Evermore (21 page)

Ash grabbed me by the arm and pulled me off to the side.

Her nostrils flared. “Did you sing to her?”

My heart galloped. “What?”

“Lucy. She’s been
nice
, ever since… graduation.” She leaned in, her fists balled at her sides. “Did you sing to her or not? Answer me.”

I ran my hand through my hair, caught. “I just told her to knock off the attitude, either that or…”
I was going to slap her across the face.
“I mean… she’s your sister, and this is a special day for you.”

“Not by blood, she’s not.” Ash hardened her jaw. Then her eyes flashed with horror. She stepped back, almost knocking over the fabric wall. “You sang to my mother, didn’t you?” Her voice raised an octave. “Didn’t you?”

“Ash.” I took her arm gently, but she yanked it away.

“Answer me!”

“I might have…” I grunted, fumbling for what to say. This was horrible and she was going to hate me. “Let’s go talk somewhere
private
.”

Her body shook with anger. “No. You will tell me now!”

“I asked her to be… cordial.”

“Cordial?” Her eyes widened, filling with tears. “You mean this whole time, she’s been persuaded?”

I opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“I’m marrying a liar!” she yelled.

“Ash. Come on.” I moved forward to touch her, wishing I could sing this away instead.

“No!” She put up her hands, and when I fought to touch her, she batted me away. “I don’t want anything to do with this. With you! Leave me alone!”

Horror flooded through me. Was she calling things off? “Ash, please.”

She turned to run and slipped on the path. I moved to catch her but missed her arm. She collapsed to the ground, landing on her hip. She rolled onto her butt, then grabbed her stomach, moaning. I tried to pick her up.

“Stop it!” She slugged me in the arm, then curled up on the walkway, sobbing. “Go away.”

“Ash.” I knelt down to help her up, wanting her to stand because she was exposing her underwear. “I wasn’t trying to lie to you… I just wanted to help. I’m sorry.”

I’m so
so
sorry.

She just sat there crying and shaking her head, mumbling something I couldn’t decipher. I wanted to fix it, but I didn’t know how.

“What’s going on here?” Tatiana came around the wall. “Oh, my starfish! Ash! Are you hurt?”

“No.” She dusted off her bloody knee that had started to heal. “I’m fine. I just want to be alone.”

Tatiana leaned over and pulled Ash to her feet.

“Ash.” My voice sounded breathless like I’d been punched in the gut. “I’m sorry.”

“What did you do now?” Tatiana seethed through her teeth.

“It’s not his fault.” Ash lifted her chin, her gaze not looking at me. “I just need a minute.”

“Ash, honey?” her mother asked as she made her way up the path. “I heard you yell. Are you— Oh, my heavens. You’re bleeding!”

“I’m fine.” She pressed past all of us and marched down to our designated table sitting on the lawn, her mother following behind.

I watched them stride off, then glanced at Tatiana.

“Don’t look at me,” she snapped. “If you screwed this up, so help me, I’ll knock your barnacles into next week. I swear it!”

“I… just…”

With a snide tone, she said, “You will go down there, and you will make her happy! Got it, limpet breath? I didn’t do all of this for you to screw it up!”

I startled. She hadn’t called me that since we were kids, but I knew she was right. “I will.”

She stormed off toward the party, but I couldn’t shake the pit filling my gut. I pulled in a breath and joined Ash at our table.

She sat rigid, hands folded in front of her. Smells of freshly baked tuna that we’d caught made my stomach rumble. And though I needed to eat, if Ash hadn’t planned to, neither would I.

“Here,” Tatiana brought a plate of food and set it before Ash. “You should eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” she said sharply.

Tatiana’s face grew wary. “Okay, well…” Her glare cut to me. If we were underwater, she would have chewed me out via mind-talking. “Tell me if you need anything, okay?”

“I’m fine,” Ash said, short.

The smells of her food made my mouth water. My nerves earlier had taken my appetite, and now I was starved. I leaned back and tried not to think about my stomach aching.

Our family milled about us, eating and drinking, but as witnesses to our fight, they steered clear of us. News of Merric’s death didn’t help matters either. With the somber mood, I didn’t see anyone sticking around long. Even still, I just wanted this fight over with already.

I reached over to take her hand. She jerked away and deadpanned.

“What?” I asked.

She turned to stare straight ahead again, her expression emotionless.

“Are you going to ignore me all evening?”

She sighed, but remained quiet, technically answering my question.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “What do I have to do to fix this?”

Her glare landed on me and she threw her napkin on the table, then got up and stormed off.

Everyone’s gaze followed her stiff jaunt across the lawn, then panned to me. Unable to hide, I rubbed the back of my neck, then just took Ash’s plate and dug in.

“Fin?” Mom approached. “What’s going on here?”

“Isn’t it obvious? They’re fighting.” Galadriel walked by, stuffing a piece of cake in her mouth. “Aren’t we going to dance? Where’s the DJ?”

“Merric died! Don’t you have any respect?” I snapped.

“
Pssht!
Your barnacles are in a bunch.”

“Galadriel, could you give us a moment?” Mom asked far sweeter than she deserved.

“By all means.” She gave a curt smile and headed to the DJ station.

Mom took Ash’s seat next to me and the music started. “Trouble in paradise?”

I shrugged, unsure how to respond.

“What is going on?”

“I don’t know anymore. Ash wanted this wedding. She wanted everyone to be here, but yet, she didn’t want me to sing to anyone.” I let out huff. “That’s nearly impossible.”

“I’m confused… you mean the messenger that just showed?”

“No.” I turned to her, speaking a little louder than I should. “Her mother.”

Mom’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

“On any given day she can be a royal pain in the anal fin,” I whisper-yelled, trying not to cuss.

Mom gave me a harsh look to keep my voice down and leaned in whispering. “Who Desirée?”

“No, Karen,” I said through my teeth. “You didn’t know her before.”

“And what did you tell her?”

“Just to be cordial. That’s all.”

Mom stared at me pensively for a moment. Then she put her arm around my shoulder. “Listen, Fin. The song manipulates people, yes, but unless you’ve been singing every decision Karen has made regarding Ash, you haven’t been manipulating her. Yes, asking someone to be cordial can definitely change someone’s attitude, but it won’t stick around unless that’s already inside a person. Women have a lot of… hormonal issues, especially ones that are Ash’s mother’s age.”

“You’re blaming this on hormones?”

Mom chuckled. “No. I’m just saying that Karen most likely wanted to be happy for her daughter, but couldn’t for whatever reason — responsibility, stress, the fact you two are very young. That all plays into it.”

“So you’re saying she is acting like who she wants to be, but couldn’t before,” I said.

“Yes.”

I paused, letting her words sink in. “So I didn’t manipulate her?”

“I think what you did was set her free,” Mom suggested.

My gaze panned to Ash’s parents dancing in the middle of the floor, happy and in love. Then I found Ash sitting alone on our bench by her parents’ dock, her back to me. “I think she wants to be alone.”

“No girl wants to be alone. I think she wants to know her mother loves her and all of this has been real. But maybe right now, this isn’t something to fix. Just listen.”

Telling a guy not to fix something was like asking him not to breathe. But at this point, I would try anything. “Okay.”

“Good.” Mom smiled. “‘Cause this is the ‘for better or for worse’ part of a relationship.”

“I know.”

“And I’m going to tell you what my mother told me. Never go to bed angry.”

My eyes slid shut. Getting Ash to not be angry at me seemed impossible, but I was willing to try. “Okay.”

“And remember she’s dealing with a lot of hormones herself. I had terrible nightmares when I was pregnant with you two.”

My head swung around to meet her gaze. “Nightmares?”

“Vivid ones where people were hunting me down, trying to take me,” she said. “I couldn’t tell what was real sometimes. I almost drove your father nuts.”

That confirmed what I thought happened to her earlier this week. “Thanks for the advice.”

Mom’s face brightened. “Good. Now go talk to your girl. You’ve got a big day tomorrow!”

I jumped up and jogged across the lawn. Slowing my pace as I approached. With caution, I stood beside her. “This seat taken?”

She looked up at me, and shrugged, cheeks stained with tears. This was going to be one tough unfixable clam.

I sat next to her. “I understand if you’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad.” She crossed her arms.

Okay.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked specifically from my mother’s advice.

“No,” she said, clipped, and crossed her legs.

Fighting the urge to get up and leave, I just sat there, waiting. Mom said not to fix it, so I wouldn’t.

Her wrap-around skirt parted ever so slightly, revealing the faint scar on her leg from when she’d fallen off the boat.

Not thinking, I reached over and traced the line. “I fixed that. Right here. Remember?”

Her skin broke out in goosebumps. “Yeah.”

“Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

The silence ticked on, slowly passing. When I didn’t think I could take another moment, she leaned against my shoulder.

“I don’t know why this bothers me so much,” she confessed. Though tempted to tell her that she should brush it off, I kept my mouth shut. “It’s just so disgusting you had to persuade my own mother to get her to be civil. Desirée should have the place of honor tomorrow, not her. I think you should sing her out of the wedding.”

My jaw dropped at how much this hurt her. “Ash, I just told her to be kind. Everything else she did after that point was her choice.”

“Yeah, right.”

“No.” I hooked my finger under her jaw and lifted so she’d look at me. “Singing changes memories, yes, but if I sang to this whole world to be kind, it would last for their next decision, then they’d relapse into whoever they were.”

“But Lucy is being kind, too, and we both know she has a black heart.”

I shrugged. “Maybe that’s not who she wants to be.”

She moved her chin from my fingertip. “Yeah, maybe. I don’t get why it bothers me so much. Why I feel like I need to earn their love.”

“They both love you,” I said.

“Do they? It feels forced.”

“Well, I can persuade your mother and sister to be mean, if you want.”

“No… don’t do that.” She sniffled. “I like them like this. Maybe I just feel guilty.”

I put my arm around her shoulder and squeezed gently, tempted to tell her I’d sing whatever she wanted me to. But didn’t. Her body grew limp like she was giving up the battle.

“Maybe she’ll surprise you,” I said.

She let out a long sigh. “Maybe.”

“Are you still going to walk down the aisle to me?”

Her face puckered in that cute little way I adored. “Of course I am.”

“Good, ‘cause I was worried there for a minute. Besides, I didn’t want to live in our house all alone.”

“Oh, Fin.” She wrapped her arms around my torso and squeezed. “I’m sorry I’ve been so emotional.”

I smoothed her hair. “Don’t worry about it. This was my fault. I should have told you sooner.”

“Actually.” She looked up at me and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. For a second I wanted to ravage those lips. “I have something to show you.”

I straightened, worried for a second.

“No, it’s a good thing.” She jumped up and pulled my hand, leading me toward her parents’ garage, and I wondered what she wanted to show me.

I sat at my makeup table in my bedroom, staring at my kangaroo, knowing this room would no longer be mine. That my single life was no more. That from now on I’d be known as Fin’s wife, partner, soulmate.

“Alright. Let me have your ring.” Tatiana stood behind me, looking at my reflection in the mirror. She wore her blonde hair pinned in endless curls with beads and pearls woven throughout. Her green gown accentuated her lithe frame.

I pulled off the diamond ring and handed it to her. “Great. And a ring for Fin?”

“Yeah, it’s right here.” I opened my jewelry box and the ballerina started to twirl to “Für Elise”. Something about the song made me think my life was ending somehow. I snapped it shut and handed her Grandpa Frank’s ring.

“I need to go and get everything started. Are you going to be okay?”

I bit my lip, the tears welling in my eyes. “Yeah.”

“Don’t do that,” she said sharply with a fierce point. “Or I’ll start crying, too.”

“I’m not crying.” I pinched my lips together, swiping a finger under my eyes. We looked at one another, then embraced. “Thank you, Tatchi. For everything.”

“Of course.” She pulled away and put out her pinkie. “Best friends forever, right?”

I hooked my pinkie around hers and squeezed. “Forever.”

“Okay. You have about twenty minutes. And then I need you and your Dad on that porch. You hear me?”

“Loud and clear.” I saluted since she’d repeated this drill several times now.

Her eyes tightened on me, but I knew she was playing. “He’s waiting for you downstairs.”

“Okay, okay.” I shooed her out the door anxious for a minute alone. “Go already.”

She gave me one last up and down glance to make sure everything was in place. “Veil!”

“I got it… I got it.”

She gave me a thumbs up. “Alright. Let’s do this!”

I smiled, then heard the door click shut. My gaze drifted to my reflection, and I smoothed my hands over my bump. It had become so much more pronounced the past few days, but Seamstress Wynie had done an excellent job making the skirt appear fuller all the way around to hide it.

The merling kicked, and my heart thumped harder. “You ready, Joey?” I asked my stomach. “Let’s go see Daddy.”

For the last hour, a steady stream of mers had continued to flow out of the Helton’s front door. Most of them had taken their seats — a sea of multicolored fabrics undulated in the wind. I was surprised that even in the wake of Merric’s death, they showed. My eyes zeroed in on Fin in his tux, standing on his parents’ dock, watching, waiting. My heart squeezed, knowing I was cheating in this moment. How I loved him.

His Jeep, now decorated with crepe paper, and a “just married” sign was parked in front of our cottage. His excitement yesterday, after I’d revealed its hiding place in my parents’ garage, made me able to forgive him and smile again. It had been the perfect wedding gift.

A giant red ribbon encircled the cottage beyond with a bow on the front door. After the reception, Fin planned to carry me over the threshold, and I couldn’t wait.

“You ready?” Lucy popped her head in my room.

“Oh, yes.”

“Mom thought you might need this.”

She handed me a glass of what looked like orange juice. My mouth watered as I took it from her. “Really? Thank you!”

“She said it would give you that extra oomph of blood sugar so you don’t pass out during the ceremony.”

I smiled. Mom knew me so well. Maybe Fin was right, that his request just brought out the good inside her. I took a sip, tasting something creamy and sweet mixed inside. “Ooh, it’s good. Want a taste?”

Lucy lifted her hands. “No. I already had some. I guess it’s her secret recipe.”

“It’s yummy. I’ll have to ask her for it.” I handed her the empty glass. “Could you help me?”

I walked over and pulled Desirée’s crown from the closet, then handed it to her. “Put this on me?”

Her eyebrows pulled together momentarily.

“What?” I asked, panicked. Had Fin already unmind-mojoed her?

“Nothing. It’s gorgeous.”

She fastened the crown on my head and positioned the strings of gems in the back.

I took her hand. “Thank you,” I said, squeezing. “This has been the best week of my life. I’m so glad we’ve bonded.”

“Me, too.” She smiled, but it didn’t seem as warm as it had the past week. Maybe Fin did unmojo her.

“After you.” She held her hand out. Her eyes twinkled with excitement, and I couldn’t believe the day had finally come.

I walked to the stairs, heart pounding, and felt a dizzy spell hit. Grabbing onto the banister, I waited for it to pass before continuing down. My ankles, wobbly in my heels, didn’t help matters, but all I wanted was for this moment, this grand entrance with my father, the one we’d talked about ever since I was a little girl.

I cleared the middle of the stairs and looked around the empty living area, but it was empty.

“Dad?” I asked.

A man with a white beard walked around the corner and my heart nearly stopped. “Well, aren’t you lovely,” Alaster said, eyeing me up and down.

A shriek escaped my lips as I gripped onto the banister, then turned and tried to run back upstairs. Lucy stood in my way.

I pressed into her. “Lucy, it’s a trap. You have to run. Hurry,” I whisper-yelled.

She put her hands on her hips and let out a long sigh.

“Come on! move it! I’m not kidding.”

“Neither am I.” She smirked. “I’ve had to be nice to you this entire time. So disgusting.”

“Nice to me?”

“You and all your mer friends.” She reached out and grabbed ahold of my arm, pinching. “Get downstairs.”

“What?” I pulled my arm away from her and reached for the chain at my neck that held the octopus ink, remembering I’d put it in my jewelry box. It didn’t matter anyway, since she was human and not a male. What I needed was the pepper spray tucked away in my purse.

I elbowed Lucy in the side and edged my way past her. She let out a groan behind me as I stepped into the hallway. If I could get to my window and scream for help, maybe. Then suddenly, I was yanked backward by the skirt of my dress. I fell onto the floor as something ripped at my waistline. My fingers broke open with talons, and I clawed my way across the carpet.

A guy grunted behind me, as someone held onto my dress. Then hands latched onto my ankle, and I kicked.

Pulling harder, I tried not to think about all the hard work Seamstress Wynie had done, as my skirt tore free from my bodice. I crawled forward, finally making it to my room when hands cinched around my waist.

“Oh no you don’t, Princess.”

I screamed, flailing my arms, but they suddenly felt like strings. His rough hands flipped me over onto my back. Mr. White Van leered down at me with a sick and twisted smile, then his face blurred and weaved around in my vision.

“Just hold still, Princess,” he said with excitement. “It’ll all be over soon.”

I fought to keep my eyes open, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t. Then, I felt myself being lifted, and I floated off into nothingness.