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.

helpless and angry at my situation, like there was nothing else I could

come back home looking prim and fine, making those promises about lifelong love but it’s going to be your selfish nature that

I think I understand now.” I said, keeping the

asked, still looking

of Hunter.”

me, “And what if I

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

parents and elders arranged our marriage to be fulfilled when we were old enough...” Adrian said, “Mermaids marry mermen. That’s our

my husband and no one else.” The last part came in a choked voice, tears were threatening to spill out any

a price to pay for

convincing me to

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

I said. “I would still be hurt if I left and watched

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

casual t-shirt, jeans and sneakers

the car was parked outside the apartment building. Throughout the entire twenty

matter how much I loved Hunter, I valued his

atmosphere around made me ill. A stretcher occupied by a boy was wheeled

me a

The scent of death.

older brother Ryan speaking with a nurse. I walked towards them and found Elaine standing outside a room and knew that it had to be Hunter’s. She wrapped me

god nothing serious happened to him. Fred and Hannah are on their way. You go see him now.”

and lying so openly. The lies about everything, about who I was, where I came from and

the room and saw Hunter lying on the propped up hospital bed, and when he saw

felt when I saw him safe and smiling that a sob

hand was bandaged in a white looking thing, and he was sitting shirtless. A patch of bandage

hurt?” I asked touching

and all I remember later is waking up in the hospital with

my mouth with my hand and cried, “I’m so sorry, Hunter. I didn’t

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

was

firmly.

you mean this is a bad idea?

home with Adrian.” I said. “I can’t lose you. I

and you’re not

foolish to assume that I could live peacefully here with you, and look what

a bolt of lightning, he said the next words slowly, “I’m going to marry you, Blue, and no

deeply in love with him, but when he said that with so much conviction, I

can’t bear

you could ever imagine.

was ready to sacrifice his

have time to think. Take your time.”

made up my

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

so maybe I’d lost practice but 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 body, the glowing beneath my fingers. A feeling that something was being lifted off Hunter. As I continued to whisper

heard Hunter whisper ′what’s happening? I ignored

I saw Hunter giving me a weird

moving your arm now. Do you

what I’d asked him to and began moving

gave me a surprised look. “I think

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

at me in awe,

shhh...don’t tell this to

to have his plump lips on mine. I moaned literally and forgot that I was kissing him openly in a