“Then Brodie can stay with Red,” I add.
Let the loving couple stay together. I’m sure they’d both prefer that. They have to be freaked out by the idea of Red being kidnapped into sex slavery again. Red needs the comfort Brodie can give, and Brodie needs to feel assured that Red is safe.
There is no one who will miss me if I’m gone. And yes, I’m being a whiny bitch. But I think I’m entitled to feel sorry for myself.
Mal sighs. “Fine.”
I’m already dressed, so it’s a simple matter of following Mal out to his car. I hop in and buckle up, and we drive off.
I don’t even know why I am going. Closure or something? Though just what a deserted car is going to tell me, I have no idea. It’s not going to be proof of anything. Because it’s not even like it’s Blue’s personal car, his baby that he would never leave. No, Blue is very good at leaving things behind.
But he is sorry.
He loves me.
He is going to miss me forever.
I sigh and stare blankly at the scenery as it whizzes past my window. If only we had talked instead of being idiots. Sounds like we could have sorted things out. I mean, if he loves me and I love him, surely everything else is purely semantics? Meaningless, picky details. We could have worked it out.
But he’s gone and left. And strangely, I’m not even mad about it. Just sad. I saw how terrified he was at the thought of being caught again. It’s understandable that he needs to be where he feels safe.And I am so very glad he is safe. And home. I just wish I was with him. Or that he knew there was a reason for him to stay.
A sharp pain lances through me, and I wince. What were my last words to him? Get the fuck out and never come back? It was something like that. Ouch. I hope he knows I was angry, and that’s not how I feel about him.
Mal turns into a half empty parking lot. The smell of salt water hits me. We are here already? Wow. Time flies when you are brooding.
One of the shared cars is tucked into the corner of the lot. It looks lonely. I get out of Mal’s car and stand up. A blast of fresh air hits me. I can see the sea now. It’s gray like the sky. I think a storm is brewing. But it could simply be my mood.
I walk with Mal over to the other car. It looks fine. Mal tries the door. It’s unlocked. The keys are in the glove compartment.
I turn and look at the sea. It’s a few hundred feet away. Blue has to have made it. I look at Mal. His eyes unfocus. A strange prickling sensation itches along my skin. He is using magic. I wait with bated breath. A few minutes later, Mal blinks and his eyes refocus. He nods at me.
Blue is safe. He made it home.
A whole storm of emotions washes through me. I cannot even begin to untangle them all.
“Can we stay for a bit?” I ask.
Mal’s dark eyes fill with pity. “Sure thing kid, let me know when you are ready.”
I guess he doesn’t need to wait for me. He could drive off and I could follow after. Whenever I feel like it. But I like that he is going to wait for me. It would feel unbearably lonely if he left me behind.
“Thanks,” I say.
He nods and gets back in his car. The radio switches on.
I wrap my arms around myself and head towards the pier. It’s a nice pier. Old and sedate. Regal and worn around the edges. Two miles down the beach and around the headland, is a newerand much fancier one with rides and lights. Fish and chips and souvenirs. This one only has a tea shop that is full of little old ladies. It’s nice and peaceful.
I walk all the way to the end. The wind is blowing right through my hoodie, but I don’t care. It’s beautiful here. I’ve always loved the sea. It’s almost fitting that I fell in love with a siren.
I sit down at the edge of the pier. Nothing but waves all the way out to the horizon. Blue is out there somewhere. Twirling and twisting under the water. Befriending fishes.
I’ll miss you forever,he said.
And I will miss him for eternity. My life is going to be hollow and empty without him.
A flash of something just under the surface catches my eye. It looks like a gleam of pale skin. An echo of something tugs at my mind. Almost like a remnant of the mate bond. It feels like Blue’s presence. It feels like he is close by.
My heart is fluttering frantically. Could it be true?
