Page 95 of Bewitched By the Sea Monster
And I feel that way whenever Pippi looks at me. Whenever I look at her.
The feeling of diving, farther and farther into the waters. But leaving my stomach behind.
Divingin love.
And when she tells me of her life. Trusting me with the things that make her hurt. When she comes to me sad. And lets me make her happy. When she smiles and laughs, and when the joy makes her eyes…bright.When she touches me. Offering comfort. C-c-c-companion…ship.Companionship.
I dive. Deeper and deeper. Until there are no waters left. I’m no longerdivingin love. I aminlove.
And I suddenly hurt…ache…desireto tell her everything.
The love I’d had before and destroyed. The trust I’d nurtured and shattered.
I want to tell her about these wounds in my heart that will never fully heal.
There is so much I want to say.
So much I can’t.
Because I don’t have the words.
And because the mark above my eye aches, reminding me there are things I am for-for-forbiddenfrom remembering.
Ice turnedits nails into my skin and scraped,peeling off several layers.
At least, that was how it felt when I plunged into the sea.
I sputtered. And choked. And made some very attractiveheeeeeeeeeeeeesounds.
Warm air danced over my head as Alistair billowed worriedly.
“This…” I gasped, fighting to get enough air to talk. “This really clears your sinuses, huh?” I paddled through the water, gurgling when a wave whacked my face, and ended up swimming smack into Alistair’s side. “Ooops.” I flattened my palms against the craggy surface of his scaly hide and pushed myself back, angling my head up…and up…andupto look at him.
Stars, he was huge.
Even when his neck arched down and the tip of his snout was just above my brow, I had to crane myself way back to look him in the eye.
“How’s the weather up there?” I asked. “Any warmer than it is down here?”
He made a low, grumbly snort and dropped his head down, dipping his nose below the surface.
“Guess—Eeeeekk!” Screeching laughter exploded out of me.
Because Alistair had blown a jet of warm water at me. And ittickledas it cycloned around my legs and torpedoed up the hem of my shirt, making the top poof out of the water like a pudgy balloon.
Then it was Alistair’s turn to laugh when the shirt slapped lightly against my cheeks.
“Better?” he asked, chortling.
“Oh, yes.Loads.” I smooshed the top of my engorged shirt down until it sagged back against my skin. “Why get a life jacket when I’ve got a sea dino to inflate my blouse?”
Alistair’s eyes blinked differently when they were half submerged in water. Rather than the eyelids closing from top and bottom, clear membranes swiped across the eyes from the side.
Which was…freaky.
“Sea…dino?” Alistair blinked again.
“Yeah. Well. I mean, you kinda look like Littlefoot fromTheLand Before Time, you know? Just lesscutesy.”
