Chapter 8
Ari
By the time I return to my hotel room for the night, it’s technically tomorrow, but sleep still seems so far out of reach.
I don’t know what I was thinking when I asked Erica to come on tour with me, but once the words came out of my mouth, it just felt right.
I can’t fathom the thought of leaving her behind to head to the next stop of our Ocean-Side Cities Tour.
I don’t know what I’ll do if she declines my offer.
I had been fairly certain that she was my mate when our eyes locked in the middle of the show.
The fact that my singing didn’t seem to put her in any level of a trance was my first clue, but once I was able to touch her, there was no denying it.
My blood and soul sang for her when she laid her soft hand in mine.
Rambling at Fish the whole way back to our hotel, I told him everything. He nodded and grunted along but didn’t really engage. We normally crashed pretty hard after a show, but I’d kept him out late chasing my mate. Mate.
The other guys have long since headed to their own rooms in the suite and gone to sleep, but I just can’t. I stare out the massive windows of the hotel and watch the waves crash against the rocks. My skin itches to water my scales, to feel the salty water soothe away my worries.
We’d been doing so many landlocked concerts that we had asked if this kind of tour would be possible. Going to the ocean-side cities around North America to perform and still be able to get our gills wet when we wanted; at night of course when no one would catch us.
We were all supposed to go out to the water tonight before fate stepped in and took a sledgehammer to all plans and order.
I had no desire to stop the metaphorical destruction if it meant having her by my side.
I meant it when I told her that Max could come with us if it made her more comfortable.
I’d pay every cent I’ve ever made to be able to sing to a crowd, turn my head and see her standing on the stage, waiting for me to come to her when it was over.
I briefly consider going out to the water on my own, but we always do it together. The others didn’t go without Fish and me, so I won’t go without them.
It sure would be nice to have something to distract me from staring at my phone though.
Wanting to know if she made it home with Max safely.
Is she comfortable? Will she tell Max when she’s in pain and needs more medication, or will she be stubborn and get it herself while her friend sleeps?
Is she even considering my offer, or will I never hear from her again?
My mind doesn’t stop. Even when I drift off to sleep, my dreams are of sky-blue eyes and the way her hand felt in mine.
Glad that we have the day off from traveling, I wake slowly, unworried about the time. As I slowly scrub my hands over my face, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, the events of yesterday play through my mind in rapid succession, kickstarting my heart and mind into more purposeful movement as I wake.
Stumbling into the large living area that connects the rooms of our suite, I snatch my phone off the table where it was charging and say a prayer that she’s texted me before I tap the screen awake.
“Shit,” I breathe at the number of missed texts I have from Erica. She’s been up for hours and probably thinks I’m ignoring her.
My fingers fly in a flurry across the screen to reply as quickly as possible.
Scrunching my brows at the device, I will those three little dots to pop up to let me know that she’s typing and doesn’t think I’ve ghosted her.
Carrying my phone to the bathroom with me, I brush my teeth and wash my face, still waiting for her to read or respond to my text, not wanting to miss her reply and make her wait even another second.
I hear the guys beginning to mill about themselves.
When I make it back into our shared spaces, they’re all watching me expectantly, so I catch them up.
Their looks are a mix of awe that I may have found my mate, bewilderment that I’m acting so unlike myself, and like they’re about to laugh their asses off at me for how wound up and stressed I am about the whole situation.
When I said that I wanted to find my mate, I hadn’t thought it possible to manifest something so quickly, but here we are and I could never go back to a world where I don’t know that she exists.
This is crazy. These extreme emotions are insane.
I didn’t know for sure that I even wanted to find my mate a day or two ago, and now that I’ve found her, it’s like I’m a completely different person.
I nearly collapse in relief when my phone pings, all eyes on me.
Something bright and warm roots itself into my chest, a feeling I haven’t felt since we were kids. Something that feels a lot like hope.