The Ocean's Call: Part One | ✔

Part Twenty Six

Part Twenty-Six

Mum and dad are long gone before I've even left my bedroom. I can hear Jack's car leaving as I pull my bedroom door open. In the kitchen nana is grumbling to herself standing in front of the coffee machine as it whirls away. I think she's going on about the loud noise its making.

The giggle from the lounge room is not a sound I'm familiar with this early in the morning. I look over to the couch to find Harley and Alex squished together talking to Emily who's sitting on the coffee table.

"Hey." I greet changing directions.

Heads turn in my direction. "Hey sis."

"Morning." Harley smiles. It's a knowing kind of smile, the kind of smile that says we snuck out last night for a swim as mermaids, but nobody here knows that.

It makes my lips turn up in the same way, the twinkle in her eye confirms it. "I called you twice, but you were still asleep." Emily straightens.

"I was pretty tired."

"Understandable." She nods. "I've come to catch up on all the gossip."

I raise a brow. Gossip is code word for tell her everything I've learned in the last couple of days. Everything mermaid. "You have no idea."

Alex whispers in Harley's ear before he gives her a quick kiss, pushing off the couch. "You girls behave yourself and Isla, thank you for inviting Harley to spend time with you. It means a lot to me." He pulls me into a quick hug. I glance at Harley over his shoulder, she just shrugs.

"Why wouldn't I? Harley is the best."

He grins, patting my arm as he walks by. He collects something from the table and heads to the back door. "See you for lunch, baby." He blows a kiss to Harley.

I sigh, my heart swelling to a million times its size. I think I like Alex in a relationship, he's cute. Nana grumbles pass me and flops onto the recliner with her coffee. "Too much to drink?" I tease her, sliding into the spot Alex just left.

"I'm not as young as I use to be, my bounce back rate is nowhere where it used to be." She blows on her coffee before taking a long sip.

Emily and Harley chuckle. "I've got a lot of stuff to tell Emily, you want to be filled in now or later?"

She raises a brow, her eye steering to Harley. "Now?"

I nod. "Am I missing something?" Emily asks. I look at her and she's looking between Harley and I.

I turn to Harley who grins. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it but I'm here for it." Harley explains.

Emily widens her eyes, reaching forward to smack my leg. "You told her? Harley? Of all people...oh my gosh, I don't feel so special anymore." She grumbles.

I laugh, shaking my head. "I thought it might be nice to have a mermaid friend."

I didn't think Emily's eyes could go any wider, but they do, they look like they might pop out of her head now. She gasps, stomping her feet before she lets out a squawk. "Oh my god, you're a mermaid?"

Harley lets out a light laugh, nodding. "Since I was eleven."

Nana shifts in the corner of my eye. "Since you were eleven? I feel like I've been blind my whole life. Is it just you or your whole family?"

"my whole family. We're all merfolk, we go back many generations in fact all the way beyond our founding days."

Nana shakes her head in disbelief. "wait, what about the Pryce family? Do they go way back too?" Emily asks, eyes still like saucers.