Sorry I've been gone for so long! I hope you like this chapter.
With trembling hands I carried the two cups of mint tea to the table. My father thanked me and adjusted in his seat when I sat down in front of him.
The air was stiff and the birds outside seemed dull as I watched him take a sip from his cup.
"Why are you here?" I blurted.
His dark eyebrows knotted together like it was a stupid question to be asked. He cleared his throat and gave me strained smile.
"Ingrid, I'm here because you need someone to take care of you,"
"Of me?! I'm 24,"
"You just lost your mother, let me help with the next steps. Let me be here for you,"
I scoffed, anger boiling over. Anger and sadness.
"Where were you when she was sick?" I asked and he just stared blankly pulling his lips back over crooked bottom teeth, but I didn't give him time to utter a word, for I was yelling at him now,"Where were you when I needed help carrying her up to her room when she was too weak from the chemo? I know where you were, you were too busy with your new wife and your son. A son you feel the need to push onto me. Dad, I don't need your help, I didn't need your help then and I definitely didn't need your help when I woke up to find her dead in her bed!"
Hot wet tears streamed down my face and my body shook as sobs fell from my trembling lips. My hands were clenched tightly, my nails digging into my palms.
Warm arms wrapped themselves around me and I melted into the comfort of my fathers warm embrace.
"I'm here now, I'm sorry I wasn't here for her funeral, I'm sorry I wasn't here when you needed me most, but I'm here now. I loved your mother I did," he told me his voice cracking.
"I'm here now," he repeated and I cried and screamed for my mother, finally breaking after weeks of being unscathed.
I walked with Simon down to the shop. It was a nice breezy day. There were a lot more people in town now, tourist season was finally upon us.
My dad had only been here for three days but he's been a great help so far. I wasn't able to go into my mothers room so he took the time to clean it up, make the bed and shut the door.
My parents divorced when I was thirteen. I never knew why, but he didn't get remarried until I was twenty. I kicked a rock that rolled into Simons paw and he looked up at me quizzically.
So many children ran around with their parents scrambling after them.
"Hey, Ingrid!" Leslie greeted me as I reached the front of the store.
"Hey, Leslie, has it been busy today?" I asked following her inside. The air condition blasted cool air and I sighed, pulling my hair into a ponytail. Simon settled behind the counter watching kids run by the front door.
"The usual rush in the morning, it's calmed the past few hours. Are you going to the thing tonight?" She asked.
I raised an eyebrow,"Thing? What thing?"
"The Charity Banquet at the high school? To raise money for the restoration of the Bay," She told me handing me a flyer. I studied the flyer, how have I not seen this?
"Probably not, my dad is still here...I might just stay home," I spoke up.
Leslie smiled at me softly,"How are you doing with him being here?"
"I'm ok with it, I didn't realize I needed the company,"
"You could have called me, I would have came over. Planned a spa night maybe actually go through with it," she chuckled.
"I needed family, Les...It means slot that you'd offer though,"
"I understand. Hey, uh have you ran into Arthur lately?"
The sudden change of subject caught my interest and I furrowed my brow. Why is she asking about him?
"Uh, no...dead mom, returned estranged father, grief stricken daughter, you know life kind of took over,"
"Ok. Not the proper time to bring it up. You've really got to work on your sarcasm, Ingrid," Leslie deadpanned before going to greet a family that had just walked in.
I mumbled a sarcastic reply and turned on my heel, heading outside. After my mother passed I didn't talk to Leslie about it. I kind of just shut her out and then my dad showed up and I realized I missed the company, but not just having somebody else around, but the paternal company.
That's one of my big problems. I never talk about my feelings...especially the ones that hurt the most. If I do, it always comes across as crass and sarcastic and always at the wrong time.
I shuffled through the crowd of tourists, picking up Simon halfway through. The town had set up a small carnival at the end of the Bay and I walked towards the epicenter of it all to try to find something to snack on. I came across some kettle corn and found a seat under a tree. I secured Simons leash around a low hanging branch and got comfortable, happily munching away on my popcorn.
In front of me sat the same family that had came into the store earlier. An older couple of maybe forty, a teenage son and a little boy. The boy was excited about his pet goldfish and the parents had his undecided attention.
I smiled at the memory of my first pet fish. I got one just like it from my grandparents house one summer. The goldfish from the carnivals never last long.
Beads of sweat trailed down my neck. Today, was a particularly hot day. The sun was out, no clouds in sight and the humidity was extremely high. Luckily, I had decided on a white cropped t shirt and short. My painted toes wiggled in my brown sandals.
Fingers came into contact with the empty bag and I frowned, not realizing I had ate that much.
"Wow, what a pig, huh?" I laughed looking at Simon who just sighed at me laying back down. Getting up I spotted a trash can closer to the water. The couples teenage son was walking near the boardwalk.
The walk was short to the trash can and I smiled at the boy, he gave a small smile back and I noticed the silver band on his wrist when he moved blonde curly hair out of his eyes.
"It's a hot one today," I said to him. Might as well say something you already made weird eye contact and exchanged awkward smiles.
"It's the hottest day of the week," he responded. His voice was light and deep.
"My hair isn't liking this heat, that's for sure," I joked pointing to my frizzy hair I slapped up into a ponytail half assed.
He laughed," Tell me about it-," suddenly his voice stuttered harshly and then gibberish began to pour from his lips. He looked at me terrified. His eyes screaming help.
"Hey, dude are you ok?" I asked taking a few steps towards him. Panic began to set in as I noticed his left side of his face droop slightly.
"Oh no!" I gasped as his legs gave out and his knees crashed hard against the wood, his body slumping over the edge. It was as if it all happened in slow motion. His body teetered upright for a moment until it slowly began to descend over the board walks edge.
I screamed just as his body fell. This got his parents attention. They hadn't seen him fall in, but looked up.
"Shit, shit, shit!" I ran to the edge,"Hey, call 911! Your son fell in," I yelled before diving in after him.
This was not how I wanted my day to go. I thought as the cold water encased my body. The water was freezing and it took a moment to catch my bearings, I searched for the boy the best I could for what felt like forever, but I had to come up for air.
Above me on the boardwalk his parents were panicking and someone was on the phone calling 911. Their youngest son was terrified, his face red.
"Oh my god! Please, save him go back!" The mother screamed.
"I'm going!"
"Dave, no you can't swim!"
"I'll be back with your son," I said before diving back under, trying to reassure myself. He has to be around here somewhere! I swam down and reached out all around hoping I'd catch an arm or his shirt, but it was so dark and I kept grasping at nothing.
Suddenly something swam past me catching me off guard and I freaked. Something was down here. Ahead of me I could see two bright lights coming towards me and the closer they got I realized they were eyes. I've seen these eyes before...
Arthur stopped in front of me his hair flowing all around him, his eyes bright, bare chested and holding the boy. With no words he reached out grabbing my arm and tucking the boy underneath. I watched confused as he secured him, smiled and grabbed my waist.
I looked down at his hands on my hips, now visible by the brightness of his eyes, then back at him. My eyes trying to search his face for something, anything that would make sense of this but he just gripped my hips and propelled me upwards.
The rest of the air I had in my lungs expelled with a scream as I shot through the water. I broke the surface and breathed in the air. Next, everything happened so fast. Someone jumped in next to us pulling us from the water. The paramedics worked on the son and the person who had helped us out of the water took my hand. I was so dazed, and confused and cold that I never even glanced up at who had my hand.
A headache was forming, my teeth were chattering and I had lost my glasses.
It wasn't until I heard a familiar voice that I was shaken from my odd dream like state.
"We really have to stop meeting like this, Ingrid," Arthur spoke across from me. In seconds I took in the Lighthouse interior, my eyes coming back to the man before me. His hair damp and pulled up into a messy bun. The grey shirt he was wearing was damp and his eyes weren't glowing.
I scrambled from my seat knocking it over, I picked up the flimsy metal chair I was sitting in, holding it between us. Hoping it was a good enough barrier.
"What the fuck are you? A fucking water demon?" I hollered at him. A water demon? The fuck, Ingrid.
Arthur only smirked and stood up, closing the distance between us. His strong tan hand gripped the chair pulling it from my hold.
"Now, would a demon save you, what that makes twice now?"
"W-what?" I stammered.
He just smiled,"You know seeing you jump into the water after that boy was something, even if I had to go and help you, it was still something," He spoke looking down at me. His blue eyes were glassed over and I remembered how bright they glowed in the water. Droplets of water dribbled down his neck and I could see his beard was damp.
My heart was pounding a thousand beats per minute as he smiled,"Correction, it was sexy as hell,"
Suddenly his hand was around my waist, our bodies pulled chest to chest and his lips were on mine.
"The fuck?!" I screamed sitting up. My body was drenched in sweat and my breathing was heavy as I got my bearings. I fell back into my bed, cursing my over active imagination. Of, course it was a dream how else would I explain the crazy idea that Arthur was some weird water hybrid person.
I rolled over closing my eyes. I need to stop drinking Red Bull's before bed.
I was going to scrap the whole thing, but decided to just keep it. It'll be explained in the next chapter. I'm sure you guys are probably scratching your heads like what the hell just happened? I might rewrite it, but if you guys like it please let me know in the reviews. Thank you!