Chapter 15
Ari
I don’t know which subject to broach first. I’m losing the tether on my restraint. I need Erica. I fucking need her to know she’s mine. I need her to know how badly I crave her.
But I don’t want to fuck this up. So, do I start with the relationship and show her how good we can be before I introduce her to our world?
Or, would that make her think I don’t trust her and kept something from her?
I’ve already kept the fact that she’s my soulmate from her since the moment we met.
“Are you going to be able to pull your head out of your ass long enough to perform tonight?” Bach snaps, pulling me from my zoned-out state.
I level him with a look, but he’s not wrong.
I feel off today, and I need to get my shit together enough to sing to another sold-out show and spend extra time with people that aren’t Erica.
It’s another thing that I’ll feel more settled about when we’re official and she understands the gravity of my feelings for her.
It’s not just the bond. It’s the way she chews on her lip when she’s concentrating on whatever she’s doing on her tablet.
It’s the way she laughs her ass off when Fish and Scooter are being idiots.
It’s the smile that morphs her features into that of an angel when little things bring her happiness.
The sound of her voice when she’s still tired in the morning before she’s had any caffeine.
The way she crinkles her nose when she’s focused on something.
Even if there were no bond, I would still be drawn to her. My own little siren.
After we get through the show, which goes swimmingly, and the VIP experiences, I sprint back to where I know Erica is waiting for me on her chair.
She doesn’t know I bought it for her to be added to our gear and brought to each event.
I wanted her to be comfortable, and I saw her ogling one like this when she was scrolling through videos on her phone.
When her sleepy eyes lift to mine, they light up, any tiredness cast aside by me. I want to run to her. To scoop her into my arms and spin her in a circle like one of those cheesy romance movies she loves. Soon.
“You look a little tired. Are you up for a . . . miniature surprise adventure?” I ask, not sounding nearly as confident as I had hoped.
Fish approaches, putting his hand on my shoulder, and tilting his head asks if it’s time to tell her. I nod. I really wouldn’t be able to go forward lying to her, and she’s been with us long enough now that I hope that she trusts us as much as we trust her with the biggest secret of our lives.
She nods, her bottom lip between her teeth before she releases it for a small smile.
Redirecting my attention to the guys, I toss my head to let them know we’re doing this, then offer Erica my hand to help her out of her chair.
We all return to our rooms to gather stuff to go down to the beach, like we have many nights after Erica had settled in for the night, letting her know to grab what she needs as well.
The summer sun has long since set, but it’s still warm enough for a human to get in the water. Water temperatures don’t bother us, having come from the depths of the ocean.
What I’m not prepared for is seeing Erica in a crocheted black cover-up with little material beneath it.
Her lush legs are bare, and she’s wearing platform black flip-flops with a black bag over her shoulder.
There’s a bit of blush staining her cheeks when she joins us.
She smiles as she fidgets with her bag before I take it and carry it for her.
“Ready for the Atlantica Saltwater Experience?” Fish whoops and hollers like a carnival showman in the quiet hotel hallway, all of us shushing him.
She gives me a questioning look, eyebrows raised.
“He literally just made that up.” I laugh and Scooter nods while Bach continues to look bored and burdened by our existence.
Erica smiles the whole way to the beach.
We haven’t gone down to the water together for reasons only obvious to the band and me.
While we can control a full shift, there’s no hiding the scales that the ocean’s magic brings out of our skin when we touch it.
That’s why rain, sweat, and showers don’t have the same effect and reveal us to the humans and other supernatural beings we’re constantly surrounded by.
When we reach the sandy beach and trek closer to where the waves lap at the shore, the guys hang back a bit and let me have this moment with Erica to see how royally fucked we are—or really me, since she is my mate.
She sets her things strategically, to carry as little sand back as possible, and shifts her body to remove her cover up. “Not yet,” my voice cracks.
Her smile falls and she raises an eyebrow, suspicion lingering in her gaze. I worry she’ll start building a wall.
“Can we talk for a minute, first? There’s something I . . . there’s something I need to tell you.” I hate how unsure of myself I sound, but I don’t know what I’ll do if this goes badly.
Her hands fall to her sides and she nods, not meeting my eyes.
Gently lifting her chin with my hand, I soften my eyes, hoping she’ll hear me and give this a chance. “Can you be open minded for me? Please?” I beg and she nods again. I already hate not hearing her voice.
The warm breeze swirls around us, and the waves lightly crash against the shore.
The stars are trying to sparkle in the sky amid the lights from the city in the distance.
Everything in my body sings to pull her into my embrace and taste her.
Just a small taste. The press of her pouty lips on mine.
I can do this. I decide to lean toward less serious and see how this goes. Here goes nothing.
“Can you keep a secret?” I ask with a crooked smile causing her to tilt her head, eyes narrowing slightly.