Chapter 19
“So, you really are a princess, then, huh?” Jude wags his head, his brown curls flopping. “Just my luck, I get stuck on a deserted island with one girl, and she’s the least eligible bachelorette ever.”
Avery shakes his head, his sky blue eyes gazing into mine. “You don’t get it, Jude. All she wants is the freedom to choose for herself… or not. We think we have to follow some kind of rule that society has made. Well, look around. We are society.” Avery spreads his hands and glances at the other guys who are sitting around the fire, digesting my story.
“There’s no one else here to say what we can and can’t do. Coral doesn’t want to be bound anymore by someone else’s expectations. She wants to be free to pursue whatever, or whoever, she wants. We’re the one’s trying to make it complicated. We agreed to share before, to let her decide what she wanted from each of us. Why does anything have to change?”
“Is that what you want, Coral?” Liam asks me, holding my hand, and I drop my eyes. I don’t want to hurt him, but I don’t want to hurt the others, either.
The guys stay silent while I stare at the ground. When I look up, all eyes are on me. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, then nod my head. “I love you, Liam.” The others gasp, and Liam’s face goes still with shock. “But I love them, too.”
Their faces lift, and Liam gulps and nods. I reach for him. He wraps his arms around me and presses my head to his chest. “I love you, too, Coral.”
“So, the deal’s the same. Coral can spend time with whoever she wants, take it or leave it. No one gets jealous, and no one starts a fight.” Gio glares at Jude, then stares at each of the other guys in turn, daring them to argue.
“So, whose turn is it tonight?” Jude asks, winking, and Gio slugs him. “Ohhff!” Jude grunts, clutching his chest, his smile betraying his act.
My heart flutters in my chest like a rush of bubbles rising to the surface, and I grin as the weight of my worry floats away.
Later, when the others are occupied, I sidle up to Avery and bump against him, laying my head on his shoulder. He’s cutting through the thick, yellow skin of a papaya.
“Thank you,” I whisper, gazing up at him.
“For what, Princess?” He peers down at me, his sparkling eyes peeking through his long, blond hair. He holds out a chunk of the juicy, orange flesh and I take it, savoring the sweetness.
“For understanding me. And telling them.”
He lifts the corner of his mouth in a small smile. “I get it, you know? It’s not exactly the same, but my family — they have these expectations for what a guy should be like. They think men should like football and hunting and drinking, and I’m just not into that. I prefer art, and fashion, and music. I’m nothing like them.”
I don’t know what any of those things are, but the pictures in his head are fascinating, and I long to experience all of them.
“My name isn’t even really Avery. It’s Buck, like a deer — my father’s idea.” He rolls his eyes. “I refuse to be called that, so I go by my last name.”
Avery’s gaze is somewhere else, caught up in painful memories. “No matter how good I am, it’s never enough. My hair’s too long, my clothes are too prissy. If I don’t want to wrestle with my brother, I’m a wuss. If I help my sister with her hair, I’m a fag. When I told my folks I wanted to be a hairstylist, my father said he was embarrassed to have me as a son.” He hangs his head, shame flooding his cheeks.
I put a hand on his shoulder and kiss him on the cheek. “I like you just the way you are, Avery.”
I run my fingers through his hair and trail them lightly down his golden chest, following the lines of his muscles. When I get to the top of his shorts, I slide my hand over the bulge beneath his zipper and whisper, “I think you are a man.”
Avery’s eyes pop open wide, and his breathing deepens. I give him another kiss and walk away, feeling a new sense of freedom and empowerment. I intend to let Avery show me how much of a man he is the next time we’re alone, which should be tonight if we stick with the same schedule for shifts at the lookout.
“I’m going to check the traps, see if we caught something new for dinner,” Jude calls out to whoever is listening and points to the trees.
“I’ll come.” I pop up and move towards him, anxious to let him know I still care about him, too. Jude’s smile widens and he holds out his hand for mine.
“Yeah, maybe you’ll draw the critters in. I’ve got terrible luck catching animals with these traps, and I’m sick of fish. Aren’t mermaids supposed to lure men with their songs? Maybe you should sing while we walk.”
I tense up at the mention of our ability. I didn’t realize they knew about that. No one’s ever said anything. “What’s a song?” I ask, hoping to distract him.
“You know, something you sing. Lalalalala…” His voice cracks and wobbles. “Sorry, I kinda suck at that, but you get the idea. I love music. I’m no good at making it, but I try anyway.”
Jude imagines himself playing some kind of instrument — he holds one hand up and wiggles his fingers while he shakes the other hand in front of his stomach. “Air guitar — neer-nuh-neer-neer-neer!”
I giggle at his antics. “Will you sing me a song, Jude?”
“Sure, babe. Huh, let’s see.” He pulls on a curl while he thinks. Suddenly, his muddy brown eyes sparkle. “I know the perfect song for you! It’s from a movie about a mermaid.”
He starts singing a catchy song about life under the sea, and I chuckle at the silly rhymes. After a few rounds, he nudges me with his elbow. “Come on, Coral, sing! It’s fun.”
I open my mouth and try to sing along with Jude. At first, my voice is soft, tentative, barely a whisper, but after a few lines I let myself go, and my voice rises higher and higher, the notes floating on the air, echoing through the trees. Jude stops singing and falls behind me, and I turn to look at him.
His face is slack, his eyes glazed, and every move I make he imitates. “Jude, Jude!” I stop singing and grab a hold of him in panic.
He shakes his head, and his eyes refocus. He smiles at me like nothing happened. “What’s up, Princess?”
I struggle to settle my breathing as my anxiety dissipates. I know that our singing voices are supposed to captivate humans, but I had no idea it would put him in a trance like that. I don’t know the words to explain what happened, and I’m afraid of what he might think, so instead, I just point to the nearby trap.
Jude cranes his neck to get a better look, and his face brightens. “Hot damn, Princess, we caught something!”
He dashes over to the trap where a large, brown bird is chirping frantically. He carefully reaches in and grabs the animal, twisting its neck. The panicked chirping stops, and Jude holds up his prize, grinning.
“What is it?” I ask, always trying to grow my vocabulary.
Jude shrugs and heads back towards the beach. “Beats me, but let’s hope it tastes like chicken.”
He pictures a large, round bird bobbing its head and making funny noises. I’m fascinated by all the different foods that humans eat. Jude is constantly dreaming about one thing or another.
“Is chicken your favorite food?” I reach for the bird, wanting to examine it. They usually fly away before I can get a good look at them.
“Chicken is great; fried chicken is awesome, but if I have to pick a favorite food, I gotta say steak.” He imagines a brown hunk of steaming meat that doesn’t look very interesting.
“What kind of animal is that?”
“Steak is from cows. So are burgers, and roast beef, and taco meat…” His mind flicks through pictures of different dishes as he fantasizes about them, but mine is stuck on the first image — a giant, black-and-white spotted animal with a long, flapping tail that makes a loud, bellowing sound.
My mouth falls open. I can’t even imagine how they eat such a huge thing. Merfolk don’t usually eat anything we can’t hold in our hands.
I listen and watch Jude’s m
emories in fascination as he explains how they cut up the animal into smaller pieces and prepare each kind of meat. It’s obviously something he’s very interested in, and his passion makes me curious.
“Jude, I want to try all those things someday. Will you make them for me?” I loop my arm through his, and Jude smiles at me and chucks me under the chin.
“You got it, babe. There’s nothing I’d rather do than cook for you. I’ll make you something different every day till you’ve tried it all.” His voice is thick with devotion.
His words are like a rare delicacy, satisfying cravings I didn’t even realize I had. I stop walking and turn towards him, putting my hands on his chest. He’s lost weight since he’s been here, and his body is firmer, his features more defined.
I reach up and stroke his jawline, and he drops the bird he caught and trails his hands up my sides, resting them on my waist.
“I know I’m not as smart as Liam, or as strong as Gio, or as pretty as Avery, but I would do anything for you, Coral. All I want is for you to be happy. I’m sorry for getting upset.”
His words prick my heart, and a tear forms in the corner of my eye. How can he possibly think he’s any less than any of the others? He’s funny, and silly, and lighthearted, and kind. He’s perfect in his own, special way.
“You make me happy, Jude,” I whisper in his ear then let my lips graze his cheek.
His gaze locks with mine; his warm eyes melt like the chocolate he fantasizes about, and I stare at them with desire, licking my lips. Jude’s mouth descends on mine, sucking and tasting like I’m his favorite food, and my belly churns with a hunger only he can satisfy.
We kiss until our chests are heaving and my entire body aches with need. I want him as much as I wanted Liam yesterday, but there’s no good place to lay down here, and the others will come looking for us if we’re gone too long. I don’t want to rush, I want to take my time and enjoy every new sensation the guys have awoken in me.
“Tomorrow,” I whisper, and Jude nods and pulls away from me.
Chapter 20
We tromp back through the trees, and Jude raises his catch in the air, grinning from ear to ear, as we join the others on the beach. “Once again, chef Jude has procured a delicacy for your dining pleasure this evening!”
Gio snorts, and Liam looks curiously at the bird, trying to identify it. I settle close to him and watch with interest as Jude cuts it open and removes the insides and the skin and feathers then starts to cook it.
“Jude, who taught you how to cook?”
Jude shrugs. “The internet, I guess. I like to eat, so I just searched up how to make what I wanted.”
He’s mentioned the internet before, but despite the images in his memory, I still can’t quite understand it. Maybe someday I’ll get a chance to see it for real and it will make more sense.
When the aroma from the roasting bird starts to float through the air, the other guys meander over to the fire, sniffing.
“Smells good, Jude. What is it?” Gio pokes at the bird. Jude shrugs.
“Beats me. Ask Liam. He’s the biologist.” Jude pulls the bird out of the fire and lays it on some leaves to cool.
“Marine biologist. Totally different specialty. But that looks like a type of pheasant to me.” Liam sits down next to me.
“I’m just grateful for something other than fish. I don’t even like fish.” Gio scrunches his nose in an expression that looks out of place on his normally-serious face. “I’d give anything for a plate of pasta right about now.”
His eyes get wistful as he stares into space, remembering family dinners with his parents and sister before the accident that changed their lives forever.
Jude cuts the bird into sections, and I watch as his knife finds just the right spots, sliding easily through the flesh and dissecting the joints. “Here, try this part; it’s the best.” He hands me the leg then passes out the rest of it.
I sniff the meat, inhaling the savory aroma, then take a tiny bite. It’s nothing like fish, but it’s good, and I quickly nibble the rest of the meat off the bone.
“What is your favorite food, Avery?” I ask on a whim. Jude said his is steak, and by the dreamy look Gio got when he talked about pasta I’m guessing that’s his favorite.
Avery bites his lip to hide his grin. “Well, I’d like to say something sophisticated like sushi or oysters or something like that, but… it’s grilled cheese and bologna sandwiches. My mom used to make that for me when I didn’t want to eat the deer meat my dad was always bringing home. My dad used to get mad at her for catering to my sissy-boy pickiness, but she did it, anyway.”
He frowns for a moment but then his face softens into a smirk. “When I learned that bologna was named after a french city, I thought it was something fancy. I started pronouncing it that way, instead, until a kid at school humiliated me in front of the whole class when he told me bologna was for poor people and it was made from all the gross, leftover parts of different animals. I never took it to school again, but I still love it.”
“What about you, Liam?” I smile up at him.
“Well, believe it or not, I never ate a bologna sandwich till I was away at college. My parents were never willing to buy it; they said it was a worthless, disgusting byproduct.” He chuckles. “My mother used to put things like chilled salmon in my lunch when all I really wanted was peanut butter and jelly. I do love a nice slice of foie gras, though.”
Jude makes pretend gagging sounds and holds his hand over his mouth.
Liam ignores him and looks at me. “What about you, Coral?”
“Red snapper, maybe?” I shrug. Food is simple under the water. We catch something and eat it. We don’t cook or combine different foods together into complicated recipes like I’ve seen in the guys’ minds. I like some fish better than others, but there’s not that much difference between them. It seems kind of strange to me how much effort humans put into their meals.
“Well, I’m going to make it my mission to teach you all about good food when we get off this island.” Jude waves the bone he’s been chewing on at me.
“All this talk about food is making me hungry. Have we got any left?” Gio picks a tiny morsel off the carcass.
Unsatisfied, he gets up and heads for the spot where I left my last catch of fish. There are a few left over, and Gio grabs one and skewers it, holding it over the fire. He doesn’t have the patience to wait for it, barely warming it up before taking a bite. He makes a face when he swallows, but he chews a few more bites before tossing the fish away.
“Hey, I taught Coral a song today. Why don’t you sing it for them?” Jude winks at me, and my eyes go wide. After the way Jude responded earlier, I don’t ever want to risk singing around them again.
I shake my head and stare at my lap, pretending to be too embarrassed. “No, you sing it.”
“Aww, come on, Coral! You know I’m terrible. They want to hear you, not me.” Jude sticks out his lower lip and begs.
I clench my fingers nervously in my lap and keep my head down. Avery glances at me and puts a reassuring hand on my leg.
“You know who’s a good singer? Gio. I heard him in the shower once,” he says, trying to take the attention off me.
“First of all, why the hell were you in the bathroom while I was showering?” Gio complains.
Avery rolls his eyes and snickers. “I wasn’t in the bathroom; that deep, manly voice of yours just carries a long way.”
I giggle. “Sing for me, Gio. I want to hear it. Please?” I gaze up at him, and his stern expression softens, his wrinkled brow relaxing, his frown turning into a grin as he shakes his head.
He opens his mouth, sucking in a deep breath, and belts out a peppy tune about the moon and pizza pie and a world that shines. The other guys gape at him as he performs, his voice deep and throaty, and he hams it up, throwing his head back and his arms out wide as he ends with, “That’s amore!”
I clap, laughing and bouncing on my calves that are tucked under
me. I don’t know a lot of the words, but the tune is happy and makes me smile. “Gio, I loved it! But…what is amore?”
“Amore, my sweet Coral, is the Italian word for love, and nobody knows love like the Italians.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me in an uncharacteristically silly way, and I understand what the song is saying. Love makes you feel all kinds of wonderful that you just can’t explain.
“I like music.” I smile and bob my head to the tune still repeating in my mind.
“You know what’s even better than good music, Coral?” Avery grins at me, and I gape at him and cover my mouth with my hand, thinking he’s talking about mating.
Avery throws his head back laughing. “Get your mind out of the gutter, girl! I’m talking about dancing.” His eyes twinkle, and he holds out a hand.
I look at him curiously but take his hand, and he pulls me to my feet. “Dancing is a good excuse to get close to somebody you like.” He pulls my body closer till I’m skin to skin with him then wraps an arm around my waist and holds up my other hand near our shoulders.
“Sing it again, Gio. Slower this time.”
When Gio starts singing, Avery moves my body around in time to the music with swooping steps. My feet tangle in his at first, but soon I figure out the pattern and move with him. Eventually, he steps back and holds my hand high, urging me to twirl around, then grabs me around the waist and dips me before bringing me back up for a kiss. I laugh as my body melts in his arms.
“That called a waltz, Coral, and it’s a dance every princess should know. Too bad you don’t have a silk gown and a tiara.”
He imagines me dressed in long layers of shiny fabric, the skirt swirling around my feet as we dance in what a human palace must look like. The image is enchanting, and I’m suddenly longing for something I’d never even imagined a few moments ago. Will I ever get to experience these magical things the boys dream of, or will I spend the rest of my life on this island? I wouldn’t mind staying here, except the images I see in their heads make me realize how much I’m missing.
The Mermaid's Escape Page 16