The Bad Boy And The Mermaid

Chapter 23

Blue

Hunter woke me up a little earlier than usual the next day, and he appeared to be a little worried. It seemed like Hunter’s family had a tradition to spend one afternoon for lunch together at the family table every year, and this time, his father and step-mother wanted me to be there with him.

Honestly, I didn’t understand what the big deal was about. I was going to meet Hunter’s parents, and I couldn’t have been happier. I’d always wondered what his father looked like, if Hunter was a splitting image of his father, what kind of a man he was. I wanted to know everything about his family. Every little detail about him.

The first day that I’d stepped into the human world by accident, and met Hunter, I’d been scared of him, and I’d been eager to go back into the ocean, to see my family and while I still missed my family and friends, I wondered what would happen if I went back to my world a month later and couldn’t see Hunter at all.

What would life be without Hunter?

Could I really live an eternity without him?

If I left, I was sure he’d find someone to care for him because beneath all those layers of harsh looks, temper and tattoos, was a guy with a kind and a caring soul. That wasn’t even the problem; the problem was that I didn’t want Hunter to find someone. The thought of him with another woman made me ill. He’d share his lovely smiles, his laughter, the warmth of his embrace and the sweet ‘I love yous’ with someone else that wasn’t me.

Even thinking of a faceless beautiful girl with him gave me a sudden ache in my chest. I wanted him all to myself, and I didn’t know how I could make this work without hurting either my family or Hunter. I wasn’t entirely blind to the truth. No matter how much he adored me, he knew I didn’t belong in his

world and he’d often told me how lucky he was, but I wasn’t so sure of it myself. I had started to believe that Hunter was trying to forget that I was a mermaid who needed to go back home one day.

And while I was here, I wanted to forget about it too and live in the moment because the reality was hurting me badly. I couldn’t deny it anymore, the fact that I’d fallen in love with him, and that I would do anything to make sure he stayed with me. If Hunter learned of my thoughts, or knew about the mermaid traditions, it would scare him and so I’d decided not to let him on my feelings yet.

I was going to wait for a while.

“Hey!”

“Blue...”

“Beautiful mermaid.” Hunter snapped his fingers in front of me, hauling me out of the train of thoughts. He smiled, “What were you just thinking?”

“Nothing.”

“It sure was something.” He said, and I liked how he always read my thoughts. He knew when I was sad, happy, and angry, there wasn’t one emotion that he couldn’t read, and that made him all the more special. “I wish I had some of your powers.”

“What powers?”

“Reading people’s thoughts.” He answered bringing his face close to my hair and touching his lips softly to my cheeks. He smelled of his usual cologne, a mix of ocean and spices. I liked it. I inhaled instinctively and he laughed.

“What would you do if you had the power?” I asked.

He peered up at me, his silver eyes watching me. “I’d use it to read your thoughts. I thought that was obvious.”

I shook my head. “You don’t need that power because you’re not like me, Hunter. I can’t understand a lot of emotions you go through, I have to rely on what I normally believe, but you, you read me like a book. You always know what I want and I love that about you.”

“You really believe I know everything, huh?”

“Yes. Mostly.”

He watched me with an intensity that was burning in his eyes and it forced me to look away. I knew what his mind was capable of imagining, and he didn’t know that I knew about it. The nights that he did wicked thinking to himself while he thought of me.

“Blue...”

“Yeah?”

“What are you thinking right now?”

I shook my head vigorously, the blush creeping up my cheeks.

“You’re blushing. Come on, tell me...”

I blew out a breath and decided to confess. “I saw something that I shouldn’t have.”

“What did you see? Tell me, I won’t get mad, I promise.” He assured me.

“I saw us doing things.” I wet my lips, “well, it wasn’t reality of course, it was just something that you were dreaming about.”

“I see.” He said, and I could see two red spots appearing on his cheeks. He appeared to be flushed. “And what are your thoughts about it?”

“I understand that’s what sex is. I only got to realize that after you explained it to me yesterday. At first, I thought they were some exercises we were doing without clothes...”

Hunter began laughing, the blush growing even more. “Exercises!”

“I wouldn’t mind doing it with you.” I said.

I saw a flicker of sadness cross Hunter’s features. “You’re too pure, Blue, too innocent. I wouldn’t dare go that far with you in real life.”

Disappointment settled inside me, and then it resurfaced as anger. “But you would do with someone else?”

“I don’t want to.” He replied.

I folded my arms across my chest and looked out of the window. His arm snaked around my waist, and he kissed my cheek. “Have I made my mermaid princess jealous?” I threw him a look and he made a terrible acting of holding a hand over his chest. “I think you’re super cute when you’re angry.”

“You’re just trying to change the subject.” I said.

“Blue.” Hunter said. “Sweetie, you mean the world to me.”

My heart did a flip flop when he said that.

He continued, “We have already discussed this before, the fact that I don’t want to be selfish around you. If you go as far as to have sex with me, well, to you it may seem like a fun experience with a human boy, but to me, it would be everything.”

I wanted to correct him and say that it would mean something to me too, and not just a “fun” experience as he put it, but I remained quiet and let him speak.

“If I make love to you, sweetheart, I can’t let you go. I won’t. Do you understand what I’m saying?” He asked, his voice was gravel rough. “I know it’s hard for you to make a choice, to stay with me, or go back to your world and so I won’t ask even though that’s all I’d ever want from my life. And Blue, I had never wanted something so badly.”

I could feel his energy. His pain. The intensity of the burning desire and the love he had for me, and I wasn’t even afraid that it was consuming me. If I left Hunter, my odds of finding someone who would love me as much as him were unlikely, and the same went for me. I wouldn’t love someone like I loved him. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Still...

I couldn’t bring myself to admit to him. I liked having the power to still decide what I wanted to do with my life, even though it was so clear.

“What would you do if I left you?” I asked.

“I don’t know, maybe jump into the ocean after you so I could be with you forever.” He joked.

“You’re so silly.” I giggled, and then a thought hit me. “What do you mean you’d jump into the ocean after me?”

His silver eyes had turned darker, and he remained silent. Yes, I was naïve but I wasn’t stupid. “You wouldn’t think of ending your life, would you?”

He remained silent and that was the answer. His eyes downcast, concentrating on one spot on the floor. I grasped the collar of his shirt. “Promise me you would be safe.”

He didn’t answer.

“Promise me, Hunter!”

A while later, he answered. “I have a right to do whatever I want after you leave.”

“No, you don’t!” I yelled, and I’d surprised myself because I was normally never mad at someone enough to scream at them. “You cannot do that! If you did, and if I found out, I’d do the same. I’d end my life too.”

“That’s not fair.” He said coldly.

The clock ticked, and we stared at each other fiercely.

I was the first one to speak, “I’ll find a way to come back to you, Hunter, and so I want you to be alive.”

“Do you promise?” He asked.

I gave him a nod. “I promise you. Mermaid’s never break promises.”

“Mermaids are also pretty great at deceiving people.”

“But, I’m different, and I already gave you my word.” I insisted.

He stared at me as if to detect some lies that I was hiding. He finally said, “Then I promise that I won’t do anything stupid. If you decide to leave me, Blue...I’d still wait for you.” He then pulled me closer and kissed me. It was one of my favorite kisses. He kissed me deeply, no barriers, it was just us in our small little world where nothing else mattered.

He patted my cheek. “Go put on your dress. You’re going to meet my parents today.”

Hunter

I found one free parking space next to all the other lined shinny cars. My father’s jaguar, Ryan’s Lambo, my step-mom’s Bmw and Hannah’s red Porsche. My old Jeep stood out like a sore thumb between all the slick cars. I kinda missed my Maserati which was still sitting in the garage. I blew out a breath. I wasn’t even in a position to complain. I had a car to drive around, wasn’t that enough? I needed to stop complaining so much.

I helped Blue out of the car, and she smiled up at me brightly, and the nervousness I had about Blue meeting my family, vanished into thin air. Her mere existence in my life made every bad thought go away.

I couldn’t help but appreciate how beautiful she looked today. She was wearing a floral pattern black summer dress, her aqua blue hair tied with a matching hair tie, the loose tendrils made her look perfect. She had to be a sculptor’s dream. I was wearing a jeans and a Star Wars T-shirt, I looked really basic compared to the vibrant glow that was Blue.

She walked alongside me, with Leslie walking a mile ahead of us. She turned her large blue eyes to stare up at me. “Do you think your family will like me?”

“Hannah is your best friend; you already managed to steal my Brother Ryan’s heart with those sandwiches. I’m sure dad and Elaine won’t be spared by your charms.”

“Really?” She giggled.

“You’re a mermaid, Blue, you’re perfect. Be confident. Can you think of what commoners like me go through all the time?”

She slid her hand through mine, our fingers lacing. “But I love commoners.” She teased me, “I kinda wish I was one.”

I smiled. I wish you were too.

It would have been great, wouldn’t it? If Blue was a normal girl studying in a university, working a part- time job. I imagined us bumping into each other and instantly falling in love. Then again, if Blue wasn’t a mermaid and belonged to this word, she wouldn’t be Blue. She wouldn’t be so innocent, sweet, or naïve. And if I said I didn’t have a type before, I did now. We were polar opposites, yet so prefect for each other.

We walked inside the house together, Tilly, the maid smiled and informed us that the family was gathered near the pool side table. And when we walked in together, my step-mom was the first to greet us, her smile so bright, I wondered if her cheeks were hurting. She narrowed her eyes at me, completely ignored me next like I was a filthy lawn bug and enveloped Blue in a warm hug. “Welcome to our home, Blue.”