The Bad Boy And The Mermaid

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 his large 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 explained 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 relationship 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. “Ill come 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 old lady, 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 play 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 getting comfortable a few hours later, but Miss Pudding still had a grudge against me, maybe she hated how her husband was flirting with me as he sat in my lap.

* * *

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 on coming back to me but had eventually stopped whining two days later.

I had mixed feelings. I was a little glad, 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 plan.

I was playing Tekken on my PlayStation 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.

in months or maybe staying celibate for so long

to check who was messaging me at such a late hour. I suspected it would be my friend,

I’m sorry. I miss

time, wondering if I had imagined it. She was obviously apologizing about the little fight

I didn’t want to text I miss you back. I needed to keep my emotions in check. If

doing with my life, what future awaited me and if I would ever be successful enough to walk past my father’s shadow. I was twenty-three, dropped out of one college, thrown out of one

thought for once why I deserved someone as sweet,

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

man disturbed me but there wasn’t anything I could do other than

even have sex? Did

more days later, I got

you right now?” She

on alert. Hannah wouldn’t call unless there was an

and check on

you?” I asked it so loud that most of the classroom had turned their heads towards me. I excused myself, climbed to my feet, stormed out of

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 relatively closer.”

asked

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

was already walking towards the

for my old bedroom, one that was now occupied by Blue. Nana stood outside the bathroom and was talking to Blue on the other side,

on?”

time and now she’s stopped crying which has gotten me even worried, I hope the poor girl

She’ll listen

tray of food lay on the mattress. There was the roast chicken, egg rolls, meat pie and some fancy salad. My mouth watered and my stomach growled reminding me that I hadn’t had a proper breakfast since morning,

the bathroom door once.

no response from the other side. “Open the door, sweetheart.

her sweet melodic voice call,

me. Open

usual wavy hair was a mess and so was the green dress. She launched into my arms and hugged me, holding onto me tightly. She broke into a sob. I

to look at me. “Hunter, I

her in confusion.

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

you bleeding from? Did you

shook her head. “That’s what I don’t understand. I’m bleeding from here...”

I understood she was

not going to die.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the

bubble bath into

I closed

me asking you this. Where do you keep