The Bad Boy And The Mermaid novel Chapter 30

Hunter

Fred and Hannah helped me choose a wedding ring for Blue. It was a round solitaire diamond stud in a platinum ring, a little out of my budget but looked really beautiful. My bank account was almost empty, but it was worth it. Blue deserved this and so much more. I kind of wished I had enough money to move into a bigger house where there was a lawn, a fence, a room for when Blue and I decided to have kids.

I dreamed of it, about having my own little family.

I’d never thought this was possible in my wildest dreams, that I’d find a woman who’d love me enough to want to marry me.

The phone in my pocket began buzzing. It was from an unknown number. I pressed answer.

“Hello Mr. Brantley, this is Gracie. I’m a wedding planner. Your mother told me you wanted to discuss a few things.”

“Hi Gracie, please call me Hunter.” I spoke on the phone while walking out of the jewelry store towards the parking lot across the street, “I’m looking for simple wedding decorations, I’d like to discuss about this. Are you free around three p.m? We could talk it over lunch and—”

A loud blare of the honking stopped me dead in my tracks and I turned to look. I wanted to run but my legs weren’t moving. I was glued to the place.

A car was moving towards me in high-speed and there was absolutely nothing I could do.

I saw it that time.

Death was coming for me.

Blue

Adrian had tried convincing me that marrying Hunter was a bad idea. And then he’d given me another alternative that I knew would make Hunter really furious. Adrian suggested that I could marry him instead and visit the Land often to meet Hunter.

In other words, he didn’t mind me having an affair with Hunter on land as long as I married Adrian in our world. I’d told Adrian that he could stop talking and that I wasn’t going to have an affair with Hunter because I intended to marry him.

I’d been napping with Leslie when I got one of those bad premonitions that something was going to happen. Since then I couldn’t sleep and paced around the apartment. I tried calling Hunter’s number but he didn’t answer it and that gave me even more anxiety.

Adrian was reading a magazine upside down, a magazine he’d found discarded in a box within the depths of the storage room. The magazine had a naked woman on it. I didn’t know how I felt about Hunter going through this one. Adrian was merely leafing through the pages, his face masked with interest.

I tried texting Hunter.

Me: Why aren’t you answering my call?

I called him several times but each time it hit voicemail. Thirty minutes and forty texts later, I decided to call Hannah. When she answered the call she was sobbing and that was a clear warning that something was wrong.

“Hannah, I’ve been trying to call Hunter but he’s not answering my phone. Is he with you?”

“Blue...well, Hunter got into an accident. A car almost ran over him.”

My heart almost stopped beating, “What?!” It took me an entire minute to collect myself. “Is he alright?”

“He’s in the hospital.”

“I want to see him.” I said urgently.

Hannah told me that she was sending a car and a chauffeur to take me to the hospital. When I hung up the call, Adrian’s expressions clearly said ‘I told you so.’

“You still have time to stop the wedding.” Adrian suggested.

I gave him a sharp look, “I can’t ask Hunter to do that. We both love each other.”

“Is that love any use of if either of you end up being dead?”

I hated that he had a point.

What if something happened to Hunter before or during the wedding ceremony? We still had a week ahead of us before we got married.

We argued back and forth in Greek. I felt helpless and angry at my situation, like there was nothing else I could do against the laws of nature.

“The boy is hurt for today, and he may come back home looking prim and fine, making those promises about lifelong love but it’s going to be your selfish nature that will get him killed one day.” Adrian pointed out bitterly.

“You know, I wasn’t so sure before but I think I understand now.” I said, keeping the venom out of my voice.

“What do you understand?” He asked, still looking through that vile magazine filled with naked women.

“I think you’re jealous of Hunter.” I said finally.

Adrian looked at me, “And what if I am?”

“It doesn’t matter, Ade. I’ve made my decision. It would make me the happiest in the world to marry Hunter, if my situation doesn’t allow me, then I won’t marry you either or anyone else for that matter.” I completed. “So there’s absolutely no reason for you to be jealous.”

“Our parents and elders arranged our marriage to be fulfilled when we were old enough...” Adrian said, “Mermaids marry mermen. That’s our law, Blue—”

“I’m aware of the mermaid law.” I snapped. “I’m different than other mermaids. I will take Hunter as my husband and no one else.” The last part came in a choked voice, tears were threatening to spill out any moment.

“There’s a price to pay for every law that’s broken.” He completed.

“I’m asking you to give up convincing me to go with you because I will not.” I said.

“Human lives are short, even if he lives a full healthy life, it won’t be enough, Blue. You will watch him, your children, your grandchildren, and everyone else you care about grow old and die while you stay the same.” He said vehemently. “Do you want to spend the rest of your eternity alone?”

“I’m not thinking of that possibility.” I said. “I would still be hurt if I left and watched him marry and have children with someone else.”

Adrian had a expression of resignation on his face, it looked like he was giving up convincing me.

I dressed up quickly in a casual t-shirt, jeans and sneakers and waited until Hannah texted me

that the car was parked outside the apartment building. Throughout the entire twenty minute car ride, I recalled each and everything that Adrian had said.

No matter how much I loved Hunter, I valued his life above everything else.

It was my first time coming to a hospital, and the atmosphere around made me ill. A stretcher occupied by a boy was wheeled away, a mother crying as she followed it. Another accident. There was a lot of blood.

I felt sick all of a sudden. The place was giving me a very sad feeling. I couldn’t ignore the scent that lingered around me.

The scent of death.

I spotted Hunter’s older brother Ryan speaking with a nurse. I walked towards them and found Elaine standing outside a room and knew that it had to be Hunter’s. She wrapped me in a warm motherly hug. “Is Hunter alright?” I asked.

“He’s doing okay, honey. Thank god nothing serious happened to him. Fred and Hannah are on their way. You go see him now.” She said sweetly, “I’m sure he wants to see his fiancé more than anyone else.”

I felt guilty looking her in the eye and lying so openly. The lies about everything, about who I was, where I came from and what I had done to put him in the hospital. She loved her step-son, and I’d almost gotten him killed because of my selfish behavior.

I entered the room and saw Hunter lying on the propped up hospital bed, and when he saw me, he flashed me a huge grin, the one that I loved.

It was probably the relief I felt when I saw him safe and smiling that a sob escaped my lips and I began crying. His eyes widened, “Oh, Blue...sweetheart. Come here.”

His hand was bandaged in a white looking thing, and he was sitting shirtless. A patch of bandage covered his upper torso. He told me to sit beside him on the bed.

“Does it hurt?” I asked touching his heavily bandaged arm.

“It’s fractured. It did hurt when it happened and all I remember later is waking up in the hospital with the bandages.”

I covered my mouth with my hand and cried, “I’m so sorry, Hunter. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”