Everblue

Chapter 58 - Ash

ASH

 

Just hearing his voice made me whole again. In the time waiting, I'd chewed my nails to the nub, worn a new groove in my carpet, eaten half a box of chocolate chip cookies, and yelled at my sister for messing up the bathroom.

"I've got good news," he said.

"Tatchi is home?"

"Well, no. Not that good. I've talked to my parents and the Florida thing works in perfectly with their plans. There's a safe house for runaway mers, so we'll be together while you go to college."

"Great," I said and pulled in a deep breath.

A safe house sounded more reassuring than him living alone in the Atlantic. But I still didn't know how to tell my parents we were getting serious, so serious I'd want to marry him if he asked. Being only seventeen and jobless without a place to live wouldn't stack in our favor. And Fin seemed apprehensive about me becoming a mermaid. Would I have to wait long? The thought of swimming around with a real live tail exhilarated me. Would college end up being the cover-up? Would my family notice I'd changed? Heck, if we lived in the Atlantic together, why would we need jobs anyway?

"Ashlynnnn," he cooed, "what are you thinking about?"

"Life."

"Sounds serious," he said with a little laugh.

"Since our first kiss, I can't think of anything else."

"That wasn't entirely my fault. You were the one taking a pleasure cruise in freezing waters."

"I'd heard that there was a hot merman stalking the waters around Fannette Island. I had to look for myself," I giggled.

"Hot, huh?" he asked with a smile in his voice.

"And sexy."

"I've been told that."

"By whom?" I asked with pretend outrage.

"By all the mermaids."

"Oooh, if you were here I'd—"

"What?"

"I'd pin you down and kiss you so you'd never think of anyone else but me."

"Can I come over now?"

We both laughed.

"I wish," I said

He continued to flirt with me and plan our future. In the back of my mind, I started to envision the wedding as well. I couldn't imagine anyone except Tatchi being my maid of honor, but worried if I waited any longer, and let him go to Natatoria without me, they wouldn't come back and I wouldn't have the power to find him. My dreams and worst nightmares swirled together in a multicolored cloud of uncertainty.

"Geez," Fin said in exasperation. "Who keeps trying to break in on our call?"

"What?"

"Call waiting. Hold on. I need to tell this fool where to stick it."

"Okay."

I heard the click and waited, imagining him chewing out the poor telemarketer who was trying to make their sales for the night. Out of my window I saw the bathroom light in his house filter through the trees and smiled. We were so close, yet so far away. After two minutes passed, I wondered if my phone still worked properly. I clicked a button so the screen would light up and the seconds counted away. After three, my heart began to speed up. What was taking so long? After ten minutes, I was about to put on my clothes and walk to his house myself.

"Sorry, Ash," Fin said, finally clicking over. "It was an important call for my dad. Something's come up."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," he said, but I didn't believe him. His edgy voice told me something very bad happened.

"Is it—?"

"I'm really sorry. I can't talk anymore tonight. I'll come over first thing in the morning. I love you."

I slid off my bed onto the floor, gripping the phone. He couldn't hang up without telling me who called. "I love you, too."

"Don't worry. It'll be okay. Goodnight."

He hung up before I could tell him goodnight back.

Okay? How could it be okay if he's worried?

My chest ached as I put down my cell phone and turned to watch his house. The bathroom light wasn't on anymore—the entire house dark. Who called? What news did they bring? The fear I'd felt the entire time Fin was missing came back and scratched its nails down the chalkboard of my soul. I wanted to run over and bang on the door. Why didn't he tell me? Why did he make me wait?

I began to pace again and ate the rest of the cookies. In times of stress, a swim always did the trick to calm my nerves. I just wanted the phone to ring. I willed him to call me back.

An hour passed, then two. The rest of my family had gone to sleep and only the wind whistling through the pine trees kept me company. I couldn't stop my mind from racing. I had to know what was going on.

Against my better judgment, I picked up the phone and called. Once the answering machine picked up, I hung up. He must have been in the pool in the basement with his parents.

I tried to sleep, but only tossed and turned. Nothing would ease my mind. In desperation, I grabbed my pillow, a sleeping bag, and four blankets from the hall closet and snuck outside to the dock.

I curled up in a ball on the cold wooden slats and draped my arm over the edge, just barely touching the water. I hoped to send Fin a little SOS with my finger tips. The brittle cold distracted me from the whirlwind of chaos haunting my mind. I hoped in some crazy way he'd know I needed him and swim to find me.

"Fin," I called out over the water. "Please . . ."