CHAPTER 40
When they finally broke apart, she was breathless and not at all ready for sleep.
“Kallias,” she murmured. His face was still so close to hers, his lips inches away.
“Mmm,” he hummed, looking down through icy-white lashes, looking as distracted as she felt.
“Tell me you didn’t have any burning desire to fall in love with a mermaid or have lots and lots of little mermaid babies or something.”
“Why are you saying that?”
“Because I can’t give you those things.”
“I don’t want those things.”
He said it very decidedly, very easily and simply, but she still had to be sure. “Are you sure? Really, really sure? Think about it now.”
She hated that his smile was a bit sad as he caressed her jaw for that might mean that he did want those things. “I gave up on that a long time ago,” he said.
“But that means it is something you want!”
“No,” he said softly. “Because if it was something I really wanted, I would’ve gone into the deep.”
“But still, maybe one day….”
“Daria, I’m telling you this on my life. I choose you over it all.”
“But why?”
He paused and she hated that she had to pause too. Why Kallias? Why Kallias when she literally had a human asking her to be with him? Why choose the one who wasn’t even her species?
“It just…feels right,” he said after a moment. “I mean, why me, Daria? Why me when you have that human?”
“Because I love you,” she said.
“Is that really the answer to the question?” he asked, laughing. “I could have said that too.”
She looped her arms over his neck. “Fine. I don’t think it feels right. It feels perfect.”
To that, he laughed and kissed her once more. “I think so too.”