In the Deep *Book Two* Water Trilogy

Fourteen

That night I decided not to crawl into Audrey's window; she needed space and time with her family. I had to fight the urge to see her. Part of me hoped I would find her knocking on my window but I knew that wasn't going to happen. She was still injured and in no way in any shape to be hoping in and out of windows. 

I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep so I sat at the small dinning room table with Aunt Jenny. 

"She's safe now," Jenny said softly. "Audrey is going to be okay." 

"She might be safe, but I'm not so sure how okay she is going to be."

"Audrey's a strong girl, Finn." 

"Everyone has a breaking point, Aunt Jenny." I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. I couldn't stand the look she was giving me. 

"You can't blame yourself for this," she said. "You had no idea that this would happen."

"I know," I groaned. I had heard this conversation a million times. I shouldn't feel guilty, I shouldn't feel guilty she said. But I did and I always would. Had it not been for me Audrey would have never gone through what she had. 

"Let me get you a cup of salt water," Aunt Jenny stood up. I waited patiently as she rummaged around in the kitchen. She came back with a glass white cup. "You can't forget you need things too Finn. You're not completely human and you never will be." 

A cup a day kept the sea at bay, a dip once a week and I could keep my feet. 

Merpeople who became human had no choice but to live near or, more preferably, on the ocean. We needed the salty water like humans needed fresh water to survive. Without salt water regularly, we would die. I still hadn't told Audrey how hard I had to work to stay human. 

Having legs was easy, as long as it wasn't for lengthy periods of time. It was like the longer I had them the harder they were to keep. My body became sore with effort and I would have to take a midnight swim in the ocean to change just to keep the pain away. Merpeople were not supposed to remain in a humans form. Legs were only for mating purposes but here I was keeping them longer than I should. 

I took a drink of the salt water. It was relaxing and refreshing. Some humans liked coffee and some like tea, I had learned, but I liked a nice glass of salt water. 

"Jenny?" 

"Yes?" She sat down with her own glass. 

"Does the pain ever stop?"

"You mean your legs?" I nodded and she sighed. 

"No," she admitted. "It becomes easier to deal with but that's the price you pay for defying nature. Does Audrey know about your limitations?" 

"No. She wants to go to college and she hasn't decided where. She might choose a place that doesn't even have an ocean." 

"You won't be able to go with her."

"I know." I thanked her for the drink before heading to bed. I laid in my bed staring at the ceiling. The walls of the room were deep blue, reminding me of the deep ocean where I use to live. Part of me missed home while part of me never wanted to go back. I thought about my mom and my sisters and wondered how I would tell them about Nahla's death. Meri couldn't find the time to visit anymore, with her royal duties and all, and the rest of my siblings were too mad at me for not picking them as the heir to the throne to see me. 

I sat awake in my bed till early in the morning and Jenny had already left for work. I climbed out of bed and took a much needed shower. I thought of Audrey several times, debating whether or not to go and see her. What if she blamed me? What if she finally realized that the whole thing was my fault? What would I do if she never wanted to speak to me again? I had to know. 

Quickly I threw on a pair of pants and a t-shirt as I made my way to the back door. The weather was suprisingly dull. Grey clouds hung low over the water, the waves were chopy from wind. It would be a rainy day. I started walking to Audrey's when movement on the beach caught my eye. Wavy blonde hair whipped around in the wind.

Audrey. 

I made my way to her slowly, I didn't want to startle her. 

"Hey," she said as I sat down next to her on the sand. She didn't look up at me. 

"Hey." I looked her up and down. She had bruises and scratches, her hair wasn't brushed, and she was wearing a baggy sweatshirt; but she was still beautiful. Chill bumps covered her bare legs. I moved closer to her and put my arm around her. She hesitated to lean into me, which nearly made me pull away, but soon her head rested softly on my chest.

"Finn?"

"Yeah."

"Is it really over?"

"I think so," I kissed her head. Audrey sighed. 

"I've  missed you." 

"I've missed you too. I love you." And in that moment I felt everything was going to be alright. As long as I had Audrey everything would be alright. 

We kissed on the beach even after we felt rain drops flaling from teh sky. We kissed until it became a down pour, only stopping when lighting began. 

"Oh my gosh," Audrey laughed, grabbing my hand and yanking me off the beach. She pulled me in the direction of my house. 

"Some one is afraid of thunder," I teased as she ducked down from another earth shaking boom. We ran up my back steps, yanked open my back door, and jumped inside. Both of us were breathing heavily and laughing. 

"I think we should stay inside until it passes," she said. "I'll go home later." 

"What do you want to do?" I asked. 

"Where's your room?" 

"Down this hallway and to the left." I pointed and she led the way. Audrey walked casually into my room like it was hers. 

"Where's Jenny?" She asked. 

"She already left for work."

"Good." Audrey closed my door and kissed me. I kissed her back, my hands finding their way into her hair and her icy hands pressing against my neck. It wasn't long before we were pulling at each others wet clothes, items falling to the floor one right after the other. Soon we were in the bed, a tangle of sheets and comforters and Audrey screaming my name.