Emerge (42 page)

I’m waiting downstairs when the doorbell rings.

But it’s just another human neighbor dropping by to get the number of my parents’ plastic surgeon. I foist her off on my dad. She’s asking him an uncomfortable series of questions about liposuction and facelifts when I get another text.

“Dad,” I say, too excited to worry that I’m interrupting, “I’ll be outside. Clay’s here. He went around back, and he’s waiting for me on the beach.”

“Have fun,” my dad says, looking like he desperately wishes he could leave with me. Instead he offers a polite smile to our neighbor as she launches into a gross description of her unsuccessful experience with chemical peels.

After giving my dad a bracing pat on the arm, I go out the back door and down the stairs. I stop at the edge of the cement walkway, stop myself from running to him.

He stands in the sand at the water’s edge, his back to me as he stares out at the waves. The calm, sun-kissed surface of the water hides so much power in its depths. He heard me come down the stairs, so I don’t call out to him. I just wait.

He turns to face me, but he doesn’t step closer. “I didn’t want to come in in case it’s not okay with your parents. They weren’t too happy to see us together that time by the pool.

“They know you’re here,” I say. “Since you saved my life and all, they’ve kinda stopped objecting.”

“I talked to Mr. Reitzel after school yesterday. He said we got an A on our project. I guess we make a good team.”

I try not to get too excited at his words. Instead, I say, “Melusine and her father have both been imprisoned here on land, where my parents can keep an eye on them until they’re sentenced.” The image of Melusine in one of the Foundation’s jail cells makes me smile.

Clay nods.

“I’m sorry I haven’t talked to you much the last few days,” he says. “I needed time to think. It’s been a while since there was no one in my head but me.”

“I’m so, so sorry.” No matter how many times I apologize, it’s not enough.

“I know. I know why you did what you did.”

“And I would never, ever do it again.” My words are almost frantic in their intensity. He has to believe me. He has to know that no matter how badly I want him back, I’d never siren him again.

“I trust you,” he says. He takes a step forward, then stops. “I just wasn’t sure I trusted my feelings. That’s why I needed to take some time. I had to figure out what I felt. When we were underwater, you told me my feelings for you weren’t real.” He shakes his head. “But they felt so real. On the boat ride back, I thought I was lying to myself. I told myself I didn’t love you, and I tried to force myself to believe it.”

I’m desperate to interrupt, to ask how he feels now. But I let him speak.

“Then, in the … the cave below your house, Caspian’s really hot grandmother said my feelings were real, that they had to be or we couldn’t have broken that curse. I wanted to talk to you then.”

“Why didn’t you?” I’d wanted to talk to him so badly.

“You were all so happy. I felt like I was intruding. You’re immortal, Lia. You’re this beautiful, immortal creature … ”

“Beautiful?”

“ … and I don’t fit into your world. I don’t know how I can be a part of it.”

I take a bold, deliberate step toward him, my gold stilettos sinking into the white sand. The distance that stretches between us is too wide to bear. “Do you
want
to be a part of it?”

A pause that stops my heart.

“Yes.”

And then I’m rushing to him. My shoes fill with sand, and I kick them off. I’m barefoot when I reach him and just the right height to bury my face in his chest.

“Then we’ll find a way.”

He wraps his arms around me, holding me to him as he asks, “Aren’t you going to live in the ocean?”

“I don’t know. Maybe someday.” I raise my chin so I can look right into his eyes. “But next year’s senior year. I’m not gonna miss that.”

He smiles. “A year, huh?”

I nod. “For starters.”

“Lia? Remember that stage in the guitar store in L.A.? Well, I went there yesterday and booked a gig. The last few days, I’ve been staying up and finishing these songs I started last year. I’d been stuck on them for a while, but now they’re just flowing. I think it’s time I sing them.”

“So do I,” I say. I know what this means to him.

“I’ll be performing next Friday. Would you … be my date?”

Our first real date! I want to dance with the glee of it.

“Yes!” I squeal.

“Good. Because I wouldn’t want to share the night with anyone else.” His eyes bore into mine, touching something deep inside me. “Not now that I know I love you.”

I’ve stopped him from saying those words so many times when he didn’t mean them. Now that he does, all I want is to hear them over and over.

“Will you say that again?”

“I love you,” he repeats.

His hands come up to the back of my head, and he strokes my hair, touching me as if to ensure I’m real.

“I love you,” he says again.

I look up into those hazel eyes as he brings his face closer to mine.

“I love you,” he whispers.

Even though the beach is silent except for our breathing, even though it’s drenched in afternoon sun, this is a music-swelling, shooting star moment. My heart pounds as Clay leans in.

He conquers me with a kiss.

His lips press against mine and what starts as a gentle exploration becomes so much more. I put every word I’ve wanted to tell him, every touch I’ve denied us both over the last three months into the kiss.

Clay crushes my body against his, and the kiss deepens even more as we discover each other. It’s sweet and lush and fierce and full of promises. And so, so real.

When our lips part, my head is spinning. Clay rests his forehead against mine, and I luxuriate in his closeness.

“Lia?” Clay says, his voice husky.

“Yes?”

“You’ve had a few months to realize you love me. To understand what that means. For me, this, with you, it’s all so new. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I never thought I wanted to … I’m going to need to take it slow.”

I reach up and touch his cheek, “I can do slow.” After all, I have the time now. And for Clay, I can do anything.

THE END

(Pronunciation Guide)

Hello. Caspian here. Lia defined the Mermese words that came up in this story, but some of the more astute among you might be interested to learn their pronunciation. This page is for you. Remember, proper Mermese should have a lilting, musical quality, so be sure to elongate any double vowels and let your s’s linger.

Best of luck in your linguistic pursuits,

Allytrill:
ALLEY(as in “Don’t swim down that dark alley!”) -TRILL(rhymes with “thrill”), noun

- A graceful Mer dance performed in pairs on formal occasions

Glei Elskee:
GLY(rhymes with “my”) ELLE(as in the name “Elle” or the letter “L”) -SKI(as in the human winter sport), noun

- Literally translated: same-love; refers to homosexuality and same-sex relationships

Konklili:
KAWN(rhymes with “dawn”) -KLEE-LEE, noun

- A shell imbued with recorded voices that Mer can listen to by holding the shell up to the ear; a Merbook

Olee:
OH(rhymes with “foe”) -LEE(rhymes “sugar kelp tea”), noun

- An endearing word for grandmother, similar to grandma, granny, or nana

Qokkiis:
QUO(as in “status quo”) -KISS(as in what lips do at sunset), noun

- Kitchen

Siluess:
SILL-YOU-ESS(rhymes with “guess”), noun

- A traditional chest covering worn by Mer women

Spillu:
SPILL- EW(rhymes with “fish stew”), noun

- A Mer game of skill and strategy played on a board of alternating light and dark panels that are equipped with clips to keep the game pieces from floating away

Tallimymee:
TALLY(rhymes with “valley”) -MY(as in “Those are my swim trunks.”) -MAY, noun

- The most respectful form of thank you; usually directed at elders

Udell:
U(rhymes with “woo”) -DELL, noun or adjective

- A Mermaid or Merman who has a hateful, prejudiced view of humans

- Describing such a Mermaid or Merman

- Describing such anti-human prejudice or behavior

First and foremost, I’d like to thank
you,
for reading this book and joining Lia on her journey. I wish I could talk to you about all the details over sushi!

You never could have read Lia’s story if it weren’t for the hard work of all the people who made it into a real, shiny book you could hold in your hands or read on your screen. To my truly extraordinary agent Jennifer Unter who, when
Emerge
landed in her inbox, loved it enough to sign a brand new author and champion these mermaids. Jennifer, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my partner and my guide throughout the entire process of bringing this book to life. I admire you so much, both as a businesswoman and as a person.

Georgia McBride. The mighty and magnificent Georgia McBride who is unstoppable. Georgia, you make dreams come true. Thank you for working your magic on mine.

To the other members of the invaluable team at Month9Books, who joined forces to make
Emerge
shine. To Jaime Arnold for her undying enthusiasm, savvy, and kindness. To Shara Zaval for truly
getting
this story and for pushing me to think even more deeply about it—when I first read your edit letter, I knew my book couldn’t have been in better hands. To Cameron Yeager for her keen, careful eye. To Jennifer Million for all her hard work and for answering my questions. To Stefanie at Beetiful Book Covers for creating the gorgeous, ethereal cover that so perfectly captures this story. A special thank you to the members of the terrific team at IPG who have done so much to bring
Emerge
to readers.

The first-ever reader of
Emerge
is someone who has offered more encouragement and excitement for this story and for the Mer world than I could ever adequately thank her for. Denali, you are the best critique partner and friend anyone could wish for. Thank you for all the late night phone calls and for being Caspian’s first fan.

I’m so grateful to all those dear friends who offered feedback along the way—who asked both the fun questions and the hard ones. To Kate for always knowing so much and caring about what’s important. To Savannah for being the first person to insist I was a writer when I wasn’t yet ready to call myself one. To Audrey, Hannah, Annabeth, Ethan, and Joel for all the thought-provoking notes—and all the snacks!

To my fantastic team of teen readers for keeping
Emerge
authentic, for pushing me to write faster so that I would finish, and for indulging my curiosity by picking out your tail colors. A heartfelt thank you to Anna L., Jamie, Judy, Anna R., Jasmine, Alexa, Jenny, Rachel, Andy, Michelle, Heeju, and Leah.

To everyone at C2 Education for your encouragement and for stoking my love of sharing books with teens. To Puneet for answering my marine bio questions. Most especially, to Jaehee—thank you for your support throughout the years and your excitement for this book!

The YA writing community has been more welcoming and wonderful than I ever could have imagined. To Skylar Dorset, the first stranger who read
Emerge
, and who subsequently became a friend. Thank you for convincing me my manuscript was ready to send out into the world. To Lori Goldstein for being a cheerleader for this book from the beginning and for all the excellent writing and publishing advice. To the incredible Wendy Higgins and the talented Jennifer Gooch Hummer for rallying behind this story and sharing your excitement. To all my fellow GMMG authors and all the members of the Sweet Sixteen debut group and of WO2016 for the endless and sincere encouragement. I love experiencing this whirlwind alongside you.

To the teachers I have had over the years who have incited and fostered my passions (and endured my unrelenting enthusiasm), especially those at Immaculate Heart and the University of Southern California.

I also owe a special expression of gratitude to my family. Thank you to my aunts, uncles, and cousins for your love and for being so happy for me throughout this process. To both my grandmothers, Roslyn and Georganna, who were great readers and storytellers. To another great reader and a great writer, Ingrid, who has been so loving in her support. To Günter for always taking a keen interest and for always being there to listen and advise. To Timon for his inquisitiveness, passion, and heart.

And, of course, to the two people without whom I would not be a writer. My parents, Andrea and Daniel, who are unparalleled. Mom and Dad, thank you for always treating me as someone capable, and for teaching me to value my intellect and follow my dreams. Thank you for your unwavering confidence in me—it gave me the confidence in myself I needed to get here, and I know it will continue to serve me well. Thank you for giving me all those books that sparked my imagination, and thank you for my education. Mommie, thank you for everything, especially for your love of words and for teaching me to both adore and question fairytales. Daddy, thank you for always being there with a kind word right when I need to hear one, for sharing my love of
Harry Potter
, for appreciating beauty, and for giving the
best
hugs. To both of you—I am so lucky to be your daughter, and I know it.