Chapter 14
Gil
It’s not that I thought Marina would be calm about this whole thing; that’s why I took my sweet time telling her—and I would have told her.
But every conversation in my head now ends up with her screaming, then laughing at the strange swamp monster in her cabin.
I had braced myself for confusion, maybe a little panic, but this was flat out disgust.
Why else would she have laughed?
Like a child with a skinned knee, I make my way to Grampy’s house without even thinking about the path I’m swimming.
His house is as quirky as the one he passed down to me—only smaller and closer to where my mom, aunts, and uncles all live with the guppies.
When everyone moved out and ended up populating a small inlet, he joined them.
In his mind, being just one door down was better than a short swim.
I heave myself up onto the dock, and wordlessly, Grampy hands me a glass of sweet tea. I settle in, letting the sugary sweet drink coat my mouth and seep into my soul, but this may be a problem even sweet tea can’t fix.
“Evening.” My greeting comes out as a grumble before I freeze, realizing I’m not the first to seek out comfort on this dock tonight.
Magnus is here. Because, of course, even my moment of emotional distress can’t be had in peace. The vampire looks uncharacteristically relaxed, with his slacks rolled up to his knees and his pale legs in the water. Whatever conversation they were having has halted upon my arrival.
“My, you look glum,” Magnus says. “I expect your disappointment is related to your romantic endeavors?”
“Without all the frills,” I groan. I swear this man speaks in cursive for the sole purpose of getting under my scales.
“I believe Magnus is implying that you’ve been dumped,” Grampy jumps in with a sympathetic shrug. “Both you boys seem to be dealing with heartache tonight, hm?”
Magnus and I both sigh, and the vampire moves to retrieve a box.
Opening it, he reveals pastries from one of the fancy restaurants in the Dragonfly Court.
I recognize it as the place we’d go to as kids to split desserts and argue over who got the bigger piece.
The answer is obvious today; Grampy scoops up the largest confection in the box with a satisfied nod.
“You wanna talk?” Grampy asks, turning to me. “Magnus has already had the floor…”
“Not particularly,” I reply, but that doesn’t stop me from spilling everything: the diner, the dates, the kiss, and then finally, the accidental reveal that ended it all before it had a chance to begin.
It would be one thing if this was a fling, a moment, but it’s Marina—what I felt between us was more than a simple spark.
I got my best friend back for 48 hours, and I fucked it up.
Both Grampy and Magnus, who listened as if my misfortune was their own personal soap opera, roar with laughter after I’m done.
“Well, I’m glad y’all find this amusing!” I throw my hands up dramatically, accidentally knocking the box of baked goods into the water.
“Gilbert! The pastries!” Magnus snaps, his eyes flashing a deep shade of maroon. For a moment, I think he might dive into the water to retrieve them. “I beg you to get a hold of yourself.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” I ask. “She saw me and knew me. She looked right into my soul and screamed like I was—”
“A naked fish man covered in bubbles?” Grampy interrupts, his laughter punctuated with a slap to his knee.
When he puts it like that, the whole thing does sound a little ridiculous.
“As smitten as you may be, it could be for the best,” he says.
There’s a sadness to his voice as he continues, “It was easier before everyone had a camera in their pocket, but things have changed, and I’ve heard plenty of complaints about your little field trips.
You’re lucky the rest of the elders haven’t filled that portal like a pothole. ”
“Other areas of the mortal realm would still be accessible, I presume?” Magnus glares in my direction. “Don’t mess this up, Gilbert. I have been quite reliant on your system in my recent courtships.”
“Boys.” Grampy lets out an irritated sigh.
“Even in the mortal realm, some airports are only open for domestic travel. Gil, you know the elders want you to settle down with one of their grandchildren and stop all this foolishness. You aren’t the first fish from our family who hoped to sprout wings. ”
He reaches out to touch a small scar on his chest, and both Magnus and I quiet.
Grampy has never really talked about it, but we know it happened when he was young and fixated on the gadgets and technology in the mortal realm. He still is. Even simple things like studying Magnus’s phone gives him a twinkle to his eyes. Scars or not, that fascination never left.
“Hoping I’d tell you to go back and get her?” he remarks, clocking my sullen expression.
“You think I could?” I ask, thinking about how I’d been so wrapped up on keeping my promise, I hadn’t paid much mind to the trouble it could be causing him with the elders.
“I’ve never known you to give up, even when it ends in a belly flop. You’ve got to decide if she’s worth the sting it might leave you with.”
He’s right. I don’t think I can give up—not until I try to talk to her instead of running like a damn coward. I need to do this right, and soon, before she packs up and I’m left with nothing more than regret and bittersweet memories.
“Now, can we please talk about me?” Magnus asks, crossing his arms. “I have five messages I need to respond to, and my usual charm does not appear to be working.”
Grampy laughs, tapping me on the shoulder. “I’ll handle this one,” he says graciously. “I think Gil has his hands full already.”