makeout session.
As soon as we slip beneath the waves, she’l turn her attention to Quince. I just know it.
“Watch out for Doe,” I tel him as I unbutton and peel off my shorts, revealing my finkini of lime green and gold scales.
“I’l take care of her,” he says, holding out his hand. “Like she was my own sister.”
“No.” I give him my shorts and then tug off my flip-flops and set them on top of the shorts. “I mean watch out for her .
She’s devious and has her sights set on you. She set this whole thing up just so she could have time alone with you.” Quince glances at the lip-locked couple. “You’re reaching, princess.”
“I mean it.”
His Caribbean blue eyes look directly into mine. “You have nothing to worry about here.”
“I know.” I wrap my arms around his neck and tug myself close. “But stil …”
“Okay.” He drops a kiss on my forehead. “I promise.” Another on my nose. “I’l watch out for a surprise attack.” And then Doe is completely forgotten as his mouth closes over mine. His lips have a way of doing that, of making me forget everything else.
“Are you ready to go?” Doe’s sharp voice penetrates my kiss-induced fog. “It’s only a few hours until sunset.” Wel , wasn’t that just as transparent as jel yfish in rain?
She’s eager to get me gone.
I pul back. Reluctantly.
“Yeah,” I say. “We should go.”
“Go,” Quince says, pressing one last kiss to my lips. “I’l be waiting for your cal . At your house or mine.” He nods to the pay phone at the edge of the parking lot, which I’m going to use to cal him for a ride when Brody and I get back. The coins I need to make the cal are tucked into the bra top of my swim tank.
Pul ing out of Quince’s arms, I turn to Brody. “Come on.” Brody and I head into the surf, leaving Quince and Doe standing on the beach. When we reach the depth where we can go under, I turn back to wave good-bye. And notice that Doe has inched awful y close to Quince’s side.
I scowl as I sink beneath the surface, pul ing Brody down with me.
I transfigure instantly, shedding my terraped legs for my tail fin. It’s somewhat cathartic. The familiar salt water and the magic of my change ease some of the tension Doe’s caused. She and her finful of trouble wil be waiting when I get back. For now, my focus needs to be on Brody.
Even though we—Doe, Quince, and I—explained the whole process to Brody last night, I stil expect his brain to resist breathing water. To face suffocation rather than risk drowning. To fight, like Quince did, holding on to his last lungful of air with desperate determination.
Instead, by the time I’ve finished changing into my mer form, Brody is sucking in big gulps of seawater like he was born to it. With Quince, I had to use the strength of my tail fin to hold him underwater until a breath became inevitable. I should have known that Brody the swim star would be the complete opposite.
For three years I dreamed of this moment, imagined it going exactly like this. Brody taking to the mer world as if he’d always been a part of it.
But now that it’s here, I only wish it wasn’t happening.
“This is awesome,” he says, getting even the voice adjustment right on the first try. “I’m total y breathing water.”
“Yeah,” I say, for some reason annoyed by how easily he’s adjusting to the underwater world. “It’s Valentine’s Day, Hal oween, and Christmas, al rol ed into one.” I turn my back to him and motion for him to grab my waist. He may be fast in the water, but he can’t compete with me in mer form. “Let’s get swimming.”
The feel of Brody’s hands on my waist is surprisingly ordinary. No sparks or heat or flashes of light, like when Quince touches me. Which only proves that what Quince and I have is special, and what I’d thought I would have with Brody was nothing but a fantasy. That thought reassures me. If that whole mess can work itself out, then
As soon as we slip beneath the waves, she’l turn her attention to Quince. I just know it.
“Watch out for Doe,” I tel him as I unbutton and peel off my shorts, revealing my finkini of lime green and gold scales.
“I’l take care of her,” he says, holding out his hand. “Like she was my own sister.”
“No.” I give him my shorts and then tug off my flip-flops and set them on top of the shorts. “I mean watch out for her .
She’s devious and has her sights set on you. She set this whole thing up just so she could have time alone with you.” Quince glances at the lip-locked couple. “You’re reaching, princess.”
“I mean it.”
His Caribbean blue eyes look directly into mine. “You have nothing to worry about here.”
“I know.” I wrap my arms around his neck and tug myself close. “But stil …”
“Okay.” He drops a kiss on my forehead. “I promise.” Another on my nose. “I’l watch out for a surprise attack.” And then Doe is completely forgotten as his mouth closes over mine. His lips have a way of doing that, of making me forget everything else.
“Are you ready to go?” Doe’s sharp voice penetrates my kiss-induced fog. “It’s only a few hours until sunset.” Wel , wasn’t that just as transparent as jel yfish in rain?
She’s eager to get me gone.
I pul back. Reluctantly.
“Yeah,” I say. “We should go.”
“Go,” Quince says, pressing one last kiss to my lips. “I’l be waiting for your cal . At your house or mine.” He nods to the pay phone at the edge of the parking lot, which I’m going to use to cal him for a ride when Brody and I get back. The coins I need to make the cal are tucked into the bra top of my swim tank.
Pul ing out of Quince’s arms, I turn to Brody. “Come on.” Brody and I head into the surf, leaving Quince and Doe standing on the beach. When we reach the depth where we can go under, I turn back to wave good-bye. And notice that Doe has inched awful y close to Quince’s side.
I scowl as I sink beneath the surface, pul ing Brody down with me.
I transfigure instantly, shedding my terraped legs for my tail fin. It’s somewhat cathartic. The familiar salt water and the magic of my change ease some of the tension Doe’s caused. She and her finful of trouble wil be waiting when I get back. For now, my focus needs to be on Brody.
Even though we—Doe, Quince, and I—explained the whole process to Brody last night, I stil expect his brain to resist breathing water. To face suffocation rather than risk drowning. To fight, like Quince did, holding on to his last lungful of air with desperate determination.
Instead, by the time I’ve finished changing into my mer form, Brody is sucking in big gulps of seawater like he was born to it. With Quince, I had to use the strength of my tail fin to hold him underwater until a breath became inevitable. I should have known that Brody the swim star would be the complete opposite.
For three years I dreamed of this moment, imagined it going exactly like this. Brody taking to the mer world as if he’d always been a part of it.
But now that it’s here, I only wish it wasn’t happening.
“This is awesome,” he says, getting even the voice adjustment right on the first try. “I’m total y breathing water.”
“Yeah,” I say, for some reason annoyed by how easily he’s adjusting to the underwater world. “It’s Valentine’s Day, Hal oween, and Christmas, al rol ed into one.” I turn my back to him and motion for him to grab my waist. He may be fast in the water, but he can’t compete with me in mer form. “Let’s get swimming.”
The feel of Brody’s hands on my waist is surprisingly ordinary. No sparks or heat or flashes of light, like when Quince touches me. Which only proves that what Quince and I have is special, and what I’d thought I would have with Brody was nothing but a fantasy. That thought reassures me. If that whole mess can work itself out, then
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