The Bad Boy And The Mermaid

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 plastered on his face which I hated. “How long are we going to play 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 especially come 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 but compare 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 planted on my face when I woke up in the morning, his large 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 playing with several lives. Apollo has things to take care of in Atlantis, 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 accidentally. 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 slapped 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 he commits 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 mermaid comes 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 slap 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 placed my hand on my stomach.

in a delicate state right now, and worrying so much is not good for your health or

hands and cried. I felt Adrian’s hand over my

be such a coward, Blue.” He said. “You love

he dies again from illness or another accident? What would

all the time and sometimes the soulmate wanders around helplessly. At least you’re

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 you communicated, 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

was new. Adrian talking about Hunter

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

keeping this baby away from his father? What if the baby grows up and asks you about his patéras

I not thought of all that? I hated to admit but Adrian

ticked and time passed, neither of us said anything.

“Ade, what if he doesn’t accept me now? What if it’s too late?” I

saw him. If

guess you’re right,”

“I think the baby really wants to get

do you

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

of the window, it has started pouring really

that I slapped you. I was really

He said. “As long as you go back to your husband and I no longer have to tolerate you. All’s good.” He grinned

to him right now?”

outside.”

see him right

“Pack your stuff.”

* * *

Hunter

and was preparing dinner for the evening. A horror movie was paused on Netflix while I’d made egg salad and some grilled sausages which I was going to enjoy with a tall glass of iced

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

to give me heartache. If I died of heartache in my bed one day,

p.m when

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 become

window and noticed how hard it was pouring

hour? I wasn’t sure if those idiots would

door and saw Blue standing there on the

to

close the door when

I knew it wasn’t a

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

a

were flushed and she seemed worried for

you doing here?” I

I come inside?”

wide. “Of course,” And then I noticed a

throw her out of the house? Did they have a fight? Was I supposed to act as a buffer between

but

which was actually heavier than I thought. Leslie came barking into the hallway

stupid dog needed to understand Blue wasn’t here to

as she ruffled his fur and whispered something to him that I couldn’t hear because I was

know. I know.” She

that the two could

on the couch. She gave me