Seaweed (21 page)

I stepped inside. “Ky?”

“Dori?”

It was a voice I recognized, but it wasn’t Ky’s.

It was Tor’s.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I felt faint, like I didn’t have enough blood. A hundred nights of dreaming about Tor never prepared me for actually seeing him in flesh and blood.

“T-tor?”

“Hi.”

I didn’t know what to do. The cot still sat up against the wall. I reached for it and sat. I was so stunned; I didn’t know what to say. Plus my heartbeat had revved up to dangerous levels. I wanted to lie down, get my breath, but I still had a little pride.

“Are you okay?” Tor said, taking a step toward me.

“No. No I’m not.” Now that my brain had time to process this new turn of events, my emotions caught up, too. Rage spewed out.

“What do you care? Why did you come back? I’m just getting use to you being gone. Why don’t you just go jump back into the ocean where you belong?”

They were harsh, hateful words. A shadow of pain washed across his face, his beautiful, perfect face, and I felt a stab of remorse.

“Let me explain, Dori, please.” His voice was soft and lyrical. Despite my anger, it soothed me.

Besides, I was curious.

“You’ve got two minutes.”

He sat beside me and I almost went crazy. His musky scent, his closeness, it made me wild. My heart was skipping all over the place and my nerves quivered. I wrapped my arms around my knees to keep them from shaking. I hated how he affected me and I didn’t want him to know how destroyed I felt.

“It’s Ky.”

“What? You’re here because of Ky? Why? You don’t want me so that means no one else can?”

“No, that’s not what I mean. You don’t know what he is.”

I had to laugh. A dry, crackly, totally unattractive laugh.

“What makes you think I don’t know? What makes you think I even care? You know what, Tor Riley?” I stood up indignant.“You had your chance and you blew it. If I want to hang out with Ky, I will and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

I stormed away, all drama-queen, really hoping that Tor wouldn’t run after me. And really, really sad when he didn’t.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Why did I run off so soon?

A minute ago I was brimming with spew, wanting to hurt and maim Tor with my words. Now I desperately wanted to kiss him deeply.

I missed him. I still wanted him.

I was such a weakling.

Half way to town I collapsed on a knoll. I had a sliver view of the ocean and I focused on that sliver, guiding my breath. In. Out.

No. It was good that I ran. Kissing Tor would’ve been the absolute wrong thing to do. But I did wish I would’ve asked him more questions, like was he okay and was he with Shava, and had Kon forgiven him for bringing me to the Rai clan and was he with Shava, and had the Lars clan attacked and
was he with Shava
?

Freak. I couldn’t believe I still didn’t know this one important fact.

I stood, brushing the dirt and grass off my clothes, and headed back to Eastcove toward Main Street.

My mind raced, trying to figure out the puzzle. Why was Tor here and what did it really have to do with Ky?

I should’ve given Tor three minutes.

By the time I was half way down Main Street, past the town hall and police station, my heart had calmed. My anger and sadness were mixed up into one confused muck.

I had to get home to walk Sidney, and I had algebra homework to do. I should probably email Colby with the homework he missed.

Across the square I saw Nana outside of the produce market. She was examining the apples piled in a bin outside on the walk.

I stayed on my side of the street, my head down. I knew I had to talk with her about everything I knew one day, but I just wasn’t up to it yet. My nerves were so frayed that I didn’t think I could handle one new surprise.

Next to the produce store was a used book and magazine shop. A broad-shouldered man had a news magazine opened, covering half his face. His eyes peered over the top edge of the paper, so he obviously wasn’t reading. He was spying. The only person in his line of vision that I could see was Nana.

I looked more closely. The man shifted. I recognized his build. Tall and solid. Long gray hair streamed out of the bottom of a green rain cap.

Dex?

Dex was spying on Nana?

Just a lonely old merman—or more?

A crack of thunder. Lightening jagged across the darkened brooding sky. Dex quickly put the magazine away and turned to head out of town. A rainstorm was brewing. Time for all good merfolk to get out of sight.

On the one evening I actually wanted to meet Ky at the park, we were both stuck inside.

The next morning, I really, really didn’t want to go to school. What if all
three
of them showed up? Kill me now.

“Dori!” Mom called up from the bottom of the steps. “Are you up? Don’t tell me I have to walk your dog again.”

“Sorry,” I shouted back. “Coming.”

I’d fake being sick, but I hated getting behind in school. My grades were sucking as it was because of all these social messes I was in.

Mom took on dog duty after all, so I could catch my ride in the Rotten Apple. I didn’t have time to primp and I was glad of it. Looking good was a liability in this situation. I couldn’t fault Colby, but with Ky and Tor, their attraction was probably all just merfolk instinct or something equally questionable.

My strategy was to keep a low profile and avoid Colby and Ky as much as possible.

I waited in the Rotten Apple until the bell rang, then sprinted to my homeroom, not even stopping at my locker.

Samara mouthed, “You’re late?” but I managed to get into my seat before Mrs. Henry looked up from her romance novel she didn’t even try to hide that she was reading.

Mrs. Henry took attendance then went back to her book. She released us to get a head start toward our first class which was helpful to me because I still needed to get to my locker.

Samara walked with me. “Thank God it’s Friday. Hey, Mike and I are hanging out at his place tonight. You could come.”

Colby stood by my locker. I let out a defeated breath. Both of his eyes were black and blue.

“What happened to him?” she asked before I could respond to her invitation.

What could I say but the truth? “He got into fight with Ky.”

“Over you? Jeez, Dori.”

“Not over me—over each other. Can’t have two alpha males in a pack, that kind of thing.”

“Stupid.”

I agreed. “Hey, Colby.”

“Seaweed.”

Samara tagged him in the arm. “Nice shiners. How did the door make out?”

“Heh, heh,” Colby said. “Have you seen him? I’m going to knock his block off.”

I pulled my locker door open. “I think you should calm down, Colby. Fighting’s not the answer.”

My eyes darted around nervously. I really hoped Ky didn’t show up this minute. I slammed my door and walked with Colby to algebra.

Next class was biology, then I would see Ky. I hated to admit it, but if Ky asked me to skip school with him this afternoon, I knew I’d say yes.

He was already in class when I got there. If Colby had injured him, you couldn’t tell by looking. He shook his hair off his forehead when he saw me, an appreciative smile forming on his face.

I kept the glee I felt to myself, forcing a blank look. I couldn’t allow him to think that beating Colby up was okay. Even if he had asked for it.

“Hey,” he said as I sat down. I nodded and opened my books on my desk, pen and pencil ready, always the good student.

“Sorry, about the other night. I should’ve exercised some self-control.”

He had his head tilted in that endearing way and it made it hard to keep up my guise. His leg brushed against mine. On purpose? A little shiver shot up my back.

“But you have to admit, he’s a jerk.”

I tapped my pen on the desk. “Colby is an intense guy. You just have to get to know him.”

“Uh, not interested.”

“He’s my friend, so if you want my forgiveness you have to be nice to him.”

He flashed that crazy grin. “Wow, you drive a hard bargain. Okay, here’s the deal. I’ll be nice to him if you go out with me.”

I dropped my pen on my desk and swallowed. “I told you. I just got out of a relationship.” And the guy was back in town. “I’m not ready.”

“Okay, not out, out, just out. As friends.”

Now the pen was in my mouth. Gnaw, gnaw. Should I? What about Tor? What
about
Tor? Hanging out with Ky would help me forget him, which was exactly what I needed to do.

Plus, he would take me swimming, which was also what I needed to do.

I stalled. “Um, I don’t know.”

“I found this awesome little shack down by the ocean. It’s a cool place to hang out.”

The ocean. So far, so good.

“Yeah?”

“We could go swimming.”

I looked at him pointedly. Nervous energy surged between us. I knew what he was saying. Did he know I knew? Did he know about me?

I finally said, “It’s kind of cold for swimming, don’t you think?”

“For some people.”

He was testing me.

“But not you?” I queried.

“And not for you.”

He did know about me. But how? Freak. He could probably
smell
me. That was why he came on so strong at the beginning.

We skipped out of the afternoon classes. The shack wasn’t in walking distance so we borrowed Luke’s dirt bike. I figured as long as we had it back before Luke was done with his shift at Joe’s Garage, he’d never know. Ky wore Luke’s helmet and I used the extra one he had for Jolene.

Normally, I’d never take something of Luke’s without asking, but the urge to swim was too strong. Like a drug. I needed my fix. Today.

Faded blue paint peeled to reveal the gray worn wood of a small cabin. Long grass grew in tufts around its foundation and a cast iron table was chained to a hook cemented into a small patio. I frowned. It wasn’t abandoned, it was locked up. For winter.

“This isn’t an old shack, Ky. It’s a cabin. Someone stays here in the summer.”

Ky twisted off the padlock; it only looked like it had been locked. “I snipped it off last time,” he said as he opened the door. “It’s okay, Dori. We’re just visiting. We’re not hurting anyone. We’ll leave it exactly the way we found it. No one will ever know.”

I held back. “It doesn’t feel right to me.”

“What? You don’t like breaking the law?”

“I try not to make a habit of it.”

“But skipping school is fine.”

“No, it’s not fine. I don’t usually skip school, just…” The ocean was only fifty feet away. I turned and stared at the foam as the waves lapped to shore, in and out like breath. The ocean lived. It breathed. Its rhythm called me.

The wind whipped along the sand, stirring up little tornado swirls. I wrapped my jacket tighter. The weather had cooled since the storm.

“C’mon, let’s just warm up a little, then we can leave.” Ky motioned with his hand and I reluctantly entered.

A dim afternoon light shone through low windows showcasing all the dust particles dancing in the room. The furniture had been stowed neat and tight against the walls. The small fridge was propped open, empty and unplugged. Two doors in the short hall were closed.

Suddenly I felt unsafe. I’d let myself be drawn away to a strange place with someone I hardly knew, leaving no word with anyone about where I had gone. I’d broken all the rules.

Ky leaned up against the counter. “What are you thinking, Dori?”

“What do you know about me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw your tattoos; you know I did.”

“So, lots of guys have tattoos.”

“Not like those.”

Ky chuckled. “Okay. I have ‘tattoos.’ So do you.”

“What else do you know about me? What are the Rai saying?”

Ky gave me a long look. “Well, you definitely are the talk of the undersea world, I’ll give you that. You were a big surprise. A big, pleasant surprise.”

What? I thought the Rai were
unpleasantly
surprised. A little red flag popped up in my head, but I couldn’t place what was wrong.

Ky continued, “And I know you’re dying to go swimming. So, let’s go.”

He was jittery, fidgeting with his fingers, tapping them on the counter-top. Rat-a-tat-tat. Controlled excitement, like a kid nearing the end in a puzzle race, afraid the next guy was going to finish before he did.

Ky really wanted to go in the ocean, that was obvious, but he could do that any time. He didn’t need me.