promise," I said, holding up a hand when he started to argue some more. "Listen, I'm not stripping down just so you can check a scratch I can look at myself. What are you, a doctor now too?"
"No. Just someone who is trying to look out for you." He sounded so sincere that my resolve nearly broke. What was the harm anyway? Well, besides the fact that he was still not telling me anything and acting mysterious, he was probably perfectly normal and sane.
"Thanks, really. But I'm not some damsel in distress. I can handle myself."
He raised a suggestive eyebrow, a smile playing across his face.
"Swimming doesn't count. It's not my strongest suit. Especially when mermaids get involved."
"At least we agree on that. But still,"
"Not happening. Look it's getting late and I don't want to be out here during nighttime. There is something just wrong here. We can talk tomorrow some more."
"Agreed."
"And don't think you will get away without answering my questions again, Galead."
Decided, he pulled the old, rusty door open again. It was indeed getting darker. The sun sat low on the horizon. Its shine now rode dully atop choppy blackened waves. My body shivered in the coolness of the coastal breeze.
"You can call me Ryan you know," he said as we trudged back to the car side by side.
"Galead suits you better," I told him, reaching out to trail a hand across a smooth cheek. Galead would tell me everything tomorrow even if I had to distract him from seeing me as just some object to protect.
*
My friends were waiting for us at Leary's Lair by the time we got back. Galead's brothers had left them a short while before they finished shopping. Anna had decided against the boots she told me when we hugged out any ill feelings that might be remaining when I had lost control of my anger. She had settled on a set of cute dolphin earrings for her mother.
Waiting outside for the others after dinner, Galead and I found ourselves alone again. We had barely talked on the way back from the lighthouse. It was fine with me. I had been lost in my own thoughts trying to fit everything together. Now, however, back in town and the lie of us being the happy couple hanging over our heads, he needed to answer one question at least.
"Why did you tell them we were a couple?"
Galead ducked his head, scuffing a shoe along the sidewalk. He was ashamed. He had lied about us and felt bad about the lie. It wasn't even a terrible lie in my eyes, not yet anyway. It was just confusing. Like his reaction. Maybe mine as well.
"Let me ask you something. Why were you so mad with Anna?" he asked.
"I don't know," I told him honestly. "She was so happy about Christmas, about getting those damn boots from her parents maybe. And I started thinking about him."
"Your father?"
"Yes," I said. My eyes were misting but I wouldn't cry. Not anymore. "I was remembering the great moments we had shared as a family during the holidays. The gifts, the times, the people. And I realized there would be no more future memories to be had with him again."
Galead said nothing. He was letting me think about it, work out what I had just said. Galead was right of course. How could Anna understand my feelings when she still had both of her parents? How could I expect her to share the same painful hollowness holidays now caused me? It wasn't fair of me. It wasn't fair to her.
"I know she didn't mean to cause any pain. I overreacted." Now I felt ashamed.
"You did," he agreed. "But it was more than that, Thera. You were enjoying being angry."
"Well that's just ridiculous."
But was it? Didn't I like the feel, the rage filling the void in my heart? The constrictive crush of tension
"No. Just someone who is trying to look out for you." He sounded so sincere that my resolve nearly broke. What was the harm anyway? Well, besides the fact that he was still not telling me anything and acting mysterious, he was probably perfectly normal and sane.
"Thanks, really. But I'm not some damsel in distress. I can handle myself."
He raised a suggestive eyebrow, a smile playing across his face.
"Swimming doesn't count. It's not my strongest suit. Especially when mermaids get involved."
"At least we agree on that. But still,"
"Not happening. Look it's getting late and I don't want to be out here during nighttime. There is something just wrong here. We can talk tomorrow some more."
"Agreed."
"And don't think you will get away without answering my questions again, Galead."
Decided, he pulled the old, rusty door open again. It was indeed getting darker. The sun sat low on the horizon. Its shine now rode dully atop choppy blackened waves. My body shivered in the coolness of the coastal breeze.
"You can call me Ryan you know," he said as we trudged back to the car side by side.
"Galead suits you better," I told him, reaching out to trail a hand across a smooth cheek. Galead would tell me everything tomorrow even if I had to distract him from seeing me as just some object to protect.
*
My friends were waiting for us at Leary's Lair by the time we got back. Galead's brothers had left them a short while before they finished shopping. Anna had decided against the boots she told me when we hugged out any ill feelings that might be remaining when I had lost control of my anger. She had settled on a set of cute dolphin earrings for her mother.
Waiting outside for the others after dinner, Galead and I found ourselves alone again. We had barely talked on the way back from the lighthouse. It was fine with me. I had been lost in my own thoughts trying to fit everything together. Now, however, back in town and the lie of us being the happy couple hanging over our heads, he needed to answer one question at least.
"Why did you tell them we were a couple?"
Galead ducked his head, scuffing a shoe along the sidewalk. He was ashamed. He had lied about us and felt bad about the lie. It wasn't even a terrible lie in my eyes, not yet anyway. It was just confusing. Like his reaction. Maybe mine as well.
"Let me ask you something. Why were you so mad with Anna?" he asked.
"I don't know," I told him honestly. "She was so happy about Christmas, about getting those damn boots from her parents maybe. And I started thinking about him."
"Your father?"
"Yes," I said. My eyes were misting but I wouldn't cry. Not anymore. "I was remembering the great moments we had shared as a family during the holidays. The gifts, the times, the people. And I realized there would be no more future memories to be had with him again."
Galead said nothing. He was letting me think about it, work out what I had just said. Galead was right of course. How could Anna understand my feelings when she still had both of her parents? How could I expect her to share the same painful hollowness holidays now caused me? It wasn't fair of me. It wasn't fair to her.
"I know she didn't mean to cause any pain. I overreacted." Now I felt ashamed.
"You did," he agreed. "But it was more than that, Thera. You were enjoying being angry."
"Well that's just ridiculous."
But was it? Didn't I like the feel, the rage filling the void in my heart? The constrictive crush of tension
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