Maggie raised a brow. “You know him?”
“‘Course I do,” he replied with a boyish shrug. “I’m the King of Neverland.”
She rolled her eyes and waved dismissively, though the corner of her lip couldn’t help but perk upwards. “Anywho, he lives in the jungle, apparently. Starts the trek every morning to reach the restaurant by lunch to try the special. He never knows what it is and doesn’t bother to read the sign. Just orders it right away.”
Peter watched her with a growing smile. He leaned forward, his slightly pointed chin resting on the center of his palm. Though his posture was lazy or tired, Peter’s were entirely transfixed on her. There was no doubt that he paid attention, that he clung to every word, that he reacted to every sentence.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Maggie asked in a quiet voice.
He beamed but wasn’t quick to reply.
A slurry of thoughts rushed through her head. Suddenly she was aware of how much she was talking, at how long she kept the attention focused on her. Surely Peter had come for a reason, and she looked downright selfish with the spotlight clinging to her. Heat rushed to her face as she looked away, the embarrassment deepening when his low, throaty chuckle filled the quiet kitchen.
“Oh, I-I know it,” Maggie murmured. “I’ve just talked your ear off, haven’t I?” She shook her head. “I-I’m really sorry, Peter. I know you probably need something, and I’ve kept you as far away from it as possible. Talking about my day and just –”
Peter rose from his position, taking one long stride to break the distance between them. He loomed over her without an ounce of intimidation, bright eyes twinkling. “Maggie,” he said, the lack of a nickname startling her so much her breath hitched. “I could listen to you talk all day, if you want the truth. And I asked about your day, you know. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know.”
She stared up at him through her lashes, entirely dizzy from his words. They all clung to her as he backed away, looking around at the island counter as if he was window shopping. It was so intimate and so casual in the same breath, knocking her off her feet before placing her back on the ground again. To know she was wanted, in whatever way that meant, was far more than she ever had before.
“What are the rest of your plans for the day, Magpie?”
Jolted back into reality, Maggie turned to face him, smacking his hand away the moment he got too close to the chocolate tarts. “We have plans, remember?”
Peter pouted and the downturned frown made the ageless man look like a youthful teen. “What plans?”
“The water is being blocked off from reaching the Everything Plant, remember?” Maggie reached behind her to untie her apron and hang it on a hook beside the back kitchen door. “We need to see what’s going on with the mermaids. The only thing to get the Everything Plant to grow and produce berries again is to fix the water.” She eyed him when he remained still at the island counter, his head tilted away. “You remember, don’t you, Peter?”
He didn’t move, his expression unreadable from where she stood. “What does that mean, then?” he asked. “Are you still leaving –” the words stopped in his throat. “Leaving Neverland?”
Maggie watched the side of his face. Even though she found it impossible to say the words while looking him in the eyes, Maggie wanted nothing more than to see his face at that very moment. “Y-Yes, Peter,” she murmured. “That’s the plan.” She wished to take back the words the moment she dared to whisper them, but Maggie knew that she couldn’t.
Peter remained frighteningly still for a minute. Maggie stepped forward then paused, trapped in her own subconscious. It was something she had done, something she had said, to have driven him into such a state. Why would he want her any closer? Maggie held herself back, arms wrapped across her torso in a poor attempt to comfort herself.
It was then, after a tense silence had overtaken the kitchen, that Peter drew in a long breath.
“Alright, Magpie.” He twirled around on his heel, lips pressed together in a placid smile. Though he sounded more like himself,everything was stiff and rigid. He walked closer, lingering in front of her, before reaching the back door. He pulled it open for her. “We’ll go see the mermaids together.”
Maggie followed him out of the restaurant. Everything about him was as it should’ve been, but she couldn’t help but recognize the sharp divide that was beginning to grow between them. She had always said she would return to the human world, right from day one. And even then, Peter agreed. Though she felt herself growing an unmistakable attachment to everything Neverland offered, Maggie always planned on sticking through.
Her dream lied elsewhere.
Her life lied elsewhere.
Her accomplishments lied…lied…
Peter reached for her hand without asking for it. Soft and delicate touches sent electric pulses up her arm. He merely touched, at first, before entirely clasping onto her hand, fingers intertwining until it felt just right. A warmth spread from the center of their hands, traveling up Maggie’s arm until a shudder involuntarily ran down her back. It was how he had always led the way before, simply showing her the way forward, with a familiar touch.
Suddenly, it did not feel anything likesimple.
3
South of the Everything Plant’s home was the mermaid’s cove. It was a round fixture on the beach, where the cliffside above sharply pulled outward to create a natural shade and overhang. Water from the sea pooled into the cove, just reaching its pearly white shore. A few streams from the main body of water were strong enough to push through the shore and create long river-like streams that entered into a tunnel within the rocky cliffside. Rocks decorated the aquamarine water, where mermaids could lounge and bask in the sun before retreating back into the waves.
Peter led Maggie along the corner, where the beach began to curve sharply into the cove. The closer they came, the louder and clearer the music sounded, until it was so loud it rang in Maggie’s ears. Mermaids laid across the rocks that protruded out from beneath the water. Their tails all housed different colors, each capturing a different sort of ethereal beauty Maggie had never seen before. They sang together in perfect harmony, though the words of their song were unintelligible to Maggie. She couldn’t care less, it was beautiful all the same!
Maggie followed Peter into the water, unsure of exactly where they were headed in the cove area, but not really caring as she stared around herself. Animals Maggie knew nothingabout poked out from the wilderness, excited and entranced by the music. Some birds landed nearby, smacking their feathers to the beat and singing their own birdsong. Dolphins Maggie recognized were coaxed from their hiding spots, their sharp and unforgettable whistles joining in on the timeless fun.
“This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” Maggie said as they pushed through the water.
