Under The Sea

Chapter Thirteen

I sat up rubbing the sleep from my eyes to find Aran perched on the opposite side of the couch. He looked as if he had thrown himself onto the couch, his body was slouched and his face was softened by sleep.

Placing a rebellious strand of hair behind my ear, I suddenly grew conscious of the events of last night. A twisting writhing anxiety washed over my insides, like water, filling every gap and cell in my body.

Water; something I hadn't had in a while.

Slowly, I crept off the couch and stealthily hopped across the room towards the kitchen. I opened the cuboard and grabbed a lukewarm bottle of water, remembering that my body did not accommodate the persperation that came with a cold bottle of water.

The cap of the bottle would not budge. I twisted it until the roughness of the cap burned my skin red. I sighed rubbing the small burn that had resulted from my weakness. Just as I was about to manipulate the water to force the cap off, a deep voice penetrated the room.

"Need help?" Aran's low voice was heard from behind me. I jerked around to see him standing in the doorway, remnants of sleep still packing their bags, almost ready to leave his body. Sleep had done a measure of things to him, as it did to everyone; tousled his hair, wrinkled his clothes, and made his eyes seem smaller. Nonetheless, he was still handsome--even with messy hair and wrinkled clothes.

"Yes please," I said with a small voice. He strided over and opened the bottle with unsurprising ease. I nearly snatched the bottle out of his hand while muttering a small thank you before gulping down half of the water. The silence made the room stuffy and uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry about my dad, he can be a bit....pushy." Aran spoke, his eyes trained on the clean tiled floor. Guilt embedded itself into my thoughts. I didn't want him to be sorry, especially because everything his father had said had been the deniable truth. I should be the one apologizing for all the lies I told last night, for widening the gap between Aran and his father. It was wrong of me to do what I did.

I ignored my guilty conscious, "it's okay, he was just curious." My smile was more like a grimace. I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried my head intk his warm chest as he pulled me close. He chuckled before saying, "I don't know if curious is the word, but alright I'm glad you're okay. Why don't you go shower and change while I make us something to eat."

I nodded and held him for a little longer taking in his wonderful scent, and basking in the warmth that he was emitting from his lean body. As I took a step back he placed a comforting kiss on my brow.

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Bathing was getting easier each time I did it. I was smarter this time, draining the tub and drying mysekf in the bathtub to avoid another likely mess. My body yearned for the salty water of the sea. I wanted to swim in open water, where I was free to do whatever I wanted. It was nice to shift, but the cramped bathtub was uncomfortable and unable to fit my long tail.

I stepped out of the bathing tub and stepped into some comfortable clothes. Brushing my hair and teeth had become simple. By now I had managed to discreetly learn how just about every human mechanism worked. Everything in this house, I knew what it was and what it did. Most I learned on my own and some Thea helped me figure out.

After finishing up in the bathroom I made my way down the stairs to find Aran talking. I peeked into the kitchen to see him holding a device the size of his hand to his ear and talking into it.

"I don't want to hear it. That doesn't give you the right to yell at her and accuse her like that! Especially in front of Mom and Thea," he paused before he exclaimed, "she is my mate, let me deal with whatever 'secrets' she's hiding. It's not your business unless I make it your business. I know I'm your son and your just being there for me, but last night you crossed the line, I mean you literally met her hours before you accused her of being a liar!"

Another pause, "alright, bye." He pulled the phone from his ear and tapped the screen before slipping into the pocket of the black jeans he now wore.

"How much did you hear, Forest?" He knew I was there, probably from my scent. I stepped into the broad kitchen, my bare feet growing cold from the cool tiled floor.

"Just the last few parts. Was that your dad?" I asked.

"Yes." That familiar ball of guilt wedged itself in my throat and started to expand like thick molasses. My eyes glided to the floor and stayed there, avoiding his gaze.

I heard him step up to me and felt him gently lift my chin up toward his face.

"I'm sorry about last night, not my dad, but me. I just left you outside and slammed the door on you, it was wrong but I was so frustrated, I'm sorry. But I don't want you to feel guilty, okay? There is nothing for you to be guilty about," he offered me a small smile, "just answer me truthfully, and I don't want you to think that I'm taking my father's side," my heart started to beat harder at the wave of nervousness that crashed into me, "was my father wrong about you?"

I couldn't lie, but the truth wouldn't come out. I was afraid. Afraid of what he might think of me, how he might react to the fact that I had gotten so close to him without even telling him my last name. My thoughts were jumbled and chaotic, bouncing off of the walls of my brain, unsure what to do. So I stood there, silent, tongue tied, and unsure.

Aran's smile slowly turned upside down, "what are you not saying? Forest? Were you lying to my family and I last night? Was everything you said a lie? Answer me." He didn't yell. His voice was deadly calm and unsatisfied. His teeth were gritted and his eyes were narowed not nearly hiding the deep depths of anger put there. The fear was back, stronger than it was before, choking me to the point where I could only stutter.

"I-I," Aran took two steps back, confusion covering his face like a mask. He stared at me hard before he started to realize what I hoped he wouldn't.

"What even is your last name? What are your parents' names? Where are you even from? I know none of the important things about you Forest. Did you even realize all the things you've been keeping from me or have you been doing it all along? And last night! You're basically telling me that my dad is right, that you are a liar."

"No I," my eyes had started to form large salty tears.

Disgust flitted across his eyes, mocking and hating me. "You what? Is there something you want to tell me?"

I bit my lip hard, I was trying so hard to hold in my tears, to make my voice sound strong and confident, but to no avail.

"I-I don't know. I'm sorry." There was nothing I could do to stop him from walking out of the house with a cloud of anger surrounding him. Not even my tears could make him hesitate from leaving me stranded in that damned kitchen. But I understood, and it was all my fault.

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Thanks for reading! I'm so sorry for the late update, but sometimes things come up. Hopefully I can make it up to you by posting two chapters this weekend. If you have anu comments or questions don't hesitate!

Thanks again,

Drew