Everblue

Chapter 37 - Fin

FIN

 

"What was that all about?" Tatiana demanded, out of breath while throwing a pile of clothes towards me.

I caught them before they hit the wet ground, but not before Ash's lingering scent on Tatch's borrowed clothing seized my chest with longing and guilt. "Nothing. It's okay."

"Okay? I heard her yelling for you to 'get out'. Did you mind-wipe her afterward?"

"Not exactly." I tried to remain nonchalant as I inspected the outfit Tatch got for me. The navy blue Tahoe Fire T-shirt would be fine, but the jeans were definitely too big.

"What do you mean not exactly?"

I took a deep breath and pulled on the jeans. Telling the truth was easier than hiding what happened. Problem was she'd be just as mad as Ash, if not worse. "I can't."

She blinked back at me with confusion, and then her face fell with shock. "NO! You didn't!"

I swallowed hard. "It's not what you think."

Tatch's legs began to wobble. I grabbed her before she fell on the ground and pulled her toward me so our eyes were level with one another. "We have other things to worry about. You need to buy me some shoes."

She blinked back wide-eyed, her hands covering her mouth. "You kissed her? You've promised yourself to her? 'Cause that can be the only reason why your powers wouldn't work on her. Tell me!"

She pounded her free fist onto my chest. The confession that I'd kissed Ash wouldn't come out of my mouth. I looked blankly back. She finally stopped protesting and her eyes glazed over.

"For the love of the Kraken! This is huge, Fin." She pulled her arms free and folded them over her chest. Then another wave of anger flashed in her eyes. "Why? WHY? We were going to go away to college. Now she's doomed to join the mermaid world I'm trying to escape. I can't believe you did this to me. YOU! My own brother!"

She let out an animalistic groan, threw her hands up, and stormed away from me.

"Wait, Tatch! It wasn't like that. I had no intention of promising myself to her. She was drowning. Look at her leg. That happened right before—why she couldn't swim. I had to give her mouth to mouth or she would have died. That's why I made the waves. To get to her in time. That's why I can't tell anyone what happened. Why the boat was floating free in the bay."

She turned around, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You what?"

"I came to Tahoe to collect rocks for Mr. Gumboot, then I heard her scream. She fell from the boat and sliced open her leg. By the time I got to her, she was already underwater, bleeding to death. I couldn't let her die."

Tatch listened with a frown. The severity of what happened seemed to soften her, but the disappointment still remained visible on her face and rubbed acid into my conflicted soul. "So now what? Are you going to change her too?"

"She doesn't remember what happened."

"What do you mean?"

"She was unconscious. I'm hoping there's something we can do to reverse it," I lied, desperate to earn back her trust, knowing my promise to Ash, something I would fight with everything I had to keep, was irreversible until death.

Tatiana exploded into cutting laughter. "Really? That's funny. There's no cure and you know it. Poseidon!"

I looked down at the ground, terribly conflicted. Dad would know the best thing to do. But for now, I needed shoes.