Chapter 9 #2
Despite having the lead as Marina approaches the glittering springs, she slows, winded from our laughter.
I strip off my t-shirt and race past her, plunging into the water.
The water’s coolness wraps around me like a hug, and just in time too; I’ve got a feeling all the water I’ve been chugging is less than human behavior.
“Decided to let me win this time?” I tease, but Marina isn’t smiling anymore. She’s all but forgotten our past—has she forgotten how to swim too?
“You said race to the edge of the water,” she argues, a hand on her hip.
“Edge of camp,” I correct, splashing toward her ankles—she jumps backward, retreating further onto dry land.
Her face suddenly twists as she pulls down the length of her sleeves. I suppose she must not want to get her clothes wet. I raise my hands in a surrender.
Fabric coverings are sort of optional for Gillarians, but just like humans, many of the other inhabitants of my world have the same social conventions.
“Sorry, guess you probably don’t have your swimsuit on, hm?
” I say, but Marina shrinks from my gaze, her fingers scratching at that spot she’s been fixating on at the back of her neck.
It’s not a love-bite like I assumed at the diner.
No, it seems to be some kind of irritation, one she quickly hides with her hair.
She doesn’t answer; with how far away she looks, I’m not even sure she heard me.
“Marina?” I ask, as she pulls her duster tightly around her body, hiding in plain sight.
“I think maybe I could use some water … to drink, I mean,” she says quietly. “So yeah, yeah. Do you mind?”
“Considering I chugged our last bottle, I’ll row,” I offer. The two of us load back into the boat. The awkward silence is as sticky as the damp air, and I wish I could do something—anything—to make her comfortable.
The canoe cuts between mangroves that loom high above the water; their thick roots infringe upon our path, making it hard to navigate around a little horde of gators relaxing in the sun.
“Cute, hm?” I say, trying to break the tension between us. Marina perks up as she follows my gaze.
“So cute,” Marina croons, her smile suddenly wide and dreamy. She jots down something in her notebook.
“I’m… um, sorry about earlier.” Her voice is low. “I kind of shut down…”
“I didn’t mean to pressure you for a swim. The water might be nice today, but you’re nicer.”
She sighs, looking out at the springs with a frown. I wonder…
“Can you swim?” I ask. She swam like a fish when we were kids, but things change and so do people. I want to get to know the Marina that’s in front of me right now.
“No, no, I can, I was actually on the swim team in high school.” She opens her mouth for a moment, then closes it. “I wasn’t too weird?”
“You weren’t even close to weird,” I assure her. “Everyone shuts down once in a while, especially in this heat.”
She’s leaning in, so close I’m enveloped by the coconut scent of her hair. She’s blinking at me with what I assume is … confusion. I check to make sure my glamour is still in place.
“So, you’d … want to see each other again?”
“I was hoping we would.” I nod. By the goddesses, her smile—why would she think a little thing like silence would mess things up? “Tonight?”
“Tonight.” She nods, but she’s moving toward me. The boat rocks as her lips draw closer to mine. “It’s a date.”
“And so is this,” I tease.
“I was beginning to wonder,” she responds playfully.
“Oh.” I cock an eyebrow, leaning closer. “And why is that, Splenda?”
“Well…” She begins, pursing her lips together. “You haven’t kissed me yet.”
“Then allow me to remedy that.” It’s been so long since I’ve kissed someone. I move too fast and forward into her, having no regard that we are indeed on a boat.
A boat that wastes no time ruining this moment and toppling into the nearest cluster of trees. I move quickly, shielding my body around hers as we roll into the water like a pair of fish caught in a net.
The cold is a splash of reality, shocking but refreshing. I hold tight to her waist as we surface, right under the tipped canoe.
Tension hangs heavy in the air as her laughter echoes around the tiny, enclosed space.
When it comes to failed kiss attempts, this has got to be between the worst and best. Marina’s green eyes crinkle as streaks of pink dye slide down her face like pastel raindrops.
Our laughter echoes and doesn’t stop, not even when her lips find mine. Each time our lips part and meet, I can feel her smile. She’s so warm in my arms, her perfect mouth pulls a groan from my lips.
If I were drowning, she would be my oxygen tank.
We sink low into the water, and the charm of my glamour floats away from my body. In a sharp burst, the faint buzzing of magic has left me along with my disguise. If she’d just open her eyes, she’d see who is kissing her—really kissing her.
The edge of her fingertips traces my fins. Maybe our differences don’t matter after all. Our lips are locked, trading breath and heat, and as the kiss deepens, there’s no question that this is something bigger and deeper than I could have imagined.
I hold her hands tightly in mine as we kick to stay afloat. Still, kissing, our hands roam and I—
Pshhhh
Light shifts as our makeshift hiding spot lifts away from the water. Quickly, I pull my enchantment back in place. Blinking in the sunlight, we find a group of humans eager to help us out of our predicament—if only they knew the moment they’d cut short.
Marina blinks at me, cocking her head. Did the truth rise to the surface when we did? More likely, I’m too drunk on that kiss to think straight. The boat is put right-side up, and after a quick thanks to the “helpful” humans, I help her get seated before leaping back in across from her.
“You alright?” I ask her, smoothing out my wet clothes. Her belongings are a damp pile between us of soggy fabric, paper, and a phone I’d be surprised still works.
“I’m … perfect,” she says, and I cup her chin with a grin.
“I’m inclined to agree with you on that,” I say, and just like that, her lips meet mine again.