d won the


    Oscars awards.


    The ceremony was followed by the reception. Phoenix Lockhart¡¯s heavy metal band ¡äck Aesthetic¡ä


    was performing on the stage. Phoenix was the bandleader and drummer. I was kind of shocked he¡¯d


    agreed to y for my wedding. I guess he was doing it for Blue. I¡¯d also noticed Alec sulking in the


    corner until Hannah had dragged him to dance with her and Fred.


    A long table was arranged with the food and the wedding cake appeared to be non-existent. At least,


    I¡¯d managed to get one bite before it waspletely gone. People were stuffing themselves with the


    pizza, slider burgers, croissant sandwiches, spring rolls, sushi, roast meat and dishes that I didn¡¯t even


    how to pronounce.


    The opposite side of the table had all the desserts lined up. From cakes, brownies, tarts to ice-creams


    and fruit sds. Elliot, my six-year-old cousin was demolishing a tower of colorful macarons.


    Well, someone was going to have a stomach ache tonight.


    Since I didn¡¯t have time for a bachelor¡¯s party, my cousins had made me a target of all the teasing.


    They were telling me I shouldn¡¯t have too much to drink unless I wanted to snore on my wedding night


    and leave my new bride hot and bothered.


    I wanted to tell them my bride wouldn¡¯t care if I snored on my wedding night because Blue would


    assume it¡¯s a tradition and maybe snore in bed with me.


    The men chattered, one cousin named Ronald wasining about how he wanted to get married


    too, but his girlfriend wouldn¡¯t agree. After a while, I¡¯d tuned them out, my eyes were searching for


    Blue. I spotted her by the Cupid fountain, talking to some of Hannah¡¯s friends. A lovely smile on her


    face. And then it was almost like she felt my eyes on her because she turned, and held my gaze for a


    minute. I raised my hand and waved at her.


    Like an idiot.


    She grinned and waved back.


    One of the girls caught her hand and dragged her towards the dance floor.


    I checked my watch. Two more hours and then I would have Blue¡¯s undivided attention. Somehow time


    seemed to be moving at a snail¡¯s pace.


    It was time for the couple to dance, and everyone had already chosen their partners. I ced my hands


    on Blue¡¯s waist, her arms around my neck and we swayed to Elvis Presley¡¯s Can¡¯t help falling in love. I


    wasn¡¯t even a sappy guy, but this was so romantic, I knew the song by heart and found myself lip-


    syncing to it.


    Wise men say....


    Only fools rush in...


    But I, can¡¯t help, falling in love with you...


    Shall I stay?


    Would it be a sin...


    If I can¡¯t help falling in love with you...


    We danced to our heart¡¯s content and then I had to tell my family secretly that we were leaving


    because a lot of our family was either pulling me or Blue away to talk. And right now, I wasn¡¯t in a mood


    to talk. I told them if I wasted any more time in the reception, I was going to turn into the Incredible


    Hulk.


    I was in for a surprise when I walked to the front of the house and found my red Maserati decorated in


    flowers with a heart in the back that read ¡®Just Married.¡¯


    It was the same car that I had to give up when my father had taken away all my resources as a


    punishment for my wrongdoings.


    Right now, I couldn¡¯t wait to sit in this car and take Blue away from all the chaos.


    When I noticed that Blue was alone finally, I dodged through my cousins and pulled her against me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get away from here, Mrs. Brantley,¡± I whispered in her ear.


    Her eyes widened at the mention of her new name. She giggled, ¡°Is it all over?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Do you still want to stay for the after-party?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve had enough of food and dancing.¡± She admitted.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± I said pulling her away from the mansion.


    She took off her shoes and allowed me to lead her to the car. I quickly asked the butler to load our


    luggage into the trunks and gave him a few dor bills to keep his mouth shut about us leaving. He


    gave me a sneaky smile. I was feeling lucky today, and maybe even a little rich.


    Blue had to stuff her dress into the passenger seat. She seemed excited, ¡°Are we going somewhere?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± I winked at her.


    * * *


    We reached the destination two hourster. My family owned a country home in the outskirts of town,


    that we used to visit when I was a kid. Ryan, Hannah and I used to spend our summer vacations here.


    There was a sense of tranquil surrounding this ce that you wouldn¡¯t find in the city.


    I loved the peace, and the quite that this ce offered. When I¡¯d turned down my step-mother¡¯s offer to


    pay for our honeymoon tour package to Paris, she¡¯d suggested that I took Blue to our vacation home


    and I¡¯d agreed.


    Plus, we didn¡¯t have enough time to make a passport for Blue. I couldn¡¯t just tell them that my wife


    would swim across the ocean without needing any passport or a visa.


    Blue had taken off her veil, leaving the crown on her head. She looked nothing short of a princess.


    Throughout the drive, she was humming a tune, and fiddling with the radio. She kept pointing her


    fingers at the window.


    She was counting trees.


    I couldn¡¯t control myself, Iughed.


    She passed me an rmed look, ¡°why are youughing?¡±


    I waved my hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hunter, you can¡¯t alwaysugh at me like that and say it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m your wife now.¡± She scrunched


    up her nose adorably, showing me that she was angry.


    ¡°Who says I can¡¯tugh at you just because we¡¯re married?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± She folded her arms across her chest and turned away.


    I maneuvered the car into the parking space outside the house. Next, I killed the engine, climbed out of


    the car and went to open the door for my wife.


    She stepped out and looked around in awe. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely home, Hunter. Is this also yours?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a family home.¡± I smiled and took her hand in mine. ¡°And you know something, it¡¯s


    yours too now. Everything mine will be yours.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She asked innocently. ¡°So...Leslie¡­is he my doggie too, now?¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°Of course.¡±


    If there was a pile of treasure lying at one side and if there was Leslie sitting on the other, it was pretty


    clear what the mermaid would pick.


    Such innocence.


    My heart ached.


    I told the house butler Steve to unload our luggage from the trunk and take it to our room upstairs.


    ¡°Congrattions Mr. Brantley, Mrs. Brantley.¡± The butler smiled politely as he took the car keys from


    me.


    I half suspected to see the house filled with servants standing in line to wee us, but then I was


    relieved to see the French cook Marie-Alix who did not speak but cooked some of the best food I¡¯d ever


    had. There was also, Marie¡¯s niece Delphine who Hannah and I used to y with when we visited.


    ¡°Monsieur, madame, I made everything ready upstairs,¡± Delphine said with a hint of her French ent


    as she led us to the first floor.


    I climbed the marble stairs. The house was well-maintained and I noticed there were some changes


    made to the decor but other than that, it was all the same; immacte, cozy and elegant.


    Delphine asked us if we would like to have dinner. After the food we¡¯d stuffed ourselves with during the


    reception, I wasn¡¯t ready to eat more and neither was Blue so I politely declined.


    ¡°Madame, if you need anything, just call me.¡±


    ¡°Can I scream your name?¡± Blue asked her.


    ¡°Only to press the bell, Madame.¡± The maid replied, managing to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Thank you, Delphine.¡±


    The maid smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving me and Blue alone.


    This was one of thergest rooms in the house. A white marble firece was facing a king-sized


    canopy bed, with velvet drapes. A lovely design of a heart was made out of rose petals at the center of


    the bed-sheet and the room was lit dimly by small lights. The room lingered with the scent of the cocoa


    scented candles. Right next to the bed, the coffee table held a bottle of Champagne and two flutes. An


    expensive box of custom made truffles sat beside it.


    Huh.


    They had prepared everything. My cheeks were ming as I thought of Steve, Marie-Alix, and Delphine


    making all the arrangements knowing what was going to happen tonight.


    Would they also keep their ears attached to the door all night?


    Yeah. Gotta tell the staff not to step on the fucking floor.


    I sneaked a look at Blue. She was staring at everything with an expressionless face.


    Was she as nervous as I was?


    What did husbands say to their wives when they stepped into their private room? I needed to pick the


    guide to ¡äHow to be a husband 101.¡ä


    My confidence had taken a vacation on a cruise.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I cleared my throat and that caught Blue¡¯s attention. ¡°They...they...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± She asked. Blue was braver than I was.


    ¡°They decorated it nicely. The room I mean.¡± I finally said.


    ¡°Yes. It is beautiful, especially the heart of petals on the bed.¡± She pointed at it. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can


    sleep on it now without spoiling all the work.¡±


    Uh-oh.


    ¡°Do you think they have extra beds that we could put on the floor to sleep?¡±


    I didn¡¯tugh this time only because I was nervous. Blue should have been a stand-upedian. What


    was she doing here with me?


    She walked to the coffee table, settled down in the leather chair and began popping in the truffles into


    her mouth. With a mouthful of chocte, she moaned, ¡°Hmm¡­delicious. Do you want some?¡±

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Warning: STEAMY CHAPTER


    Blue


    I offered Hunter the box of choctes but he stared at it with a strange expression on his face. I¡¯d


    noticed that since we¡¯d entered the room, Hunter was acting different. His forehead had worry lines, he


    was either talking too fast or not at all and that was not like him.


    What was wrong with him?


    Was he suddenly regretting his decision of getting married to me? Maybe Hunter was disappointed with


    the dowry that was given to him by Apollo, if that was the case then I needed to know.


    Hunter waved his hand dismissively at the offered choctes, ¡°I¡¯ll have themter.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said popping a dark chocte truffle into my mouth and moaning. These were so delicious.


    I watched him prowl around the room, deep in thought. I was waiting for him to tell me what to do. I


    hadn¡¯t much knowledge about what I was supposed to do as his wife on our wedding night. ording


    to Hannah, I had to trust Hunter and he¡¯d tell me what was to follow.


    But so far, Hunter hadn¡¯t done anything and I was getting worried.


    I watched him as he picked up the telephone and punched in a number. ¡°Yes, Steve. I¡¯m just calling to


    tell you not to disturb me untilte tomorrow morning. Do not, and I repeat, do not step on this floor. If I


    see you or the maids prowling around outside my room, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± That said he put the phone down.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± I asked him.


    Hunter sighed and settled down on the bed. ¡°No, just wanted to warn the staff.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    His face colored, Hunter was blushing as he shook his head, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hunter, are you unhappy about something?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Why would I be unhappy?¡± He asked, taking off his shoes and pushing them under the bed.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like the dowry you received?¡±


    Heughed, ¡°Oh yeah. Here.¡± He dug into his pockets and pulled out a bag full of mermaid coins. He


    ced the pouch on the table for me. ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you giving it to me?¡± I was confused. ¡°Apollo gave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know, but I realized that you could put it to better use than me. When you visit the ocean again,


    you can use the money.¡±


    ¡°You would let me visit my home?¡±


    ¡°Correction,¡± He said smiling, ¡°I would let you visit your parents¡¯ home in the ocean and then you have


    toe back to your real home that¡¯s here onnd with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hunter,¡± I jumped out of the leather chair and went to hug him on the bed. He was seated as I put


    my arms around his broad shoulders, and I was weed by the scent of his intoxicating male


    perfume. His head reached the level of my chest, and it was only because he was sitting on the bed. I


    had the advantage here because I stood before him. I put my hand in his thick hair and ran my fingers


    through it. He stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face; his silver eyes looked lighter in


    the dim light. I ran my fingers over the light freckles over his nose.


    ¡°Blue,¡± He said softly, his voice growing deeper. ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling ufortable in that dress?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I almost forgot,¡± I said. ¡°Can you help me take it off?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°dly.¡±


    I turned around and Hunter began working on theces at the back of my dress...


    * * *


    Hunter


    I kept thinking what if Blue didn¡¯t like it?


    What if the excitement in her eyes faded by tomorrow morning after she¡¯d slept with me?


    I couldn¡¯t fathom to even imagine what I would go through if Blue said she didn¡¯t enjoy making love to


    me. I would have to drown myself in a bucket of water.


    I pulled the backces of her wedding dress. It was soplicated that I wondered if I would keep


    pulling these until sunrise the next day. Why would anyone in their right mind make a wedding dress


    with so many fucking knots?


    Didn¡¯t they realize that the husband would have to do all the work at night? And what if the husband


    died out of anticipation? A few minutester, I contemted calling for the maid to help Blue undress


    but decided against it because the thought was mortifying.


    Finally, I loosened all the knots and the dressy on the floor in a fluffy heap. Blue stepped out of it,


    wearing only a white corset and stockings. I started taking off the pins from her coiffure. As I removed


    each pin, the aqua blue curls loosened from the top and cascaded down her back in thick long waves.


    My breathing intensified. I was growing hard just looking at her. When all the pins came off, she looked


    like a goddess waiting to be worshipped. Given the chance, I would do just that. Worship Blue; that is.


    Standing between my legs, she turned to face me and reached for my bow tie. Gently, she tugged it


    out. Her blue eyes were peering at me, filled with mischief, ¡°I want to taste that chocte you were just


    eating.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Let me get the box for you.¡± She said innocently, trying to walk away but I grasped her waist tightly and


    pulled her taut against me.


    ¡°No. I want to taste it on your mouth.¡± I said and before she could respond I filled her mouth with mine


    in an open mouthed kiss. She gasped with the invasion of my tongue and moaned softly. I tilted her


    head to get better ess into the deepest corners of her mouth. I could feel her sweet, luscious body


    shivering against mine. I took my time to taste her, the delightfulbination of her mouth mixed with


    chocte.


    She pulled away to reach for my jacket. ¡°Take this off.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to tell me twice before I shrugged off the jacket and let it fall on the carpeted floor. She


    attacked the buttons of my shirt, unbuttoning it with such a speed that if they¡¯d made an Olympic game


    out of ¡®Unbutton your husband¡¯s shirt¡¯, Blue would have won a gold medal.


    Once the shirt was off, she ran her hand all over my bare chest and shoulders. Her mouth came down


    on my neck, and her tongue swiped hungrily over my skin. Until now, I had no idea how much she¡¯d


    been wanting me.


    I began to loosen her corset when she pped at my hands, ¡°Wait.¡±


    That caught me off-guard. Why didn¡¯t she want me to remove it?


    ¡°I want to see you get naked first.¡± She said eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for so long. Please take off your


    clothes, Hunter¡­¡±


    I¡¯d probably died somewhere between the car drive from the wedding to this room because there was


    no other way to exin how I¡¯d managed to get wed to a creature that looked like she¡¯d walked straight


    from heaven. Her aqua hair glowed in the dim light, her feminine figure begging for attention and her


    voice was better than any drug I¡¯d ever taken.


    ¡°Your wish is mymand, ma¡¯am,¡± I said and asked her to get on the bed. ¡°Sit there and watch.¡±


    Dutifully she climbed on the bed mattress, careful of the flower heart design; she sat in the center with


    big wide blue eyes watching me curiously. She might as well be carrying some popcorn and drinks. I


    unbuckled the belt slowly and threw it on the floor. Next, I unzipped my trousers in a simr fashion with


    deliberate slowness because I liked the way Blue was looking like I was unpacking the eighth wonder


    of the world. Her eyes were burning holes into my covered crouch. I suspected if she was even


    blinking.


    ¡°Hunter,¡± she said impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re very slow. Do you want me to help you get it off?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help when a chuckle escaped my mouth. ¡°What an eager, demanding wife.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re teasing me again!¡±


    The trousers slid down to reveal my tented briefs. It was a good thing she¡¯d told me to undress; god


    knows how long I could havested with a raging hard-on.


    Her eyes never strayed from my briefs, she whispered. ¡°Take it off, please.¡±


    She¡¯d resorted to begging.


    In one fluid motion, I took off the undergarment and heard a gasping from her. When I looked up at


    her, Blue¡¯s eyes had zed over. ¡°Come to me¡­¡±


    I climbed in bed, entirely naked, feeling a little shy for being sopletely exposed to her.


    She grabbed the shaft in her hand and I groaned. Mercilessly, she swiped her finger at the top of my


    penis and my breathingbored. She pulled the skin up and down, exploring to her heart¡¯s content and


    I thought I was seeing stars. ¡°So lovely you are, is it always this big?¡±


    ¡°Only when I¡¯m turned on,¡± I breathed out.


    She flicked it like a spring, and it bounced back. ¡°That¡¯s really interesting.¡±


    ¡°Oh god.¡± I grunted.


    I was lying there before my bride like a sacrifice for a pagan ritual. Blue covered the pink tip with her


    mouth and suckled. I knew I was going to die before I had a chance to do more. When she grabbed me


    in her fist her, I covered her hand with mine. If she continued this, I¡¯de right here. ¡°Wait,


    sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°Are you in pain? Why are you breathing like that?¡± She asked, ¡°Have I done something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hush, darling, you haven¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to take off the corset; I¡¯ll let you


    touch me after.¡±


    She let me loosen her corset. Her glorious, milky breasts spilled out. And then we stared at her panties.


    Lacy and red-colored with a little bow on it, kind of like a wedding present.


    ¡°Lie down,¡± I said softly.


    Shey on her back, her long hair spilling on the pillow like a halo. I might as well be making love to an


    angel. I traced my fingers over the edges of her panties and pulled it down.


    I was now staring at apletely naked mermaid. Her skin like milkyplexion, begging for my


    attention. My hands shook as I touched her knees and tried to pull them apart but Blue began resisting.


    Her knees were tightly closed. ¡°Let me see all of you, sweetheart. Open for me.¡±


    Her cheeks were colored as she shook her head, covering her face. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t want you to see it.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. I promise you, I¡¯ll reward you after.¡±


    ¡°A reward?¡± That caught her attention.


    ¡°Do you want to see what heaven feels like?¡± I asked.


    She shook her head, ¡°Can we go to heaven without dying?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Yeah. I can show you.¡±


    Slowly she opened her legs for me and my breath hitched in my throat. The sight before me was


    glorious. Her skin there was smooth and glistening with moisture. I moved forward to touch it and then


    withdrew. I almost felt like a criminal to have her exposed like this only for me, like a peasant walking


    into a pce made out of gold.


    ¡°Spread your legs wider,¡± I whispered and sheplied.


    I licked a trail from her mid-thighs to her sweet center and I heard her sigh. My fingers ran through her


    folds, she closed her eyes, her hands balled into fists beside her. I was salivating because I wanted to


    taste her so badly that I would trade a part of my body to have a lick at it. My tongue found her sweet


    center, and she exploded.


    Blue began squirming above me, crying out my name in unadulterated ecstasy. I continued to fuck her


    with her tongue as her fingers grabbed harshly at my hair and truthfully, it hurt like a bitch but I was far


    too deep into this to care it about anything.


    ¡°Hunter¡­¡± She moaned, and before I knew it there were tears streaming down her face.


    I sat up and gathered her into my arms. Her cheeks were still damp with tears, ¡°Sweet angel, why are


    you crying? Did I hurt you?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I had no idea that my body could feel so much pleasure.¡±


    She was just overwhelmed.


    ¡°I can show you a lot more,¡± I promised her and her eyes lit up with anticipation. I licked her salty tears


    from her cheek. ¡°If you let me¡­¡±


    She lied back on the pillow. ¡°Show me.¡± She murmured.


    I covered Blue¡¯s body with mine. She waspletely soaked; there was no doubt in my mind that her


    body was ready too. I¡¯d been with countless women before, but they¡¯d all been experienced, none of


    them virgins and so I¡¯d never feared of hurting them.


    There was so much trust in Blue¡¯s eyes for what I was about to do, I felt guilty.


    ¡°Blue, love, I want to enter your body.¡±


    She nodded without missing a beat. She fingers tracing the seashells bracelet that he¡¯d brother had


    given me.


    ¡°It will hurt, but it¡¯ll only be like that once. And I promise you that you¡¯ll start enjoying it as much as I


    wouldter on.¡± I exined.


    ¡°I understand.¡± She said softly.


    It took everything in my power to say this. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, or if you want me to stop just say so,


    okay?¡±


    She nodded again. My fingers touched her intimate part and I entered her with a finger and then two, I


    could feel her maidenhood. Feeling impatient, I was positioned at her entrance. I¡¯d never felt so much


    nervousness before entering anyone, what made Blue different was that the thought of giving her even


    the smallest amount of pain made me uneasy. All it would take was a nudge forward.


    ¡°Hunter¡­¡±


    I looked up at her.


    She smiled like she¡¯d read my thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I can do this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I said and pushed my cock into her, ¡°I love you so much, I need to be inside you.¡±


    She hissed in immediate pain and I felt even guiltier because all I wanted to do was push forward even


    more.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I repeated and plunged inside even more. I couldn¡¯t help it when a moan escaped my


    mouth. She dug her heels into my back as I invaded herpletely in one thrust. I closed my eyes


    because I felt a surge of overwhelming pleasure.


    What was happening?


    I felt her body freeze, her bottom lip was trembling but she wasn¡¯t making a sound. ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m


    sorry for hurting you. I wish I could take the pain from you.¡± I leaned in and kissed her mouth open,


    ¡°Just rx and trust me.¡±


    ¡°I trust you with my life.¡± She whispered. ¡°What do I do now?¡±


    ¡°Just rx. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    I pulled back and plunged into her slowly, my eyes rolled back. I was losing¡­


    I was falling¡­falling into a sea of pleasure. Why did this feel so different? It was far more delightful


    than ever. Was it because Blue was a mermaid? Was that it? Maybe making love to a mermaid came


    with their own benefits. I withdrew and thrust again, and again while I feasted on her lovely breasts. My


    breathing roughened and I heard Blue¡¯s melodious cry as I went faster, her legs tightening around me


    and her nails were digging into my flesh. Her screams were buried with my mouth on hers, and I waited


    until Blue¡¯s body stopped convulsing beneath mine.


    My brain was ready to explode; no drugs had ever affected me in this way.


    We were both drenched in sweat and smelled of sex. The sweet aroma of cocoa butter candles mixed


    in it. We kissed for a long time after that and then I pulled out of her slowly. I took one of my


    undergarments lying on the floor and wiped Blue between her thighs. When I slept beside her again,


    she snuggled into me. Her cheeks flushed with the lovemaking.


    I drewzy circles on her back, ¡°Did you like it?¡± I asked.


    She was looking at me dreamily, the way you¡¯d look at someone if they¡¯d pulled you out a burning


    home in a heroic attempt to save your life. ¡°It was amazing, Hunter. You were right. It does feel like


    heaven, and so much better than I imagined.¡±


    ¡°You imagined us like this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± She nodded and then she pressed her soft breasts to my chest. Shyly she asked, ¡°When


    can we do it again?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling sore?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She said.


    I pinched her cheeks yfully, ¡°You¡¯re an insatiable mermaid.¡±


    ¡°Are youining?¡±


    She was probably healed through her mermaid powers. I grinned, ¡°Sleep for some time, and I promise


    we¡¯ll do it again.¡±


    If I¡¯d been in love with her deeply, it had only deepened even more after this.


    A part of my soul might as well be residing inside her.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Hunter


    I woke up the next morning with Blue snoring softly and snuggled in the crook between my arm and


    neck, her delicate little hands holding me in the middle possessively. I stared at her wondering if Blue


    had really married mest night or perhaps it had all been a dream.


    I dared a look at the grandfather clock near the hearth. It was a little after ten am. I dreaded thinking


    about college and all the notes that I¡¯d have to borrow from someone to keep up. I decided to


    compartmentalize any discouraging thoughts about college and concentrate on the bliss I was currently


    living in.


    I hadn¡¯t felt so fucking sated in like forever. It was like a missing piece of me hade back. I brushed


    a stray lock away from her ear and kissed her there.


    She murmured something under her breath, clenching me more tightly. Slowly, making sure I wasn¡¯t


    going to wake her up I took her hand off my body andid it back on the mattress gingerly. I reached for


    the phone on the bedside table and dialed the number connecting to Steve¡¯s room.


    I spoke softly on the phone making sure not to wake up my bride, ¡°Steve, do you have the items I told


    you to buy for me yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Came the butler¡¯s response.


    ¡°Can you bring them to my room upstairs?¡±


    ¡°Certainly, sir.¡±


    ¡°My wife¡¯s still asleep so when you¡¯re here, knock only once and make sure it¡¯s as light as an ant¡¯s feet


    on wooden floorboards.¡±


    There was a disturbing silence on the other end. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Tell Mary-Alix to prepare a lunch to-go. Some sandwiches, mini pizzas, and sliced fresh


    fruits. Oh and, a nice chilled lemonade.¡±


    ¡°Pardon, sir, are you going somewhere?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We will take a small pic by the river banks.¡±


    ¡°I will pass on your instructions to the cook.¡±


    I pulled on my satin robe and settled down in the single leather chair beside the bed, and noticed the


    box of truffles half empty. Blue must have eaten most of it. I recalled the second time that I¡¯d made love


    to herst night when I¡¯d smeared some of the truffles over her body and licked it off her skin. I¡¯d never


    loved chocte so much.


    Even thinking of it was making me hard again.


    Blue had proven to be more passionate than I would have imagined. Her innocent pleas to give her


    pleasure made me giddy, any other normal woman would have been embarrassed but once Blue had


    gotten the taste of what sex was like, she was insatiable.


    We had ended up falling asleep at four a.m in the morning, at the crack of dawn.


    I heard some footsteps outside but there was no knock on the door. How long did it take Steve to get


    the things I¡¯d asked him? I¡¯d waited for the past fifteen minutes. Feeling impatient, I walked to the


    bedroom door, opened it and peered out. Steve was standing there with the bag of supplies.


    ¡°I told you to knock. What were you doing standing there?¡± I asked.


    Steve shrugged, ¡°you told me to knock as softly as an ant¡¯s feet on wooden floorboards.¡±


    I looked heavenward and snatched the stuff from his hand. ¡°Thanks. Tell Mary-Alix about lunch.¡± I


    informed the Butler and shut the door behind me.


    * * *


    Blue


    The bed was empty beside me. I could feel it.


    Feeling panicked, I started to sit up, calling out his name when a voice stopped me.


    ¡°Blue, love, I¡¯m sitting right here.¡± Hunter¡¯s soothing voice informed me, ¡°Lay back in bed again.¡±


    Iplied, keeping my eyes closed. I turned around in bed with my body facing the ceiling. I pulled my


    knees up and spread my legs, wide. Maybe he wanted to make love to me again. I loved it, the feeling


    of Hunter moving inside me and making those sounds.


    I¡¯d read somewhere a good wife did whatever her husband asked her to, especially in his bed. A good


    husband did the same as well, listen and obey to his wife¡¯s whims. I¡¯d realized Hunter had more of a


    domineering streak that I adored.


    Instead of feeling him enter me, I heard the sound ofughter. My eyes shot open to find him seated by


    the hearth, wearing a maroon satin robe, his long legs spread out in front of him. His golden-brown hair


    was shining in the sunlight that was streaming from the drapes. He had a white drawing board ced


    on hisp, his fingers moved with leisure in graceful strokes, and his silver eyes watched me intently.


    His mouth was moving, oh no, he was eating something.


    My choctes.


    Feeling panicked, I said, ¡°those are mine! You can¡¯t eat them!¡±


    ¡°Will you close your legs for me, love?¡± He asked. ¡°I want you lying on your stomach, eyes closed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to close my legs now but you spent countless hoursst night telling me to keep


    them open.¡± I said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hunter? Have you be bored with me already?¡±


    Heughed again, the kind of sound I loved hearing. ¡°The sight of your open legs is a delightful scene,


    believe me, but I¡¯m feeling oddly inspired this morning.¡±


    ¡°Inspired to do what?¡± I asked rolling on my stomach the way he wanted.


    ¡°Inspired to paint you, my gorgeous wife,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re painting me?!¡± I eximed and sat up again. ¡°Show it to me!¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me, and in a mocking demanding voice, he said, ¡°Back in bed. On your


    stomach. Now. And don¡¯t make me tell you twice.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± I asked, daring him.


    ¡°Or you¡¯ll spend the rest of your day on your back letting me do wicked things to you.¡± He said jokingly,


    but the devilish glint in the silver of her eyes told me he was making a promise.


    ¡°And do you hear meining?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Goddamn, what happened to my innocent mermaid girl? She seemed to have lost her way during the


    wedding.¡±


    I gave him a sideways shy smile, ¡°The things you did to me yesterday, after that, I don¡¯t think that


    innocent girl even exists right now.¡±


    The amusement vanished from his features. ¡°I should feel sorry, but it¡¯s strange how I don¡¯t. Stay still.¡±


    He instructed, his pencil doing light strokes on the white-board, the sound of the scrapes of the pencil


    was oddly satisfying. We could do this for hours.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should ever feel sorry for marrying me. This is exactly what I wished for, and I got it.¡±


    ¡°Marrying a busboy is hardly something I¡¯d call a wish.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a busboy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± He said dismissively as he stood up and walked towards the bed. I thought he had had


    enough of sketching and wanted to make me moan again, but he arranged the covers over my back


    and went back to settle into the chair again. ¡°You move a lot. Stay still.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your wish, Hunter?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I have a list of wishes.¡± He dered with a smirk.


    ¡°I want to hear about this list.¡±


    ¡°Well, apart from marrying you, my wish is to have a nice lovely home and lots and lots of money so


    that we can have everything we need and so we can travel around the world.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, you and me,¡± He answered.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯d take me with you?¡±


    ¡°Who else do you want me to take? Apollo?¡± Hunter asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Stop making jokes about my brother,¡± I saidughing as I threw a red pillow at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife now, why do I need to keep reminding you?¡± he was still smiling. ¡°If I¡¯ll be rich one day,


    you¡¯ll be rich too. Right now, I¡¯m poor¡ª¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m poor too.¡± Ipleted for him, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like being poor to me though. You¡¯re


    privileged, Hunter.¡± I said waving at the fine richness of the entire room.


    Hunter shook his head. ¡°I told you. It¡¯s my father¡¯s. And even though I¡¯m supposed to inherit this house,


    it¡¯s not yet mine to keep. What¡¯s mine is the little apartment back in town and the savings I have left.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me if you¡¯re rich or poor, I just...¡±


    ¡°But it matters to me!¡± Hunter snapped, his eyes turned dark for a moment and the yful tone in his


    voice was gone, his carefree expression reced by a scowl. ¡°I would do anything to be rich, and


    not with my father¡¯s help or his name. I want to do it on my own.¡±


    I¡¯d angered him. Hunter rarely showed anger in my presence, but I¡¯d heard from Hannah the stories


    about his rages that when it started they were endless and often had ended with a few people in the


    hospital and him in jail. I¡¯d only seen a spark of that anger in his expressions. I should have been


    scared but his energy; it told me that Hunter would never hurt me no matter how angry I made him.


    ¡°Why does money matter to you so much?¡±


    His expressions softened as his gaze flicked from me to the drawing board, ¡°With the money I could


    keep you happier. Buy arger house; give you things that you actually deserve.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly do I deserve?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Diamonds, maids at your beck and call, huge fucking...I mean...huge freakin¡¯ room full of your clothing,


    shoes, everything of the finest quality.¡±


    Iughed. How ridiculous that sounded. ¡°I don¡¯t want any of that.¡±


    Hunter sighed and shook his head. ¡°Not one normal woman on this goddamn would ever say no


    to diamonds, a big house or a dozen maids, I¡¯d bet every cent on that.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not normal, am I?¡± I inquired.


    The sides of his mouth turned up, ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re not normal because you¡¯re a Queen. A Queen


    who deserves the best.¡±


    ¡°I deserve you,¡± I said.


    There was a silence in the room that went on. I turned around to see what had caused him to shut up.


    ¡°Hunter.¡±


    He stared at me with such raw emotion that it made my heart beat wildly, ¡°No one¡¯s ever said that


    about me.¡±


    ¡°I hope that you get what you want, Hunter. I really hope you be rich.¡± I said with all my heart


    because Hunter¡¯s wish was going to be my wish.


    I climbed out of bed; the sheet was wrapped around me as I settled down on the arm of the chair. The


    drawing board and the pencil dropped on the floor as he seized my hips with hisrge hands and


    brought me into hisp. His mouth came down on mine in a demanding hard kiss, deprived of all the


    slowness from the previous night. I melted into him like butter on a sizzling pan, moaning loudly, and


    shamelessly grinding against him.


    He chuckled between the kiss. ¡°If I knew marriage was so much fun, I¡¯d have married you the day I


    found you on that beach.¡±


    ¡°Promise me there won¡¯t be anyone else.¡± I said, ¡°Promise me, Hunter, that you won¡¯t love anyone else


    other than me.¡±


    He looked at me with newfound love. I¡¯d noticed that things had changed a bit this morning, I wasn¡¯t


    sure if I was imagining it because I was far too deeply in love with him, and what Apollo said had been


    stuck in my mind.


    What if Hunter got tired of me soon? He had a reputation of being with different women every time.


    What if he decided he¡¯d had enough of me and found someone else was prettier?


    ¡°You will always remain my only love, that¡¯s a promise. You have ruined me for every other woman.¡±


    I reached up to touch his face with both my hands, ¡°If something happens to me¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Hunter¡¯s eyes turned wide, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    He reached for the bed-sheet wrapped around my body and threw it on the floor, so I was stranding


    him naked. I loosened his satin robe and wrapped my hands around his hard cock.


    ¡°I want to see what it tastes like,¡± I whispered.


    Before he could protest, I¡¯d slipped down on the carpet on my knees and ran my tongue over the length


    of his thick cock. I heard him groan. I ran my tongue over his tip, it tasted salty. I took him into my


    mouth and suckled. Hunter¡¯s fingers dug into my hair and he panted as if hurt him. When my name


    escaped his lips, I knew I was doing it correctly so I continued to suckle. Suddenly his moans started to


    be ragged and that¡¯s when there was a brief knock on the door.


    Hunter cursed and then bellowed, ¡°Go away!¡±


    ¡°Sir, just to inform you the brunch is packed.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off, Steve!¡± Hunter yelled. ¡°I¡¯m busy. Do note here again¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡± I heard the sounds of footsteps scrambling away. The butler probably realized what was


    going on and thought of getting away.


    Hunter suddenly grabbed me up and threw me onto the bed. ¡°You started this; you¡¯re going to help me


    finish it now.¡±


    Iy there and spread my legs as I should and heughed, ¡°You learned this too fast.¡±


    His fingers traced my folds and I started to lose my mind.


    Yes, I could see heaven.


    ¡°Do it fast¡­¡± I begged.


    Hunter slid in between my legs with a mischievous look in his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t go slow this time.¡± He


    warned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be slow,¡± I said impatiently.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be a gentleman.¡± He said in a teasing voice, running his hands down my thighs. ¡°I want to fuck


    you really hard, Blue, I¡¯ve always dreamed of doing that. Will you let me?¡±


    I nodded.


    He smiled, ¡°Such an obedient wife.¡±


    We had a quick shower together, I was tempted to dive into the bathtub but Hunter said we would have


    plenty of timeter to stay in the bath, right now he insisted that we needed to eat. While bathing I


    noticed the mermaid¡¯s mark on his arm had gotten brighter andpleted it¡¯s full circle, a sense of


    ownership was making me giddy.


    Hunter was mine, forever.


    Hunter said we were going to have a pic lunch by the river andter a drive around town. He¡¯d


    fondly shared some of his childhood memories with me, the time when Ryan, Hannah, and Hunter


    used to visit this house during their summer holidays.


    I opened my suitcase and picked out a cute sky-blue dress with red cherries on it. A dress that was


    husband-approved because his face split up in a huge smile, his eyes glinting with desire. He¡¯d been


    teasing me since yesterday and calling me nymphomania which meant I¡¯d be a sex addict but I


    wanted to argue with him with the fact that he tried to find a way to keep me in bed too, so he was the


    same as me.


    We were a perfect match.


    I noticed the white drawing board on the floor, the one he¡¯d been drawing me on and reached out to


    take it when Hunter caught my hand. ¡°I said no peeking until it¡¯s finished.¡±


    I pouted, ¡°Let me see just a little.¡±


    ¡°A no is a no. Tonight you¡¯re going to lounge in this bed the same way for at least two hours and I¡¯m


    going to try and work with the colors.¡±


    The thought of lying there naked with his eyes intently watching every detail of me was giving me raw


    excitement. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°And then we¡¯re going to work on my fantasies.¡± He said softly in my ear as we descended down the


    stairs, his hand in mine.


    ¡°What fantasies?¡± I asked.


    He watched me, ¡°My dark fantasies.¡±


    A phone buzzed in Hunter¡¯s pocket. He sighed as if he hated contacting the world that existed outside


    our small little bubble. He looked at the screen and ced it back in his pocket.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± I asked as I sat inside the car.


    ¡°It¡¯s Hannah.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer it?¡±


    Hunter sat in the driver¡¯s seat and dropped the phone in the console. ¡°I told Hannah not to call me at


    least for three days.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she just wants to talk.¡±


    ¡°If we answer that phone she¡¯d going to rattle on for hours and ask us inappropriate questions. So, I¡¯m


    going to avoid talking to her as much as I can.¡±


    Little did we know that the phone call was going to change our lives.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Blue


    Hunter ced a pic mat on the floor with a basket filled with the food that the cook had prepared. It


    was a lovely ce, the river banks; surrounded by lush greenery and a calm river. The sound of the


    birds added to the feeling, it was a good change from the city chaos. If Hunter wished we could stay


    here forever and I wouldn¡¯tin.


    We¡¯d gotten a perfect spot under the shade of arge tree. Hunter opened the basket and pulled out


    sandwiches and mini pizzas for the two of us. There was also a homemade cheesecake. I took a bite,


    the cheese, and the ckberries tasted heaven, so moist and gooey. I moaned and heard Hunter


    laugh. ¡°She¡¯s a great cook, isn¡¯t she? Mary-Alix.¡±


    I nodded earnestly. ¡°Can she teach me to cook like her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to.¡±


    ¡°Can we stay here for a bit longer?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean the town or the river?¡± Hunter asked, grinning.


    ¡°Both,¡± I said taking a bite of the pizza.


    ¡°I have college in four days, love. The most I can push is a day forward. I also have some assignment I


    need to submit that I haven¡¯t even started yet.¡±


    ¡°Assignment. Do you mean school work?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can help you with that.¡± I offered.


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve also been absent for a lot of time and that¡¯s not showing well in my academic year


    reports. If it continues, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to repeat the sses.¡±


    We washed that down with an equally refreshing lemonade drink. I rubbed the back of his neck and


    kissed him there. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re with me, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He said quickly.


    The afternoon turnedzy, and the two of usy on our backs staring at the sky above. I pointed at one


    cloud that looked like an animal. ¡°Oh look, that¡¯s a rabbit.¡±


    Hunter¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated towards where I was pointing. ¡°I don¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°Look closely,¡± I insisted, ¡°There¡¯s the rabbit ears and his body.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, I saw it too.¡± He said but I wasn¡¯t convinced he had. ¡°Show me something you see.¡±


    ¡°You tell me what you see and then I¡¯ll tell you what it is,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I pointed at a cloud, ¡°What¡¯s that there?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...a banana?¡± He asked innocently.


    ¡°Look closely, Hunter.¡±


    ¡°A boat, maybe?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your penis.¡±


    ¡°My wife¡¯s mind is in the gutter,¡± Hunter admitted.


    Iughed and then hemented, ¡°not that I mind as long as her mind stays in the gutter just for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, it will always remain that way,¡± I said leaning atop his chest. His arm went around my waist and


    he pulled me closer.


    I felt his lips graze the top of my head. ¡°I love you so much.¡± He said in a low voice. I loved how he


    would keep telling he loved me every now and then like he wanted to constantly remind me in case I


    forgot about it.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    ¡°Blue, I know you¡¯re not very keen on meeting strangers, but this town is small and everyone here is


    like a small family.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm...I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°The town mayor wants us to join his family tomorrow for a barbecue dinner. He¡¯s been my dad¡¯s


    childhood friend. Is it okay for you, I mean it¡¯s totally fine if you can¡¯t go, I¡¯ll tell them¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± I said.


    No matter how ufortable it made me to first meet strangers, it wasn¡¯t that difficult now that Hunter


    was always beside me, like a shadow. Or like an imperial guard in charge to protect the Princess.


    During the day of the wedding when I was getting ready for my big day, Hannah was jokingly saying


    about how Hunter loved me so much that he would literally worship the ground I walked on, which was


    a little too much and it made me giddy but when I touched him, looked into his smoldering gray eyes, I


    knew that it was the truth and so I¡¯d decided I would go to the end of the earth if that¡¯s where he wanted


    to go.


    Of course, there was another part of me that kind of wished Hunter could shape-shift into a Merman so


    we could go into my world too.


    We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the small town, Hunter showed me the little Bakery where he


    used to visit as a kid. The owners were an old couple who were so delighted to see me there, they


    ended up giving me two full boxes of homemade cookies which I couldn¡¯t wait to eat when I got back to


    our house.


    I remembered they had mentioned theirst name, but I¡¯d been so excited about all the sweets there,


    I¡¯d forgotten about it.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Cookies,¡± I said while I walked out the bakery.


    They stared back in confusion and Hunter wasughing.


    The moment we reached home, I opened the box of cookies and began devouring them. Jelly jam


    cookie, there was peanut butter, pumpkin chocte, Oatmeal, Raisin cookie, chocte chip and a few


    more but I forgot the names for it.


    Hunter brought his mouth close to mine and I stepped back. He opened his mouth wide. I took a bite of


    my third Chocte chip cookie and stared at him. ¡°Why is your mouth open?¡±


    He closed it suddenly and pointed at the brown bag in my hands, ¡°aren¡¯t you going to share?¡±


    Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.


    Even the sound of me biting into the cookies was satisfying. ¡°They gave me the cookies. Not to you.¡± I


    reminded him.


    ¡°One bite,¡± Hunter begged.


    Huh.


    My husband was begging, maybe I should let him have a taste. I reached into the bag and pulled out


    my least favorite one for him.


    He shook his head. ¡°I want to eat it from your mouth.¡±


    Gross. Who did that?


    Apparently, Hunter did.


    He ced a cookie in my mouth and told me to keep a firm grip on it with my lips so I did that, next he


    brought his face close to mine, his fingers holding the back on my neck delicately as he tilted his face


    and nibbled the cookie slowly while it was still in my mouth, when he reached the end, he pressed his


    lips firmly on mine and when I opened up, his tongue swiped in and ate the remaining bit of the cookie.


    ¡°Hmm...tastes like chocte chip, oatmeal, raisin, and peanut butter, all together. I love it. The cookie


    tastes better in your mouth.¡± He whispered before he deepened the kiss, I moaned loudly, circling my


    arms around his neck.


    ¡°Finish what you started...¡± I whispered softly.


    The corners of his eyes crinkled amusingly. ¡°We¡¯ve been going on for hoursst night, baby. You¡¯ll get


    tired.¡±


    ¡°Now. Make mee, right now.¡± I said. ¡°Put your mouth there.¡±


    He chuckled, and I didn¡¯t know what was so funny about me asking him that. Wives did that usually


    didn¡¯t they?


    ¡°I love this demanding side of you.¡±


    Hunter


    Blue literally asked to lick her down there, and for a moment I stared at her in surprise because I know


    another woman in her ce would have liked me to assume what she wanted because that¡¯s what


    women normally did.


    They wanted men to have some telepathic powers to understand what was going on in their minds.


    Not Blue though. If she wanted something, she demanded it.


    I picked her up and ced her on the dresser. Slowly I reached for the hem of her dress and raised it to


    her thighs. She watched me with curious blue eyes as I hooked my fingers in her panties and peeled


    them away. I touched her soft folds and heard her sigh. She was wet, maybe wet wasn¡¯t even the right


    word. She was drenched as I continued to assault her with my fingers.


    She threw her head back, her glorious blue hair syed around her and moaned loudly.


    ¡°Eyes on me, baby,¡± Imanded.


    I felt a twinge of guilt with the fact that I¡¯d corrupted herpletely. My innocent mermaid-angel.


    She turned to look at me with eyesced with desires and held my stare. ¡°Put...put...¡± she stammered.


    My fingers teased her, and I would be joking if I said I wasn¡¯t having fun torturing her slowly, ¡°Yes? Put


    what?¡±


    She propped her elbows on the dresser and red at me, a very cute horny re, ¡°Put your mouth on


    me. Make use of that tongue!¡±


    My eyes went wide. Such a bold disy of hornyness from Blue was making meugh but for the first


    time I held it in. I didn¡¯t want to piss her off even more byughing.


    ¡°Wife isw,¡± I said as I pulled her legs apart and my tongue plunged into her, I madezy strokes on


    her clitoris and brought her entire world crashing down.


    Later that night, we watched an old movie together in the private movie theatre upstairs which was


    followed by dinner in the main dining area downstairs.


    Dad always told me that if I straightened up like a boy-scout, I could inherit this house one day. And I¡¯d


    been adamant that I didn¡¯t need anything from him, but now as I talked to the staff, joked andughed


    with them with Blue sitting beside me, it all made sense.


    One day, I would want toe back here, settle down in this small town, inherit the house and raise


    my children here.


    My thoughts were interrupted by Blue¡¯s mumbling. I nced up at her from my empty te thinking I¡¯d


    probably missed something she wanted to tell me. But her head was bent down as she spoke the


    words and then smiled to herself.


    Strange...


    It gave me chills. Was there someone else in this room that I wasn¡¯t aware about? If Blue said there


    were ghosts in this house, we were packing and leaving.


    I ignored the behavior, chalking it up as one of Blue¡¯s many strange behaviors. It wasn¡¯t like she was


    acting out of character anyway. My wife was different. I hade to realize that long before I married


    her.


    Come to think of it, I remembered her talking to herself when we were napping by the riverbanks, but


    my eyes had been closed that time and I was feeling drowsy with sleep so I¡¯d easily forgotten all about


    it.


    By the time we walked up the stairs to the bedroom, I suspected Blue had an imaginary friend. Just


    when I thought I¡¯d imagined it, she giggled.


    She freakin¡¯ giggled!


    I closed the door of our bedroom. This was really stupid but I had to ask her, ¡°Blue.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± she had a smile on her face and was clearly distracted. She took off her shoes and began


    unzipping her bag. She pulled out a pack of UNO cards.


    ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± I inquired.


    She appeared surprised by my inquiry, ¡°Artemis.¡± She said blinking at me.


    ¡°Who is Artemis?¡±


    Please don¡¯t tell me this house is haunted by some ghost from the eighteenth century. Probably one of


    my great-great-great grandfather¡¯s exes who were still roaming around the mansion looking for him.


    I watched as Blue ced a hand on her abdomen. ¡°Artemis, our baby.¡±


    I sucked in a breath and heaved a sigh of relief. So she was talking to a non-existent baby all this


    time?!


    ¡°Who said there was a baby in there?¡± I asked.


    She passed me a questioning look, a look that was full of confusion, ¡°isn¡¯t there?¡±


    Oh god. I really hated to see a sad look on her face. I shook my head, ¡°there can¡¯t be a baby this soon.¡±


    ¡°But...but we slept togetherst night and then again this morning. We made love.¡± She reminded me


    and rubbed her stomach again. ¡°So how am I not having a baby?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°You can¡¯t get pregnant overnight. It¡¯s possible it could happen now, after a monthter or


    even a few monthster. We can¡¯t guarantee, but you¡¯ll find out you¡¯re pregnant if you miss your


    periods next month.¡±


    Her smile turned bright again. ¡°Really? I hope I miss it!¡±


    Yesterday, I¡¯d been so caught up in the heat of the moment that I¡¯d been side-tracked by the practical


    part of life and let my desire take over that the thought of using protection hadpletely left my mind.


    I scratched my head nervously, how do I break it to her? ¡°We can¡¯t have a baby right now.¡±


    The wide smile was wiped clean like chalk marks on a ckboard, ¡°Why not? We¡¯re married now, and


    we¡¯re in love.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not financially fit to take care of a child at the moment. A childes with a lot of


    responsibilities, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to be a father yet.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m ready to be a mother.¡± She insisted, ¡°Let¡¯s have a baby, Hunter.¡±


    I crouched down to her level and caught both her hands in mine. ¡°Please understand. I don¡¯t have


    enough money to bring a child into the mix. I¡¯m not saying we¡¯re never having children, only that I need


    some time. A year or two, tops.¡±


    ¡°I want a baby.¡± She said stubbornly. ¡°Who knows maybe I¡¯m pregnant now. There¡¯s nothing you can do


    if I be pregnant because of what we did yesterday and today.¡±


    I reached for my duffle bag and pulled out the emergency birth-control pills. I¡¯d packed them with my


    luggage because I¡¯d suspected something like this would happen. I ced the pill on Blue¡¯s palm and


    handed her a ss of water.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    She stared at the pill and then at me. ¡°I don¡¯t need medicine. I¡¯m well.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re well, this isn¡¯t for sickness. It¡¯s going to make sure you¡¯re not pregnant by the end of this


    month.¡±


    She jabbed it back into my palm. ¡°I¡¯m not taking it!¡± she gave me a heated look, one that was close to


    promising murder.


    ¡°I¡¯m your husband, Blue! You¡¯re supposed to listen to me.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m your wife, Hunter! You¡¯re supposed to listen to me too!¡± she said in a mocking tone.


    I gritted my teeth. I hated fighting with her, but here we are fighting on the second day of our married


    life. I opened her palm forcefully and ced it back into her palm. ¡°You¡¯re going to take this right now.


    Do not make me angry, Blue, because you¡¯re not going to like it.¡±


    I think it was the look in my eyes that made her docile. She epted the pill and I watched her swallow


    it with a ss of water. When I tried to touch her, she pped my hand away.


    I watched her climb in bed, keeping her back facing to me.


    I just knew it.


    There would be no making love tonight.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Hunter


    The entire fucking night, Blue wouldn¡¯t let me touch her.


    Nope.


    My wife had made her life mission to slowly torture me to death. I¡¯d tossed and turned for a few hours


    thinking about all the things I could have done to her, but I¡¯d brought this situation onto myself and it


    killed me not knowing how long she was going to torture me like this, might as well stab me with a


    knife.


    I woke up to the sound of the shower turning on. I saw her chemise lying on the floor, and I instantly


    turned harder thinking of her and climbed out of bed. I decided to take my chances as I walked to the


    bathroom and tried the sliding doors but they wouldn¡¯t budge. The ss was fogged up with the steam


    and her delicate nude form was partly visible.


    I knocked on the ss door. ¡°Blue...¡±


    ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°Baby, please let me inside.¡±


    ¡°I told you to leave.¡± She said adamantly.


    What the hell?


    I wasn¡¯t really experienced a whole lot where marriage was concerned, but I¡¯d seen my mom fight with


    dad at night and then when they woke up in the morning, it was almost like the fight even didn¡¯t take


    ce. Shouldn¡¯t this situation be the same? Why was Blue holding it against me?


    Right.


    The baby.


    My wife didn¡¯t care about money, parties, heck, not even the diamonds. All she cared about was having


    a baby and I¡¯d been a total douche-canoe and refused her the one thing she wanted the most.


    What else could I do? She¡¯d married a poor man, she knew that. She also knew how I had to study and


    work my ass off at the same time, and yet she couldn¡¯t see the logic behind it. All that mattered was a


    baby.


    ¡°Blue,¡± I said softly.


    The door didn¡¯t open and I knew at that time that I wasn¡¯t getting any pussy anytime soon. I was


    starting to feel sorry for my dick, literally.


    I decided to give Blue some space, I knew she¡¯de around. I needed to sit her down and exin


    the situation again and pray that she understood. The chances of her understanding were nil. She was


    acting like a kid who had been denied their favorite candy, and throwing a tantrum was the only way


    she was going to get it.


    We had the town mayor¡¯s barbecue dinner tonight, it was casual night so I¡¯d gone with a simple


    checkered shirt over jeans. Blue was wearing a lovely pink off-shoulder dress that made her look like


    an innocent angel. The dressplemented her creamyplexion. I watched her from the doorway


    as she tied her long hair in a pony-tail with a pink satin ribbon on it.


    She caught me staring, blinked and then looked back into her reflection in the mirror.


    This was our first fight as a married couple, and hopefully thest because truthfully it sucked.


    ¡°Blue, can we talk?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Can we have a baby?¡±


    I blew out a breath. ¡°I told you we can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to talk about, Hunter.¡± She said in a t response.


    ¡°Why is it so hard for you to understand? A baby is not a ything or a toy. A babyes with a lot of


    responsibilities, Blue.¡±


    ¡°I never said babies were ythings. We¡¯re married. You told me that if we married, we could have a


    baby.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you married me? Just because you wanted a baby? Is that the only reason?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not. You¡¯re aware why we got married.¡± She said and then her bottom lip trembled. ¡°You


    killed my child.¡± She said quietly, trying to wipe her tears.


    My mouth remained ck open. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You gave me that pill yesterday and tried to kill my baby!¡±


    I looked heavenward for the first time in months. ¡°Blue, there¡¯s no baby in there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a liar!¡± She said softly.


    ¡°Trust me, there¡¯s no baby yet. I¡¯m not lying. The pill prevents pregnancy, not kill babies.¡± I rified


    again as I walked to her and ced both my hands on her shoulders. I leaned in and kissed the top of


    her head. ¡°I would never lie to you about this.¡±


    I kissed her forehead and slowly down on her cheeks when I reached her lips, she struggled out of my


    hold.


    ¡°How long are you going to keep this up?¡± I asked coldly because I couldn¡¯t keep the frustration out of


    my voice.


    She took one look at me, slid off her panties, and picked up her dress in her tiny fist, it bunched up near


    her waist. She lied down on the bed with legs spread. The tears were sliding down her face.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°This is what you want, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± I snarled through gritted teeth. ¡°Yes, I want to have sex with you but not when you¡¯re


    crying and sobbing like this. Jesus. I¡¯m not a monster.¡±


    She looked mildly surprised as she sat upright. ¡°I¡¯m not denying you your rights. Apollo said...¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Apollo said I should let the husband do whatever he wanted.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what your brother says. But we¡¯re not going to do anything until you¡¯re like this.¡±


    I walked out of the room and mmed the door behind me.


    * * *


    The town Mayor Mr. Cole and his wife were warm and weing people. They made us feel like home


    as soon as we joined the barbecue party.


    Their son, James, was flipping burgers on the grill. He waved at me when he saw me walk in. James


    was only a year younger than me, and I remembered ying with him when we were kids. As a kid, he


    used to be a chubby big mouth who liked to pick his nose often. Hannah hated his guts because he


    asionally stuck gum in her hair.


    Now, James appeared different after all these years. I hoped he didn¡¯t pick his nose anymore.


    ¡°Oh look, a water fountain!¡± Blue called out loudly, pointing at the Dolphin water fountain.


    Heads turned to look at us. Suddenly, she became aware of the many people looking at us and


    realized that we weren¡¯t yet back on talking terms. Her eyes held mine for a second before she looked


    away.


    I squeezed her hand before she could go flying like a free bird that she was. ¡°Listen, Blue. People are


    going to ask you questions, if you don¡¯t know the answer, just don¡¯t say anything. Okay? And no talking


    about anything that happens in our bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely off-limits, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, good girl.¡±


    Blue was pulled away by Mrs. Cole. She led her away to introduce her to the otherdies of the town,


    leaving me all alone to look out for myself.


    I walked to the barbecue station and picked a variety of meat and some sd to go with it. The waiter


    poured me a generous amount of wine. I took a bite of the tender chicken and it melted in my mouth.


    ¡°Enjoying the party?¡±


    I looked up from the te to stare into a familiar pair of soft brown eyes, ¡°Viviana, nice to see you after


    a long time.¡±


    She was trouble with a capital ¡®T¡¯.


    She wore high-waist tight jeans and a crop top that showed off her skin. Her short ck hair grazed her


    shoulders. Her eyes moved from the bottom to the top, ¡°Same here.¡± She clinked our sses together.


    Viviana poprly known as Vi was the eldest daughter of the mayor. She was the same age as my


    older brother Ryan, about three years older than me, but when we were kids, and yed house, she


    insisted that I y her husband.


    Summer vacations were fun.


    ¡°I met your wife,¡± Vi told me. ¡°Cute as a button, she is.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Which circus did you pick her up from?¡± She joked andughed as if that was the funniest line anyone


    ever used. I threw her a look.


    ¡°Still a jealous witch, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    That shut theugher up. ¡°Oh god, Hunt. I was kidding. But seriously, she¡¯s making thediesugh,


    and I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s going to get some birthday party gigs soon. We don¡¯t have a clown in town.¡±


    ¡°Would you please stop doing that?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Stop doing what?¡± She asked defensively.


    ¡°Stop trying to act funny because you¡¯re not,¡± I said and walked away from there when all I wanted to


    do was put my hands around her throat and throttle her. I just didn¡¯t want to go to jail.


    I put as much distance between me and Vi as I could, but she followed me like a very obedient


    Retriever.


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± I hissed at her, taking a drink of the white wine.


    ¡°Gee, Hunt. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± She made a pout face. She wasn¡¯t really sorry though.


    She was still so fucking spoilt. I thought maybe, just maybe she¡¯d matured over the years. Turns out


    that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°So, what have you been up totely?¡± She asked, flipping her dark hair.


    ¡°Just taking care of dad¡¯s restaurant.¡± Which was almost the truth, she didn¡¯t need to know that I


    worked there as a waiter.


    She gave me a nod. ¡°Knew you weren¡¯t the type with too many aspirations in life.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck does that mean?¡±


    She giggled and waved her hand, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    She was being mean on purpose. I decided to ignore it. It¡¯s not like Vi was going to be my neighbor


    anyway. She liked to make herself feel superior by putting others down, and I knew if she was a man,


    my fists would have loved to connect with her jaw.


    ¡°Wanna get out of this party? You know, like somewhere more private?¡±


    I gave her a look that asked ¡®Are you nuts?¡¯


    ¡°Hell no,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Hunt. We can have a little fun, especially when your wife is going to do exactly that.¡±


    My eyes followed Blue. It had probably been two minutes, tops, that I¡¯d taken my gaze off her, and now


    she was standing there by the tree talking to a tall, blond guy. And she wasughing. I watched as the


    guy ced a hand on her shoulder, and then he casually started leading her away from the party.


    My blood began to boil, and I saw red.


    I couldn¡¯t hear Vi speaking as I marched across thewn briskly, ¡°Hey!¡°I shoved him so hard he went


    reeling back.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± He beganining and then stopped when he saw the look of pure rage in my


    eyes. I pulled Blue to my side and shoved him back, harder this time.


    ¡°Stay the fuck away from my wife, do you understand?! Touch her again, hell, look at her the wrong


    way and I¡¯ll kill you, you sonofabitch.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god! Hunt! That¡¯s my husband!¡± Vi yelled behind me.


    ¡°This man is your husband?¡± I asked, bbergasted.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°So why was he flirting with my wife?¡±


    ¡°Big deal, Hunter. Stop acting so immature.¡± She began rolling her eyes instead of questioning her


    husband. ¡°Maybe your wife should stop trying hard to get so much attention, what with the blue hair


    and everything. She looks like those wannabe mermaids. Brent was just being nice and...¡±


    ¡°He can be as nice as he fucking wants by keeping a fifty-feet distance from her and hands to himself.¡±


    I was shaking with anger, I felt Blue¡¯s hand on my arm. ¡°You might as well try keeping your husband on


    a leash. That may help. And you say one more word about Blue, and I¡¯ll forget you¡¯re the mayor¡¯s


    daughter.¡±


    Vi was fuming and she went to stand beside her womanizer husband, e on, Brent. I think the city


    folks are really goddamn crazy.¡±


    Wow. Look who¡¯s talking?


    ¡°I was just going to show her the horses in our stables,¡± Brentined to Vi.


    Yeah, fucking right. The horses.


    What kind of wife would let her husband take another man¡¯s wife to the fucking horse stables? What


    type of marriage had Vi gotten herself into?


    I led Blue away from there. There were some kids ying in an inted little pool. I maintained a safe


    distance as we stopped there. I nudged softly under her chin so we were making eye-contact. ¡°What


    were you thinking about going with him like that?¡±


    ¡°He...He told me they had beautiful horses, and then he smiled and asked me if I¡¯d like to see them, so


    I said yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how many horses we have on our property?¡± Before she could answer, I said. ¡°Fifteen.


    And if you want more, we¡¯ll get them. Brent wasn¡¯t taking you to show you any horses.¡±


    ¡°Then what other reason did he have?¡± She asked innocently.


    I looked her over once. She really has no clue how beautiful she was to a man, did she?


    ¡°He was suggesting sex.¡±


    Surprise turned to horror. ¡°I didn¡¯t know, Hunter. I¡¯m sorry. But, he knew I was married. How could he...¡±


    Even if I wanted to protect her from all the wrong things, I knew I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Some people, well...¡± I scratched my head. ¡°some people think it¡¯s okay to have sex with other people


    while they are married to someone else.¡±


    She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand like she¡¯d heard the worst of the worst. Did she


    know there was a thing called murder that existed in our world? And bad people? Maybe I was


    exaggerating but what would have transpired earlier was an example of how truly pure Blue was. How


    would I protect her from all the evil of this world?


    ¡°Sweetheart, do not ever go with someone else like that without my permission, okay? No one ever


    gets to touch you other than me.¡±


    She nodded earnestly.


    ¡°I mean it.¡± I said firmly. ¡°You¡¯re everything to me, and I couldn¡¯t bear to see you hurt in anyway.¡±


    She nodded her head again.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I pulled her closer and kissed her cheek.


    I reached inside my pocket for my phone but realized I¡¯d left it the house. I groaned, ¡°I left my phone


    inside. Stay here, do not move until Ie back for you. No matter if anyone offers to show you


    Unicorns or fairies, you do not move. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Cole,¡± I called out before I took off towards the house.


    It took a few minutes before I located my phone on the coffee table in the sitting area. Then I said a


    quick goodbye to the family and made my way out of the house.


    I heard a loud shriek and a ssh.


    Blue had gotten pushed into the little pool by a kid.


    Blue had turned into a mermaid.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Blue


    There was a reason why Hunter never took me out to the beach when there were people around.


    There was a reason why we never swam in the public swimming pool. It was because I shapeshifted


    into a mermaid every time I dived into the water.


    Like right now.


    I hadn¡¯t realized what was happening until the kid pushed me into the pool and my legs transformed


    into a mermaid tail.


    I panicked. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. He¡¯d given me strict instructions not to move so I¡¯d


    remained frozen in ce, and I had not moved even when I knew the kid was going to push me into the


    water.


    Where was Hunter when I needed him?


    ¡°Mom, look a mermaid!¡±


    Thankfully, my eye caught the moment and I saw my husband running from across thewn towards


    me. His gray eyes glistened with horror and worry. He nced around himself to make sure we didn¡¯t


    have an audience before he took off his shirt and stepped inside the pool.


    I couldn¡¯t hold the tears in. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry...Hunter.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked me, ¡°Are you hurt somewhere, love?¡±


    I shook my head. He should have been angry that I was putting him in trouble again, but he was


    worried about my welfare. I¡¯d called him names, I¡¯d screamed at him in the morning and yet Hunter was


    being nice.


    I was ovee with shame.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, baby.¡± He assured me. ¡°Here, put your arm around my shoulder. I will pull you out of the


    water and cover your tail with my shirt, okay? Then I will carry you under that tree...¡± he pointed at a


    short distance, ¡°because taking you into the house would risk people seeing you in mermaid form.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    The water sloshed as he pulled me out, ced me gingerly on the grass and covered my tail with his


    shirt.


    ¡°What the fuck? Hunter¡¯s wife just turned into a mermaid.¡± James bellowed. ¡°Guess I have far too much


    to fucking drink tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You need to stop. Next thing you¡¯re going to say I turned into a Yeti.¡± Hunter called out,


    maintaining a cool demeanor but I could sense the distress he was feeling.


    James looked at me strangely and started walking back to the grills as Hunter blocked me from view to


    allow me time to take the full human¡¯s form. After ten torturous minutes, I turned fully into a human; the


    dress clung to me like second skin and the cool night air sent a shiver down my body.


    Hunter carried me all the way to the car and put me in the passenger seat. His eyes flicked to the front


    of my dress that was totally soaked and it was making my breasts look bigger. It made me feel almost...


    Naked.


    I watched Hunter¡¯s nose re and the worry in his gaze had disappeared and turned into desire.


    The silence in the car stretched on so I cleared my throat and ced my hand over his. ¡°I¡¯m sorry


    about earlier. I promise I won¡¯t do anything that will embarrass you again.¡±


    ¡°Embarrass me?¡± He snapped. ¡°Blue, if people saw you turn into a mermaid, your life was in jeopardy.


    Do you understand that? This has nothing to do with me.¡± There was a hint of anger in his voice.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do.¡± He muttered.


    I sniffled and a sob raked from within me. A loud ear-piercing sob. Children wailed like that, grown


    women like me didn¡¯t.


    His eyes softened instantly. ¡°Why are you crying now?¡±


    I continued to cry. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to fight with you, Hunter. It doesn¡¯t feel nice¡±


    ¡°Baby...¡± He breathed.


    I watched as he pulled his seat back, scooped me up from my seat and brought me into hisp. I was


    strangling him in a very ufortable position. He stared at the wet fabric sticking to my breasts.


    ¡°You can touch me if you want,¡± I said.


    Those were the only words of encouragement he needed to hear before hisrge palm grasped my


    right breast and he gave it one possessive squeeze. ¡°This is mine. You never forget that, Blue.¡±


    I nodded earnestly. He stared at me with a heated expression, ¡°if any other man touches you, I¡¯ll wreak


    mayhem. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    I shook my head, but I understood that whatever he was saying was something quite intense. I knew


    he meant to hurt whoever tried to touch me in any way.


    His breathing was turning hard as he caught my nipple between his fingers and kept teasing it until it


    hardened. ¡°Tell me...how did I get so lucky with you?¡±


    I squirmed under his onught. ¡°Let me have a taste.¡± He whispered as he lifted my dress and brought


    his mouth to my breast and suckled, running his tongue over my nipple inzy strokes. His arm snaked


    around my neck as his mouth came crashing over mine. His tongue was seeking entrance in a


    desperate frenzy so I opened my mouth and he deepened the kiss. He kissed me so harshly, that it


    was bing hard to breathe. His love for me was bordering to violence.


    ¡°Hunter...¡±


    He groaned and ignored my pleas, holding me in his firm grip. I pulled away secondster. ¡°I can¡¯t...I


    can¡¯t breathe.¡±


    Hunter closed his eyes, breathing hard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I guess...I guess I was losing my mind when I saw


    Vi¡¯s husband trying to touch you. Blue...I¡¯m so fucking horny right now. My body is literally aching for


    you.¡±


    His words sent a series of butterflies into my stomach. He watched me intently, and I smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go


    home then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll let me...¡± He was making that face again, the kind of face that made me feel sorry for him. ¡°You¡¯ll


    let me fuck you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He put me back in the passenger seat. ¡°Buckle up.¡±


    * * *


    Hunter


    Bliss. That¡¯s how I could exin this feeling. After arriving at the house that night, Blue and I made


    love. She hadn¡¯t broached the topic about babies so that was an improvement, in fact; she¡¯d readily


    agreed to stay on birth control pills.


    And that was a little strange.


    As far as how Blue functioned, I knew for a fact that she would never agree to something like this,


    something that she so badly didn¡¯t want.


    Today was our final night in the house, and tomorrow we were heading back to the city; back to my tiny


    apartment, back to my waiter job, back to college, back to everything that sucked. But now I had Blue


    as my wife and that made everything in my life better.


    ¡°Hunter, if you weren¡¯t a human, what would you prefer to be?¡± Blue asked me that evening while she


    was lounging on a chaise by the firece. I was seated at the end of the seat with her legs resting on


    myp.


    I knew what she wanted to hear. I chuckled. ¡°A merman, maybe?¡±


    Her eyes lit up with approval and admiration. Seriously, this woman looked at me the way you¡¯d look at


    a famous movie star, and I didn¡¯t think I could get used to it. Being openly admired by my wife, that is.


    ¡°If you had a chance to change into a merman and give up your human life, would you do it?¡±


    I massaged her legs gently. ¡°For you, sweetheart, I¡¯d even turn into a Gargoyle.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. I¡¯d be whatever you want me to be.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what I want you to be?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Her eyes were dancing with amusement. ¡°The father of my child.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Nice one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡±


    ¡°Baby, I promise you. We¡¯ll have children soon.¡±


    She sighed, giving me a dreamy look. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for that day, darling.¡±


    I stared at her in surprise. It was the first time she¡¯d called me with an endearment. My heart literally


    skipped like a little girl in a meadow filled with flowers. ¡°Say that again. What you called me in the end.¡±


    ¡°My darling Hunter,¡± She said in a husky voice.


    I smiled. ¡°You never call me that.¡±


    ¡°I was just watching a movie this afternoon, and the woman calls her husband darling. I thought maybe


    wives call their husbands that, maybe it¡¯s a tradition that I¡¯m not following.¡± She appeared confused, ¡°do


    you not like it?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I like it, just thought it was strangeing from your mouth.¡±


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    I picked up her feet and kissed the base. ¡°Such cute tiny feet.¡± That might have sounded creepy, but


    Blue gave me one of her approval smiles. ¡°Kind of like a child¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not nice to kiss feet.¡± Sheined but the mischievous glint in her eyes told me she loved it


    nevertheless.


    ¡°Why not? A goddess deserves nothing less than having her feet kissed.¡± I said raining kisses all over


    the soft skin.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­I have the best husband in the world, maybe even the universe.¡±


    The phone started buzzing on the coffee table. I¡¯d sessfully avoided any and every phone call and


    text message that I¡¯d received from my family, telling them that we were enjoying ourselves, and didn¡¯t


    need to be disturbed every second of every hour. I¡¯d even temporarily deactivated my social media


    ounts just so I wasn¡¯t tempted to check the feed every now and then.


    Right now I stared at the phone with Hannah¡¯s name shing on it. Blue peeked a nce and said, ¡°Go


    on, answer it.¡±


    ¡°I told her not to call me for a few days. How hard is that for her to understand?¡± I was clearly irritated.


    Blue squeezed my hand, ¡°It¡¯s not nice to ignore your sister like that. Let¡¯s see what she has to say.¡±


    I sighed and pressed answer; only because Blue wanted me to.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°You stupid son of a¡­¡± she bellowed, I had to put the phone away from my ear.


    ¡°Mind yournguage, sister.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been answering my calls?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to talk to anybody?¡±


    ¡°Jeez, Hunt. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overreacting a little too much? How many days has your ass never


    left the bed? Gosh, I feel so bad for my sister-inw. Where is Blue? Can I talk to her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right here.¡± I handed the phone over to Blue.


    Blue¡¯s face lit up when she spoke to Hannah. ¡°Hey¡­Yeah, I¡¯m doing good.¡± Her eyes flicked towards


    me and there was a shy giggle. ¡°Nothing like that.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her and snatched the phone away. ¡°What are you asking her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Hannah said proudly. ¡°Anyway, I was calling you for a reason and not to interrogate


    about your honeymoon. Trust me; thinking about your honeymoon brings bile and vomit in my mouth.¡±


    ¡°What did you want to tell me?¡±


    She cleared her throat. ¡°Remember you bought a lottery ticket for fun?¡±


    I tried to rack my brains to remember if I ever did that. Turns out, I did buy one on a whim. It was three


    months back before I met Blue. ¡°Yeah. I recall. I gave it to you and forgot about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, Hunt. You didn¡¯t respond to their calls and they tried calling the backup number on the ticket


    which was mine. Are you ready to hear this?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°What? Did I win something?¡±


    I was a hundred and one percent sure Hannah was pranking me, along with Fred who was surely


    sitting there beside my sister orchestrating this entire prank.


    ¡°Drum roll!¡± she said excitedly. ¡°Take a deep breath and slowly let it go. You¡¯re not going to believe


    this.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t believe anything that you¡¯re going to say.¡±


    Hannah ignored my retort and announced. ¡°You won four million dors.¡±

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Hunter


    ¡°Hello? Are you still with me? Or have you expired from shock?¡± I heard Hannah¡¯s voice but I couldn¡¯t


    understand what she was saying, all I could hear was FOUR FREAKIN MILLION DOLLARS.


    ¡°If this is some kind of joke, Hannah, I¡¯ll kill you,¡± I warned her.


    She switched to video-call and I found myself staring at a nk white until I realized she¡¯d been holding


    the lottery ticket on the screen. She slowly panned it out. ¡°Do you read this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a ticket I bought. That doesn¡¯t exin anything.¡±


    She turned the ticket over and showed me a number. Two-nine-one-four-eight. And then she


    proceeded to show it to me on herptop and the winning number printed in the newspaper.


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. ¡°Take a picture and send it to me on my phone.¡±


    ¡°If Ryan gets his hands on this ticket, you¡¯re finished, and you have about twenty-four hours from now


    to im the reward if you don¡¯t then they will do another draw and find another winner.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this before?¡±


    ¡°Because you weren¡¯t answering your calls GENIUS.¡± Hannah literally screamed at the word ¡®Genius¡¯


    to put emphasis. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if my best friend was possessed to marry a dumb guy like you.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°well, that¡¯s funny literallying from a person who¡¯s IQ is simr to a carrot eating rabbit."


    I repeated what I¡¯d taught Blue when we had first met.


    Hannah narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°This ticket is going to the dumpster.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll change my mind if you say ¡¯Hannah is the smartest sister in this whole wide universe. Say


    it.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Over my dead body.¡±


    She held the ticket in one hand, and a lighter in the other, challenging me. A mocking smile on my evil


    sister¡¯s face, ¡°I know how much this lottery means to you.¡±


    ¡°Hannah is the smartest, most beautiful sister in this whole wide universe.¡±


    ¡°A. Sweetest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me. If I were you, Hunt, I¡¯d be packing right now.¡±


    ¡°Talk to youter,¡± I said and ended the call.


    Blue¡¯s eyes were wide in curiosity, ¡°Is something wrong? What was Hannah talking about?¡±


    ¡°Turns out we just became rich. We won the lottery.¡± I exined her, and then added, ¡°That¡¯s what


    Hannah says, and I¡¯m still not sure if it¡¯s really true or if she¡¯s ying a prank on me. We have to go


    back home and find out.¡±


    Blue¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Does that mean we could have a baby now?¡±


    That hadn¡¯t really crossed my mind.


    ¡°Well...I suppose we...¡±


    She hugged me fiercely, the wheels in her mind were already turning. ¡°You¡¯ll have a lot of money now,


    won¡¯t you? So that means we could have a baby now. Say yes, Hunter, pleaseeeeee¡­¡±


    I smiled. ¡°We would have enough money for everything you want.¡±


    ¡°I just want you, always and of course our baby.¡± She scooted closer and put her arms around me. In a


    sweet, melodious, voice she whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s make a baby right now.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°We just made love.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it again so we can be sure there¡¯s going to be a baby.¡±


    Not that I would ever deny giving Blue what she wanted. She was so fucking beautiful that I could go


    on for hours withoutining.


    ¡°As my wife wishes,¡± I said.


    I caught the ribbon that was holding her hair together and pulled it. The waves of shiny blue hair


    cascaded down to her shoulders, and that innocent mouth was inviting, which reminded me of that


    quote I once heard ¡äshe looked like a good girl who was bad just for me.¡ä


    She attacked me like a hungry lioness who¡¯d been refused food for a long time. Her mouth was searing


    hot on my own, taking my tongue deeper into her mouth and sucking on it savagely.


    Blue was innocent, but her innocence was most likely seen out of bed. When she had me had her


    mercy, she would make sure she got she wanted. Right now, her disy of affection seemed adorable


    because she was hell-bent on achieving what her heart desired the most.


    A baby.


    And she was making sure that she would do it correctly.


    I was deep inside of her, as deep as I could go. Thrusting hard and fast; once, twice, and continued the


    process until I knew she wasing closer. She moaned loudly and I felt her walls clench around me


    as I came inside of her.


    We were both breathless and panting, my forehead was touching hers when she asked, ¡°do you think


    you put a baby in there right now?¡±


    Iughed at the innocent question, ¡°Probably. We¡¯ll have to continue making love until we know for


    sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited, Hunter. I can¡¯t wait until the baby is here.¡±


    She made it sound so easy. I had a mental image of a Stork delivering a bundled up baby on the


    doorstep.


    I pulled out and instantly felt the loss. I lied down beside her in bed, taking her into my arms and


    stroking her slowly. Her Blue hair was spread over my chest, and I caressed the thick locks lovingly.


    ¡°We should get some clothes and toys for the baby, what do you think?¡± She asked, peering at me.


    ¡°First we need to be sure that Hannah wasn¡¯t lying to us so we have to leave tomorrow morning.¡± I


    reminded her.


    ¡°We¡¯re going home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Our home.¡± She said dreamily like the little apartment was a luxurious pce. ¡°What if Hannah isn¡¯t


    lying? What if you really got the money? We could buy the clothes and the toys, right?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°And a lot of other things. If not, then you¡¯re going to continue with the contraceptives.¡±


    ¡°Contra¡ªwhat?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind. Just sleep, Blue.¡±


    Blue


    It felt like I¡¯d slept for days, maybe even several months. I opened my eyes to find Hunter standing by


    the foot of the bed packing our bag, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. His golden-brown hair tousled, like it


    hadn¡¯t seen a brush for days but gorgeous nevertheless.


    I sighed in contently. There was no way I could get tired of just looking at him. My husband was just so


    handsome, it took my breath away and sometimes even made me wonder if I was perhaps dreaming


    all along.


    If it¡¯s a dream, that would surely break my heart. And recently I¡¯d started to wonder if I had imagined


    everything like that movie Hunter and I saw the other day where the woman lived a beautiful life with


    her husband and children and in the end, it turns out she had imagined everything.


    After that movie, I continuously pinched myself and sometimes Hunter. He got a little annoyed by the


    pinching but ignored it most of the time.


    ¡°Good Morning, love.¡± He greeted me with a smile.


    I yawned, ¡°Good morning. Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡±


    ¡°You were sleeping soundly, and I liked watching you sleep.¡±


    I raised my hand towards him in invitation. ¡°Come to bed with me.¡±


    Hunterughed, ¡°your appetite for sex surpasses mine. Well, can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t know about it. As


    mortifying as it may sound, your brother warned me about it, said mermaids liked sex."


    Heat rose to my cheeks, ¡°Apollo said that to you?¡±


    Hunter was grinning. ¡°He did, and I promised that I would keep up. I really needed a partner who could


    live with the fact that I¡¯m horny most of the time. Youplete me, Blue.¡±


    I felt like he was teasing me. I knew exactly when he was teasing me.


    I sniffed, and Hunter pointed at the coffee table. There was a tray topped with toasts, omelet and fruits.


    A ss of juice and a coffee.


    My stomach rumpled.


    ¡°Eat your breakfast, have your bath and get ready because we¡¯re leaving in an hour.¡± He informed me


    and then his smile turned sneaky. ¡°After you¡¯re done, I have a surprise waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°What surprise?¡± I asked.


    I LOVED surprises!


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you what it is if you manage to finish what¡¯s on the table and get ready.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what it is. I can¡¯t wait!¡± I said bouncing on the bed excitedly.


    His eyes went to my bare front, to my jiggling breasts, his nose red and his silver-gray eyes dted


    into a darker shade. I recognized that look, it usually happened when we were making love. Without


    taking his gaze off, he said, ¡°You do that again, baby and your surprise will be dyed by another thirty


    minutes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to be warned twice before I wrapped the sheet around myself and went to eat breakfast. I


    ate everything on the te just like he wanted me to, and drank both the juice and the coffee.


    ¡°Can I see the surprise now?¡±


    Hunter had an amused look on his face, he pointed his thumb at the bathroom door. ¡°Bath first.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mean.¡±


    ¡°Take a proper bath. Don¡¯t cheat.¡± He called out after me.


    I came out of the bathroom a few minutester. I¡¯d taken lesser time for bathing than usual because I


    couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the surprise that Hunter wanted to show me.


    Was it rted to our future baby? I hoped it would be.


    If the surprise was jewels or something equally boring, then I would be disappointed.


    I dressed up hastily and evenbed my hair, tying it into a pony-tail.


    ¡°Now show me the surprise,¡± I begged.


    ¡°Patience, my love,¡± Hunter said as he brought a square-shaped board and ced it on a chair, facing


    me. A white sheet covered it.


    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Your painting?¡±


    He grasped the edges of the white sheet. ¡°Ready?¡±


    I sat in awe as he pulled the sheet away to reveal a painting. A painting that Hunter had started the


    morning following our wedding.


    I couldn¡¯t even believe that it was me that he¡¯d painted on the canvas.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± He asked.


    I couldn¡¯t even form words on my tongue as I continued to stare at it, utterly mesmerized.


    In the painting, I was sprawled on this very bed, the sunlight streaming from the window made my hair


    and my naked skin glisten. I was lying on my front but looking teasingly at the painter. There was just


    one thing that was altered.


    My legs.


    Instead of my legs, he¡¯d painted my tail. I was inplete mermaid form from waist down. It was so


    detailed, the colors vibrant and precise like the painting hade to life. You could tell that the painter


    had poured all his heart into this very piece, paying attention to the smallest of details. He did love this


    mermaid deeply to have painted her with such care. He¡¯d signed below with his name.


    Hunter Brantley


    Tears sprang in my eyes and I squeezed his hand. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, Hunter.¡±


    He kissed the top of my head. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. I just wanted to show you that I appreciate you in


    every form, whether you¡¯re a human or a mermaid, you¡¯re still mine.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say how much this means to me. Thank you. You¡¯re so very talented. You should pursue your


    art talent. Will you...¡± it hurt me to ask him because I loved this painting so much. ¡°Will you sell this


    painting?¡±


    He stared at me in confusion for a few seconds before he burst intoughter.


    ¡°You¡¯reughing at me again. What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Why on earth would I sell a painting of my naked mermaid wife?¡±


    I was delighted to hear that. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Hell no.¡± Heughed again. ¡°It¡¯s for my eyes only. If there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s going to look at you naked,


    in real or in a painting, it¡¯s always going to be me. Tell me you understand that, Blue.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I understand,¡± I said feeling a little stupid for even asking him that question. ¡°What if I want


    to paint you naked?¡±


    The corners of his mouth twitched upward, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t stop you from trying.¡±


    ¡°You would teach me, right?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± He said, still smiling in a teasing way. ¡°I n to do more paintings with you in it.¡±


    ¡°How lovely. I¡¯m excited for them as well.¡± I said.


    Hunter covered the painting with the cloth again and resumed to pack things. ¡°Would you like to say


    good-bye to Mary-Alix and Delphine before we leave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would love that.¡± I stood up and started making my way out of the bedroom. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask


    her to pack me her homemade pickles and that delicious fruit cake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m putting all our stuff in the car. Don¡¯t be toote, okay?¡±


    Finally, we were going home.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Hunter


    Turns out Hannah wasn''t lying.


    I did win four million dors. At first I couldn''t believe my luck; how was it even possible that I earned so


    much money with nothing but pure luck.


    When I asked Blue if she had anything to do with it, she shrugged and declined, and that only added to


    my suspicions. I called her my lucky charm, but she didn''t think that was true. I couldn''t remember my


    life being gloomy since the time Blue hade into my life. All I remembered was love and a lot of


    laughter, getting married to her was adding a cherry on the top.


    When I imagined my life without Blue, it just appeared to be empty. If Blue was taken out of the


    equation, my life was nothing better than death itself.


    I loved her a million times more than I already did.


    With the amount I had won in the lottery, I could provide her everything she wanted. The first thing that


    I did after receiving the money was that I bought my red Maserati from my dad, he took pity on me and


    sold it at a half price¡ªwhich was fantastic! After that I bought a nice little cozy six bedroom and five


    bathroom Vi in the outskirts of the town, because why the hell not? The house even had avish


    garden and a swimming pool with an amazingke view.


    Blue loved the ce and had started to buy toys for a baby that wasn''t even there yet. She even made


    me buy a custom-designed crib, that she stacked with pillows and plush toys, the top of the crib had


    stars and little toy animals hanging from it.


    She would sit in the room for hours and stare at the crib. We were living a blissful and a happy married


    life.


    Well, until...


    Six months passed, and each time Blue would get excited about getting pregnant until she told me that


    she''d gotten her periods. Then she would spend the next couple of days sulking and upset.


    And there was just one question she kept bugging me with.


    Where is my baby?


    I''d turned one room into an art studio where I worked on my passion. I was also a part-time artist now, I


    painted and sold paintings onmissions, and I''d be kidding if I said the money wasn''t good.


    The richer the clients, the better.


    I continued to go to college, because if being a full time artist didn''t work out, I would still have a


    degree.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    While I worked on my paintings, Blue would either sit and watch me draw or she was usually in the


    courtyard of the house, seated under the trees.


    It''s not like I didn''t see the yearning she had for a child, I did but there was nothing more I can do than


    try my best to give her what she wanted.


    One time after two a.m in the morning when I had finished up a painting and decided to go to bed, I


    noticed Blue wasn''t sleeping in our bed like she usually was. She always waited for me in our bedroom,


    but today the covers were neatly done and there was no sign that anyone had even slept in it.


    There was only one ce that I knew I would find her. I made my way to the baby room at the end of


    the passageway. I ced my hand on the knob and turned it.


    As expected Blue was seated beside the crib, staring longingly at it. Her long slender fingers slowly


    pushing the dream catcher suspended from the top of it. She was holding a plush toy in her other hand.


    Leslie nudging his nose to her side.


    "Blue...sweetheart...it''ste."


    It took me a while to realize her eyes were swimming with tears. She sniffled but made no attempt to


    answer me.


    Leslie barked as if telling me what was wrong.


    "Sit, Leslie. Sit down, boy." I had to give him a treat to make him obey.


    "Blue?"


    She turned around, and her gaze met mine. The look she had therepletely shattered my heart.


    "Hunter..."


    I knew something was wrong. I''d never seen Blue lookingpletely helpless like she looked right


    now. I quickly closed the distance between us and kneeled down in front of her. "You''re crying, what''s


    wrong? Talk to me."


    When I married her, I''d vowed to keep her happy and it physically pained me to see her cry like this. I''d


    unintentionally neglected her and never realized that she was sad all along.


    "Tell me what''s bothering you, sweetheart."


    She gave me a tearful look, her lip trembling with her sobs. She was a woman-child through and


    through. And I loved her just the way she was.


    "Hunter, am I not fit to be a mother?" She asked.


    I brushed my thumb across her cheek to wipe her tears, "you would make the most caring and loving


    mother. I have no doubt about that."


    "Then why?" She choked.


    "Why what?"


    "Why won''t I get pregnant?" She demanded. "Are we not doing the right thing?"


    "We are trying our best, Blue. We will have a baby when it''s meant to be"


    Her eyes became sad and distant, and I already knew that she was thinking hard with that little


    innocent mermaid head of hers.


    "Do storks bring the babies?" She asked, and for a second I thought she was joking. Then she


    answered her own question, "maybe they do, and you didn''t know. We probably just didn''t receive ours


    yet."


    An image of a blue haired infant bundled up, hanging against a stork''s beak floated in my imagination. I


    couldn''t help butugh.


    I ced a hand on her stomach. "A baby will grow right here." I kissed her there. And when I looked up,


    her big expression eyes were watching me, waiting for me to say all the right things, to make the


    sadness in her eye vanish. "A little baby we made with our love for each other."


    She sniffled again, and I stared at her wondering if I''d said the wrong thing.


    "Hunter what if...what if we can''t have a baby because of me?" She said with so much pain in her eyes


    I couldn''t bear it.


    "What do you mean because of you?"


    "Even if I''m a human now, I''m still part mermaid. I turn when I''m underwater. Maybe we''re not having a


    baby because my body was never meant to be human. I have defied the rules of nature and this


    is...this is my punishment." She said and sobbed harder flinging her face into the sofa. Her body shook


    with her sobs.


    I sat beside her and carried her little body against mine. She crawled willingly into my embrace and


    circled her arms around my neck. Every sob that racked from her body made my insides twist. I


    caressed her back softly.


    A small voice in my mind said.


    What if it''s not because of Blue?


    What if it''s me?


    What if I''m sterile?


    The thought disturbed me. If it was Blue, I would understand. She wasn''t someone who belonged here


    and she couldn''t help it if she couldn''t have children. I would have loved to adopt a kid. But if it was my


    fault, certainly I couldn''t suggest getting a kid when Blue was so hell bent on producing one on her


    own.


    If it was my fault that she wasn''t getting pregnant than it was all over.


    Even though Blue loved me, I knew that part of the reason she married me was because she was


    drawn to the human life. To live here, get married, have a baby, she''d wanted those things and if I was


    sterile, then I was crushing her most treasured dream.


    I wasn''t even feeling sorry for myself, just despair.


    Even though it had just been over six months, it just frightened me to think it could be my fault. We''d


    made love in every corner of the house, over every surface and in every possible position. Blue''s


    eagerness to have a child had made us go two or three times a day.


    If I could give Blue a baby, I would die happily right this moment.


    "Blue, I think it''s still early toe to any conclusion." I told her sincerely. "We can''t just rule it out that


    it''s not happening because you''re a mermaid. We still have time, sweetheart."


    She brought her tear-stained face to look at me. "Really?"


    I kissed her lips, they were warm and so delicate. "Yes."


    Her mood lifted just like that. "I hope you''re right." Her fingers ran through my hair, her eyes staring


    right at me. And I couldn''t help but wonder what she was thinking about.


    And before I knew what I was doing, I voiced my concern. "What are you thinking right now?"


    She smiled. "I was thinking that, if we have a baby, I really hope he has golden-brown hair just like


    yours." Her fingers traced my bottom lip, "My cute tiny Hunter."


    How I wished I could make her wishe true. Although secretly, I wanted a little girl with blue hair


    and blue eyes.


    "In a few months time, I promise you, Blue." I assured her.


    But what if I couldn''t?


    I wasn''t entirely sure that if I couldn''t give her a kid, Blue wouldn''t go asking someone else.


    Like Alec.


    I could totally imagine her doing that.


    ''Hey Alec, since Hunter can''t give me a baby, how about you give me one?''


    I tightened my hold over Blue, and my grip on her was probably crushing because she turned to look at


    me in question. "Is something wrong?"


    Yes.


    I shook my head. "Not really."


    She knew I was lying. "If there was anything that was bothering you, you would talk to me, right?"


    I gave her a nod. "Of course."


    She smiled and I said, "it''s past three. Let''s go to bed."


    She rubbed my back in soothing circles, "would you like me to heat up some milk, you know...to help


    you sleep better."


    Blue was a wonderful, caring wife. She was just the kind of woman every man would want by his side.


    "I''m good." I said. "Juste to bed with me. There''s nothing that helps me sleep better at night than


    you do."


    She giggled.


    Now my mission in life was to get my wife pregnant.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Blue


    I loved swimming, and it was when I was swimming that I nearly regretted my decision of leaving my


    world. I felt guilty for even having these thoughts because I loved Hunter, I really did, I just wished there


    was a way I could be part of both.


    When Hunter had bought this house, he¡¯d made sure the house had arge pool, and deep enough on


    one side that I could swim to my heart¡¯s content. When I missed being back in the ocean, I took a dip


    into the pool.


    My body was floating over the surface when I heard footsteps and a presence. I turned to see my


    handsome husband standing over the pool, watching me with lust-filled eyes.


    He smiled, ¡°Hey.¡±


    Even though he was smiling, I could tell he was holding something back. His thoughts were almost


    somewhere else but he wouldn¡¯t tell me where. I wanted to know what was bothering him.


    My tail plopped into the water. I wasn¡¯t embarrassed now, I mean, I¡¯d married the man knowing I could


    be myself around him. It was just instinct that I usually kept the tail hidden. ¡°Hi.¡± I greeted him.


    He took off his shoes and slowly began unbuttoning his shirt. His trousers went next until there was a


    heap of garments on the floor. ¡°Mind if I joined you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    He dived into the pool, the water sshed up. All of a sudden, I felt his hands on my scales and I


    almost stopped breathing. It wasn¡¯t the first time that Hunter had seen me in a full mermaid¡¯s form but it


    just made me anxious to have his eyes trailing my every move and I knew he was doing just that. I


    could see a mass of golden-brown hair from my vantage point. His head was bobbing underwater and


    finally, he came up so his head was leveled with mine. It also didn¡¯t help that from waist down I was


    taller than him. My enormous scaled fish-tail trailed way past his legs. The silver moonlight illuminated


    the pool, making it seem like a mini ocean.


    His hands circled around my waist and he pulled me roughly against himself. He swept his hair back


    from his face, cupped my chin and brought his mouth crashing against mine. He moaned into my


    mouth as I deepened the kiss, and I was consciously aware of his fingers working against the strings of


    my swimsuit.


    He flung the top away with one swift motion and both his hands covered my breasts. I broke the kiss


    and his silver eyes searched mine.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, ¡°Don¡¯t want me to touch you?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°I want you to, it¡¯s just that we¡¯ve never done this before¡­I mean, when I¡¯m in my mermaid


    form.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a first.¡± He gave me a wicked smile. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve dreamed every night of doing this


    to you when you¡¯re a mermaid, I just didn¡¯t know if you would allow me. I want to hold you.¡±


    That just made me remember of Hunter¡¯s painting of me, where I was naked and he¡¯d drawn me in a


    mermaid form lying on his bed. Until now, I¡¯d never known the extent to which Hunter truly loved me,


    but he had epted me in every form. He loved me more when I was the real me.


    ¡°Would you let me, Blue?¡± He asked me in his husky voice. He caught my bottom lip in his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful in every shape and form. Would you let me love you like this?¡±


    His gaze turned fierce, those silver eyes diluted to a darker shade.


    ¡°Do you want to see magic?¡± I whispered to him.


    ¡°What magic?¡± He asked, perplexed.


    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± I said excitedly.


    ¡°No games. What¡¯s going on in that head of yours?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Just do it.¡±


    Hunter was amused but he closed his eyes.


    ¡°Give me your hands.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kinda scaring me a little.¡± He chuckled nervously but ced hisrge hands in mine.


    I adored this part of my husband, how he¡¯d trust me fiercely without holding reserve.


    ¡°No matter what, don¡¯t open your eyes until I ask you to. Okay?¡±


    He gave me a nod.


    I closed my eyes too and concentrated on the spell. It took me a while to remember the spell in Greek. I


    chanted them, holding his roughish hand in mine. I¡¯d always dreamed to see Hunter that way¡­


    And I didn¡¯t care if I had to pay the price for this¡­


    The chants continued, summoning power from the three elements¡ªEarth. Water. Fire.


    The wind blew harshly and the water the pool around us bubbled as I continued to say the words.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I heard Hunter mumble.


    A drop of blood trickled down from my nose. And suddenly the wind stopped blowing.


    ¡°Open your eyes now, Hunter.¡±


    I opened mine slowly and gasped. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d done it.


    I hadn¡¯t expected it to work.


    Some parts of his upper body were covered in blue-gray scales. His face had the same scales and his


    silver eyes had a dark ring to it, a clear indication that he wasn¡¯t human anymore.


    I looked down to make sure.


    The merman¡¯s tail was visible.


    ¡°You¡¯re a merman, look,¡± I pointed at his tail.


    He stared at himself in shock. ¡°H-how?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s temporary,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking believe this!¡± He eximed and dipped underwater, swimming around the pool


    excitedly.


    I could understand his feelings. Being a mermaid was like being freed from everything. It was quite


    liberating and he probably felt the same way. I was d I could share that with him. I joined him at the


    deepest end; he didn¡¯t need toe up for air to breathe. Bing a merman, he could now read my


    mind.


    ¡°k¨¢ne mou ¨¦rota.¡±


    Make love to me.


    He pulled me back into the kiss, not understanding my words in Greek but sensing what I¡¯d asked for.


    Hisrge hands dipped below, just shy of my waist, and then touched my bottom.


    My cheeks flushed, he¡¯d never touched me so intimately. I¡¯d never thought much when I¡¯d been bare to


    him in human form, but this¡­it almost felt too personal¡­too private.


    Making love to him as a mermaid and merman.


    He took my breast in his mouth and suckled until the nipple turned hard, and he held me with such


    care, you¡¯d think I would break with just the slightest pressure. He ran his tongue over the reddened


    bud and proceeded to give the same attention to the other breast.


    My fingers dug into his soft wet hair, ¡°I¡¯se o¡¯ti kali¡¯tero mou e¡¯hi simvi¡¯¡± You¡¯re the best thing that¡¯s


    happened to me.


    In his merman form, he was still so handsome¡ªbroad and muscled, he could put any merman in my


    world to shame.


    Being a mermaid, I¡¯d never made love to a merman but I knew what it entailed, and most husbands just


    focused on the aspect of procreation rather than pleasuring one¡¯s wife so I knew without a doubt that


    what I was experiencing wasn¡¯t something that any mermaid had ever encountered.


    We were going to be husband and wife in the truest form.


    The voices inside me continued to scream.


    This was a sin. I wasn¡¯t allowed to do what I¡¯d done¡ªto turn a human into a merman through mermaid


    magic, I wasn¡¯t allowed to use it outside of our world and I¡¯d broken all those rules.


    ¡°se th¨¦lo.¡±I want you.


    I would have to pay dearly for doing this, but my traitor mind and body wouldn¡¯t ask him to stop.


    Whatever it was I¡¯d dealter.


    ¡°Se agap¨®, Hunter.¡± I love you. I finally climbed down from the frenzy to find him staring at me with a


    newfound love or realization. I guess, he was acting on his natural instincts.


    When we¡¯d made love, he held me that way for a long time and I¡¯d forgotten how long we¡¯d remained


    inside the pool.


    Hunter started to lose the effects soon after and he came up for air, coughing and I really felt bad for


    him that he had to go through this because of my selfish desire to see him transformed into a merman,


    to make love to him in my real form.


    Hey on his back on the tiles, content, pulling the towel over the lower half of his now human body.


    There was a goofy grin on his face and heughed, ¡°Who would have thought that I¡¯d get a chance to


    be a real merman? I probably would have won ¡®Best Cosyer Award¡¯ inic-con.¡±


    What¡¯s a Cosyer? Maybe Hunter had gonepletely mad after that experience and talking


    gibberish.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    He narrowed his eyes at me, ¡°Maybe you prefer me more as a merman now?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I like you this way, too.¡±


    Hunter leaned in and kissed me long and hard, ¡°Blue, baby, I want to give you everything that you


    want.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re what I want. I have you.¡±


    ¡°You do.¡± There was a certain hesitation in expression. ¡°You know the next time we make love in bed,


    you should try talking dirty in Greek to me. It turns me on.¡±


    ¡°Dirty,¡± I said. ¡°Why would I talk dirty?¡±


    Clothes are dirty, the garbage is dirty, and the toilet is dirty.


    Heughed.


    ¡°Hunter, can you teach me to drive?¡± I asked him the following day after lunch.


    ¡°You want to learn to drive a car?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I think it would be nice to know. I was always wondering how you do it with such ease. Even


    Hannah drives a car, I want to do it too.¡±


    Hunter nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll take a learner¡¯s license for you, and then I guess I can teach you.¡±


    The following days after that Hunter helped me issue a learner¡¯s license and slowly I was learning to


    drive. It was more fun than I imagined. I wondered how nice it would be if I passed the driving tests and


    then I could drive around while Hunter and Leslie sat in the car. I could take them to the McDonalds


    driveway and I dreamed of ordering my favorite Happy Meal by myself, then I¡¯d drive along the beach


    and maybe the mall¡­and then¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re pushing really hard on the elerator, Blue. Slow down.¡± Hunter¡¯s voice cut through my


    imagination.


    Hunter was a great teacher, but he was also very strict and sometimes pped my thigh when he was


    really annoyed. I loved him nevertheless. A wife couldn¡¯t stay mad at a caring, sweet and handsome


    husband like him even though he was exasperating a lot of times. I just thanked my lucky stars.


    ¡°BLUE! WATCH OUT!¡±


    It happened before I even had time to think.


    I hadn¡¯t even seen the SUVing. It collided towards Hunter¡¯s side and the car crashed into


    something really hard. The windshield shattered and the ss pieces came flying towards us. Hunter


    threw himself at me.


    His hand grasped was grasped in mine. The silver in his eyes flickered. Thest words I heard him say


    were¡­


    ¡°Live for me.¡±

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Blue


    The car crashed into a tree. I could feel my blood rushing to my head and a painful pounding was


    growing there. I pressed my hand on my head and looked around. A car balloon had deted the one


    that was called an air-bag. Hunter had told me that it deted during an ident and prevented a


    severe injury.


    The side of my face that had a gash was filing in, I was healing and it was painful. When the healing


    was for a deeper wound, it usually hurt a lot and it didn¡¯t help that my head was spinning. I could only


    guess what Hunter was going through. I bit my lip from screaming from the pain.


    I turned in my seat to face the passenger side to see how Hunter was doing. ¡°Hunter, are you alright?¡±


    There was no response, and he was looking the other way.


    ¡°Hunter...¡± I touched his cheek and turned his head to face me.


    What I saw there might have driven my heart out of my chest. His silver eyes had lost the beautiful


    spark in them as they stared at me lifelessly.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Say something...¡± I mumbled.


    I didn¡¯t even want to think about what had happened because thinking about it made it seem like it


    actually happened. Maybe this was a dream, I was going to wake up soon.


    I pushed the damaged metal door out of the way and climbed out before walking to the other side. The


    passenger side door had been dented even worse. Still, I managed to pull it open.


    ¡°Hunter...look at me. I¡¯m going to call an ambnce.¡±


    He just stared at me and I let out loud scream. ¡°You can¡¯t...no you can¡¯t be...dead. Look at me,


    Hunter....I¡¯m right here...¡±


    I punched in a number and called 911 and told them it was an emergency.


    Maybe Hunter was just paused like in a game, maybe humans did that when they were in shock. I put


    my arm around him and started dragging him out of the car. He was very heavy but I didn¡¯t have a


    choice. I panted and pulled him with every ounce of my strength.


    Iy him down on the ground and sprinkled water on his face. ¡°Wake up...wake up, please.¡±


    When everything was vain, I buried my face on his chest and a loud sob tore through my body. Even if


    the ambnce arrived here in ten minutes like they said they would, I knew in my heart that he


    wouldn¡¯t just wake up.


    It was impossible.


    I couldn¡¯t feel him. I couldn¡¯t feel his soul inside him.


    ¡°It¡¯s my entire fault.¡± I cried. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    My life was over. With Hunter gone, I didn¡¯t think I could even live anymore. Not as a mermaid and


    certainly not as a human.


    I brought my face close to him and tried to give him CPR when I knew it wasn¡¯t going to work.


    I touched his stomach and saw the dark spot of blood there. A metal had struck one of his arteries and


    he¡¯d bleed to death while I was still unconscious. I cried harder.


    If there was a way that I could heal him back to normal, but healing only worked if the person was alive.


    Hunter was already dead.


    And a part of me may have died with him.


    I couldn¡¯t lose him. There was no way that I was going to sit back and let this happen.


    I joined my hands and prayed, I was sending signals to my brother and to Adrian. The ambnce


    wouldn¡¯t be here until a while and there was a chance that Apollo and Adrian could do something for


    him collectively.


    It was probably a few minutester that through my hazy vision, I saw two figures walking towards me


    from a distance and I knew instantly that it was my brother and Adrian.


    I ran into Apollo¡¯s arms and sobbed. ¡°Hunter...Hunter is...¡±


    He disentangled himself from my embrace and went to check him. The way Apollo¡¯s head hung in pain,


    I knew that the worst had happened. He ced his hands on his eyes and closed them.


    ¡°He is dead, sister.¡±


    I covered my face with my hands and cried. ¡°I love him, I don¡¯t think I can live without him.¡±


    This is exactly what Adrian and Apollo had warned me before I married him. Human lives were fragile


    and if I¡¯d chosen a human as my soulmate, and if by any unfortunate circumstances like these that a


    human partner died, the mermaid suffered an eternity of misery.


    It wasn¡¯t the misery I was concerned about, but more about losing my husband, my lover, my life.


    Adrian ced his hand on my arm. ¡°Other than for you to wait for him to have rebirth there¡¯s nothing


    you can do. He¡¯s your soulmate, he wille back to you.¡±


    I red at Adrian, I knew he meant well but to suggest that I had to wait. ¡°What if it takes him a


    thousand years toe back, Ade? What am I supposed to do until then? Rebirth is like a gamble.


    Some human souls don¡¯t even have a rebirth, what if Hunter is the one who doesn¡¯t?!¡± I reasoned.


    ¡°Adrian is right. He¡¯s your soulmate, he¡¯ll find a way toe back and when he does he will remember


    you. It¡¯s just the wait. You cane back to Antis and stay with us until then.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying, Polo? It¡¯s like confining me to an eternity of waiting! He could


    probably be reborn, grow up and fall in love with someone else before I even get to know him. He could


    be born into another country entirely, with a different personality. He could be born and raised as a


    criminal. He could be one of those men who did bad things. There¡¯s no guarantee the reborn version of


    him would be my Hunter. Besides, I can¡¯t live without him that long, I can¡¯t live each day knowing he¡¯s


    not here...¡±


    ¡°How did this even happen? What did you do?¡± Apollo asked me, his eyes searching mine, his


    expressions turned ck as he made the connection. ¡°Oh god, you did not¡­? You didn¡¯t let him...¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my husband, he wanted to know what it was like to make love to a¡ª¡±


    ¡°You let himmit a grave sin!¡± Apollo ground out saying it as if he couldn¡¯t think of anything more


    disgusting, what seemed so disgusting to them, was love to me. I¡¯d submitted to Hunter in my mermaid


    form, to my husband, I still did not see what was so wrong in it. He went on, ¡°You¡¯re a sacred


    being...having intimate rtions with a human while you¡¯re in human form is still eptable by a few


    ounts, but god forbid, you let him...¡±


    He let the words hang, too disturbed by the thought of saying it out loud. Adrian¡¯s face was as white as


    a sheet, and he copsed onto the sidewalk.


    Apollo blew out a breath. ¡°You don¡¯t have any other choice now. You wait until he¡¯s reborn into a new


    host, a new body.¡±


    I looked straight at my brother. ¡°There is another way.¡±


    As soon as I said that, Apollo shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to do that Blue.¡±


    I sniffed and begged, ¡°Please...Please Pollo, let¡¯s revive him. It¡¯s possible if we do it together.¡±


    He ced both his hands on my shoulders, ¡°do you know what you¡¯re asking? If we revive him, you


    lose your immortality. You may never be able to use magic.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°If we manage to revive Hunter, you wipe off his memory, along with everyone else you¡¯ve associated


    with.¡±


    I gave him a nod. ¡°I would do anything to see him alive. Anything.¡±


    ¡°You will destroy everything just for a selfish desire.¡± Apollo told me, ¡°By bringing Hunter back to life,


    you will condone him to an empty life, he could find another woman, marry her, have kids with her but


    never be happy because he would be connected to you.¡±


    I was breathing hard, and it hurt me to say this. It was like twisting a knife in my stomach. ¡°I want him to


    live, I don¡¯t care what happens to me. I swear to you, if Hunter lives, I will go to Antis with you.¡±


    Apollo swore in Greek and then said in a stern voice, ¡°Andmit another sin? You¡¯ve already broken


    so many rules. You want tomit another sin by staying away from your husband?¡±


    In an adamant voice I said, ¡°As I said, I would do anything to see him alive even if it means...¡± I sobbed,


    ¡°even if it means staying away from him.¡±


    Adrian didn¡¯t seem like he was even in this world as he stared into space. Apollo shook his head and


    said, ¡°You¡¯ve made up your mind, I see. I have never stopped you from doing what you wanted, Blue. I


    always wanted to support your decisions. If you think this man, your husband is worth giving your


    immortality over then we help you.¡±


    I caught both his hands on mine, ¡°oh, thank you, Apollo. If Hunter lives, I promise I will do anything you


    ask of me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about your decision, Blue? Once the ritual isplete and the spells are done, we can¡¯t


    undo it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been so sure in my life. I want to do this.¡± I said adamantly.


    Adrian looked like he¡¯d been punched. ¡°Think about it, Blue. There¡¯s no need for you to sacrifice your


    immortality. He will be reborn.¡±


    ¡°If you won¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll find another way to bring him back to life.¡±


    Apollo looked resigned. ¡°We need to collect some things from the forest for the ritual.¡±


    ¡°We need to do this fast before the ambnce is here. If they know that he is dead, it would be difficult


    to exin how he came back to life.¡± I exined.


    Apollo nodded and the two picked up my husband¡¯s body and took him inside the forest. When his


    body was lowered to the ground, I kneeled down and brought his head in myp. Silently, I wept,


    wiping the bloodstains from his forehead.


    This happened because of me. If I had been paying attention to what he was telling me, this wouldn¡¯t


    have happened. If Adrian and Apollo couldn¡¯t revive him, I couldn¡¯t forgive myself. It would kill Hannah


    if she knew.


    I was ying with nature again. I murmured a silent apology. I was too selfish to let this happen. I loved


    him more than I even loved myself and if bringing him back to life meant making sacrifices, I would do


    it.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Hunter


    I¡¯d been painting for hours now and it seemed to me like time had suddenlye to a standstill. A few


    more strokes and I¡¯ll go to bed, I promised myself. The thing is I didn¡¯t want to go to bed. When I tried


    to sleep, I felt restless. I couldn¡¯t sleep and I either ended up painting until dawn or trying to read a


    book.


    I had a car ident three weeks ago, and ording to my step-mom, I¡¯d been in aa for five days


    straight until I finally woke up in the hospital. My memories were still hazy; in fact, I couldn¡¯t even


    remember the past four months in my life.


    Four goddamn months with no fucking memory! How¡¯s that for a start?


    It seemed like I¡¯d won a lottery, and bought a home. What I didn¡¯t understand is why I would bother


    wasting money in a big ass house when I knew I was going to live here all alone. A maid visited the


    house thrice a week for the cleaning and asionally prepared meals.


    Leslie barked looking at different corners of the house, howled so loud at night, you¡¯d think he¡¯d turned


    into a werewolf.


    I was missing something vital in my life. A very important part that I still couldn¡¯t remember. The doctors


    told me that the memories coulde back eventually, some bullshit reason that it took time. Dr.


    Eugene specifically said something or someone could trigger those memories. I¡¯d seen the way ine


    and Hannah looked at me with some emotion between pity and sympathy, I wasn¡¯t even sure.


    Heck, I¡¯d seen the car that I¡¯d driven during the ident. It resembled a crunched up soda can, and I


    still couldn¡¯t believe that I survived it. A miracle had to get me out of that alive. My memories were


    nk and no one was telling me what happened.


    It really sucked.


    I gave one look towards the painting that I¡¯d almost finished and let out a grunt. Since the ident, I¡¯d


    been especially inspired to paint the ocean. I picked up the bottle of Jack Daniels sitting idle on the


    table and took a swig. The liquor burned its way down my throat and that was a good feeling. It was


    surely better than feeling confused and shit.


    I felt a tug. I looked down to see the annoying brown dog pulling the end of my shirt with his teeth.


    ¡°Les, I already took you out for a walk, I¡¯m not doing it again.¡±


    Leslie bared his teeth and pulled more aggressively.


    ¡°No more treats either,¡± I warned him.


    Suddenly he let go and ran out of the room, came back and threw something on the floor in front of me.


    At first, I thought he wanted to y but when I looked down, I noticed he¡¯d brought me a pair of keys.


    I picked them up and Leslie barked running out of the room. He wanted me to follow him, so I did. He


    ran across the hallway and went downstairs. I followed him down and came to the firstnding. He


    stood right next to the locked room beside the master bedroom. Hisrge chocte brown eyes


    watched me, trying so hard to give me some message.


    I¡¯d wondered why the room was locked, but Hannah had brushed off the issue saying that it was just a


    guest room and I¡¯d suspected that it wasn¡¯t. I picked up the keys, unlocked the door and walked inside.


    I wouldn¡¯t have been more surprised if the room was filled with whips, chains or other sex toys instead


    the room was decorated with stars,s, stuffed toys sat in every corner, a child¡¯s bookshelf. I was


    further taken aback to see the crib near the wall. If it had been old, I¡¯d have thought it was from


    Hannah¡¯s childhood, but this one was all new.


    As if someone had expected a baby.


    So what happened? What was it that my family was not telling me?


    By evening I was sitting alone in Lucifer¡¯s Den waiting for Fred. He was my best friend, surely if my


    sister was acting suspiciously; I knew Fred would help me out.


    Surprisingly, the club was packed even on a weekday like tonight. The club owner, Max Lockhart was


    nowhere in view, and neither was his younger brother Phoenix which was a good thing. Not that I was


    particrly fond of the brothers, but the Lockharts moved around with the kind of superiority that you


    were bound to despise them no matter what.


    ¡°Hey there.¡± A voice that seemed to be dripping in honey cooed.


    I turned to see a brte dressed in tight ck spandex dress seated on the high stool beside me. Her


    short dress rode up so high, I didn¡¯t know why she bothered wearing it. I didn¡¯t normally ogle women


    openly, but you couldn¡¯t look away when a woman was practically shoving her melon sized breasts in


    your face. It was literally spilling out and she was making no attempt at being modest. ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    I downed the remaining drink and signaled Alec for a refill.


    ¡°My friend will be here soon,¡± I told her dismissively.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ivy. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Hunter,¡± I answered.


    ¡°You know...Hunter...¡± she said in a sexy voice, eye-fucking me and seemingpletely unapologetic.


    She leaned closer and I got a strong whiff of her perfume. ¡°I don¡¯t own a bed, but I definitely wouldn¡¯t


    mind using yours tonight.¡± She giggled.


    Iughed because I couldn¡¯t remember thest time any woman had tantly asked me to fuck her.


    She took that as a yes and inched even closer, she could practically be in myp. Normally I wouldn¡¯t


    have any issues taking her up on the offer, but it just didn¡¯t feel right. I didn¡¯t even have a girlfriend and


    yet I had a bad feeling about this. I didn¡¯t want to sleep with this woman.


    There was also the continuous stinging of the tattoo on my arm.


    Alec looked at us and red as he poured me a ss.


    What on earth was this guy¡¯s problem?


    ¡°You ever been fucked by a cactus?¡± I asked her in a low.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She frowned, so I continued, ¡°Because my junk looks and feels like one.¡±


    That did it. She climbed off the stool and scrambled off so fast you couldn¡¯t count from zero to one. I


    heard her mutter ¡®what an asshole¡¯


    ¡°That was rude, man.¡± Fred pped a hand on my back.


    ¡°Have any better ideas to ward off unwanted female attention?¡± I asked him sarcastically.


    He grinned, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re acquainted more in that department. You told me it was urgent. What¡¯s the


    matter?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll go deaf if you keep screaming in my ear like that.¡±


    ¡°Fucking shameless!¡± Alec muttered under his breath, wiping a highball ss with a towel.


    I stared at him for a long time, wondering what had warranted him to say that.


    ¡°Did I unknowingly ran over your dog?¡±


    ¡°I did warn Blue that you weren¡¯t the type to remain loyal in a rtionship, let alone a marriage,¡± Alec


    said. ¡°There¡¯s a limit, you know. You promised her you wouldn¡¯t look at someone else. If she was my...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hear the rest of his yelling because of the loud music. But I did hear the word ¡°marriage.¡±


    I turned in time to see Fred who kept mouthing ¡°cut it out¡± to Alec with a shing movement of his hand


    to the neck. When he noticed that I saw him he stopped and gave me a nervous smile.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°Who is Blue?¡± I asked Alec.


    Blue. That name sounded familiar. Funny thing that I couldn¡¯t remember. By the looks of Alec¡¯s outrage,


    she had to be someone important.


    ¡°Dude, are you fucking kidding me?¡± Alec spat angrily, ¡°How does a man forget his wife?¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Slow down. I have a wife?¡± Iughed because this was fucking hrious. I never got into a


    steady rtionship, marriage was off the charts. I didn¡¯t know if there was even a woman who would


    want to marry someone like me.


    I looked at Fred asked, ¡°Is this guy crazy?¡±


    Fred didn¡¯t respond which was a clear indication that something was definitely wrong.


    I downed thest drink. ¡°Come outside in the parking lot. We need to talk.¡±


    Once outside, I bombarded my friend with the question. ¡°What was Alec talking about?¡±


    Fred shrugged, ¡°You know how Alec can get. He was probably just messing with you.¡±


    ¡°Fredricko, you¡¯re like a brother to me, man...¡± I said looking straight into his eyes and noticed how he


    was avoiding eye-contact. ¡°If you were in my situation, and you would have forgotten important things


    from your life, I would do my best to tell you the truth. I wouldn¡¯t hide anything from you. If I have


    forgotten my wife...if she¡¯s left me for whatever reason, you have to tell me, man. Please. I¡¯m begging


    you. I¡¯m a dickhead, I probably hurt her....right? And then I had an ident. Whatever this is, it¡¯s killing


    me.¡±


    Fred looked guilty. ¡°I promised Hannah I wouldn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    I showed him the underside of my hand, ¡°I have this weird tattoo that I don¡¯t remember getting. It stings


    sometimes. I wake up during odd hours at night and I get glimpses of the ocean. Just waves and I feel


    this weight on my chest like everything¡¯s wrong.¡± My eyes were stinging now, I didn¡¯t even know why I


    was crying but here I was acting like a damn pussy for no apparent reason. The tears trailed down my


    cheeks. I swiped at it with the back of my hand, ¡°is she dead? Is that why you guys are hiding it from


    me? Did shemit suicide? I have to know, man. If I married a woman and if she died because of


    me...¡±


    ¡°Hunt...¡± he began.


    ¡°I deserve to know goddamnit!¡± I yelled punching the nearest wall with my fist.


    ¡°Hannah said that if I break my promise, I¡¯d have to swallow needles.¡±


    I stared at him.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just have to swallow needles then.¡± He smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s sit in the car and talk.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even wrap my head around it.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying my wife is a mermaid?¡± I asked.


    Fred nodded. ¡°That¡¯s God¡¯s truth.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how crazy you sound? You¡¯re saying I married a half-fish woman and you want me to


    believe it.¡±


    ¡°As far as what I¡¯ve known, you two were pretty taken to each other. Literally in love, it was disgusting


    to see you be a lovesick puppy but I can¡¯t say I hated it. It changed you, she changed you.¡±


    I remained silent because it was all so hard to process. Now I kinda wished I¡¯d never pushed Fred to


    tell me the truth.


    ¡°Your wife is really a mermaid, and when you woke up from the ident in the hospital, she was gone.


    Hannah thinks that Blue probably got really scared of the ident and decided she was better off living


    as a mermaid in the ocean.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t believe this unless I have proof because you literally sound like you¡¯ve fallen off your rocker.¡±


    ¡°You can think what you want to.¡± He said, ¡°But if you don¡¯t remember it, I think it¡¯s best you try to look


    into your house, she must have left her things, probably hidden them somewhere. If you manage to find


    her belongings, you might remember.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Guess that¡¯s what I¡¯ll have to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± He said.


    ¡°Why is there a crib in one of the rooms?¡±


    Did I have a child? She did take the baby away from me? Suddenly the thought of a wife that I didn¡¯t


    remember and a child that I didn¡¯t even remember putting inside of her was bing very important to


    me.


    ¡°There was no baby. I heard that you guys were trying really hard for it.¡±


    I sighed. I just couldn¡¯t see myself devoted to someone to want to marry them, much less buy a house.


    I was probably dreaming, and when I woke up I¡¯d realize that there was no ident and no wife.


    ¡°This sounds insane man,¡± I said rubbing my head. ¡°What if she files for a divorce and demands


    money? Do you realize how much money I¡¯m going to lose? She would most likely ask for the house in


    the settlements. I fucking hate this.¡±


    Fred shook his head. ¡°You sound like the same selfish asshole that I used to know before she came


    along. I just told you your wife left and you¡¯re worried about the money you¡¯re going to lose if the


    mermaid files for a separation.¡±


    ¡°Well, one thing is for sure. If she doesn¡¯t file for the divorce, I sure as hell will.¡±

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Hunter


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± I told Fred who was staring at me as if I¡¯d spoken in Chinese.


    ¡°I guarantee you will eat your words when you see her,¡± Fred said.


    And for the first time in my life, I saw what a pissed off Fred looked like. And somehow his mood-


    swings were getting to me too. They wanted to give me half-truths and also get mad when I uttered a


    word. They remembered everything, I didn¡¯t. Someone needed a reality check and fast.


    ¡°Even though we¡¯re married, I don¡¯t know this woman. What if I don¡¯t get my memories at all? How do


    you expect I spend my life with her?¡± I asked.


    He wasn¡¯t going to answer me, frustrated; I put the car into drive and drove to my house. The miles


    stretched on with no words exchanged between us. He thought I was that shallow asshole who¡¯d


    suddenly change my words when I saw just how pretty she was. And that¡¯s the thing. I didn¡¯t care what


    she looked like, okay¡­maybe I was curious, like A LOT but that didn¡¯t change the fact that I wouldn¡¯t


    want to spend my life with a woman I didn¡¯t know.


    When we entered my house, I decided to break the silence because it was getting unbearable. ¡°Okay,


    I¡¯m sorry for what I said. I guess I¡¯m just tired of thinking of all the possibilities that this might go to shit.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to keep up with your attitude, it sure will go to shit, maybe even the sewer.¡± He


    commented, following me upstairs.


    Leslie was right behind us, wagging his tail begging Fred for belly-rubs.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Fred put his hands on his waist, ¡°where did you want to start?¡±


    ¡°I searched through most rooms; the bedrooms, the living area, and the basement. Found nothing


    there.¡±


    ¡°Have you checked the attic?¡± Fred asked.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s where we start.¡± He suggested.


    ¡°You have to understand why it¡¯s so hard for me to believe that I married someone. It¡¯s like she was


    never here. If she lived with me, how did she not leave anything behind? Clothes, makeup, you know,


    women stuff.¡±


    Fred shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. It¡¯s so shady.¡±


    We climbed the stairs to the attic together. The door was locked and I didn¡¯t remember where I left the


    key. Fred picked the lock easily with a sharp-pointed object, and the door gave away. I wanted to ask


    him how he¡¯d acquired the skills of a thief but thought better of it since I didn¡¯t want to piss him off more


    than I already had.


    ¡°You gonna help me look through these or are you just gonna stand there looking pretty?¡± He taunted


    me as he dived into a box.


    His attitude of making me feel like crap was getting on my nerves. He wasn¡¯t going to allow me to y


    the ¡°Amnesia guy¡± card.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into this one.¡± I found another dusty old box and sifted through the contents.


    My old clothes, shoes,ic books, toys, and other useless things started to pop up. An hour passed


    and both Fred and I had no luck finding anything.


    Then suddenly I found this one box pushed far back into one of the old dusty shelves. Something about


    that box was odd. When I pulled the box down on the floor, I noticed how tightly it was shut with a cello-


    tape. The other boxes had been vaguely closed, why was this one specifically wrapped up?


    I tore open the wrapping, feeling like opening a box of Pandora. Inside the box was an instant photo


    camera and a stack of pictures. With shaky hands, I picked it up.


    The first picture was of me taken in a restaurant. I had a huge smile on my face, the kind of smile that I


    didn¡¯t think I ever had, and my arm draped around...


    No one.


    I wasn¡¯t even looking at the camera; I was looking at the invisible being beside me. Feeling


    ufortable, I shifted to the next picture. This time it was a selfie. Clearly, there had to be a person


    posing with me and yet I was alone in this one too.


    Thest picture gave me chills.


    It was a wedding photo. Guests surrounded the area, I was dressed as a groom and I obviously looked


    like I was over the moon, holding hands with the air beside me.


    ¡°Fred, look at these...¡± I whispered.


    Fred dropped whatever he was doing and reached out towards me to take the pictures from my hands.


    ¡°What does this mean?¡± I asked him. ¡°My wife. Are you sure I haven¡¯t imagined her?¡±


    ¡°I clicked some of these pictures and I can swear she was with you. I don¡¯t know how someone can just


    disappear from a picture like a...like a...¡±


    ¡°Like a ghost.¡± Ipleted for him.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He said reluctantly. ¡°This is some kind of sorcery man.¡±


    ¡°I never knew the exact meaning of the word ¡°ghosting¡± on someone until these pictures.¡± I gave out a


    bitterugh.


    Fred shook his head giving me a worried look. He thought I¡¯d changed personalities from Mr. Perfect-


    Married-Guy to Mr. Loony Toons. Heck, he wasn¡¯t even wrong to believe that. If I didn¡¯t put these


    missing pieces of my life together and manage to find my ¡°supposed¡± wife, I sure as hell was going to


    be taken to the funny farm.


    I went back to looking through the rest of the things in the box. I needed a clue, any clue that could


    revive my memories. I dug deeper inside and found a canvas. I tugged it out.


    A beautiful woman was casually draped over the white sheets, cozy and very sensual. On second


    thought, she didn¡¯t possess a pair of legs. This was a mermaid. The painting was breathtaking, and just


    clearly conveyed one message; that the painter waspletely in love with the woman he¡¯d painted.


    Her blue hair was glossy and shining, her eyes a mixture of azure and emerald, glimmering like rare


    expensive jewels in the sunlight, her pink lips puckered and she was sporting azy smile. The colors


    and the strokes were no doubt done by yours truly.


    This was my style.


    This was my painting.


    And yet I had a hard time believing it, much worse I still couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    I couldn¡¯t remember her.


    How was it possible that I¡¯d married such a beautiful woman or creature?


    Theparison wasn¡¯t lost on me. Me marrying her would be simr to Marilyn Monroe marrying her


    bedpost. Yeah, reality fucking sucks.


    ¡°Hey, Fred...¡± I called to him and then stopped.


    I was going to show the painting to him until I realized that I shouldn¡¯t. This was my wife we were


    talking about. She was lying naked on a messy bed which I had no doubt I¡¯d slept in and done various


    things with her. Even though my memory wasn¡¯t serving me properly, I had basic morals to understand


    that this was still far too intimate to show it to a male friend. Her tits were practically on disy. I was


    sure that the pre-ident Hunter would kick my butt to the end of this if I showed this to another


    man.


    ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand?¡±


    I turned it around. ¡°Nothing. Sorry, I can¡¯t show it to you.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s a painting of my naked wife in bed,¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He said, ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°So?¡± I asked, cocking an eyebrow. ¡°Not happening man. You ain¡¯t seeing it.¡±


    He gave me a coy smile.


    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°Thought I saw the glimpse of the old Hunter, the possessive manpletely head


    over heels in love with his girl.¡±


    ¡°Still don¡¯t think that happened. I mean, I understand what you said earlier. She¡¯s gorgeous, looks like


    one of the imaginary mermaids painted on the ceiling of a fancy museum which is why I think there¡¯s a


    snowball¡¯s chance in hell that a woman of that caliber could marry someone like me.¡±


    ¡°If you think that then I guess you haven¡¯t looked at yourself properly in the mirror, have you?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Since when did you start noticing anything about me?¡±


    He showed me the middle finger.


    ¡°I get your point. Women throw their panties at me when I walk by.¡±


    ¡°How conceited of you, Mr. Brantley. I almost fucking gagged.¡±


    I continued, ¡°Regardless, my attractiveness hardly matches her beauty.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember anything after seeing that portrait?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. That¡¯s the fucking problem. No matter how hard I try to recall, I don¡¯t remember a damn thing.¡±


    ¡°I think you need some time to clear your head and think. I¡¯m positive it wille to you. I¡¯ve seen


    some of the other paintings you¡¯ve drawn of her¡­¡±


    When he saw my re, he added, ¡°In which she was fully clothed. You drew her exactly as she was


    without any exaggeration to add to her beauty, to the best of my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been three weeks. I want to remember everything. There are so many things I want to ask her, to


    say to her¡­¡± My hands began shaking. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go mad.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Fred gave me a p on my back. ¡°The Hunter I knew would go to the end of this earth to bring Blue


    back. He worshipped the ground she walked on. That Hunter is still inside you somewhere. You need


    to keep looking.¡±


    ¡°Man, never knew you could give a philosophical talk like that. The Hunter you talk about sounds like a


    mushy guy.¡±


    Fredughed, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what he was.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Hunter


    Days turned to weeks. And I¡¯d spent about two months looking like a mess. Painting and selling them


    to interested clients, I was also doingmissioned work. If I wasn¡¯t painting, I was nursing a bottle of


    Jack Daniels. Lately, Jack had be best friends with me; he helped numb the confusion and the


    pain.


    It was sad, almost too funny the irony that my mother hadn¡¯t wanted me even before I was out of her


    womb, and my wife had clearly deserted me for reasons that I was still searching for to this day. Not


    that I had any mommy issues, but it was a no-brainer that I was basically unwanted.


    It was pathetic. My life as I was living right now, feeling sorry for myself that I was unlovable. The pity-


    party needed to stop. I just didn¡¯t know how. Some of my friends from college had tried to lure me out of


    my cave by asking me to go out for a ¡°fun¡± night which no doubt entailed booze and women, a ce


    where a married man had no business venturing into but would you really call me a married man?


    I had no ring on my hand to prove it; no pictures of my wife save for the portrait I¡¯d painted. No clothes


    of hers, no nothing. Leslie acted weird a lot of times; the annoying mutt would stare at windows and


    bark for twenty-four hours. He tried tomunicate with me, and I wished I could understand the


    Doggo dialect. If there was anyone who would give me the real truth, it was Leslie.


    I was so fucking miserable; I took my father¡¯s Yacht Be Alessia, named after my half-brother, Ryan¡¯s


    deceased Italian mother, and my dad¡¯s first wife. ¡°Be¡± literally meant beauty in Italian and Alessia had


    been her name. During my rebellious, vindictive years, I¡¯d asked, no, teased ine, third wife of father


    dearest about how she felt that he hadn¡¯t changed the name of the Yacht to hers, she¡¯d simply smiled


    and said naming the Yacht ¡°Be ine¡± would have sucked ass and she strongly believed the Yacht


    would have drowned if it was named after her. I was shocked, of course but knew that ine had zero


    mean bones in her body. She¡¯d known that even though Dad loved her a lot, he¡¯d loved Ryan¡¯s mother


    more. If Alessia hadn¡¯t died, ine wouldn¡¯t even be in the picture.


    The games that the universe yed with us were just fucking nasty.


    And here I was spending three days on a Yacht looking for my wife. There was just the Helmsman and


    me on the boat. The Yacht had a total of three bedrooms, a tiny kitchen, and an upper and lower deck.


    My ass was currently parked on the upper deck, downing my fifth or sixth drink (who was keeping


    count?) I was looking into the water, really squinting my eyes.


    ¡°Hey...¡± I called into the water, leaning over. ¡°Hey mermaid, are you in there?¡±


    I could only see my reflection in the calm dark water. ¡°Come on out.¡± I slurred. ¡°Talk...talk to your


    husband.¡±


    With wobbly legs I stood up and holding onto the sides with one hand, I slowly descended down from


    the upper deck to the lower one. My other hand was holding half a bottle of whiskey. I couldn¡¯t even


    see clearly as I stood on the deck, bare feet. I probably stank of liquor, but I didn¡¯t care. I was more


    bothered about drowning my sorrows and pain. I leaned against the boat railing and didn¡¯t even realize


    when I lost my bnce and went tumbling into the sea.


    There was a loud ssh as I submerged into the cold water and I could swear this was a dream and


    that I would wake up any minute but I continued to sink lower and lower, deeper into the sea.


    I didn¡¯t have the strength to swim, couldn¡¯t even feel my limbs. It had to be the alcohol.


    The serene of the sea surrounded me, engulfing me and I thought this is it.


    I was going to die by drowning. I¡¯d often wondered how the victims of a shipwreck must have felt as


    they weed death. Well, now I knew.


    I closed my eyes.


    ***


    My head was spinning when I opened my eyes, and I was still feeling quite sick and dizzy. I was lying


    on the deck floor, and looking up I could see the stars glimmering above.


    I wasn¡¯t dead.


    I could make out the faint outline of a woman kneeling beside me. Her hair was aqua blue in the


    moonlight and she waspletely naked. She held my face in both her hands and wept silently. I


    wanted to open my mouth and tell her that it was okay. I wanted to ask her if she saved my life. There


    were so many things I needed to talk but couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    She was whispering in what seemed to me like Greek, she kept saying it repeatedly.


    ¡°You should have jus lee me drown,¡± I slurred. ¡°I was better off dead anyway.¡±


    I got smacked on my cheek so hard, I think I¡¯d lost some of the effects of whiskey. I had iting from


    a mile away. I chuckled, ¡°Hit me again. I like pain; it makes me realize that I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    She mumbled something unintelligible. Her voice was melodious and sweet. She could sing for hours


    and I would still be here listening to her.


    ¡°English,¡± I said between a cough. ¡°I speak English.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say a word, just stared at me with her big blue eyes, and batted her longshes at me.


    Slowly she caressed my cheek. Her expressions were unreadable but she was trying to convey her


    words through her eyes.


    ¡°Do you understand English?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Talk to me, Blue.¡±


    When she heard her name, her eyes became the size of dinner tes and she scrambled to get to her


    feet and I knew she was leaving.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I called out to her desperately.


    She stopped and turned.


    ¡°Please Stay.¡±


    She appeared to be reluctant but walked back towards me. I tried not to look at her from the neck down


    but my eyes kept straying there. You couldn¡¯t tell a man who hadn¡¯t seen his wife in two months not to


    stare at her when she waspletely naked.


    She whispered three words. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ***


    I woke up with a bad hangover under bed-sheets and the worst bedroom on the boat. Bile rose in my


    throat and I reached out for the bucket sitting below and threw up in it.


    Iy there watching the ocean wavespping from the little round window and wondering if I¡¯d dreamed


    aboutst night.


    Did a mermaid really save my life or was that a figment of my imagination?


    The boat was still docked somewhere. My head was pounding so badly, I couldn¡¯t even move it without


    wincing. I regretted having to be drunk enough that I couldn¡¯t tell the difference between reality and


    dream.


    ¡°CAPTAIN!¡± I screamed. I called the Helmsman as Captain which was funny because he¡¯d never sailed


    a boatrger than a private yacht.


    I heard the loud thumping of footsteps and he threw open the door, ¡°Sir.¡± He addressed me.


    ¡°Was I drunk out of my mindst night?¡±


    ¡°You were drinking from four p.m until mid-night which is when I saw you on the lower deck. Two


    bottles are empty.¡±


    ¡°Did I drown?¡±


    He paled. ¡°Not to my knowledge.¡±


    Why does every freakin¡¯ body have no clue about anything in my life?


    ¡°Can I get you breakfast, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I said and dismissed him.


    The best thing about being at the sea, you couldn¡¯t receive any calls or texts. My phone had one bar for


    the signal. If Dad, ine, Hannah, and Ryan wondered where I was, they were going to be in for a


    surprise when they find the Yacht gone.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    And they would be worried to death. Served them right for keeping me in the dark. I expected to see


    over two dozen missed calls on my phone when I received somework.


    My mind wandered to my supposed ¡°wife.¡± She gave off the kind of warmth that I didn¡¯t mind getting


    used to. I¡¯d seen the longing in her eyes as clear as day. Of course, I hadn¡¯t imagined it and a part of


    me had split open. I didn¡¯t know what I had lost and yet the loss felt excruciating.


    If the mermaid wasn¡¯t here and I¡¯d imagined her in my drunk state then I was definitely going crazy.


    ***


    Six months. That¡¯s how much time I spent after my memory loss, four months since thest time I¡¯d


    seen Blue on the Yacht. Or at least I thought I saw her.


    The more time passed, the more desperate I was getting.


    Pain and confusion had turned into bitterness.


    My step-mom was the most supportive; she told me if Blue loved me, she woulde back. I didn¡¯t


    believe her anymore. If my wife loved me, she would have at least made an attempt to speak with me,


    tell me the reason she left. Some of my friends were telling me it wasn¡¯t worth it, that no woman was


    worth being so goddamn obsessed over. They urged me to move on.


    Promise me, Hunter, that you won¡¯t love anyone else other than me.


    I took a long sip of my coffee as I remembered those words from a time that I didn¡¯t remember her


    saying it to me. I pressed my head and murmured, ¡°Get out of my head!¡±


    I walked over to the kitchen and looked through the cabs. I didn¡¯t have much food left and I¡¯d


    already sacked the maid because I didn¡¯t need to pay someone to stock for just me when I could drive


    to the grocery store by myself.


    I sshed water over my face, flossed, and pulled on a pair of casual t-shirt and jeans. I needed to do


    some shopping.


    I drove to the nearest supermarket which was about fifteen minutes away from the house. I dumped


    things into my trolley distractedly. Turns out money wasn¡¯t an issue any longer. I could buy anything I


    wanted, eat whatever I wished without caring about paying bills.


    There were so many good things in life that came with money and yet I had nothing. At one point in my


    life, I remembered money was all I ever wanted to have.


    I pushed the trolley ahead and thought I noticed a sh of blue hair. The cans of tuna slipped out of my


    hand andnded on the floor as I ran ahead. I ran through the aisle of shelves like a mad-man


    possessed to see it again, to prove myself that I wasn¡¯t losing my mind.


    And there she was.


    Standing at the end of the aisle trying to reach the top-most shelf, she was so short she couldn¡¯t even


    reach it standing on her tiptoes. Her long blue hair was tied in a messy bun at her nape, and she was


    dressed in a pink, loose fitted knee-length dress.


    I reached for it easily and held it out the box of Cereal for her, ¡°Here.¡±


    She seemed shocked when she saw me and froze. Her expressions were unreadable but she stared at


    me, her entire body shaking.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I said desperately. ¡°I just want to talk.¡±


    Taking advantage of the fact that she wasn¡¯t moving, I touched her arm and snippets beganing


    back to me. I sucked in my breath as the first wave of memory hit me, followed by another, and then


    another.


    Me carrying a mermaid from the beach. Wrapping her up in a nket at my old apartment. Teaching


    her how to walk. Blue smiling up at me with trust in her eyes. Blue hugging me. Blue crying in my arms


    when she was lost. Blue saying she loved me.


    I started breathing hard because I was hurting.


    This was hurting me like nothing ever had.


    My memories wereing back.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Blue


    Hunter held out the box of Cereal towards me but I continued to stare at him. He looked much more


    built than before, his shoulders were broad and I could see the hard outline of his chest as it rose and


    fell. His golden-brown hair used to be shorter, the curls had grown out of control and he had a bit of


    stubble.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    My stomach took a flight of butterflies and I felt like my legs were going to give up.


    I missed him. So much.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± He assured me. ¡°I just want to talk.¡±


    And I couldn¡¯t believe that he was telling me the truth. Contrary to what he¡¯d said, Hunter seemed to


    have every intention of hurting me.


    And I didn¡¯t mean physically but mentally. I could feel it. He wanted to break me until I was crying,


    apologizing, groveling at his feet. I had never been scared of him, but right now I had every reason to


    be. He wanted to make me suffer in the worst possible way.


    A shiver ran down my body thinking about his intentions.


    He was the same Hunter, and yet he was different. Reviving him had its own downsides.


    I didn¡¯t even realize when I started shaking.


    He touched my shoulder and suddenly he was breathing erratically, holding his head in his hands. This


    was my chance to run, but I couldn¡¯t. I just couldn¡¯t leave when he was in such pain.


    He was breathing hard and I didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Should I call an ambnce?¡±


    And then just like that, it stopped. He appeared to have be normal, the pain had subsided. His


    breathing had be stable. I stopped there with him for a while, it seemed like he was trying to


    compose his thoughts. He looked everywhere but me, lost in aplete daze. He looked alright, and I


    knew that was my clue to leave so I started walking away.


    ¡°We¡¯re not finished here.¡± He barked from behind me.


    Before I could dash away, he charged forward towards me. Forcefully, he grasped my hand. His


    smoldering gray eyes looked directly at me, his jaw was set hard. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± He seethed, ¡°what¡¯s wrong, Blue? If you thought you were going to fool around with a human


    for a few months, y marriage and fucking leave, well, I have bad news for you because that shit ain¡¯t


    happening.¡±


    My neck broke into a cold sweat.


    He remembers!


    I only understood ¡°fool around¡± and ¡°y marriage.¡± I didn¡¯t understand the rest of his words.


    ¡°How do you remember?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I remember each and every damn thing, Sweetheart.¡± He said the word ¡°sweetheart¡± like a taunt. ¡°How


    I found you, how we fell in love, how I married you...¡± he brought his face close to mine, his eyes


    menacing slits, ¡°how I made youe several times each day. I recall everything.¡±


    My cheeks burned and he chuckled, mockingly. ¡°Shocked? Well, I have some more. I remember dying


    and you...¡± he pointed an using finger at me, ¡°You brought me back from the dead!¡±


    Tears rolled down my cheeks and I tried to blink them away. ¡°Hunter...¡±


    ¡°You expect me to express my gratitude for saving my life?¡± He demanded, walking into my space.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it because you sure left me there all confused and without a trace of a memory. I


    don¡¯t think that warrants a ¡°thank you¡± card, right?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡± I choked.


    ¡°Of course you did!¡± He spat with venom in his tone.


    ¡°You died because of me, I killed you,¡± I said holding a hand over my heart because the thought of


    Hunter dying again was insufferable. ¡°I had to do something to bring you back. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you know what you¡¯re sorry for?¡± He asked, his zing hot gaze pining me, ¡°You should


    be sorry and that¡¯s not for causing the ident. You should be sorry for bringing me back to life and


    then leaving me alone to deal with all of this.¡±


    I sobbed silently.


    He caught my chin between his fingers and willed me to look into his face. ¡°Do you have any idea


    about how many nights I have spent without sleeping, looking, searching for someone who I didn¡¯t even


    know?! Do you realize how hard this was on me?¡±


    I gave him a nod.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± He snarled and I flinched.


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am, is there a problem here?¡± A store employee was standing beside me, throwing


    looks between Hunter and me. He didn¡¯t like Hunter¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to my wife. There¡¯s no problem here.¡± Hunter told her without taking his eyes off me.


    The intensity in his gray eyes gave me goosebumps.


    If this person didn¡¯t leave, I didn¡¯t trust Hunter to remain calm. Right now the way he was, he could start


    a storm or a hurricane, maybe even punch through a mountain without a problem. His anger was


    zing hot.


    ¡°Miss?¡± She asked me nervously.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I assured her with a smile.


    Hunter looked at my trolley and then began dumping the contents into his trolley without asking. His


    mother and Hannah had warned me about his possessive streak countless times, but I had never


    encountered it until now.


    When the employee left nervously, he turned to me, ¡°I¡¯m going to pay for our things and you¡¯re going to


    stay beside me the entire time. When I¡¯m done, we¡¯re going to talk outside. You¡¯re not going to move a


    muscle. Am I understood?¡± He demanded in a tone that challenged defiance.


    I gave him a nod.


    He started walking away, pushing the trolley. He looked back, ¡°I told you to stay beside me.¡±


    ¡°But you also told me not to move a muscle.¡±


    He sighed as if he¡¯d run out of patience. ¡°Blue,e.¡±


    I had expected a far better reunion, the type where you see in movies. In the movie, two doors swung


    open and the couple ran out from each door,ughing, cheering and then hugged each other, the man


    hugged her so fiercely that he picked her up off her feet and swayed her, going round and round.


    Guess that wasn¡¯t going to happen with me, not with Hunter acting so furious. Never had I been so


    scared of my husband¡¯s wrath before.


    After Hunter paid for the items, he picked up the bags easily. Husbands were pretty useful that way;


    they could carry heavy things and objects without batting an eye. He put all the things in the trunk of his


    car.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going with you,¡± I said softly.


    He gave me a death re. ¡°Why the fuck not?¡±


    Another thing I did notice. Hunter never used to swear when I was around, now he seemed to have


    stopped caring.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You areing with me and that¡¯s final.¡± He dered.


    ¡°You won¡¯t force me,¡± I said weakly.


    ¡°Why did you leave me, Blue?¡± He asked. It was obvious that I had hurt him a lot. ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to


    be with me, you had your chance. Why did you have to...¡±


    Unable to utter a word, I stared at him silently.


    ¡°Is it me? Did I do something wrong?¡± He pressed. ¡°Please tell me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not safe around me,¡± I said. ¡°I can kill you again.¡±


    He grasped my shoulders, ¡°that ident wasn¡¯t your fault. Stop ming yourself ande home with


    me.¡±


    Home. The ce I longed to go to. I wanted nothing more than to be with Hunter. I wanted to go home,


    watch Hunter paint for hours in the morning, make love to him, y with Leslie. I wanted all those


    things. I yearned for it.


    I shook my head, sobbing. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    He lifted my chin up to meet his eyes and I could clearly see that I¡¯d split his heart open. ¡°Please.¡± He


    begged. Tears were forming in his eyes. ¡°I love you. No one could ever love you as much as I do,


    Blue.¡±


    I knew that.


    He caressed my hair softly. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to. If you want to return to the ocean, baby, I¡¯ll


    allow it. When you gave me another life and left me, I couldn¡¯t find any real happiness. You sentenced


    me to a life of misery. Do you understand that? I don¡¯t think I can live without you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you.¡± I wiggled my arm out of his hold.


    ¡°Maybe you lost interest in me while I was gone, I understand if you did. I¡¯m only a human after all. The


    ocean must be so much better than living here. No matter how much I¡¯ve said we¡¯re equals, it¡¯s the fact


    that we¡¯re not. You¡¯re a mythical being, I¡¯m so far beneath you, I know it, but you¡¯re also my wife and I


    love you more than anything. If there¡¯s just one percent of the possibility that you can love me back,


    sweetheart, Please¡­¡±


    Hunter¡¯s eyes strayed to my stomach just then and all the color drained from his face. He looked at my


    stomach and then at me. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before because he¡¯d been too angry to see anything


    straight. ¡°Are you...are you pregnant?¡±


    I ced a hand on my stomach. ¡°Yes.¡±


    His face broke into a huge smile, the one I¡¯d been waiting to see for such a long time. He reached out


    to touch it until he stopped and straightened, he scowled at someone behind me.


    Hunter¡¯s entire body shook with what I knew was pure, unadulterated rage. Adrian came up beside me


    and ced a hand on my shoulder which added fuel to fire. Hunter¡¯s vein was sure to pop but he


    controlled his temper.


    To my utter horror, he raised his hand out towards Adrian. ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    Adrian shook hands with him, he didn¡¯t know what he was being congratted for and I was ovee


    with shame.


    How could Hunter be so stupid? He clearly thought I was pregnant with Adrian¡¯s child.


    Hunter spared me a nce and said, ¡°Now I understand why you were so reluctant to go home with


    me. If you wanted to go to Adrian, Blue, all you had to do was tell me.¡± He said. His eyes were red-


    rimmed. ¡°And I was better off dead.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Adrian asked. ¡°You got your memories back?¡±


    I squeezed Adrian¡¯s hand to shut him up from saying more further. Hunter noticed our hands joined,


    and probably got the wrong idea. He looked up at me and said, ¡°Take care, Blue.¡±


    I watched as he took out my things from his trunk and sat into his car. His expressions werepletely


    resigned. He wouldn¡¯t have given up so easily if it hadn¡¯t been for him assuming that I¡¯d wanted to be in


    a rtionship with Adrian. I was married to Hunter, how could he think so ill of me?


    I waited until I¡¯d seen the car leave.


    Adrian nudged me. ¡°Why did you lie to him? That¡¯s his child growing inside you.¡±


    I burst into a loud nerve-wracking sob and Adrian hugged me closer, slowly drawing circles over my


    back and shushing me. ¡°I love him so much, I want to protect him.¡±

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Hunter


    I had never experienced what a real heartbreak felt like until now; the heartache, it was unbearable.


    Blue had literally reached inside my chest, ripped out my heart and crushed it with bare hands.


    I almost regretted going after her like that. I should have just let it go. She had clearly told me she didn¡¯t


    want me, what else did I need to prove?


    I literally drove around without paying attention to where I was going. Instead of going to my house, I


    drove to my father¡¯s because I didn¡¯t trust myself to be alone at that moment. I was desperate and my


    toxic imagination was driving me insane.


    I parked the car in the parking space and cut the engine.


    I clenched and unclenched the steering wheel. The image of Blue standing next to Adrian made me so


    ill I could taste bile in my throat. And my imagination was pretty fucking wild if you ask me.


    The images kept pushing through, of Blue getting naked with Adrian and the two of them together


    doing things that we¡¯d once done together.


    Where had I gone wrong? We were married, she and I. She loved me, or at least she used to and then


    she¡¯d gone ahead and ruined everything by sleeping with another man.


    Maybe this was karmaing for me; for all the girls that I¡¯d slept with and never responded to their


    messages. Hell, I¡¯d been bad, I¡¯d broken several hearts but by god, I never led anyone on, never been


    in a real rtionship, and never cheated on someone. I never looked at another woman while I was in


    love with Blue.


    So why did I deserve this again?


    With shaky hands, I reached for a bottle of Jack that I kept stashed in my car for emergencies like


    these and took a long drink. Only after I¡¯d emptied it, I stepped out of the car.


    Inside the house, I walked into the housekeeper. ¡°Nana, is mom home?¡±


    She appeared to be bbergasted for a moment; for the fact that I¡¯d turned up drunk or because I


    called ine ¡°Mom¡±, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°She¡¯s upstairs in her room.¡± She told me, ¡°Are you alright, Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± I muttered before climbing the stairs.


    I knocked on her door once when I heard a soft confirmation, I walked inside. ine was seated by the


    study table near the bay window, typing on herptop. She was a fashion blogger and used to be a


    model so when she married my dad, she stopped her modeling work.


    ¡°Hey.¡± She called out as she looked at me once before turning to theputer and then quickly did


    another double-take.


    I must look like a mess for her to look at me with so much pity.


    ¡°Hey honey, how nice of you to drop by,¡± She said, smiling up at me.


    I kneeled down in front of her while she was still sitting in her chair and ced my head in herp.


    She must be shocked to find me literally begging for her affection, considering the fact that I had


    always rejected her for years. It¡¯s not that I hated ine, I just hated myself.


    Her hands hovered over my head for a split second before her fingers slowly caressed my hair.


    ¡°Sweetie...Hunter, tell me what¡¯s wrong...¡±


    Tears trailed down my face but I didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Honey, talk to me.¡± She cooed softly.


    She was bing excessively concerned. It was probably because I never came to her with my


    problems, not that I went to anybody. I just bottled up my sorrow, didn¡¯t talk to people and in the past


    that seemed to have worked well.


    Not this time though.


    ¡°Is this about Blue?¡± She inquired.


    And that¡¯s when the dam broke and I began to cry. Loud, gut-wrenching sobs heaving from the depths


    of my heart. It was like a cloak of despair had wrapped itself around me.


    I had rendered her speechless, that¡¯s for sure. A grown-ass man brawling so loudly like a child who had


    lost his favorite toy wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience for a woman.


    I buried my face in herp and cried and cried while she stroked my head slowly, and lovingly, ¡°Tell me


    what happened, baby?¡±


    I lifted my head up towards her, not caring one bit that I probably had snot dripping down from my nose.


    And ine, god, she needed to be given the Mother of the Year award because she casually wiped my


    face with the back of her three-thousand dor or something dress sleeve and kissed the top of my


    head.


    She had to genuinely love me to do that.


    ¡°She¡¯s nevering back to me,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t want me anymore,¡± I choked, still sobbing like a fucking baby. ¡°I saw her today at


    the supermarket. She¡¯s pregnant with another man¡¯s child. She doesn¡¯t even want to speak with me.¡±


    Her hand flew to her mouth. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s true?¡±


    ¡°Of course. He was standing there with her.¡±


    Just thinking about Adrian made my blood boil. I wanted to hit a wall hard.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie,¡± Mom said, but she wasn¡¯t trying to feed me some pity speech, she seemed to be as


    taken aback as I was with this entire thing.


    ¡°You must think I¡¯m a new brand of pussy, crying my eyes out like this in front of you,¡± I said.


    ¡°First of all, mind yournguage, young man,¡± She warned me, then added, ¡°Secondly, grown men cry


    all the time. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. What¡¯s wrong, however, is the people who make these dumb


    rules.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what my fault is. All I did was love her, and I thought she loved me back, she said


    she did. I might have gotten a little obsessive over her sometimes but what man doesn¡¯t get like that


    over his wife? I¡¯m sure dad did that all the time with you.¡±


    She chuckled, a soft ringing sound filled with warmth. ¡°Yeah, he did that.¡± She recalled. ¡°He was


    overbearing a lot of times.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re still here with him after all these years. There has to be something wrong with me.¡± The


    tears were still streaming down my cheeks. ¡°I must bepletely unlovable.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just like your father.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking that as apliment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re caring, kind, thoughtful, honest and sweet and a little rough around the edges, like your dad,


    but your brother Ryan¡¯s different, he¡¯s like an open book. There¡¯s no mystery to Ryan like you. He was


    always a good, obedient kid.¡±


    ¡°And I was the worst, right? Getting arrested, running away from home, transferring schools. I gave you


    a hard time in myte teens. I was not a good son, and definitely not a good husband.¡± I sniffed, ¡°I¡¯m


    fucking worthless.¡±


    ¡°Again, Language,¡± She repeated. ¡°Before I married your dad, he put some conditions for me; he said


    he wouldn¡¯t marry me if I didn¡¯t keep my word.¡±


    Yeah. That was exactly like Wyatt Brantley. He would put conditions applied to a marriage. I had no


    doubt about it.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± I was curious.


    ¡°He said he wanted me to be your mother. He told me Ryan was a tough kid, that he¡¯d watched his


    mother get buried and never cried in front of anyone. You, on the other hand, it¡¯s a different story. He


    said and I quote him because I remember his words exactly ¡®Hunter is a rebellion and he is difficult to


    love. He will reject you, tell you things he doesn¡¯t mean, make you cry but you still have to continue to


    love him like I do, will you do that for me?¡¯ He asked me, Hunt, and at first I wasn¡¯t sure if I was doing


    the right thing by you but slowly I did love you for who you were. I epted that all children aren¡¯t the


    same. If you love someone you ept them.¡±


    I was speechless. Dad really cared that much about me?


    ¡°You¡¯re not a bad person, Honey, your circumstances are bad.¡±


    ¡°Even if I ask Blue toe back to me, there¡¯s really no point. I mean, she obviously likes Adrian more


    than she liked me and now she¡¯s pregnant with his kid. I can¡¯t be selfish and force her to choose me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Mom said. ¡°You can¡¯t force anyone to love you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I can do with my life,¡± Iined. ¡°I don¡¯t even think I want to live anymore.¡±


    She continued to run her fingers through my hair and that was soothing. ¡°How about you take a short


    vacation to somewhere nice? Japan, maybe? Kyoto will especially be beautiful right now, you know


    with the Cherry Blossom seasoning along. Take Fred with you. We will sponsor Fred¡¯s ticket. You


    could go on a shopping spree for the G.I Joe toys there. Imagine how much fun that would be.¡±


    ¡°You mean Gundam.¡± I corrected her.


    ¡°They all look the same to me.¡± She admitted.


    I really appreciated her attempts at cheering me up, truly I did, but no amount of cherry blossom or


    collecting Gundam figures was going to stop this heartache.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about that.¡±


    A getaway to another country sounded about right. It could at least take my mind off things.


    ¡°I made chocte cupcakes today. Do you want to try?¡± She asked me, trying her best to cheer me up.


    ¡°I would love to,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Hunter, maybe it would be better if youe to live with us for a few days.¡± She suggested. I knew


    what she was thinking.


    That I would kill myself if I was left alone.


    ¡°It would be hard to go to college. I¡¯d have to travel forty-five minutes and that¡¯s if I didn¡¯t include the


    traffic on the roads.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Do what you think is right. Maybe I¡¯ll stop by once a while.¡±


    This woman wasn¡¯t going to give up.


    ¡°And I want you to stop drinking.¡± She said and then she caught my face in her hands. ¡°Also remember,


    you¡¯re not unlovable. I would give anything¡­anything to see you happy, and I mean truly happy and I


    saw that she did that to you. You constantyughed with her. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a misunderstanding,


    honey. If Blue is meant to be with you, she wille back.¡±


    Looks like she never heard a word I said.


    Blue was nevering back. Period.


    ¡°Can you sing me a song?¡± I asked changing the subject.


    ¡°Which song?¡±


    ¡°The one you used to sing to Hannah when she used to cry.¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°You know, I tried to sing songs to you too when you were about ten but you wouldn¡¯t let


    me.¡±


    ¡°Well, now I do,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re too old to listen to songs, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m busy. My voice might be a little rusty.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I like rusty.¡±


    She hummed a tune and I closed my eyes. I was really hungry for love, any type of affection to be


    honest.


    Thest thing I remembered was her soft voice singing, soothing me.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Blue


    ¡°Be honest with me, Blue. What is our future together?¡± Adrian asked me a few days after I¡¯d met


    Hunter in the supermarket.


    I was stirring a pot; preparing stew for dinner when his question caught me off-guard. I looked straight


    at him. ¡°What do you mean our future?¡±


    Adrian¡¯s emerald eyes cut through me, and there was a smug expression stered on his face which I


    hated. ¡°How long are we going to y house? Aren¡¯t you going to...what do the humans call it...ah, yes,


    divorce your husband?¡±


    I shot him a look. ¡°I would never divorce Hunter. I thought I told you that before and as far as our future


    is concerned, we¡¯ve always been friends and that will continue to be.¡±


    Adrian picked up an apple from the table and munched on it. He¡¯d especiallye to love fruits here


    from the human world.


    I watched him as he propped his legs on the table with shoes on, something that I hated. There were a


    lot of habits of Adrian that I didn¡¯t like. For example, the way he would interrupt me when I was


    speaking, or the way he would always taunt me and say how much he hated my cooking. And he would


    always talk with his mouthful. Maybe I found so many faults in Ade because we were childhood friends,


    but I couldn¡¯t help butpare him to Hunter.


    I¡¯d loved everything about Hunter. His golden-brown hair like a polished shiny coin, his intense silver


    eyes, and his deep sensuous voice, the way his delicious body would respond to my touch, the soft


    kisses he nted on my face when I woke up in the morning, hisrge hands that caressed me in a


    possessive way. It all drove me crazy.


    I was feeling needy and now especially since I had been under close proximity to him. I knew what I


    was missing out on.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking to the walls,¡± Adrian said.


    He¡¯s been talking and I¡¯d been lost in my own world, thoughts filled with Hunter.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t speak in riddles. Say what you want to.¡±


    ¡°Come sit here with me.¡± Adrian patted the empty space on the couch beside him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    I sighed, turned off the stove and went to sit next to him.


    ¡°This can¡¯t continue forever.¡± He said. ¡°Apollo and I have been taking turns living here with you because


    we don¡¯t have a choice. If you want to continue to live this way then we should get married. I mean,


    Hunter thinks that you¡¯re carrying my child so it won¡¯t be such a big deal if we actually tied the knot.¡±


    ¡°Never!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a selfish mermaid, did you know that?¡±


    I remained silent.


    ¡°You won¡¯t go back to your husband, you won¡¯t even let him live in peace, you won¡¯t break it off with


    him either. So you¡¯re just ying with several lives. Apollo has things to take care of in Antis, do you


    think it¡¯s okay for you to make him worry all the time? I mean, look at the mess you¡¯ve created. It was


    your decision to break the rules, your decision to marry a human and to have his baby. We warned you


    about the consequences but you didn¡¯t listen.¡±


    My lower lip quickened. ¡°If I go back to Hunter, I may kill him again identally. I don¡¯t want that to


    happen. Don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    ¡°Wake up, Blue,¡± Adrian said. ¡°Did you even look at his face properly when he left that day? He¡¯s a


    dead man walking!¡±


    I pped him across his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that about him again. Ever.¡±


    Adrian didn¡¯t seem fazed, he continued. ¡°If you don¡¯t go back to Hunter, he will kill himself. You


    sacrificed your immortality to bring him back, and if hemits suicide, it would be your fault again.


    Think about it. He¡¯s going to die and then you would wander around, living as long as humans live and


    then die. Hunter may be reborn and when that happens, he¡¯s going to look for you to find you gone.


    The cycle of misery repeats.¡±


    ¡°What do you know? He could find another woman to marry.¡± I said. ¡°And maybe she would keep him


    happy.¡±


    ¡°He bares the mermaid¡¯s mark. Let¡¯s say if he fights through his desire of being with you, and gets


    married to some other woman, he won¡¯t be able to keep her happy. Do you realize how many lives


    you¡¯re going to destroy?¡± He continued, ¡°When you were getting married to Hunter, Apollo warned him


    that falling in love with a mermaides with a curse.¡± Adrian chuckled, ¡°Guess he didn¡¯t realize the


    price he was paying for falling in love with you. That poor man, I feel sorry for him.¡±


    I wanted to p my friend again, but I stopped myself.


    ¡°What if we removed the mark?¡±


    ¡°That has a lot of risks. He could just die from the pain. Removing the mark causes excruciating pain


    even for a mermaid; a human body won¡¯t handle it. Again, if he dies, it¡¯s on you.¡±


    The baby inside me kicked. I ced my hand on my stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s affecting him, and it¡¯s affecting you. You¡¯re obviously in a delicate state right now, and worrying so


    much is not good for your health or the baby.¡±


    I knew he was telling the truth. I covered my face with my hands and cried. I felt Adrian¡¯s hand over my


    head as he pulled me closer sideways and I ced my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a coward, Blue.¡± He said. ¡°You love each other, don¡¯t give him unnecessary heartache.¡±


    I looked up at him, ¡°what if he dies again from illness or another ident? What would I do?¡±


    ¡°That can also happen to a mermaid, we die all the time and sometimes the soulmate wanders around


    helplessly. At least you¡¯re not immortal anymore. You will do your duty by Hunter¡¯s child. Do what every


    human would do.¡±


    Adrian took my hand in his and caressed it softly. ¡°I love you, Blue. I really did since we were little and I


    always imagined us together; marrying and having children of our own. But in the back of my mind, I


    knew that you didn¡¯t feel the same about me and then you ran away from our world leaving everything


    and everyone behind. When I saw you with Hunter, and the way the two of youmunicated, it


    shattered my heart but I was happy for you. When he died, I thought it was over and that you would


    come back to me but even thinking of it is so wrong. You¡¯re his woman, his wife. He deserves you.¡± He


    smiled, ¡°don¡¯t get me wrong. I still don¡¯t like that husband of yours.¡±


    Iughed through the tears because this was new. Adrian talking about Hunter in this way.


    ¡°But I could see that he gave you immense happiness. He loves you too much. You took these risks for


    him, and now you want to throw it all away because you¡¯re scared? You are braver than that, Blue.


    Truthfully, you were the bravest from all of your siblings. They would have never dared to step foot


    outside of Antis for fear of banishment.¡±


    He touched my stomach. ¡°This is his child, it¡¯s half-human. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯remitting a grave


    sin by lying to him? By keeping this baby away from his father? What if the baby grows up and asks


    you about his pat¨¦ras (father), and what answer you would give this child?¡±


    How had I not thought of all that? I hated to admit but Adrian was right. About everything he had said.


    The clock ticked and time passed, neither of us said anything. Adrian was watching me carefully.


    I squeezed his hand, ¡°Ade, what if he doesn¡¯t ept me now? What if it¡¯s toote?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days since west saw him. If you talk to him, Blue, he would understand.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± I said.


    The baby kicked again. I smiled, ¡°I think the baby really wants to get to know his daddy.¡±


    ¡°His?¡± Adrian looked amused. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a boy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m just thinking that it could be a little boy who looked like Hunter with his golden hair and


    silver eyes.¡± I yearned for the day I could hold our baby, ¡°my own little Hunter.¡±


    I looked out of the window, it has started pouring really heavily but I didn¡¯t think I could wait until


    tomorrow.


    ¡°Ade, I¡¯m really sorry that I pped you. I was really angry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He said. ¡°As long as you go back to your husband and I no longer have to tolerate you. All¡¯s


    good.¡± He grinned and I punched him yfully.


    ¡°Can you take me to him right now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s pouring outside.¡± He pointed out.


    ¡°I want to see him right now. I can¡¯t wait until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Pack your stuff.¡±


    * * *


    Hunter


    I had finished taking a long hot shower and was preparing dinner for the evening. A horror movie was


    paused on Netflix while I¡¯d made egg sd and some grilled sausages which I was going to enjoy with


    a tall ss of iced tea.


    I wasn¡¯t particrly happy about my situation and I missed Blue, but somehow keeping myself busy


    with cooking or painting or studying helped me take my mind off her. The most difficult part was going


    to bed because when I tried to sleep, I stayed awake for hours thinking why this had happened.


    I recalled each and everything and it just continued to give me heartache. If I died of heartache in my


    bed one day, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    The clock chimed to nine-thirty p.m when I heard the doorbell.


    I thought it was Hannah or Fred or maybe both. They usually checked on me to make sure I was


    alright. I was on a suicide watch. Sometimes they even asked me to tag along with them for a movie


    and I¡¯d rather swallow my used sock than be the third wheel.


    I looked out of the window and noticed how hard it was pouring tonight.


    Who could be here at this hour? I wasn¡¯t sure if those idiots would be so desperate to see me that they


    would soak in the rain.


    I opened the door and saw Blue standing there on the doorstep, holding an umbre.


    I had to be hallucinating.


    I started to close the door when she said, ¡°Wait!¡±


    That¡¯s when I knew it wasn¡¯t a dream. She was really here.


    Her long hair was tied in a long French braid, and she was wearing a short loose fitted dress. Again, if I


    hadn¡¯t known that she was pregnant, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed at all. Her baby bump was a really cute


    one, the type where it made a woman look even more attractive and just added to their beauty.


    Adrian was a lucky asshole.


    Blue¡¯s cheeks were flushed and she seemed worried for some reason.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Can Ie inside?¡± She asked.


    I opened the door wide. ¡°Of course,¡± And then I noticed a suitcase on the floor.


    Holy-shit! Why was she carrying a suitcase? Did Adrian throw her out of the house? Did they have a


    fight? Was I supposed to act as a buffer between them?


    Dear God, anything but thatst one.


    I carried her suitcase inside the house which was actually heavier than I thought. Leslie came barking


    into the hallway andunched himself at Blue, sniffing, licking and jumping up and down from sheer


    happiness.


    That stupid dog needed to understand Blue wasn¡¯t here to stay.


    Sheughed as she ruffled his fur and whispered something to him that I couldn¡¯t hear because I was


    too busy staring at her.


    ¡°Yes, I know. I know.¡± She assured him. ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    I almost forgot that the two couldmunicate.


    She looked around the living room with what I thought was longing and brushed her fingers on the


    couch. She gave me one of her bright smiles, ¡°You didn¡¯t change anything much here.¡±


    ¡°No, I did not.¡±


    She settled down on the white couch and now I could see the bump clearly. I brought two of the fluffiest


    pillows and arranged them behind her back so she could rx.


    ¡°Can I heat some milk for you?¡± I asked, ¡°I think it would be good for your baby.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She said.


    Wait. Was cow¡¯s milk okay for a mermaid baby?


    I started the stove and began warming milk. A few minutester, I was sitting beside her. She held the


    cup of milk in both of her hands and looked around nervously.


    ¡°What happened, Blue? Is there a reason you¡¯re here?¡±


    What if she asked for forgiveness? And begged me to take her? Would I do it?


    The answer to that was easy.


    I would take her back, even if that was Adrian¡¯s kid she was having. If Blue wanted me back, I would


    take her.


    I know I was pathetic, I just didn¡¯t care. While it hurt that she¡¯d cheated on me, I couldn¡¯t fault her for


    getting a baby from someone who could give her since I clearly couldn¡¯t.


    Twisted, but I fucking loved this mermaid too much.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    She caught my hand in hers. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Hunter.¡±


    And just like that, I couldn¡¯t control myself. I touched her damp cheek and brushed the loose tendrils


    out of her face. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. We can¡¯t change the past.¡± I reasoned.


    ¡°I lied to you.¡± She confessed.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± She asked, cing the mug back on the table. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    ¡°That while I was gone, you hooked up with Adrian and now you¡¯re pregnant. You want my forgiveness


    and I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    To my astonishment, she appeared to be really fucking pissed, and I didn¡¯t know why. ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±


    she made little fists with her hands which were ADORABLE.


    She sighed and then took my hand in hers and ced it on her stomach, ¡°Your baby.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I would ept his baby as mine. I don¡¯t mind, really.¡±


    Now she was giving me a full-blown re. ¡°It is your baby, not Adrian¡¯s.¡±


    I stared at her for a few seconds as I let that sink in.


    She scooted closer to me and the familiar scent of her shampoo entered my nostrils. Slowly, she said,


    ¡°Let me exin. Please don¡¯t interrupt me. The other day at the supermarket when you said it was


    Adrian¡¯s child I was carrying, you assumed it and I did nothing to tell you otherwise. I¡¯m sorry about


    that.¡± Herrge blue eyes were rimmed with fresh tears. ¡°I never¡­I never slept with Adrian in a bed. I


    never even let hime near my bed because I remembered what you told me.¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you?¡± I didn¡¯t even realize I¡¯d asked that question.


    ¡°I remembered you said that if a man and a woman shared a bed, they could have babies.¡± She told


    me; a little proud that she knew that bit of information. ¡°I could never sleep with someone else. I love


    you too much to even think of another man. Please believe me, Hunter.¡±


    I sucked in a breath and touched her belly with both my hands. A tear trickled down my cheek, ¡°I¡¯m the


    father?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She confirmed.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°I think it happened before you died, but I only found out about it after I left with Apollo to my world. I


    had to be about two months pregnant when I started to have breathing problems. At first, I thought


    maybe it was happening because I¡¯d gotten used to staying onnd butter on they noticed my


    stomach was growing. The doctor there told me that the baby was half-human and that the baby won¡¯t


    survive if I stayed underwater. When my father found out, he banished me.¡± She sniffled, ¡°Told me


    never toe back.¡±


    ¡°You chose me? Even though I didn¡¯t remember you?¡±


    ¡°I chose us.¡± She said quickly. ¡°I want this life with you. I will miss the ocean but nothing is more


    important to me than being here with you. I¡¯m reckless and foolish and I caused your death. And I often


    wonder what would have happened if I didn¡¯t possess my mermaid powers. I don¡¯t want to lose you


    again, Hunter and I¡ª¡±


    I cut her rambling short by crushing her lips with mine.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Hunter


    I pressed my lips to hers; I angled Blue¡¯s face in such a way that I could properly kiss her. Devour her


    mouth, I did. Secondster she was moaning and squirming under my onught. Kissing her was hard


    since her bulging stomach came between us.


    My tongue ran a path from her ear down to her corbone. She closed her eyes, sighing as I licked and


    nibbled her.


    I held her face leveled with mine, ¡°You.¡± I breathed. ¡°You tortured me for months just because you were


    scared that something would happen to me again? Well, guess what? That¡¯s life and you can¡¯t do


    anything about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...Hunter...¡± her voice seemed pained and before she could mumble more apologizes I


    brought her mouth down to mine again, drinking her, practically kissing the hell out of her. Her fingers


    ran through my hair softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m so needy right now, I can¡¯t even think straight,¡± I whispered to her.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    And that was the truth. Sitting here, confessing that she still had the same feelings and desires for me


    had ignited a new fire inside me that wouldn¡¯t be sated until I have had my fill of her.


    I unzipped her dress and pulled it down to her stomach. She wasn¡¯t even wearing a bra, her perfect


    round breasts appeared to be tender and full due to her pregnancy. I salivated from the sight of it.


    Without a word, I lowered my head to her nipple and sucked hard. My tongue circled around it until I


    heard her cry and her fingers tightened in my hair. I let go of one nipple with a pop sound to take the


    other breast into my mouth. I covered myrge hands over her breasts, and they fit in my palm like they


    were made for me. Her eyes were filled with desire.


    I shed my clothes and began taking off her dress when she caught the fabric and shook her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, panic rising in my chest. The dress was bunched up to her belly and she


    wouldn¡¯t let me take itpletely off. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong, sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look nice. My stomach, I mean. It looks like a giant egg.¡±


    Iughed despite the fact that I was fucking horny. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, really. Nowe on, let¡¯s take it off.¡±


    She shook her head more vigorously. ¡°I don¡¯t look beautiful.¡±


    My patience was running thin. ¡°Take it off and I¡¯ll tell you what you look like. Let me see it, baby.¡±


    ¡°Do...do all husbands look at their wives naked bellies?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they do and not just the bellies but everything else too.¡±


    She gave me a reluctant nod still unsure about this. Ignoring her difort, I reached for the hem of


    her dress and pulled it upward not understanding what the big deal was about.


    She sat there naked and looking shy as I stared at her protruding belly. It was strange looking at Blue


    like this; beautiful and pregnant with my child. The possessive streak inside me riled up, and I pulled


    her down on the carpeted floor with me with her sitting in myp sitting sideways. I spent a few more


    minutes tasting her mouth because apparently, I couldn¡¯t get enough of her.


    I¡¯d been confused and celibate for the past six months. Give me a break!


    I told her to lie down on the plush carpet and sheplied, the blush creeping up on her cheeks as


    she peered at me.


    Iughed. ¡°What are you so nervous about? You look gorgeous, Blue.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that to make me happy.¡± Sheined.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡± I caressed her round belly. ¡°You¡¯re the most attractive woman to me. I was hard the


    minute I saw you on my porch.¡±


    Which was true.


    I wasn¡¯t even surprised that I¡¯d diedmitting a sin. Blue legit looked like an angel fallen from the


    heaven. So if I was published for soiling someone so pure, then yeah, I had iting.


    I reached for her panties and slid it off her ankles, spreading her legs wide. I kneeled between them,


    touching the glistening folds. As soon as I touched her, she responded with a moan, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted this


    so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you really slow, baby. Real slow.¡± I whispered. ¡°If you¡¯re ufortable, speak.¡±


    She gave me a nod, but her eyes remained closed. I wasn¡¯t going to lean down or put my body


    pressure on her so I slowly entered her body. Her eyes shot open. My thrusts were slow andnguid


    and I knew that was the best because I was literally drawing out the orgasms from her. Blue¡¯s moans


    were melodious and reverberated through the living area walls.


    Thank god there were no servants in the house and thank god the neighbors had gone for a vacation.


    Leslie could enjoy the show if he wanted but normally he cared less.


    I nted my hands on either side of her, still kneeling and fucked my beautiful wife senseless. I was so


    needy, so very needy, it could have been embarrassing.


    Just the fact that she¡¯d gotten pregnant with my child made me giddy with happiness, and the


    possessiveness I had for her, increased million times over. We were going to have a baby.


    We. Us.


    And it was probably very selfish of me to think this way but since we were going to have a baby, I didn¡¯t


    think she could leave me now. Like fucking ever! And that made me so goddamn happy.


    ¡°Hunter...¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡± She cried.


    The thrusts turned long and deep and I heard my own groans and grunts matching her sweet cries of


    ecstasy as I spilled inside her after what felt like forever. My forehead was matted with sweat, and I felt


    sated after such a long time.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± I ced kisses all over her face.


    I didn¡¯t doubt Blue¡¯s love for me. She loved me enough to bring me back from the dead.


    This second life that she¡¯d given me, it was a gift that I intended to cherish. Every single day was


    important to me now.


    * * *


    We had dinner together that night and I helped her arrange her things back in our room. Some of her


    things still seemed to be stored where she and Adrian were staying. She had the keys to that


    apartment and told me that she needed me to pick them up for her. I tried not to feel jealous about her


    living with that merman for over six months because that was a lot of time for her to be staying alone


    with a man.


    ¡°What did you two do all day?¡± I blurted out, instantly wishing my mouth came with a filter.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Adrian and you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Would you be mad if I confessed to something?¡± She asked. Uncertainty was clear in her expressions.


    My gaze lingered on her as she twisted and untwisted the frill of her dress. When she did that, she was


    usually nervous and that made me anxious.


    I ced the box on the floor and gave her an assuring smile, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be mad.¡±


    ¡°Well, Adrian had to take up a job because we were staying at a really cheap apartment and while he


    was at work, I used to...¡±


    With Blue I had to practice patience all the time. ¡°You used to what, Blue?¡±


    She looked a little ashamed as she told me. ¡°I used to follow you around.¡±


    ¡°You followed me?¡±


    She batted her eyes, looking everywhere else but me. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mean to but I was always curious


    what you were doing or if you regained your memories.¡± Guiltily she added, ¡°I stood outside your


    window sometimes, just trying to get a glimpse of you.¡±


    Stalker.


    I didn¡¯t say that out loud because I really didn¡¯t want to upset her. I knew that even though Blue was as


    innocent as an angel, the mermaid also had ¡°pride¡± the size of an extrarge pizza.


    It was no wonder Leslie would keep barking looking out the window, I used to chalk it up as a bird or


    one of his furry girlfriends he hung out with. Believe it or not, Leslie was adies man, the way I used to


    be in the past.


    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±


    She became emotional again. Surely, her pregnancy hormones were doing that.


    ¡°I was so scared that you would...¡± she bit her lip, ¡°die again. I was making sure that you were okay.¡±


    ¡°Is that the reason I saw you on the Yacht those few months back?¡± I asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream, was


    it?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I was there. I saw you drown and I was so angry at you for doing that to yourself!¡±


    I walked to where she was seated and settled down beside her. ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t remember you, I


    knew that my life wasn¡¯t worth living without you in it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± She scolded touching my face.


    I kissed her palm, ¡°That was a very selfish thing to do; bringing me back to life, wiping my memories


    and then just disappearing like none of this ever happened.¡±


    ¡°I just told you, I always stayed beside you.¡± She exined. ¡°Like a shadow. I watched over you every


    single day.¡± She took my hand, myrge one in her small and ced it on her stomach. ¡°And I told our


    baby about his daddy.¡±


    And suddenly she giggled and said, ¡°The baby kicked Hunter. Every time I talk to him about you, he


    kicks.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask her how she knew the baby was going to be ¡®he¡¯. Blue made up stories and situations in her


    mind; it could be possible she made this up too based on her logic.


    ¡°Hey Junior Brantley, can you hear me?¡± I whispered to her belly. ¡°Whether you¡¯re a girl or a boy, your


    daddy loves you as much as he loves your mom. I can¡¯t wait to meet you.¡± I kissed it.


    My very own little family, something that I¡¯d always yearned for all these years. This was like a dream


    come true.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thanked you properly.¡± I sighed. ¡°Thank you for saving my life. Twice.¡±


    ¡°I did it for myself. It¡¯s like you said. I¡¯m selfish after-all.¡±


    ¡°Trust me; I would do the same if I was in your ce.¡± I looked at my wife, straight into herrge blue


    eyes. ¡°You have to promise me something.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°If I died again, you would move on with your life.¡±


    ¡°Hunter, please! Not that again!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished talking. It¡¯s like what your brother said. Human lives are fragile; you never know what


    could happen to me all of a sudden; whether it¡¯s ident or sickness. If I died again...¡± It hurt me


    physically to say this. ¡°Move on, Blue. Don¡¯t be stuck on me. Take care of our kids, live long.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t speak to you if you talk about dying to me!¡± she yelled. ¡°I swear it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just wanted you to know. You¡¯ll have the house and the money¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not immortal.¡± She muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m not immortal anymore.¡± She repeated. ¡°You understand what I¡¯m saying, Hunter? When I


    brought you back to life, I gave away my immortality in exchange for it. I still have my mermaid instincts


    and I¡¯m still part mermaid but some of my powers are gone. I can¡¯t heal you like I used to. Our lives are


    completely linked. If something happens to you...


    ¡°No...¡± I whispered.


    ¡°...It happens to me too!¡± Shepleted. ¡°But it¡¯s not me I¡¯m even worried about. We have to live for


    our baby. So you get it?¡±


    ¡°But why did you give up your immortality?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want it, I don¡¯t want to live forever if you¡¯re not in it. I¡¯d rather live a short life where


    you¡¯re always by my side.¡±


    There was a pause filled with silence and then I said, ¡°So no more mermaid sex,¡± Iughed, trying to


    make light of the situation even though it was a huge fucking deal. ¡°Don¡¯t really want to trigger any


    more curses.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± She agreed.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Adrian now?¡±


    ¡°He went back to his world.¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss how she said ¡®his world¡¯ instead of ¡®our world¡¯.


    ¡°If you say you wiped my memory, how did my mom and everyone else remember you?¡±


    Blue shrugged. ¡°I was supposed to wipe everyone else¡¯s memories too but I thought if I did that maybe


    you wouldn¡¯t remember me ever again. And that thought disturbed me.¡±


    ¡°Cheating little mermaid.¡± I teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a cheater!¡± She said defensively. ¡°I was just making sure my husband continued to belong to


    me, and for that if I needed some people in your life to remember me, so be it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help when a smirk spread across my face. ¡°You were scared I¡¯d forget you forever and find


    another woman.¡±


    Her face went red instantly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not...¡±


    ¡°I want to see you try and talk me out of that one.¡± I grinned.


    She pouted which was cute.


    I opened therge carton again, the one that Fred and I had tried investigating. I picked up the pictures


    that I¡¯d seen before, the ones in which there was a void where Blue was supposed to be. The pictures


    were back to normal now, with Blue beside me; the selfie that we¡¯d taken, the wedding photo and a few


    more. Looked like sorcery to me.


    ¡°You know, Blue. Sometimes I wonder if I¡¯m dreaming all this. Imagine, if I was standing here, talking to


    myself with no one sitting where you¡¯re right now. What if you really are a dream? Part of my fantasy?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Maybe I am.¡±


    ¡°You know how fucked up that would be?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡± She smiled.


    I picked up the instant camera upon instinct. ¡°Say cheeeseeee.¡±


    She gave me her brightest smile, ¡°Cheese.¡±


    I clicked it and then looked at the developed photo a minuteter.


    She was very much real.

 Chapter 50: EPILOGUE

    Chapter 50: EPILOGUE


    Three Years Later


    Hunter


    I never thought it was possible for a man to have so much happiness in life, and I definitely didn¡¯t think


    it could be me.


    Three years ago when Blue went intobor, I¡¯d panicked because it was nothing like I¡¯d ever witnessed


    or imagined. The pain that she was going through seemed unbearable and I spent the rest of the time


    cursing myself and swearing to never get my dick anywhere near her. I regretted even getting her


    pregnant.


    I could still remember how before being wheeled into the hospital room, she¡¯d assured me everything


    would be okay with a confident smile on her face and for a minute there I thought I wouldn¡¯t see her


    smiling.


    Women died of childbor sometimes, what if Blue was fragile? I¡¯d spent the rest of the time sobbing


    with my head bent on my mother¡¯s shoulder.


    And then the Doctor dered, ¡°Mr. Brantley, you have twins.¡±


    ¡°And my wife, how is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing great.¡± He assured me.


    Still didn¡¯t understand why someone would choose his career as a gynecologist and spend his entire


    life pulling out babies out of VJ¡¯s. It looked like a very difficult and nerve-wracking job. I sure as hell


    wouldn¡¯t be able to handle a sobbing father and a screaming mother.


    My heart soared, there was no way I could describe the happiness I felt knowing that I had two little


    girls. I was just trying to process the information when the doctor said, ¡°Let me say that again. You


    have triplets.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    It was probably the anticipation or the tension, it must have taken a toll on me and I fainted. It was the


    most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me. When I woke up the nurses were giving me


    amused looks, some had even flirted in good nature by saying what a handsome husband I was.


    And then I had three babies in my arms. Can you imagine my excitement?


    Not one.


    Not two.


    I had three.


    That day marked the best day of my life. Literally the fucking best.


    ¡°DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!¡±


    ¡°DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!¡±


    The sounds red in my ears like an rm pulling me back to reality. I pushed the pillow on my ear


    and buried my head deeper.


    ¡°Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!¡± The chanting continued.


    I opened one eye and looked around. Two young faces peered at me. One of them was still jumping on


    the bed, she was going to break the mattress spring one of these days. Artemis, the naughtiest of the


    triplets.


    ¡°Daddy, you promised to take us out today for McDonalds Happy Meal and the iche-chream.¡± Freya


    reminded me, her eyes wererge and round like that of Blue¡¯s.


    ¡°YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED!¡± Artemis screamed at the top of her lungs, her


    life motive was to make her father deaf.


    Today was Sunday. And Sunday was usually a kids-day out. They got to do whatever they wanted. I¡¯d


    spoilt them rotten, that was for sure.


    ¡°Daddy, can we also go to the new toy store?¡± Jude, my son said. He was sucking hard on his thumb.


    Believe it or not, the two girls were a handful, the boy was the quiet one out of the triplets.


    ¡°Let me wake up first,¡± I said. ¡°I need my morning kisses.¡±


    The girls lined up. Artemis pecked my forehead, Freya ced a kiss on my nose and Jude on my


    cheek. That was the morning routine.


    ¡°What did mom make for breakfast?¡± I asked them, sitting up straight.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know what your mom made silly,¡± Artemis said.


    Iughed, ¡°Not my mom, your mom, smartass.¡±


    Their mouths were a Big ¡®O¡¯.


    ¡°He just said the ¡®A¡¯ word,¡± Freya eximed out loud like I¡¯dmitted four murders and a bank


    robbery in a row. ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡°Smart-apples.¡± I corrected. ¡°I said smart-apples. Jeez, you girls.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡¯s made Waffles.¡± Jude dered.


    Artemis pointed an using finger at Jude. ¡°Stupid, you shouldn say. Daddy should guess.¡±


    More often than usual, the girls dominated the boy together. Whatever Jude said or did, they did the


    complete opposite of it. Jude had stark silver hair and silver eyes. He was my very own Jack Frost.


    Blue told me he had silver hair because he was half merman. Artemis and Freya were like mini-Blue¡¯s,


    without the Blue hair. The girls had inherited her nose, her lips, and her eyes. I¡¯d only contributed to


    their hair color which was a light shade of Golden-brown. My girls were half-mermaids too and totally


    identical. Sometimes I had a hard time telling them apart and they took advantage of that.


    To be honest, I was proud of my kids. They were peculiar but beautiful.


    It was the coolest thing to have such unique children. The most difficult part was to exin to them that


    they were different. Normal children didn¡¯t have powers. My kids did, they could sense if a person had


    bad intentions and since they were so young, they could smell a bad person from a mile away.


    I had never seen myself as a family guy before, never dreamed of getting married or having my own


    family but here we were. I couldn¡¯t think of my life without Blue or our kids. They were everything to me.


    I found joy in putting them to bed or reading them stories. Sometimes the girls would y with my hair


    and Jude would talk non-stop about nothing in particr. When I saw them ying together and


    sharing their toys, it made me really fucking happy.


    I was living my best life and I would never trade this for anything else.


    When the kids went to see my parents, you would have to see how much they were getting spoilt there.


    It was hrious to see Dad who was normally stern making faces just to see his grandkids giggle.


    ¡°If you want to go out, go get ready,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Yay!¡± She said in unison and stormed out of the room leaving little Jude behind.


    I lifted him up into my arms and walked downstairs towards the kitchen. The aroma of freshly made


    pancakes weed us. ¡°I wan strawberry Waffle,¡± Jude said.


    Blue stacked four tes of Waffles. Three of them were smaller one, the fourth te was a bunch of


    them stacked together, oozing with the maple syrup and topped with sliced bananas.


    ¡°Children!¡± Blue called out and the two girls hopped into the room.


    Artemis came up to me and settled down in myp. Freya frowned, ¡°I wanna sit with Daddy too!¡±


    I patted my other thigh, ¡°Plenty of room here.¡±


    The girls fought for their space. Jude stared at us, making a face. He was about to cry, I was kind of


    sad I didn¡¯t have a third thigh, I wished I had.


    ¡°Come sit with me, baby.¡± Blue sat down next to me with a te and called our son.


    He was still sucking his thumb when he sat in Blue¡¯sp. Blue was a loving mother, a patient listener,


    and a caregiver. She loved them unconditionally, the way I did and although all three children were


    equal to her, I knew that in her heart she had a special space for Jude, our silent boy. He was also


    certified mama¡¯s boy.


    Leslie sat right at the foot of the chair looking at the girls in awe. He waited patiently as they threw


    pancakes in his mouth. He¡¯d put on a lot of weight because he thought it was his duty and birthright to


    clean the remaining food from the girl¡¯s tes.


    From below the table, I caressed Blue¡¯s legs with mine and gave her a teasing smile. Sometimes, I lost


    my will for control and slipped my hand under the table and over Blue¡¯s thigh. Thank fuck for that short


    dress.


    She looked at me with curiosity and Blue being Blue, took a waffle from her te and ced it on mine.


    I passed her a questioning look. ¡°I¡¯m already full.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She appeared to be confused. ¡°I thought you were kicking me under the table because you


    wanted my waffle.¡±


    It was a good thing the kids were just three and sometimes found it difficult toprehend what was


    going on, still Artemis squinted herrge blue eyes at me in suspicion.


    ¡°Kids, why don¡¯t you finish up your Waffles and go get ready?¡±


    ¡°Where are we goin?¡± Freya asked.


    ¡°The aquarium,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yoohoo!¡±


    ¡°Finish your breakfasts first. I don¡¯t want to see a small scrape on your tes.¡±


    Artemis grabbed thest piece of her waffle and began sliding it down towards Leslie, thinking that I


    wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    ¡°No cheating, Artemis. And don¡¯t feed any more to Les, he¡¯s had his breakfast already.¡±


    She pushed the entire piece of waffle into her mouth and began speaking with a mouthful. ¡°Caff we


    went to the aquam nowf?¡±


    ¡°Go. The correct word is ¡°go¡± and not ¡°went¡±. You would use ¡®went¡¯ as a past tense.¡±


    Sometimes the kids would mix up grammar but I thought that was understandable since they were also


    learning Greek. Blue mostly talked to them in Greek and I lingered around to listen because it sounded


    really nice. And asionally, Blue would say something to them and the girls would look at me and


    ¡°Can I wear my Elsa t-shirt, daddy?¡± one of the girls asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Wear whatever you like.¡±


    When the kids were gone, I peeked into the passageway but heard the cheerful chatter of the kids


    heading upstairs. Making sure the little demons won¡¯t being back for a few more minutes, I turned


    to Blue.


    She was loading the tes into the sink when I slipped my hands behind her waist and pulled her


    against me. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m horny.¡±


    She giggled and tried to wiggle out of my hold. ¡°The children are going toe back.¡±


    ¡°Not so soon. They will try all their clothes from the wardrobe before they decide. They will fight over


    one t-shirt, and that¡¯s going to take over thirty minutes, I¡¯m sure. And thirty minutes is plenty of time for


    what I want.¡±


    I threw her apron aside and pulled her out of the kitchen and into the sitting room. I closed the door and


    locked it. I trapped her against the wall with my body and kissed her hard, sucking and licking her


    mouth until her body blended with mine.


    I picked her dress up and slid her panties down and I moved my fingers to her center to trace her folds.


    ¡°Hands and elbows on the table,¡± Imanded.


    We had three young kids now and we often couldn¡¯t have sex at night. One of them woke up in the


    middle of the night and wanted to sleep with us because they thought there was a boogeyman in their


    bedroom, and that was the case most of the time. So I only had time in-between to make love to my


    wife. It didn¡¯t matter which room we did it in, I made sure I kept the condoms hidden.


    I slid on a condom. I wasn¡¯t going to take chances anymore. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯d love more kids but


    right now we had our hands full with three. ording to Blue¡¯s brother, Apollo, if Blue got pregnant


    again, she was likely to give birth again to four, five or six little demons. Mermaids always gave birth to


    more children than their first time and if that happened I¡¯d have to book a permanent appointment with


    the psychiatrist. Three was a number I could manage, for now, but five, six, seven wouldnd me


    directly into a coffin.


    So you see, I wasn¡¯t taking any chances with more kids or even getting her identally pregnant. NO


    FUCKING CHANCE.


    I held her sweet round bottom in my palms and drove hard into her, groaning. Blue moaned a little


    louder than usual and I had to ce my hand on her mouth. ¡°Shhh¡­baby. We don¡¯t have the liberty to


    scream in pleasure, but I promise you one of these days I¡¯ll leave the kids with their favorite Aunt


    Hannah while we have all the time for ourselves.¡±


    I thrust into her so hard and so deep, her knees went weak. When we were done, we straightened her


    appearance and kissed her for the longest time, maybe fifteen minutes or something because I wasn¡¯t


    keeping track of the time.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I told her. I made sure I told her that every single day.


    She ced her head against my chest and tightened her arms around me. ¡°I love you so much.¡±


    The doorknob started to turn. The little brats were outside. I opened the door to find the three dressed


    in their favorite clothes. Freya had added wings to her outfit. Jude had legit walked down the stairs


    wearing a cowboy hat and boots, kinda seemed like the kids were going for a fancy dresspetition


    rather than a day out in the aquarium.


    ¡°What were you doin?¡± Freya asked. The three gave us suspicious looks.


    Blue and I exchanged looks. ¡°Just talking to your dad about important things,¡± She said.


    ¡°What things?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of importance to you,¡± I told them. ¡°I¡¯m going for a shower. I actually need your mom to find my


    clothes. Think I lost them somewhere. Youing, Blue?¡±


    The kids stared at us in confusion.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Go watch cartoons or something until then,¡± I said.


    ¡°You heard your father.¡± She said and passed me a mischievous grin. ¡°Need to find those clothes for


    him.¡±


    The kids sat in front of the TV while we ran upstairs smiling secretly to each other.


    THE END

 Chapter 51: Bonus Chapter 1

    Chapter 51: Bonus Chapter 1


    Please note* The first half of this chapter is a prequel of the events that took ce in the book.


    * * *


    Blue


    I often swam to the shorete at nights when I knew no humans were going to be there. I liked to sit by


    the rocks and stare at the stars in the sky. Sometimes, I liked to roll in the sand and collect sea-shells


    to make nes and today was no different.


    When the lights in the beach houses went out, I swam to the shore towards my favorite spot on the


    rocks. I made sure no human was there just like my brother Apollo told me to and sat down on the


    nearest rock. Apollo was my most favorite out of all my other siblings because he understood me on a


    different level. While I sneaked on the beach some nights, Apollo would cover for me and tell everyone


    that I was meeting my friend Oceana. If it weren¡¯t for him, my family would never allow me this alone


    time on the beach under the stars.


    The sea was calm tonight, and the moon hanging just above the water. It was perfect. I stared at the


    moon mesmerized by its beauty.


    I brought my long blue hair to my left shoulder and squeezed the ess water from it.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    I froze in ce.


    The number one rule for mer-people was to never be seen by humans.


    I slowly turned out and found myself staring at a tiny creature.


    What kind of creature was he?


    And why was he so tiny? No! That had to be a child of a human. And he didn¡¯t speak Greek. It sounded


    like English; he must not be from around here.


    I looked down and made sure the scales were covering me and my tail was immersed underwater.


    Maybe my night vision wasn¡¯t very clear and I was seeing things. Maybe I was imagining the boy.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you.¡± He said again, pointing some kind of weapon at me. A red-colored weapon


    that was tiny like him, and he also had a box full of those weapons. Maybe I could die if he threw one of


    those at me, Apollo said humans were cruel and could kill merfolk if they discovered them with spears


    and other weapons like that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me!¡± I said jumping back into the water.


    The human boy hopped off from the high rocks, stepping on the lower ones, he walked towards me


    holding the weapon in his hand. It didn¡¯t look¡­sharp from where I was below¡­


    His pudgy little hand was raised towards me as he leaned into the water. ¡°It¡¯s a Cray. See?¡±


    I looked up at the boy who was adorable with golden-brown hair andrge silver eyes that kind of


    glinted like pearls in the moonlight.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s a Cray?¡± I asked.


    He blinked, ¡°It¡¯s a crayon, dummy.¡± He answered waving a t white board at me. He pointed at it. ¡°I


    was drawing.¡±


    His palm was still open; the weapons or as he called them crayons were in different colors. Red,


    Yellow, Green¡­


    Humans sure had interesting stuff on thend.


    The boy was putting it back into the box when his little handles fumbled and the box emptied into the


    water.


    He stared at thest one that plopped in. At first, I heard soft sniffling until he began crying, wailing


    loudly. Fat tears rolled down his rosy cheeks and I was pretty sure he was producing a heavy amount


    of snot. The child wanted his crayon weapons back.


    The water wasn¡¯t so deep so I went underwater and collected all the crayon weapons and handed them


    back to him.


    He stopped crying and stared at me in awe with those big doe eyes, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    I gasped.


    I heard someone call out; lights shing close by so I dipped back underwater. I could get caught.


    ¡°What are you doing here, kid?¡± The man asked, ¡°Who were you talking to just now?¡±


    If the boy told them I was around, the guards woulde after me.


    And they would probably kill me.


    Or the tiny human could sell me for human money.


    ¡°No one, I talk to myself sometimes.¡± He dered.


    ¡°Where are your parents?¡±


    ¡°They are sleeping inside.¡± He was pointing at one of the vis at the distance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back, it¡¯s not safe here and your mom might get worried.


    ¡°ine is not my mom!¡±


    The guardughed, ¡°Whatever buddy.¡±


    * * *


    I came back a few dayster because I didn¡¯t want to risk being seen again, but another part of me


    wanted to meet the boy and thank him for not telling the life-guard about me. He seemed adorable and


    it was my only chance to talk to a human. The thought of making a new friend who didn¡¯t belong to my


    world was exciting, but when I came to the surface, I was a heart-broken that he wasn¡¯t there that night


    so I sat on my favorite spot and began star-gazing.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡±


    My heart thundered so I jumped back inside the water.


    The boy was sitting on a higher rock and stepped down again. ¡°Are you a mermaid?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I lied.


    ¡°I saw your tail. Dad says lying is bad.¡±


    ¡°Can you keep my secret?¡±


    ¡°And what do I get in return?¡± He asked.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Iughed, looking up at him.


    He frowned, ¡°Is this the part where I tell you my wish and you grant it and then I have to pay the price


    by giving you my soul?¡±


    Iughed harder, ¡°I¡¯m not evil.¡±


    ¡°You could probably eat me.¡± The boy was sassy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you would taste nice, to be honest, and I don¡¯t eat kids.¡±


    ¡°That means you eat adults?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stopughing, ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯ll give you a gift soon, I promise. Now tell me, what¡¯s your


    name?¡±


    ¡°Hunter.¡± He told me.


    ¡°Do you hunt fishes?¡± I asked him.


    He looked at me like I was crazy. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t. And Dad told me not to talk to strangers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a stranger, Hunter. I¡¯m your friend.¡± I smiled, ¡°My name is Blue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange name. How old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m one eighty-five. What about you?¡±


    Hunter was shocked to hear that, and it took him a while to recover. ¡°You¡¯d be my great-great-great-


    great grandma. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m¡­well, five and a half.¡±


    ¡°In human years, I must be around eighteen,¡± I exined. I don¡¯t know why I was offended because he


    said I could be his grandmother. ¡°I¡¯m not that old.¡±


    ¡°I have to go Blue, it¡¯ste and my dad might get worried. Can we meet again tomorrow, same time?¡±


    I felt a little sad that he was leaving; it was fun talking to him. ¡°Sure. I¡¯lle back.¡±


    He gave me a two-tooted grin, ¡°Great! See yater, Ariel.¡±


    Who¡¯s Ariel? I had a feeling the boy was mocking me.


    * * *


    Hunter and I were bing best friends soon. He brought me a cake and some delicious food from


    thend called biscuits. We star-gazed at night, we colored his book together with the crayon weapons


    and I would help him pick up shells. He was a very picky boy, and liked to take only the shinier and the


    unique ones.


    ¡°Look, Blue. I drew something. Can you guess?¡±


    There a round blob of orange and some scribbles of blue on top of it. The blob also had a smile.


    ¡°A sea urchin?¡± I asked.


    His face fell. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think I looked like that¡­but, okay, I guess.


    ¡°Do you live here in Greece?¡± I asked him on the fourth day of our meeting.


    ¡°Nah,¡± He answered, making a sandcastle. ¡°I came here for vacation with my family.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a vacation?¡±


    ¡°Say, Blue, my dad has lots of money. I can ask him to build a huge fish tank the size of a room in our


    house and you can stay there with us, and you can sleep in my room too. We¡¯ll be able to y every


    day; I have lots of toys at my house and a swimming pool. I want you toe with me.¡± He said


    without stopping to take a breath.


    I looked into his expressive silver eyes to see if he was joking again but I could feel he was sincere. ¡°I


    really appreciate the offer, Hunter, but the ocean is my home. I can¡¯t leave my family.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He said, a beatter and his bottom lip began trembling and his eyes filled with tears. ¡°But you


    said you¡¯re my best friend¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your best friend, but I can¡¯te with you, darling. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He burst into tears and started running in the opposite direction towards the vi he was staying in. He


    tripped over something and fell face-first into the sand, picked himself up, and resumed the crying and


    running again. I¡¯d made him upset when he was naturally quite taken to me.


    * * *


    Hunter didn¡¯t speak of taking me back to his country for the next few days and I assumed he¡¯d forgotten


    about it. He spoke about his friends and school and how he wanted to be an artist when he grew up.


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is. I have a fianc¨¦, his name is Adrian but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll marry him.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d.¡±


    I giggled, ¡°Why?¡±


    He gave me a sly grin that showed off his cute dimples, ¡°Because then I can marry you when I grow


    older.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stopughing, and his face was turning red. I couldn¡¯t imagine it, the chubby little boy that


    looked like a doll and wore swim trunks that had brown bears on it wanted to marry me. Iughed


    harder.


    ¡°Sure. You¡¯ll have toe back to the ind though, to Zakynthos, and propose to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be old enough to travel alone. I¡¯m sure I can do it.¡±


    I decided to tease him back, ¡°How many years do I have to wait for you to grow older?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Until I go to college maybe. I¡¯m five and a half right now. It won¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a deal,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. I got you a gift.¡±


    I handed it to him but he didn¡¯t seem happy to receive it. ¡°It¡¯s just a mshell.¡±


    ¡°Open it.¡± I urged him.


    He opened the seashell and was surprised when he found the pearl inside. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s so cool.


    Thanks, Blue.¡±


    ¡°I spent hours looking for that just so I could give it to you.¡±


    There was an awkward silence as he continued to stare at the seashell.


    ¡°Blue, I¡¯m leaving tomorrow.¡± He said finally.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss spending time with you. You¡¯re my first human best friend.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re my first mermaid best friend.¡±


    * * *


    The next night, I came to the beach earlier than usual. From the distance, I saw some people putting


    bags into a van and I knew that Hunter was leaving. If I could just say goodbye to him onest time. I


    saw his brother calling out to him and there was no sign of my little friend.


    Hunter¡¯s mother walked around the beach crying with a baby in her hand, ¡°Hunter!¡± She turned to her


    husband and asked him, ¡°Where did he go? We have to cancel our flight!¡±


    Hunter was missing.


    Fear clogged in my throat. Where was he?


    I swam around the outer areas of the beach and looked around for him. When I came back to his


    favorite spot near the rocks, I heard soft voices of someone sobbing.


    Between two giant rocks, he sat there alone with his knees pulled to his chest.


    I tried to crawl into the cramped space, there was still water sloshing from the waves so there was no


    possibility of me losing my mermaid¡¯s form.


    ¡°Hunter.¡±


    He looked up at me with his tear-stained face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, darling.¡±


    ¡°I want you toe home with me.¡± He sniffled.


    Poor little boy.


    ¡°I told you I¡¯d wait for you no matter how long it took,¡± I promised.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T WANT TO GO!¡± He shrieked almost making me deaf.


    ¡°Would you at least let me hug you?¡± I asked.


    Hunter threw himself into my arms not a slight bit bothered by the scales on the lower half of my body.


    Apollo said that humans would be disgusted after they saw mermaids in their true form, but Hunter


    didn¡¯t seem the slight bit fazed.


    I knew I needed to do the right thing no matter how badly it broke my heart. I felt so guilty, but there


    was no other way. ¡°It¡¯s a small game. Close your eyes.¡± I touched his cheek. ¡°And don¡¯t open them until


    I tell you to, okay?¡±


    He obeyed me as I watched his eyes fluttered close.


    Mermaids never cried but I felt some wetness on my cheeks. ¡°You can¡¯t cheat.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he said.


    When I whispered to him to open his eyes, he was alone in the secluded space, and I was watching


    him from the other side of the rocks from the distance. Hunter was confused until he heard his mother¡¯s


    voice call out to him and he ran towards the family, havingpletely forgotten about his mermaid


    friend.


    I had to erase his memories.


    He was just a child, and I couldn¡¯t let him be tormented by the memory of me, or have him hope that he


    would find me someday. He would grow up to be a fine young man and find a girl he could love one


    day.


    * * *


    ¡°Hunter!¡±


    I woke up breathing hard, my heart racing against my chest. A sheen of sweat covered my body and I


    had goosebumps all over my arms. I looked at my surroundings and realized I was in my bedroom.


    Just to be sure, I pulled theforter away to check if I had legs and yes, I did.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetheart?¡± My husband asked in his sleepy voice. ¡°You had a dream?¡±


    I turned to look at him,


    He ran his fingers through his short golden-brown hair and his silver eyes cut through me with an


    intensity that still immobilized me and rendered me speechless. He was gorgeous no matter how many


    times I looked at him. My gaze shifted towards the mermaid¡¯s mark on his arm.


    ¡°Baby, you¡¯re scaring me. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The children?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re asleep in the other room.¡±


    He sat upright against the headboard and pulled me against him. He brushed my hair away from the


    nape of my neck and his fingers toyed with the strings of the gown. ¡°I could make all those bad dreams


    go away.¡± His voice was a low timber when he whispered into my ear.


    That had to be a dream, right?


    I couldn¡¯t have met Hunter all those years ago. It wasn¡¯t possible!


    That snotty little chubby-faced boy, was that really my Hunter?


    I turned to face him and he touched his lips to mine, his eyes sparkled in the moonlight. His calloused


    hands rubbed my shoulders, ¡°Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°When you were little, did you go to Greece?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I remember traveling to Greece on a short trip when I was around five.¡±


    ¡°Where in Greece did you visit?¡±


    He seemed to give that a thought, ¡°Uh¡­not that I would remember all the ces but I do recall going


    to an ind called Zakynthos and staying there for like a week on a beach resort. Why? You wanna


    visit Greece? Maybe visit your family for a while¡­we could n a trip there. Kids could stay with me at


    the resort.¡±


    A chill ran down my body. He had indeed been to the ind. I could swear the dream wasn¡¯t my


    imagination, I knew it had happened.


    It¡¯s just that it was hard to visualize that timid little boy to be this broad-chested, muscled,


    handsome man.


    ¡°You were a cry baby when you were little, weren¡¯t you?¡± I blurted out.


    Hunterughed, ¡°Well, Ryan said I cried for the smallest of things, but I think he was a bully right from


    the start. Mom mentioned that I lost at the beach when their flight was scheduled in two hours. And it


    seems to me like I had a little adventure.¡±


    Of course, you did.


    If I¡¯d met Hunter before, and I¡¯d erased his memories, why couldn¡¯t I remember him?


    Or maybe when I returned home and came back to the beach a few times, I missed seeing him and


    asked Apollo to erase my memories of meeting Hunter. That could exin why I didn¡¯t remember any


    of it.


    Hunter¡¯s lips trailed my jaw to my corbone, his teeth grazing my skin. ¡°You¡¯re so lovely.¡±


    I scrambled out of bed and heard my husband groan behind me. I walked out of our bedroom and went


    into the children¡¯s room.


    The triplets were soundly asleep when I entered their room. Hunter followed behind me but stayed at


    the door. I just needed to confirm something.


    Jude¡¯s bedside table had a nightmp and right next to that was an open m seashell with a shiny


    large pearl inside it. I picked up in my hands and I was getting really emotional. I¡¯d given him the


    seashell; you couldn¡¯t just find something like this in a market here.


    The boy that I¡¯d met was indeed Hunter.


    I felt Hunter¡¯s arms wrap around me, ¡°I brought that on my trip from Greece, but it¡¯s kinda strange that I


    don¡¯t remember who gave it to me.¡±


    I put the shell back on the table, fresh tears streaming down my cheeks.


    ¡°Do you miss your home that much?¡± he whispered to me when I walked out of the room. He pushed


    loose tendrils behind my ear. I saw the fear clear in his expressions. He was scared that I¡¯d changed


    my mind about being his wife or having our children because I preferred my old life more than this.


    ¡°This is my home,¡± I said the same thing that I¡¯d repeated countless times. ¡°With you.¡±


    He kissed the top of my head. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± I smiled, and thenughed at the memory of the boy from my dreams. ¡°I¡¯d like to take


    you up on that offer about that trip you just mentioned.¡±


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!