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“Please...I just need to...” Spinning around, she hugged the tree and vomited violently into the flowers.
Instinct made me shoot forward and grab her hair, gathering the silky softness at her nape while her body retched and purged.
“That’s it. Better out than in. It’s okay,” I soothed, rubbing between her shoulder blades. She shivered and moaned as another retch worked through her. “It’s okay, askim benim. I’m here. I’ll take care of you.”
A sob broke through her lips, her entire ribcage cracking at the sound. “You...I...I begged. And you...didn’t—” She convulsed with another sob.
The keening noises coming from her brought fucking tears to my eyes.
“Neri.” Horror sliced through me. “Hey, it’s okay...” Gathering her up, I turned her to face me. Her face shot white and sweaty, her lips tinged with grey. “You’re alright. I’ve got you. I’m so sorry I yelled. I didn’t mean to, okay? I just...I’m so worried about you, and I got caught up in all the things that could’ve gone wrong—”
She cried harder, falling into my arms.
She was so loose and heavy, so intoxicated and hurting. All my anger washed away, leaving me trembling with need to keep her close and make her the same happy, wonderfully perfect girl I’d fallen head over heels for.
She felt both icy and sweaty in my arms. Both shaky and small.
Fury for how I’d treated her roared through my blood. I cracked beneath the knowledge that I was responsible for this. If we hadn’t fought...
My arms turned into vises around her. “I’m so sorry, Nerida. I didn’t mean to be so hard on you. This is my fault, isn’t it? You came here because of me...” I whispered into her knotty hair. “You drank because of what I said? That kissing you was a mistake?”
She flinched and doubled over in my arms.
My heart twisted into two as I clutched her so damn hard. “I’m so sorry. Ben çok üzgünüm. I hate that we fought. I fucking hate it. I love you, hayatim. You weren’t a mistake. Fuck, you could never be a mistake. You’re the only thing that makes sense in my life. The only thing I live for.”
Pulling away a little, I cupped her cheeks again.
Her eyes managed to stay on mine this time, haunted and darker than usual. Her tears kept raining as I nuzzled her nose with mine. “Seni seviyorum. So fucking much, Nerida. I love you more than I thought capable. You have my word we’ll tell your parents. We’ll tell them together and—”
“Aslan.” She bit her bottom lip, her entire body trembling. “Please...t-take me away from here.”
Her voice still wavered, but at least her words were stable. I probably didn’t have to take her to the hospital to get her stomach pumped, thank everything holy. But I couldn’t take her home. Jack and Anna would see. I was responsible for this; I didn’t want her to pay for the consequences.
“Do you want to go home?” I asked softly.
She shook her head violently, moaning as she swayed.
I narrowed my eyes, that flutter of fear sparking up again. “What...what aren’t you telling me, Neri?”
She sucked in a tattered breath. “Take me to The Fluke. Please, Aslan. I need...I need the sea.”
A pang of jealousy shot through me.
Stupidly. Crazily.
I suffered a quick slice of jealousy at the very ocean that’d brought me nothing but despair yet granted Neri such salvation.
“You sure?” I kissed her forehead, tucking her into me.
She sighed and slumped in my arms, giving up everything she was. “Please...I need a swim.” She choked on the last word as if slipping into the water would wash away all the sins of tonight.
I’d been born for this girl.
If I didn’t believe it before, I had no choice but to believe it after tonight.
I’d come because she’d summoned me.
My heart was synced with hers.
