The Bad Boy And The Mermaid novel Chapter 47

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.

“It’s affecting him, and it’s affecting you. You’re obviously in a delicate state right now, and worrying so much is not good for your health or the baby.”

I knew he was telling the truth. I covered my face with my hands and cried. I felt Adrian’s hand over my head as he pulled me closer sideways and I placed my head on his shoulder.

“Don’t be such a coward, Blue.” He said. “You love each other, don’t give him unnecessary heartache.”

I looked up at him, “what if he dies again from illness or another accident? What would I do?”

“That can also happen to a mermaid, we die all the time and sometimes the soulmate wanders around helplessly. At least you’re not immortal anymore. You will do your duty by Hunter’s child. Do what every human would do.”

Adrian took my hand in his and caressed it softly. “I love you, Blue. I really did since we were little and I always imagined us together; marrying and having children of our own. But in the back of my mind, I knew that you didn’t feel the same about me and then you ran away from our world leaving everything and everyone behind. When I saw you with Hunter, and the way the two of you communicated, it shattered my heart but I was happy for you. When he died, I thought it was over and that you would come back to me but even thinking of it is so wrong. You’re his woman, his wife. He deserves you.” He smiled, “don’t get me wrong. I still don’t like that husband of yours.”

I laughed through the tears because this was new. Adrian talking about Hunter in this way.

“But I could see that he gave you immense happiness. He loves you too much. You took 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 from all of your siblings. They would have never dared to step foot outside of Atlantis for fear of banishment.”

He touched my stomach. “This is his child, it’s half-human. Don’t you think you’re committing a grave sin by lying to him? By keeping this baby away from his father? What if the baby grows up and asks you about his patéras (father), and what answer you would give this child?”

How had I not thought of all that? I hated to admit but Adrian was right. About everything he had said.

The clock ticked and time passed, neither of us said anything. Adrian was watching me carefully.

I squeezed his hand, “Ade, what if he doesn’t accept me now? What if it’s too late?” I asked.

“It’s only been a few days since we last saw him. If you talk to him, Blue, he would understand.”

“I guess you’re right,” I said.

The baby kicked again. I smiled, “I think the baby really wants to get to know his daddy.”

“His?” Adrian looked amused. “How do you know it’s a boy?”

“I don’t. I’m just thinking that it could be a little boy who looked like Hunter with his golden hair and silver eyes.” I yearned for the day I could hold our baby, “my own little Hunter.”

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

“Ade, I’m really sorry that I slapped you. I was really angry.”

“It’s okay.” He said. “As long as you go back to your husband and I no longer have to tolerate you. All’s good.” He grinned and I punched him playfully.

“Can you take me to him right now?” I asked.

“It’s pouring outside.” He pointed out.

“I want to see him right now. I can’t wait until tomorrow.”

“Pack your stuff.”

* * *

Hunter

I had finished taking a long hot shower and was preparing dinner for the evening. A horror movie was paused on Netflix while I’d made egg salad and some grilled sausages which I was going to enjoy with a tall glass of iced tea.