“But you can understand me…” He smiles, shaking his head in awe. “Can I touch you?”
I brush my tentacle along his arm, and he shifts to the side.
“Easy,” he says with a laugh. “You’re strong.”
I wish I could tell him I’m sorry, but like this, it’s hard to be gentle.
He reaches out to run his hand along the tip of my tentacle, and it tingles. His touch is powerful too. He just doesn’t realize it.
“This is surreal,” he says, pushing a finger against my skin. “You feel kind of like a whale.” He laughs, then his face turnsserious. “You’re beautiful like this too, Aliko. I hope you know that.”
Something heavy settles over me. I stand out more in this form than any other. Yet it’s the one that makes me the most comfortable while being the one that I can’t be with Leif in. I’m too big. Too unaware of my strength. I could crush him just trying to hug him. And never mind anything sexual. He’d split in half if I tried even putting a tentacle in him. The human body can take a lot, but it can’t take this much.
I pat around in the sand with the tip of my arm to find the amulet and bring it to my skin which starts the shift. Once I’m fully there, I put the chain around my neck and make sure it’s secure.
“Aliko, that was amazing,” Leif says, walking toward me. He puts his hand on my chest. “Thank you for showing me that. I know not many humans have gotten to experience that.” He moves closer, leaning up on his toes to kiss my jaw. “Are you okay?”
“Is that what you wanted?” I ask. “To see me like that?”
“Of course I did, but I only wanted it if you wanted it, too.”
“Is that why you didn’t ask?”
“I—yeah, I guess.”
I nod and lean down to take his mouth, kissing him softly.
We go back inside, get comfortable on the couch, and continue to watch TV. Now and then, Leif looks at me with awe in his eyes, smiles, then turns back to the TV.
Around seven, we get ready to go to the karaoke bar. I switch the amulet for the ring and change into a pair of red Dickies shorts, a black T-shirt, and black Chucks.
The sun is starting to lower and the breeze from the ocean helps cool down the air, but the humidity still lingers, even this close to the ocean.
The bar is packed when we get there, but we order beers and find a spot to stand to watch people on stage. There is a pair of girls up there singing something about kissing girls and liking it. It’s not the type of music I usually listen to, but they’re having fun so it’s entertaining.
“Are you going to sing something?” Leif asks.
I nod. “Yeah, I think I will.”
I’m not sure why I’m still feeling down over what happened today. Leif is thrilled about me showing him my true self, yet there is still something in me that’s making me feel like this.
I have the perfect song to sing, so I walk over to the DJ to put my name on the list. There are quite a few people ahead of me, but it’ll give me time to drink more before I get up there. The song is an absolutely perfect choice to describe how I’m feeling tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Leif
The later it gets, the more people show up. We’re standing shoulder to shoulder, and I can’t be sure they aren’t over capacity. Not my problem, I’m just saying.
By the time it’s Aliko’s turn to go up on stage and sing, we’re on our fourth round of beers, and I’m sweating. No matter how much AC is blasting out of the vents, there are too many sweaty, drunk, dancing people for it to make a difference.
Aliko gets onto the stage, walking up to the microphone like he’s done it a thousand times before. He was made for the stage. He just has the presence. The people paying attention clap and cheer him on. A few people catcall him, which makes me laugh.
I get it. He’s hot.
But then that first note hits. That familiar crash of the cymbal, the low thrum of the bass and the strike of the guitar and something in me changes. My stomach gets hollow. Twists into knots, even.
Of all the songs in the world to pick…
