Tangled Tides (The Sea Monster Memoirs) by Karen Amanda Hooper Page B

got to you first. When you were human, Rownan had the ability to myst you, control your mind, make you think or feel whatever he wanted. He can't do that anymore. You need to figure out if your feelings for him are real or if he forced you to be attracted to him."
    I felt dizzy. Rownan had brainwashed me? I replayed every conversation, every touch, every kiss, every thought or feeling I had about him. None of it had been real? That seemed impossible. He would never play me like that. Would he?
    Even in the dim lighting of the parking lot I could see pity and sincerity in Koraline's green eyes. "I'm sorry. I know it's not easy to hear."
    After standing there speechless for a minute, I smoothed down my dress and glanced at the door. "I can find my way back to the island if you don't feel like waiting. I might be a long time."
    Kai put her hands behind her back and bowed her head. "You are brave to go in there."
    Koraline shrugged. "'You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.'"
    "Plato?" Kai asked.
    "Aristotle," Koraline corrected.
    I thanked them both for helping me and opened the bar's front door.
    A blast of arctic air made me shiver. Almost every head turned to stare at me with dark, hostile eyes. I inhaled a deep, icy breath and stepped inside.
     
     
    Y ears of sitting in Jack Frost's most of the night had made me immune to looking at the door every time someone came in. But even after doing six shots and nursing my fourth pint, I couldn't ignore the silence that fell over the bar.
    Yara walked toward me, surveying everyone. They were checking her out with equal skepticism. I jumped to my feet and wrapped my coat around her.
    "Holy iceberg, it's cold in here," She gasped through chattering teeth.
    "I know. Let's get you back outside."
    "No." She shivered. "I n-n-need to talk to you."
    "Baby, you're freezing. Let's go to my house and talk."
    She nodded, pulling my coat around her. I pushed the door open and held my hand up in a
screw you
wave to anyone—meaning everyone—watching us.
    "My God." She stumbled off the curb, practically running away from the bar. "You all even look similar: the dark hair and eyes, the scars, all those fur coats. How do people not notice?"
    "You never noticed it."
    "I never saw so many of you gathered in one place before."
    "Humans don't come around here much. And if they do, well, they don't remember much by the time they leave."
    She held my coat open. "Why is yours the only white one?"
    "Because I'm so pure and innocent?"
    "Rownan."
    "It's because my father was a rare breed." I climbed onto my chopper. "Lame story, trust me."
    Her mouth hung half-open. "You drive a motorcycle?"
    "Hop on."
    "Umm." She eyed my bike like it was a rabid dog.
    "I won't let anything happen to you. You're irreplaceable to me." With that reassurance, she climbed on and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Hang on!" I yelled, cranking the engine to life. Her grip tightened.
    Two days with merfolk and she came back to
me
. Jack was right. She might take our side after all.
    We pulled into my driveway. I had barely shut the engine off before she leapt from her seat and started pacing. Something was obviously bothering her.
    "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" I asked.
    She spun around and got up in my face. Her frizzy hair resembled a rat's nest. "Are you married?"
    Shit. I should have known this would come up. Since I couldn't myst my way out of the tough questions anymore, honesty was my best option. "Yes."
    Her fists slammed into my chest. "Go to hell!"
    "Wait." I held her hands, expecting her to pull away, but she only stared at me, unblinking, just like the eyes that haunted my dreams. "It was a long time ago. She's … on the other side."
    "I—wait. What?" Her angry glare changed to something resembling ruefulness. "I'm … so sorry."
    I shuffled my feet. The other side meant something different to humans. I knew that, but it was my