“You’re not the boss of me! You can’t tell me what to do!”

“Well, I’m the assistant surfing teacher, so you have to listen to me.” Someone tugs on my arm. “Right he has to listen to me, Cassie?”

I blink at the person next to me. Timmy. “Huh?” I ask.

The other boy, whose name is Mikey, folds his arms and scowls. “Some surfer you are. You’re not even in your wetsuit.”

My eyes lower to my body. He’s right. I’m dressed in the clothes I put on after I got on land. They are still damp.

My heart hurts. Damarian.

Timmy tugs on my arm again. “Are you okay, Cassie? Do you want me to take over? I can teach them how to pop onto their boards.”

Mikey snorts. “I’m gonna tell my dad to get his money back. This is a joke.”

“Will you be quiet?” I snap. “There are bigger problems in the world than your learning how to surf!”

His eyes widen and he stumbles back.

Shit. “I’m sorry.” I rub my forehead. “I am so sorry, Mikey. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

He still stands far away.

“Timmy will teach you the right way to pop onto your boards while I take a walk. Trust me, you are in good hands.” I nod to Timmy. “Are you sure you can handle it?”

He puffs out his chest. “Of course! I’m ten, I can do anything.”

I force a smile before walking away. I have no idea where I’m headed until I find myself at the ice cream stand. The guy is selling Popsicles.

My heart hurts. Damarian.

I run away from there as though my legs are on fire. Dropping onto the sand, I gulp in some air and let it seep out of my nose. Even on land in my human form, I was able to sense him. But I don’t feel him at all. Not even a bit.

In the distance, I see Timmy trying not to get annoyed with the students. Many of them don’t want to be here but are here because their parents forced them. I can’t let them down and I can’t dump the responsibility on Timmy. Whatever’s going on between Damarian and me, I can’t let others suffer for it.

Tying my hair into two braids, I make a stop at one of the shops and rent a suit and a board. Not that I have money, but the guy knows me and trusts I will pay him later. When I get back to my students and they see my attire, they look impressed.

“Are you gonna show off now?” Mikey asks.

“That depends. Do you want me to show off?”

He folds his hands over his chest. “If you think you can surf as good as any guy.”

Timmy’s mouth falls open. “You did not just say that to Cassie.”

Mikey juts out his chin. “And what if I did?”

“I can whoop any guy’s ass,” I say, plucking the surfboard off the sand.

“She’s gonna own!” I hear Timmy yell as I run toward the ocean.

The fear and unease I’ve been feeling the past few hours encompasses every cell in my body. I paddle into the ocean, the only thing on my mind Damarian. His soft face, beautiful deep blue eyes, loving lips, caressing hands. I always felt his presence with me. But not any longer.

When my feet land on my board, I imagine crushing the feeling of terror that has conquered me, body and soul. As I sail the wave, the only thing on my mind is the life we have built for ourselves and the future we wish to have. We have gone through so much these past two years, and I’ll be damned if I let any other obstacle get in my way.

When I’m back on the beach and shake the water out of my hair, I tell myself that Damarian and I will make sense of everything tonight and that we will soon find ourselves curled in each other’s arms in our human bed.

Timmy’s jumping up and down when I’m standing before my students. “That was so badass!”

“Thank you.” I pin my eyes on Mikey. “What do you think?”

He jumps up and down, too. “Teach me how to surf like you! You are so cool!”

Smiling, I ruffle his hair. One of the reasons I love teaching kids is because they can take me away from my personal problems. Mikey and the others are completely enthralled and over-exuberant about the next thing I teach them. Times flies so fast and before I know it, their parents have arrived to pick them up.

Once they’re all out of sight, everything comes crashing down on me. I drop to the sand, burying my face in my knees.

“Cassie?”

I raise my head and find Timmy standing there.

“Hey. I thought you went home.”

He shakes his head, then lowers himself next to me. “Are you sad?”

I force a smile. “Thanks for asking, but I’m okay.”

He returns the smile, but it doesn’t look like he believes me.

“So how’s your summer going so far?” I ask.

His face brightens. “It’s awesome! Especially because I’m helping you teach the surfing lessons.”

“And you are the best assistant teacher in the whole world.”

He gives me the widest grin I’ve ever seen on a person.

I’m so proud of him. He went through such a hard time two years ago when his sister Kayla was killed in the shark attack. I was worried he would never recover, but he seems to be doing really well. Of course he still carries the grief, and he probably will for the rest of his life, but it looks like he’s in a good place.

He frowns. “I just wish I could surf like you.”

“Hey, it took me many years to get to where I am. And I saw you surfing before class started—you’re practically a pro now. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be even more amazing when you’re my age.”

The frown vanishes from his face and is replaced with another huge grin. “You think so? Because I haven’t been surfing all year and I’m rusty.”

“No way are you rusty. It’s like you never left the ocean. Kayla would be so proud of you.”

His hand closes over the shark pendant hanging off his neck. “I feel her whenever I surf. I know she’s watching me and loves to see me ride the waves.”

I rub his arm. “I know she’s very proud of her older brother.”

He nods. “I try to think of her as often as I can. Sometimes when I’m lying in bed, I almost forget how she looks like, and I get really scared.”

Scooting closer, I wrap an arm around him and pull him to my chest. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”

“It’s okay. I just don’t want to forget her.”

“As long as you keep her alive in your heart, you’ll never forget her.”

He remains in my arms for a few minutes before getting to his feet and lifting his surfboard off the sand. “You don’t have to worry about me, Cassie. I’m going to be okay.”

“I know you will. You’re a strong little boy.”

“Hey, I’m not little anymore! I’m ten.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. All the kids I know are growing up too fast.”

He laughs. “Why do adults always say that? Obviously we’re going to grow every year. It makes no sense.”

I stand and ruffle his hair. “I guess you’ll understand when you’re older.” I look out toward the waves. “Want to surf?”

“Heck yeah!”

***

Leah is in the middle of arguing with a tall guy with light orange hair when I step into Misty’s Juice Bar. The guy looks familiar, but I can’t place it. As her face puffs up with annoyance, it finally clicks. He’s the high school guy who tried to hit on her two years ago. Though I guess he’s no longer in high school anymore.

“Can’t you take no for an answer?” she practically yells.

“Why do you think it’s okay to lead a guy on when you have no intention of getting together with him?”

“Leading you on? Leading you on? If you think a girl handing you the smoothie you paid for counts as flirting, then you’ve got serious issues.”

He scowls as he sweeps his change off the counter. “It was more than that and you know it.” He storms out of the shop.

I hop onto one of the stools in front of the counter. “What was that about?”

“Nothing.” She glares at the door where he just walked out of. “Dude has problems if he thinks every girl who says a single word to him flirted with him.”

I raise an eyebrow.

She rolls her eyes. “Fine, maybe I did flirt with him. But that was like months ago, when…” She stops and clears her throat. “It doesn’t matter. I have enough things to worry about than some stupid high school guy’s feelings.”

“He’s no longer in high school,” I remind her.

“Your point?”

“It wouldn’t be too weird to go out with him. I mean, he’s only two years younger than us.”

It looks like steam’s coming out of her nose. “Seriously, Cassie? You’re so desperate for me to be normal again that you’d throw me into anyone’s lap.” She grabs a rag and cleans the counter.

“Sorry,” I say as every part of me fills with guilt. “I was just trying—”

“I know. To help. And once again I treat you like crap.”

“No. I’m the one treating you like crap. I have to learn to stand back and let you move on at your own pace.”

She scoffs. “My own pace? It’s been two years and I’m still a mess.” She shrugs. “Whatever. I can’t deal with this right now. Too many issues. You want a smoothie?”

“Sure. Surprise me. What issues are you dealing with?”

With her back facing me as she works on my smoothie, she says, “Just future stuff. I’m still not sure if I want to go to law school. Kyle said…”

I perk up. “He said what?”

“God, can’t the jerk just leave my head?”

“What did he say, Leah?”

She sighs and turns around, lowering my mango smoothie onto the counter. For some reason, she always makes me mango smoothie when she’s upset, and she knows that I don’t like it. I guess I have developed a slight taste for it, considering she made it loads of times over the past few months.

“He says he thinks I’d be a really great lawyer.” She rolls her eyes. “What does he know anyway? He’s a fish.”

“First of all, he’s half fish and he did live on land for two years, so he knows what he’s talking about. And second of all, I agree with him. I think you’d make an awesome lawyer.”

“Why? Because I have such a big mouth?”

“No. Because you don’t like to give up.”

Her eyes drop to the counter. She turns around to get me a straw. “I do give up,” she says in a quiet voice. “I’ve given up on love.”

“No you haven’t. Or else you wouldn’t be so hurt right now.”

Her back faces me again, but I see her wipe away some tears. When she turns around, she says, “I have a date with Armando tonight. Do you and Damarian want to double date?”

It all comes crashing down again, so hard and fast that I sway in my chair.

“Whoa, are you okay?” Leah asks.

I stick the straw into my cup and suck up the liquid. I don’t taste it as it slides down my throat.

“Cassie, you’re kinda freaking me out here.” She places her hand over mine. “Cassie.”

“I don’t feel him.” Tears prick my eyes. “I haven’t felt him all day. Maybe it’s pathetic to say this, but I don’t feel like myself when I can’t feel him inside my heart. It’s like half of me is gone.”

Her eyebrows shoot to the roof. “What on Earth are you talking about?”

I swipe at my eyes before the tears slide down. “I don’t know. When we came back from the ocean last night, he couldn’t change into a human.”

Her eyes widen. “Really?”

I’m about to respond, when a mom and two kids walk up to the counter. “I want rainbow colors!” the daughter says.

“Ask nicely, honey.”

“Can I please, please have rainbow colors?”

“And I want chocolate!” the boy says.

“Coming right up.” Leah gives me an apologetic look before working on their smoothies.

I notice a picture of a mermaid on the girl’s shirt. My stomach plummets to my flip-flops. Why, out of all the images in the world, does it have to be a mermaid?

The girl gives me a look when she finds me gawking at her shirt. I blink. “Sorry. Your shirt is very cool.”

She flashes her teeth as she stares down at it. “I know! Aren’t mermaids the coolest? I love them. Mom says they don’t exist, but I don’t believe her. What do you think?”

“Sally, please stop bothering the nice lady.”

At any other time, I might have given the girl a smile and tell her to believe in whatever she wants to believe. But seeing the mermaid tail…I just can’t.

As soon as they leave with their smoothies, Leah says, “I wish we can talk privately, but it’s just me today. That means no breaks for me.”

I nod absentmindedly.

She leans forward to whisper, “How can Damarian not shift into a human?”

“I don’t know. We came back from the ocean like we always do, but he couldn’t change. And when I went back into the ocean and tried to change into a mermaid, I couldn’t.”

Her jaw hangs open.

I swallow and straighten my shoulders. “It’ll be okay. Damarian and I will meet at the beach tonight and we’ll make sense of it.” I don’t know if I’m trying to convince her or myself.

Leah quickly nods. “Yeah, I’m sure there’s a logical reason for it.” She’s trying to be strong for me, but she can’t hide the worry in her eyes.

I shift in my seat. “Is it okay if I hang out here? I don’t want to go home. The apartment is too empty.”

“Sure, just make sure you’re drinking your smoothie because my boss might stop by. She’ll be pissed if she sees me talking and not working.”

I slap my forehead. “Speaking of bosses, Damarian’s must be wondering where he is.” I reach into my pocket for my phone, but realize I don’t have it with me. “Can I use your phone, please?”

She hands it to me.

I don’t know his boss’s number, so I call the aquarium instead. The person who answers the phone gives me Mr. Powell’s personal number. Taking a deep breath, I dial the number. I can’t mess things up and cause Damarian to lose his job.

Maybe he won’t need a job on land if he can never turn into a human again,

No. I throw those thoughts away. Damarian will turn into a human and he will come back on land. And I’ll turn into a mermaid again.

“George Powell here.”

“Hi. Um, this is Cassie Price. Damian Sapphire’s girlfriend. I mean, fiancée.”

“Hello, Cassie.” His voice sounds wary and a little disappointed.

I clear my throat. “Damian couldn’t make it today.”

“Yes, I am quite aware of that.”

“He, um…he’s really sick.” Which is not a complete lie, since something is very wrong with him. And me.

“I figured as much. Just please call in advance the next time. I had to cancel a few shows due to his absence.”

I know. Canceled shows means disgruntled customers and less money. “Thanks so much for understanding. And I’ll try to call earlier next time.” A lump grows in my throat. Will there even be a next time? If we can’t figure out what’s wrong and Damarian can’t come onto land, he could lose his job. This feels very déjà vu. Just last year I was making excuses for him when he ran off to the ocean because he thought we were the reason Flora and Kiander couldn’t have kids.

“That went well,” Leah says once I hang up.

“As long as Damarian can come to work tomorrow.”

She pats my hand. “I know he will. You guys always figure out how to overcome things. You’ll figure this one out, too.”

I want to believer her, but I don’t know if I can.