"Can you tell me your name? My name is Leapfrog."
"My... name... is Callem."
"Great job. What is your favorite thing to eat?"
"Parker."
My eyes opened wide when I heard my name shouted in the dark room. Well, mostly dark room. Callem was sitting cross-legged on the blanket, the Leapfrog device in his lap. I noticed a bunch of the cartridges tossed aside with only a couple left near him.
"Hnn... what are you doing, Callem?"
My voice was heavy with sleep, which I kinda wanted to get back to. His gaze darted to me, and a big white smile appeared on his face.
"Callem... why do you look so tired? Have you been up all night with that thing?"
"Yes."
He tossed the computer aside and scooted in next to me with a happy hum.
"Heheh, wanna tell me what you've learned?"
"Yes. I learned that Callem is my name."
"Wow, yes, it is."
I could see his backside wiggling beneath the blankets as he rested on his belly and his chin plopped down on my chest.
Total puppy.
"Parker, I learned lot. Mellac not really a cow, even if he eat like one."
I snickered, hugging his head lightly before he shifted so he could take me into his arms. His gorgeous oceanic eyes were lit up with eagerness, wiping away the thought of going back to sleep for a bit. I wanted to join in his excitement.
"What else did you learn? I want to know."
"I learned how to count to ten. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
Okay, he is a genius. Sure they are simple things to learn, but for someone to get them all down in one short night?
"You are awesome."
"And Parker is cute."
My cheeks warmed, and I tucked my face against his chest, hiding a little. A deep chuckle rumbled through him as he leaned over, nuzzling at my hair before I heard him whisper near my ear.
"Did Callem 'barass Parker?"
I grumbled, rolling my eyes at him and his funny sentence.
"Hehe, my Parker."
His arms squeezed me a little before I adjusted and flopped my messy bed-head back onto the pillow.
"Parker has nice eyes... and a nice face."
I blushed again and stuck my tongue out.
"Dork."
He didn't seem to understand what I said, but that didn't slow him down.
"Parker is my mate, and Mellac is my brother. Jayson is Parker friend and my brother mate..."
I chuckled and nodded, yawning a little while he continued.
"...and we are family."
~Jayson
Hearing Callem speak so enthusiastically to Parker had my stomach twisting into knots. My best friend would kill me if he knew I had been thinking about calling the police and telling them where we were. Hearing them talk hurt worse than my own body did with the healing bruises and bite marks Mellac had left on it the night before from his trial run at kissing. My waist also ached from where he was holding me because each time I tried to move a little and get more comfortable, he'd tighten his hold and growl quietly. It was obvious after the second time that he was still asleep, but with Mellac, the threat was always real. Asleep or not. He proved that concept completely true when I had tried to speak with him last night, but he wouldn't back down on anything. I was his mate and was to obey him as such. He had done the kissing, and though he would let me sleep for the night to regain my strength, I would breed with him come morning.
Seeing his sleeping face in the darkness was so misleading. All of his worry lines were pressed smooth against his forehead, making his features appear much younger and more relaxed. If he wasn't so aggressive and demanding, I might have been able to try to learn to love him, but in all honesty, I was absolutely terrified of the merman. My eyes closed for a second only to see a sleepy soft green pair staring back at me when they opened again. Immediately I felt my lips part, trying to find something to say, but there was nothing. Mellac watched me like one would a deer they intended to gun down. And that's exactly what I felt I was now.
"Hey Jayson, are you awake?"
I flinched when Parker's voice whispered through the darkness. Mellac growled and pulled me closer, but I ignored that for the moment and replied to my friend.
"Yeah. What's up, Park?"
"Can I talk to you in the bathroom for a bit? We both need a shower, and I got us some basic clean clothes."
I bit my lower lip and stared into Mellac's dark eyes, knowing that he'd probably be the one answering Parker instead of me.
"No," the mer said, right on time.
"I didn't ask you, Mellac."
"Jayson is mine, I make the decisions for him until I no longer wish to mate him," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
Okay, that pissed me off.
"I can make my own decisions."
He snarled at me and began to loom over my body, but I wasn't going to take this one lying down. Well, yes, I was, but he wasn't going to win.
"Knock it off, Mellac. I told you humans have different ways of doing things. One of those things is called trust. What exactly do you expect me to do with Parker in the bathroom besides talk?"
"I know you love him. I am no idiot, human."
"Yes, idiot, I love him. That doesn't mean I'm gonna have sex with him in the bathroom of a cheap hotel just to say I did, because I know he doesn't love me back in that way... even if I wish he did."
There was quiet in the room for a long moment before he released me and rolled over, giving me his back without a word.
Fine, be a grumpy ass. Not like it's any different from how you normally are.
With my own growl, I slid out of bed and stalked into the bathroom. Running my hand along the wall, I managed to flip the light switch on right as Parker walked in and shut the door, forcing us both to wince at the dull yet bright light. While Park got situated on the toilet seat, I got the shower going and tossed my clothes off to the side, then climbed in. The scalding water felt amazing, drawing a content sigh from my lips as it warmed my hurting body up nicely.
"So... I wanted to ask if you were okay."
My muscles tensed up at the sound of his worried voice. It wasn't his normal, somewhat cheerful one that seemed a bit on edge. No, he was honestly worried about me, or about what I might do. Leaning my suddenly-numb body against the chilly tiled wall, I took a deep breath in through my mouth and slowly released it out my nose.
"I can't do this, Park..."
It was just a whisper, but it was all I could muster with how defeated I felt right then. I was giving up on this whole merman thing. I was giving up on my best friend. The one guy I thought I could change for, but I decided I wanted to change far too late.
"You should take them now."
"Jaysoâ"
"Parker, don't. I-I'm going to call... as soon as I'm done in the shower."
My throat ached from the pain of what I was saying. I didn't want the mers to end up back at the park or a research lab, but I just couldn't do this anymore. Mellac might have pushed me over the edge, but if I went through with this, I was going to lose my job and likely get arrested, losing my house and the damn life I had worked so hard to get.
"I just can't do this anymore. Park. You need to go, please."
Suddenly the curtain drew back, and Parker slipped between myself and the water. He was completely naked, and without a single ounce of hesitation, I wrapped my right arm around his lower back and pressed my left hand gently against his backside, pulling him into me until our bodies were flush against each other. I found myself taking in a deep breath as I nuzzled against his neck, then let my forehead drop to his shoulder with a tired chuckle.
"I'm ready to put something up your butt now."
It lifted my heart a tiny bit that my little joke got a small chuckle from him. Too bad I was being serious, but we both knew it was done and over with now. Whatever little ounce of romance we'd had for each other in the past would stay right there. In the past. His arms wrapped around my neck, pulling our bodies even closer as he tucked his head beneath my chin and his shoulders began to shake.
I'm so sorry I have to do this, Parker. I love you, I just can't give it all away, I'd have nothing and I'm terrified of that happening.
I lifted my face slowly until my lips were right against his ear, then whispered quietly.
"Take care of them, okay? They need you."
He nodded against my skin, making me hug him even tighter for one more minute before he got himself under control and relaxed his hold on me. In turn, I released him from my arms and watched as he slowly took a step back.
"Thank you so much for coming this far with me."
I watched solemnly as he tried to smile, but after living with him for so many years, I could tell that it was forced. Returning it with a small one of my own, I nodded at him, then tilted my head toward the door. He swallowed hard and nodded, turning and stepping out of the shower. As soon as he disappeared from my sight, I felt a strong pull to go after him, but instead I just told him one last thing.
"There's three hundred dollars in my pants pocket. Take it... and best of luck, be safe."
The bathroom door clicked shut seconds later with a finality that left my heart torn apart. I wanted to crumble to the floor of the shower and just cry, but instead I forced myself to step out from under the no longer reassuringly warm spray and lock the door. Not a second after I slid down to the floor, back against the hard wood, I heard Parker start yelling that they needed to go immediately.
"Jayson called the police. They're already on their way."
"What?"
Mellac...
His footsteps were easily audible as he ran to the door and began banging on it, hard. Each thump jostled my back from the reverberation through the wood. I began to shiver, arms wrapped around my knees as I thought about what might happen if he was actually able to break the door down.
"Mellac, we don't have time. Come on!"
"Shut up, human!"
"Mellac, I'm leaving you here if you don't come now. If we get caught, you and your brother are as good as dead."
There was one final, excruciatingly loud bang against the door, then the sound of three sets of footsteps running on carpet, then concrete... down steps... The squealing of tires and the near-silent click as the door slid softly back into place made me realize the huge spot Parker had taken up in my heart, one that would now forever be a gaping hole I wouldn't be able to fill.
I didn't register much as I got myself off of the cold floor and walked out into the empty bedroom in a daze.
The blankets were thrown askew.
I put my pants back on.
Callem's Leapfrog machine was on the bed.
I walked over to pick up my phone. My hands were shaking so badly.
My body gave out and dropped. I was just barely able to catch myself enough to slide down against the side of the second bed.
I dialed the number. Taking several tries because my eyes were completely useless from the amount of tears flowing free from them.
"Hello?"
"Yes, l'd like to report something..."
~Mers
Mellac watched with a blank expression on his face as cars passed theirs, car after car after car. He didn't really see them, though. His attention was too focused on the window, or rather, what he saw in the window. Jayson was staring back at him, afraid, worried, and terrified. Tears ran down his cheeks, making Mellac move closer with an unsettled feeling in his chest. His lips parted ever so slightly, letting slip a minuscule whisper only meant for the image to hear.
"Do not cry... human."
The tears continued as if the image had not heard him, several snaking paths down his cheeks only to disappear as they slipped from his chin. Seeing so many bothered Mellac deeply, bringing him to lean forward and close his eyes as his tongue ran softly below the image's right eye, then across to its left. However, when he allowed his eyes to open once more, the only image staring sadly back at him with tears running like solemn waves, was his own.