Read Online Pretty in Pearls: A Forgive My Fins Novella (HarperTeen Impulse) by Tera Lynn Childs - Free Book Online

for the telltale scarf and black hair. I don’t see it.
    Riatus isn’t there.
    But Coral is.
    Her dark curls bounce as she swims over. “Peri,” she cries, pulling me into a tight hug. “It’s been a few days.”
    “Hi, Coral,” Lom says from behind me.
    “Lom?” She releases me and gives me a questioning look. “Do you two know each other?”
    “We do now,” he says. “It’s our first date.”
    Coral’s jaw drops. “Date?”
    I shake my head, but Lom speaks before I have a chance to say anything, to explain anything.
    “The princess set us up.” He gives me a toothy grin and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes.
    Coral glances from me to Lom and back again. She might be young, but she’s not stupid. I can see in her eyes—a familiar pale gray—that she understands exactly what’s going on here. I start to give her a pleading look, but then I stop myself. What do I have to explain? What do I have to apologize for? Riatus pushed me away, not the other way around.
    As if she can totally hear my internal monologue, Coral nods sagely. “Okay, then. Well, let me know if you need anything.”
    She winks at me—just like her brother. Then, with a flick of her tail fin, she’s sailing across the stall to greet another customer.
    “Come on,” Lom says, pulling me toward a display of exotic black pearls. “Help me choose.”
    I float over to the barrel and study the contents. I need to tell Lom this will be our only date, but he seems to be having such a good time. Maybe I should wait until it’s over. That’s probably the nice thing to do.
    The pearls in this barrel are so dark and shiny and beautiful that I can’t help digging my hand into them.
    “Do you have pierced ears?” Lom asks. “I was thinking a pair for you and one for me.”
    He chooses a large pearl and holds it up to his left earlobe.
    “I’m going to get it pierced as soon as my internship is over.”
    I giggle at the thought of Lom with a black pearl stud in his ear. It’s so different than his clean-cut, nerdy merboy look. Thick, black glasses and a black pearl stud. On some guys the stud would look tough. If Riatus had one it would give him even more of an edge, like he’s daring anyone to say something about the girly pearl in his ear.
    On Lom it just looks adorable.
    “I think it’s a great idea,” I say, reaching forward to nudge the pearl down his ear to a better position. “You definitely should.”
    A shadow passes over us, blocking out some of the light from behind. Lom looks over my shoulder and smiles.
    He holds up the pearl. “How much is this one?”
    I expect Coral to answer.
    When the voice is male, my spine stiffens.
    “Fifty.”
    I sense movement and a second later Riatus is floating next to us. At first I’m frozen, stunned to see him after thinking he wasn’t here. But then I see the intimidating look on his face. He’s scowling at Lom, like he wants to take him out behind the market and beat the carp out of him.
    Where does he get off?
    I float closer to Lom’s side and paste a thrilled smile on my face.
    Grabbing a pair of black pearls from the bin, I hold them up to my lobes. “How much for a pair?”
    Riatus’s eyes narrow.
    “For those?” His mouth kicks up to one side. “Eighty-five.”
    “That’s not bad,” Lom says.
    Riatus adds, “Each.”
    Lom’s face falls. “Oh.”
    I drop the pearls back into the barrel. “That’s okay,” I say, my eyes focused on Riatus. “I’m kind of over pearls anyway.”
    “Yeah,” Lom says, adding his to the pile. “Me too.”
    He seems completely oblivious to the tension hanging in the water between me and Riatus. He’s a sweet guy, but definitely clueless.
    Riatus floats closer to me. “Oh really?”
    “Yes.” I lift my chin. “Pearls are just too . . . complicated for me.”
    His pale gaze dips to my collarbone and then back up. “Are they?”
    The urge to reach up and cover the copper pearl pendant hanging beneath my throat is almost