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Her eyes popped wide.
For a moment, I didn’t know if she’d have me committed to an insane asylum or find the humour that I had. But then her lips tipped up and a healing peel of laughter tumbled from her.
Laughter that made my heart stop because I’d honestly feared I’d never hear it again.
“I know I shouldn’t laugh but...your aversion to the sea and all its wonderful creatures always surprises me...even after five years. We’re so similar in so many ways, but when it comes to the ocean, we couldn’t be any more different.”
I didn’t remind her why that was. I wasn’t offended or annoyed. It was the truth and really, if I’d jumped into the sea the day Jack had removed my cast, I could’ve gotten over my hate toward the ocean and enjoyed it instead of cursed it. I might even have found a resemblance of acceptance and peace.
But I was a stubborn bastard, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Wasn’t ready to accept that Melike was dead. That they’d died because of me.
She tapped her chin, doing her best to stay light-hearted when such heavy tragedy swirled around us. Death and violence, abuse and loss. At least the darkness swallowed those sinister shadows, giving us space to pretend they weren’t there.
“What would you do if a fever of stingrays surrounded us? Would you panic?”
“Fuck yes, I’d panic,” I said. “I’d leapfrog over them and get the hell out of here.”
I scowled as her laughter turned into giggles. “They’re not aggressive. They’re like giant sea kites. Like paper planes floating in the ocean.”
“Sea kites that harpooned Steve Irwin.”
Her laughter faded. “Good point. I suppose everything is dangerous if not given the right respect.”
I nodded.
“Just like you,” she murmured. “To me, you are the kindest, sweetest person I know. You prefer math over mayhem. You love to read and study. I’ve never even seen you kill a mosquito...and yet, when you launched yourself at Ethan?” She shook her head with a wince. “You were wild, Aslan. I’ve never seen you that way. That...fierce. That—”
“Violent?” I muttered.
“Yes.”
“I know I already asked, but...did I scare you?”
“Scare me?” She jerked back. “Why would that scare me?”
“Because of how much I wanted to kill him. How much I enjoyed it.”
“I only saw my soulmate avenging me.” She ducked her chin, drawing circles on the water’s surface with her fingertips. “Watching you attack him gave me power. Power in the way you defended me. I wasn’t afraid. I’ll never be afraid of you.”
“You might not say that once you know who I truly am.”
She stilled, her hands sinking into the black sea. “Then tell me. Tell me who you truly are.”
I gulped.
I thought I wanted to do this. To cure myself of my debilitating fear that the day Neri found out about me, she’d run and never look back. But...words lodged like rocks in my throat, and I couldn’t speak.
Her hands went to the ruby strings around her neck. With a single tug, she undid the bow; the bikini fell away from her breasts.
I braced myself for more bruises.
I forced myself to stay standing and not go feral with despair at failing her.
But her perfect, pale skin glowed in the moonlight. No other marks. No other evidence of what he’d done. Reaching to her back, she undid the final bow and balled up the wet bikini and tossed it to the shore. It splattered on the sand. Without looking away from me, she undid the bows on her hips and tossed away the second and final piece.
I couldn’t see below the waterline, but I could see her breasts. See the way her nipples pebbled, and her skin puckered with goosebumps. My cock crawled up my stomach, escaping my boxers again and throbbing painfully. “Are you sure?” I balled my hands. “Are you truly sure you want me...after what you’ve gone through?”
“It’s because of what he did that I need you to do this. I need you to replace him. I want to only think of you. I need you to turn the worst night of my life into the best, Aslan.”
