Everblue

Chapter 57 - Fin

FIN

 

Ash stumbled outside. Her glassy eyes indicated she'd reached information overload—something I'd hoped my parents would avoid.

"That went over well," I said with a fake grin. "I told you they'd like you."

She nodded, but the uncertainty creased her forehead like a paper fan. She stopped and stared at the lake once we got to the Jeep. I turned her to face me. "We'll get through this. I promise."

"Please drive me somewhere," she mumbled as she opened the door and robotically climbed in.

I took a deep breath before climbing into the driver's side and starting the Jeep. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care."

She remained quiet for several minutes as I drove down the secluded lakeside road with no destination in mind. Would this be the time she told me she couldn't handle this? That she wanted out of the promise? Her silence gnawed at my gut.

"Please talk to me," I finally said. "What are you thinking?"

"Everything . . ." She stopped.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything has to change." She started to sniffle.

Seeing her tears, I pulled to the side of the road and got out. She remained inside with her door opened a crack, only her foot propped on the running board.

"Look at me," I said and put her cheeks between my hands. "I love you and I'm not going to let anything keep us apart, or make things difficult with your parents, or ask you to move away, or assume you'll want to become a mer, like me. This will all work out."

"You love me?"

"Of course I do." My shoulders dropped. "I knew it the day I wanted to punch that idiot's face when he had his hands all over you."

She sniffled, but smiled—the first time since we'd left the house.

"I love you, too," she said softly.

My heart expanded, filling with indescribable bliss hearing the words. I pulled her off the seat and into my arms. She whimpered sweetly as I covered her lips with mine, tasting the salt on her skin, kissing away the tears. I never wanted to see her cry again. If the mer life scared her, I'd become a man in a heartbeat. Her happiness was my everything.

I looked into her green eyes and pushed back the red, loose curls falling around her cheeks, worried how to help. She had no idea she'd fit in perfectly and put all the mermaids to shame with her beauty. She smiled at me, as if she read my adoration of her on my face.

I pulled her back into my arms, and cradled her body against mine. She finally relaxed.

"I was thinking," she said in my ear. "Why don't I go to college here in Tahoe next year instead."

"What? Why?"

"'Cause—" she nuzzled deeper into my chest "—it would be less complicated."

I pushed back, wanting to study her eyes. "Complicated? You didn't think I'd let you go alone, did you? I'd like to see you stop me."

Her lips curled into that adorable grin as her face lit up with new hope. "Tatchi and I specifically picked Florida Atlantic  University because it was close to the ocean. And I can get a job and we can live by the sea. Or . . ." Uncertainty clouded her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, brushing a curl off her forehead.

"Am I going to . . . " Her cheeks flushed as she bit her lip.