Waveborn | The Oceane Series

Five

By the time we arrived home, it was nearly five, and the back of the truck was filled with several cloth bags with various clothing items and toiletries. I grabbed a few bags and Delmare grabbed the rest so I could unlock the door. I watched as he held the door for me with his back, still holding the bags in his hands. I walked past him and quickly set the bags down on the dining room table, looking over at Delmare as he followed in my footsteps.

"We should probably wash your clothes before we put them away," I said, unwrapping the packages with the white undershirts. "It'll take a few loads, I think. You don't mind staying in those clothes for a few hours while they're in the wash, do you?"

He looked up, his eyebrows furrowed, "Um, no, I don't mind staying in these clothes. How do you wash your clothes on land?"

"Oh, sorry." I gathered the clothes into my arms before making my way to the laundry room. "Come on, I'll show you how I do it."

I felt his presence at my side as I opened the washer. "Okay, first, stuff the clothes into the washer, then close the door." I let the door shut with a click before grabbing the laundry detergent from the shelf. "Then you pour about half of the liquid into this container then close it. Then you'll change your settings and then hit start," I finished, pushing the button. I told him what the additional settings meant.

"Interesting piece of equipment," Delmare commented, staring at it for a moment before turning back to me. "And the machine above it dries them?"

I nodded. "Yes, you'll want to add a dryer sheet in there. Shut the door and then hit start. The machines will go off once they're done." I walked back into the kitchen. "You can set your toiletries in the bathroom. I think I'm going to get started on those dishes and make some dinner."

"Okay," he agreed.

I started working on the dishes that lay waiting in the sink. As I cleaned, I found my mind wandering to this morning, the way his arms had wrapped around me in a comfortable embrace, how I had leaned into him without even thinking. I knew what he was, and that he was a stranger to me, but why did I feel so comfortable around him? Why was it so easy to talk to him? What made him different from anyone else I had ever spoken to?

I hadn't realized he'd walked back into the kitchen until he spoke behind me, making me jump. I accidentally dropped the plate I'd been scrubbing into the sink. Thankfully, the plate didn't break and laid there, undisturbed, under the rushing water.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I gasped, placing my hand on my chest, trying desperately to calm my now-racing heartbeat, "I'm fine. You just spooked me."

"I'm sorry."

"You're fine. Did you finish putting your stuff away?" I asked.

He nodded, then turned toward the unwashed dishes in the sink. "Do you need help with those?" He took a step toward me, his hand grazing my forearm.

I looked up, unable to speak, my heart stopping completely. His eyes that were once a striking silver were now gold, glowing against his black hair that fell into his eyes. I wanted to push the stray hair out of his eyes, to feel his hair in between my fingers as I caressed the back of his neck. Before I did something I would regret, I looked away, feeling a blush creep up my neck and along my cheeks. I cleared my throat, remembering that he had asked me a question. "No, I'm fine. I—I think I need some air."

Before I could register what was happening, I was running out the back door toward the gate that led to the ocean. The beaches weren't closed yet, but still people weren't swimming this late. My bare feet squished into the sand, sinking slightly with each step I took. I wasn't sure what I was doing or what I thought I could gain, but this was no time to catch feelings for someone, let alone a merman! Why did his eyes change colors? What if someone found out what he was? Did mer-people have laws against intermixing between species? What was the underwater world like? Why was he staying on land? A million questions swirled in my mind as I walked closer and closer to the water. The lull of the sea seemed to lure me to it as I tried to process everything that had happened in the last two days. Before I knew it, I was walking into the surf, the water spraying over my toes and calves. Taking a deep breath, I tried to concentrate on the salty sea air filling my lungs and not the merman I had taken in as a roommate.