Mer Tales 01 - Everblue

how they lived, why human relationships where frowned upon, how sunlight allowed them to stay in human form, and how water was necessary for survival—his call placed while he lounged in the bathtub. I wanted to share my totally off base alcoholic theory, but didn't want to insult Fin's dad in the process. His warm voice, coupled with my snuggly blankets, kept me comfortable and entertained until morning. The “crazy” label I'd placed on myself peeled away like magic.
    “ So, you heard me scream?” I asked.
    “ That day, Ash—” he let out a huge sigh. “When you fell into the water, I nearly lost it. I didn't think you'd survive. And I didn't want to kiss you without your permission.”
    I snickered under my breath. “I highly doubt mouth-to-mouth can be considered kissing. But if it makes you feel any better, you have my permission.”
    “ It's not funny.” The seriousness in his voice was adorable, though, I had a feeling he was withholding something.
    “ Sorry. Thank you for being such a gentlemen,” I said and tried not to giggle again.
    “ Kissing in my world is a very serious thing, Ash.”
    “ And as a human, I'm very serious about my kissing, too.”
    “ You're impossible.”
    I laughed. “Okay—I'll stop teasing. Next question. How did you manage to slip me past the Ranger?”
    “ Oh that.” He paused again like he'd been doing after every question that required a lengthy answer. “Well—” he chuckled nervously. “I carry breakaway board shorts with Velcro seams, so when I phase into legs I have something to wear. So you could imagine what the Ranger thought when he saw me in nothing but your girl’s swim team jacket—which was way too small—and board shorts, dripping wet.”
    “ The Ranger never mentioned this?” I curled up my lip at the visual. “You put on my jacket? Why?”
    “ I was trying to dry it for you with my internal heater. Anyway, yeah, he freaked out. Especially after he saw the blood.”
    “ Oh.” My hand went to my mouth, the visual a little more grim. Why would the Ranger completely lie about this?
    “ And since mermen can erase minds, I told him, in my language, to forget what he saw.”
    I gasped. “Mermen can erase minds? Oh wow. That’s . . . useful, I guess.”
    “ Well . . .”
    He got quiet and I heard the water swishing around in the tub. I assumed he wanted to confess something without me getting angry.
    I bit my lip. “Did you erase my memories too?”
    “ After we were pr—touched lips, from mouth-to-mouth, I couldn't any longer, but since you were unconscious, it really didn't matter. And actually, Blanchard tried to mind-wipe you after you saw us in the water, remember?”
    “ Oh,” I said in awe, remembering his musical words. “I thought he was going to punch my lights out or something.”
    “ Mermen, typically aren’t violent against humans. And mermaids—” he took a huge breath, “that’s a story for another day.”
    I imagined him reclined backward with his fin hanging over the edge, like the mermaid did in the movie Splash . I yawned, noticing the clock read 4:00 AM.
    “ I should let you sleep for at least a few hours,” he said in concern.
    “ I'm good.”
    “ Good? You keep yawning,” he said.
    “ Don’t you need to sleep too?”
    “ I don’t really sleep, more like rest. A few hours will work for me.”
    “ That’s nice.” I would have liked to get away with less sleep too.
    “ I can come over in a few hours, if you like. How’s nine sound?”
    “ Too long,” I whined.
    “ You’re adorable.” I heard a smile in his voice.
    I swooned. “Fine. I guess I can wait that long.”
    “ Okay then. You hang up first.”
    “ No, you,” I laughed.
    “ You.”
    “ You,” I countered.
    “ How about we do it together. On the count of three. Ready? One. Two. Three.”
    I listened for the click that never came.
    He laughed. “Hang up already.”
    “ I said you first.”
    “ Fine, since you won’t do it and you need your sleep, I’ll do it.”
    “ Okay,” I said with a lilting voice.
    He paused for a moment, “Ash, you mean the world to me, I hope you know that.”
    Goosebumps covered my skin. “And you mean the same to me, Fin.”
    “ If anything had happened to you today, I would have gone crazy. Please promise you won’t pull any more stunts like that.”
    “ I promise.”
    “ Goodnight, my beautiful angel,” he said.
    I sighed after I heard him hang-up.

55
FIN

    The sun rose and I caved