The Bad Boy And The Mermaid

Hunter

Fred and Hannah helped me choose a wedding ring for Blue. It was a round solitaire diamond stud in a platinum ring, a little out of my budget but looked really beautiful. My bank account 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 a lawn, 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 planner. 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 loud blare 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 place.

A car was moving towards me in high-speed and there was absolutely nothing I could do.

I saw it that time.

Death was coming 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 on land 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 texts later, 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 accident. 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.

in Greek. I felt helpless and angry at my situation, like there was nothing else I could do against the

and he may come back home looking prim and fine, making those promises about lifelong love but it’s going to be

know, I wasn’t so sure before but I think I understand now.” I said, keeping the venom

He asked, still looking through that vile magazine filled with

you’re jealous of Hunter.”

at me, “And what if

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.”

our marriage to be fulfilled when we were old

“I’m different than other mermaids. I will take Hunter as my husband and no one

pay for

you to give up convincing me to go with you because I

your children, your grandchildren, and everyone else you care about grow old and die while you

that possibility.” I said. “I would still be hurt if I left and watched him marry and

a expression of resignation on his face, it looked like he was giving up convincing

dressed up quickly in a casual t-shirt, jeans

was parked outside the apartment building. Throughout the entire twenty minute car ride, I recalled each and everything that

I loved Hunter, I valued his

and the atmosphere around made me ill. A stretcher occupied by a boy was wheeled away, a mother crying as she followed it. Another

place was giving me a

The scent of death.

found Elaine standing outside a room and

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

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

lying on the propped up hospital bed, and when he saw me, he flashed me a huge grin,

I felt when I saw him safe and smiling that a sob escaped

sitting shirtless. A patch of bandage covered his upper torso. He told me to sit beside him

asked touching his heavily

hurt when it happened and all I remember later is waking up

my hand and cried, “I’m so

isn’t your fault. You weren’t even—” He stopped talking and I saw his expressions register why

this was no

the wedding.” I said firmly. “Adrian’s right. This was a bad

“What do you mean this is

said. “I can’t

home, and you’re not going

here with you, and look what

were intense, cutting through mine like a bolt of lightning, he said the next words slowly, “I’m going to marry you, Blue, and

him, but when he said that with so much conviction, I believed him. His eyes, they told me he’d make

you and I can’t bear

you could ever imagine. I’ve loved

couldn’t argue with him, this brave man. He was ready to sacrifice his life

still have time to think. Take your time.” I

made up

your arm.” I touched his arm softly, trying not to

I needed to try. I wrapped my fingers around his elbow, holding his arm in place and closed my eyes. I began chanting softly in whispers, and seconds later I felt the burning sensation in my

heard Hunter whisper ′what’s happening? I

Hunter giving me a weird look, he was grinning. “What was

now. Do you

his features, but he did what I’d

gave me a surprised

I slowly peeled off the

in awe,

“Powers, but shhh...don’t tell this 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