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.

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

prim and fine, making those promises about lifelong love but it’s going

before but I think I understand now.” I said,

asked, still looking through that vile magazine

think you’re jealous of

at me, “And what

to marry Hunter, if my situation doesn’t allow me, then I won’t marry you either or anyone else

arranged our marriage to be fulfilled when we were old enough...”

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

for every law that’s

give up convincing me to go with you

your children, your grandchildren, and everyone else

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

a expression of resignation on his face, it looked like he

quickly in a casual t-shirt, jeans and sneakers and waited

parked outside the apartment building. Throughout the entire twenty minute car ride, I

Hunter, I valued his life

me ill. A stretcher occupied by a boy was wheeled away, a mother crying as she followed it. Another accident. There

was giving me a very sad

The scent of death.

a room and knew that it had to be Hunter’s. She wrapped me in a warm motherly hug. “Is Hunter alright?” I

You go see

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

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

him safe and smiling that a sob escaped my lips and I

shirtless. A patch of bandage covered his upper torso. He told me to

it hurt?” I asked touching his

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

cried, “I’m so sorry, Hunter. I

fault. You weren’t even—” He stopped talking and

was no

firmly. “Adrian’s right. This was

“What do you mean this is a bad idea? What are you planning

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

you’re not going

that I could live peacefully here with you, and look

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 anything come between us. I’ll move this entire fucking universe on its axis. Fight with god himself if I

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

can’t bear

than you could ever imagine. I’ve loved

argue with him, this brave man. He was ready to sacrifice his life in order to

to think. Take

up

his arm softly,

years 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 the words, the heaviness was leaving

′what’s happening? I

I opened my eyes, I saw Hunter giving me a weird look, he was grinning. “What was

moving your arm now. Do you still feel

features, but he did what

think...” He gave me a surprised look. “I think my

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

at me in awe,

shhh...don’t tell this to

face down to his in a long lingering kiss. It felt so good to have his plump lips on mine. I moaned literally