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.

state right now, and worrying so much is not good for your

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

Blue.” He said. “You love each

“what if he dies again

wanders around helplessly. At least you’re not immortal

the same about me and then you ran away from our world leaving everything and everyone behind. When I saw you with Hunter, and

because this was new. Adrian

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

keeping this baby away from his father? What if the baby grows up

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

passed, neither of us said anything. Adrian was

he doesn’t accept me

a few days since we last saw him. If you

you’re right,”

again. I smiled, “I think the baby really wants to get to know

Adrian looked amused. “How do you

could be a little boy who looked like Hunter with his golden hair and silver eyes.” I yearned for the day

out of the window, it has started pouring really heavily but I didn’t think I could wait until

that I

husband and I no longer have to tolerate you. All’s good.” He

take me to him right now?”

outside.” He pointed

right now. I

“Pack your stuff.”

* * *

Hunter

for the evening. A horror movie was paused on Netflix while

cooking or painting or studying helped me take my mind

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

nine-thirty p.m when

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

of the window and noticed how hard it was

would be so desperate to see me that they would

standing

to be

to close the door

it wasn’t a

loose fitted dress. Again, if I hadn’t known that she was pregnant, I wouldn’t have noticed at all. Her baby bump was a really cute one, the type where it made a woman look even more attractive and just added to their

a lucky

were flushed and she seemed worried for some

you doing here?” I

I come inside?”

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

Why was she carrying a suitcase? Did Adrian throw her out of the house? Did they have a fight? Was

God, anything but that last

thought. Leslie came barking into the hallway and launched himself at Blue, sniffing, licking and jumping up and

understand Blue wasn’t here to

to him that I couldn’t hear

I know. I know.” She assured

almost forgot that the

was longing and brushed her fingers on