Free The Mermaid's Curse (California Mermaids Book 1) by Kristina Ludwig Page B

me—well, at least not on my end. I just wanted to let you know that I was outside with her, and that’s why my parents don’t know where I am. She doesn’t know, either.”
    Oceania’s face softens a bit. “I understand. Similar things happen in the mermaid kingdom as well. What matters is that we’re together now, right?”
    I nod, drawing her close and giving her a soft peck on the cheek.
    Although Oceania settles into my arms, I have to admit that there’s something different about her mood tonight. Last night, she’d seemed jubilant, but now, her muscles feel a bit stiff, and there’s some tightness around the corners of her mouth.
    “You’re not angry, are you?” I ask. “I wish that Victoria and I weren’t always being thrust together, but there’s not much I can do about it—not when I’m living with my parents, anyway.”
    Oceania shakes her head, her silver-blond hair glistening in the moon rays. “No, I’m not angry at all, now that you’ve explained yourself. I’m just feeling confused, and sad. Everything has changed so much since I’ve turned eighteen, and I have something to tell you, too.” She pauses, her features tense with fright. “My parents told me that I’m the victim of a mermaid’s curse,” she adds quietly.
    I’m speechless as Oceania tells me the unbelievable story of her grandmother’s forbidden love affair with a human, and the resulting curse. By the time she finishes, she’s bawling, and I awkwardly offer up the sleeve of my shirt to dry her tears.
    However, I have no words of consolation to offer her. What can a man say to that? I’m not used to dealing with curses and the supernatural; my world has always been very black and white—too much so, in fact. I’m not prepared for this, but I suppose I should’ve known that having a romance with a mermaid was bound to become complicated sooner or later.
    So, I force my gaping mouth closed and clear my throat. “That’s really difficult, Oceania,” I say, trailing off as I wonder what else to tell her.
    “I know.” She sobs, and I simply run my fingers through her damp hair, deciding that in this case, I’m probably better off not talking. What she seems to need now is support. She’s still in a state of shock, after all.
    When she’s finally cried herself out, she gazes up at me with puffy, red eyes. “I wish my parents had told me about this sooner. If I’d known, I never would’ve come here.”
    The statement hits me like a punch in the stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of me. Here I am, thinking about her incessantly, and she wishes she’d never met me?
    “How can you say that?” I ask, tightening my arm around her shoulders. She sags into my embrace. “If you hadn’t come here, we never would’ve met, and kissed. We never would’ve been able to share each other’s worlds. And you never would’ve found your special talent.”
    “You’re right,” Oceania chokes out. For a moment, we look into each other’s eyes. Her hair has fallen into her face, and I tuck the stray strands behind her ear, marveling at her beauty and hoping that she will come back to see me.
    I know what a heartbreaking choice she has to make, but somehow, I just can’t stop myself from hoping that she chooses me.

 
    Chapter Twenty-Five: Oceania
     
    My entire face tingles when Xavier lightly brushes my hair back out of my eyes. He’s right about everything he said, of course. I needed to meet him; I fact, I can’t help but think that I was destined to meet him. Without him, my special talent would never have been revealed. And furthermore, without him, I never would’ve found love.
    I love Xavier. The realization hits me as forcefully as a rogue wave. Of course, I feel love for my family and my friends, but I’ve never felt it for a man. And although my mother raised me on happy tales of love at first sight, I never believed that it would happen to me, especially not with a human.
    I bury my face in my hands.