Fated - A Mermaid's Curse 2 (2 page)

I step closer to her and brush her hair off her face.

“
You know, I could let you decide for yourself whether I’m a good kisser or not.”

She bites her bottom lip and I move my hand to the small of her back, pull her against me and lean down, brushing my lips against hers, teasing her, before I pull her even closer and really kiss her.

When her arms go around my back and her nails dig deep into my skin, I flinch.

“
What is wrong?” she asks.

“
Nothing,” I lie. I can feel the blood sticking to my shirt and I’m wearing white.

She quickly moves behind me and before I can react, she gasps.

“
You’re bleeding. I didn’t do that, did I?”

I laugh. “Of course not. I had a little incident earlier. The stitches probably came open when your nail—”

“
Gosh. I knew it was my fault. Please let me take a look.”

I let out a groan in frustration. I can already see that she is one of those who don’t let things go.

“
Fine.” I grab the hem of my shirt and take it off.

“
Is that a knife wound?” she practically yells.

“
Hmm. Maybe. Why do you think that?”

“
I’m a nurse. I was really just guessing but that is what it looks like.”

I shrug. “Yeah, bar fight.”

Obviously, I’m not going to tell her that I stood in the middle of an empty room while my father stood behind me and sliced my skin near my shoulder blade with a kitchen knife. He was marking me and this was not the first time. He did it once before. We stood at the same spot and he put the first mark, that one, on my chest, as he said, ‘This is for your own good, son. This is not a meaningless punishment. Consider this mark to be a reminder of your mistakes so you won’t make them ever again.’ I zone out as I hear those words replaying in my head. This new mark was deeper than the first. I could feel his anger for what I had done… for giving Arianna the deal that led her to my brother.

“
Owen?” Carly says.

I look up at her. “Did you hear what I said? Are you okay?”

“
I’m okay. No, sorry. What did you say?”

“
Do you know if John keeps a first aid kit in here?”

“
I’m sure he does, but I’m good.”

She takes a look at it again. “Well, it stopped bleeding but it could get infected if you don’t take care of it.”

I grin at her, “You’re right, I think John has—”

I freeze mid sentence when I see a helicopter heading to the island. I don’t know why, but I do. I watch and wait for it to keep going, but after a while, I see it going down miles away and I can’t explain how, but I know where it’s headed.

Shit.

“
Look, Carly, I need you to do something for me.”

She gives me a puzzled look. I’m sure I’m freaking her out because I’m rushing and I’m nervous as hell.

“
Look, sweetheart, I’m sorry, but there is something I need to check on. Can you go back to the bar and tell John I had to borrow his boat, but that I’ll be back as soon as I can?”

“
What the—”

I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close. “I’m sorry. I know I sound like a crazy person right now, but it’s important. I’ll be back soon. Leave your number with John and I’ll call you. I’ll make it up to you,” I wink at her.

I help her get out of the boat and take off toward the island.

CHAPTER THREE

BLAKE

I open my eyes and I’m alone at the beach. I panic. I look around for her and when I see no one, I’m consumed by fear. My cell phone is long gone. I rush in the house and dial 911.

I can’t even think. I go back outside, holding the phone. The boat is gone. I throw the phone on the sand rush toward the sea. I jump in and swim over to the rocks where I hope to get a better view of the ocean. I wait there until the search and rescue crew arrives. Owen arrives a few minutes after them.

I lose it like I’ve never lost it before. I’m yelling at everyone. Telling them to stop asking stupid questions and just go look for her. They’re wasting time. They want all this information about her… last name, recent picture, and I have absolutely nothing.

Owen walks toward me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Go back inside, Blake. I’ll give them all information they need.”

I just glare at him. How can he even suggest that I just go back inside and wait?

I move closer to the water where I sit on the sand and wait for hours with no results. Mom eventually arrives. She left Molly with a babysitter, which is for the best. She tries to get me to eat something, but I don’t even move. I just sit there staring at the sea that brought her to me and now took her away. I can’t lose the only good thing that ever happened in my life. I just can’t.

“
Blake,” says mom. “I know you don’t want to go inside and you don’t want to eat anything, but it’s hot out here. At least drink this, please.”

I drink a glass of water and quickly stand up.

“
I need to go look for her,” I say.

“
Blake, please don’t. Let them do their jobs.”

I sigh in frustration. “I can’t. I have to do something! I have to find her!”

I rush inside and get all diving equipment ready. Mom tries to stop me again but I need to go and look for her myself. As soon as I step into the water, I feel like I can’t breathe. I close my eyes and think about her. I slowly feel my breathing return to normal. I open my eyes and move forward, determined not to stop until I find her. I take breaks, but never once actually leave the water. All together, I’m not sure how much time I actually spend underwater, but I know it’s been a while because my legs start to feel weak. I dive in once more but I can’t even move fast enough.

I make my way out of the water knowing what every minute of not finding her really means.

When I go to the house to get something to eat, it’s only because I know that I need to keep my strength to keep looking for her. I eat a sandwich while everyone watches me. When I turn around to go back outside, Owen grabs my wrist.

“
That’s enough,” he says. “There are people out there looking for her. You need to take a break—a longer break.” I push him off me and start to walk toward the door. He runs and gets in front of me.

“
Move!” I say. I have every intention of going back out and I’ll do what I have to so he won’t stop me.

Mom gets in between the two of us. I can tell she’s been crying. I get lost in her eyes.

“
I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.”

I break down. She pulls me into a hug and I’m crying on her shoulders.

“
I can’t lose her.”

“
We’ll keep looking,” she says as she runs her hand over my hair.

Minutes later, she takes a deep breath and pulls me away. With the lack of sleep and this just now, I know my eyes are bloodshot. Owen hands her a cup of water and a pill and she hands it to me.

“
What is this?”

“
Just something to help you relax. Please,” she begs.

I take the pill and she tells me to rest. She assures me that the others will be searching and that when I’m rested I can be of more help. I go to the room, change out of my wetsuit into flannel pants, and I stare at the window for the longest time before my eyes start to get heavy. I lay down and set my alarm for an hour. I want to go back to look for her as soon as possible, even though at this point, I’m afraid of what I will find.

As soon as I close my eyes and take a deep breath, I can smell her scent all over her pillow. I have never done this before and I’m not even sure if I’m even doing it right, but I pray. I just close my eyes and pray that she is somehow brought back into my life.

I jump awake when I feel a pressure on my chest. Someone turned my alarm off after I fell asleep and it’s now dark outside. I run out of the room to find mom and Owen sitting on the couch. Mom has been crying all day and Owen stares down in a way that I’ve never seen him before.

I look outside and I see no searchlights. I know what this means, and my heart sinks; actually, it shatters into so many pieces that I give up. I don’t say anything. I go to the table in the corner of the room, grab a bottle of Jack Daniels and walk into my room, locking myself in.

I sit down and stare at the bottle for a while.

‘
Promise me that no matter what happens, you won’t drink again.’

I love her too much to break that promise. I stand up and throw the bottle against the wall. It breaks, spilling liquor all over the hardwood floor.

An hour later, I’m in the boat on the way back to the city with mom and Owen. As the boat moves over the area where we were, I actually stare at the water and contemplate jumping in, but then, that scent hits me… her scent, and I feel the tears rolling down my face. How could I have been this stupid? Good things don’t happen to me. The one time it did, it sure as hell wasn’t going to last.

I close my eyes and shake my head, inhaling that scent one more time.

I don’t want anything to do with this island ever again.

But I do go back…

Mom thinks I should at least have some kind of memorial service for her, so I go back to the island with her and Owen with every intention of doing something in her memory, but once we get there, I can’t. I know they think I’m in denial and maybe I am, but I can’t do this. I go inside and lock myself in the room. I sit down on the bed and as soon as my hand touches the bed sheet, I feel something cold against my fingers. I look over to see her necklace; the mermaid necklace I had given her. I clench my fists around the necklace and I feel the tears against my face and the pain in my chest.

When mom and Owen go to sleep, I go outside. I know they’re right; I should do something in her honor.

Still holding on to the necklace, I go toward the back of the island where there is a garden that was started by my grandfather. I pick out a white flower and make my way back to the front of the house with every intention to walk up to sea, say a few words, and place the flower and necklace in the water. I get about halfway there before I stop. I can’t do this. I look at the necklace; the only thing I have of hers, and kiss it before I put it in my pocket. I can’t let go… not now, not ever. I look back up to the sea before I fall to my knees, drop the flower on the sand and weep. After a while, I take a deep breath, leave the flower on the sand and go back in the house. I find mom and Owen in the living room. They’re both by the window and they both look worried.

“
I need to get out of here,” I say. They don’t ask any questions. We leave right away.

Over the next few days, I consume myself with work. I’m either working or sleeping, and out of this whole thing… one person is happy. There is a look of pleasure on my dad’s face and for that, I hate him even more. So far, he left me alone, but today I see Brooke talking to him in his office and I know it’s only a matter of time before he pushes her on me again.

That night, things take a turn. I’m lying in bed alone and all I do is stare at where Arianna should be. I hate that I have nothing left of hers but the necklace. Well, actually, that’s a lie. I also have the ring that was given to her by the guy chosen by her father. On the night we met, she took it off and said the ring didn’t mean what I thought it did. She looked so vulnerable. Sometime during that night, I took the ring from where she left it and put it in my room. I thought it would help if she didn’t have any reminders of the life she was running from.

Right now, I wish I at least had a picture of her. I roll on my back and stare at the ceiling. I know it will only be a matter of time before I give in and do whatever my father says and honestly, what’s the point in fighting it? This is yet another night without her and it’s not getting any better. In fact, it’s getting worse. I can’t do this anymore. The first couple of nights, I could sleep, but now, not sleeping gives me time to think and I can’t handle this.

I get up and make my way to the living room. I stare at the bottle of whiskey. I literally stand there staring at it and thinking about the promise I made to Arianna, but this time, I give in. I can’t do this sober. I grab the bottle, a glass, and sit on the couch. I take a few shots before I start feeling the alcohol hit me, but that makes me think about her even more. So I keep drinking, and drinking, until I pass out.

CHAPTER FOUR

OWEN

It’s been almost a week. I went back to the island a few days ago to see if there were any signs of her at least being alive, but found nothing. Even through the ties of the black magic, I can’t feel anything.

To be honest, I’m surprised Blake has been coming to work every day, even though all he does is show up and lock himself in his office. I know it’s just something to keep his mind busy, but if that’s what will take for him to get over her, so be it.