“This is me, Dad. This is who I am. It’s just too bad you weren’t around enough tonotice.”
“Ria!” her father roared, but Isa took off. She didn’t know if she wanted to scream or cry, but she did know she wanted to findAdrian.
She found him coming of the men’s room just outside the grand ballroom. The stain was gone, but water soaked the front of hisjacket.
He noticed something was wrong as Isa flung herself intohisarms.
“Izzy, what’s going on?” He held onto her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Whathappened?”
Isa let one tear fall as she asked, “Adrian, do youloveme?”
“What?” he gaped at herhelplessly.
“Do youloveme?”
This was something Isa had never done before. She’d never been vulnerable in this way. Guys always told her they loved her first, but it was just a way to get into her pants. She’d never said it back to anyone, not even Adrian. And Isa knew in that moment she loved Adrian, but that she needed to hear him say it first. She needed to hear that someone out there actually cared about what she wanted, cared about who she was and not just what they created hertobe.
She needed to know this was real, and not just afairytale.
But Adrian didn’t give the answer she expected. He let go of her arms and said slowly, “I… I can’tsaythat.”
The floor dropped underneath Isa’s feet, and she fell so far that she thought she was sinking into some sort of hell. “Whynot?”
“I… I justcan’t.”
“You don’tloveme?”
Adrian gazed miserably at her, void of any response. Isa took it as heranswer.
It didn’t make sense. How could Adrian come on land for her, give up being a merman, give up everything, if he didn’tloveher?
Maybe everything he said to her was a lie and he didn’t mean anyofit.
Maybe this was all a prank and he wasn’t a mermanatall.
“You’re a liar, Adrian,” Isa whispered. She tore herself away from him, freelycryingnow.
“Izzy, wait!” Adrian cried, but it was too late. Isa had heard enough. She needed to get outofhere.
This night was nothing short of a disaster. Isa was about to leave. But as she was pushing her way through the crowd she heard a voice call, “And this year’s winner of the Coral Queen crown is… IsamariaDavis!”
Isamaria stopped cold. A million hands were on her back and there were a bunch of smiling faces congratulating her. She noticed the expressions of many girls steaming with envy. People pushed her toward the stage, and Isa’s legs betrayed her as they obeyed willingly. Isa was forced to climb up on stage to accept the crown, forcing backtears.
“Told you,” Brently said beside her. “I knew I was going to get Coral King. Where’s yourboyfriend?”
Isa had to turn her back on him to wipe away tears. “Nothere.”
She left the stage before Brently took that as an invitation, and before she had to give a speech. Several people tried to stop her but she covered her face and ran out the door before theycould.
Isa ran to the beach. She kicked her heels off at the doors of the castle and left them there, running as fast as she could in her dress toward the place where the ocean met theshore.
She only stopped when she could feel the soft waves brushing up againstherfeet.
Isa took the crown off her head. Then she tossed it as far as she could into the sea, pitifully crying and letting out a painfulscream.
Her eyes caught that horizon line. Isa wanted to sink into that thin line and hide away, foreverandever.
The sea called to her. Not caring what happened to her dress, Isa wandered into the waves and closedhereyes.
