Page 45 of Mermaid on Heels
“Notthat!” Liriya laughed, her voice playfully accusing. “You know what I meant.”
“And you got me right.” He winked at her.
Liriya groaned, fighting her grin. “You infuriate me.”
“And you infatuate me.”
Liriya’s jaw slacked open and she stared at him, waiting for him to laugh and make another joke. But he didn’t; all he gave her was that look that made her insides gooey. Heat crept up her neck and her cheeks were set ablaze. Liriya composed herself and clamped her mouth shut, averting her gaze and fighting a blushing smile.
The man she had known for the last two weeks as a mystery she longed to solve was now driving her insane, making her bodily functions go crazy. How much impact did he have on her already, after a mere dance? They haven’t even had the actual conversation yet.
The rest of the walk was a silent torment; all Liriya could hear were his soft footsteps against the stone steps, their heartbeat and fastened breaths. She wondered if he could feel the tension between them too, the insanity or the crazy feelings, anything.
When they reached the steady ground, Luke put Liriya back on her feet gently. She was in a hurry to step out of his hold and put a decent distance between them, but before she could, he cupped her elbow.
Liriya’s eyes shot up to meet his intense blue ones as he said, “Thank you for letting me carry you.”
She dropped her eyes, fighting a smile that annoyed her for surfacing.
“This way.” Luke gestured ahead of them where a curtain of flowers stood, their petals painted with filtering moonlight. Climbing vines, adorned with blossoms of myriad hues, formed a living tapestry. He guided her towards it and parted the thick flowery climbers with a gentle push, revealing the garden beyond.
Liriya’s breath hitched in her throat. She stepped through, her senses overwhelmed by the riotous colors and intoxicating scents. Moonlight bathed the scene, casting a serene glow over the lush greenery and blooms of every shape and shade. She felt at a loss for words as she turned to look at Luke with eyes shimmering with gratitude.
“This was my mother’s garden.” He stepped beside her and took her hand in his again.
“And you brought me here,” she breathed.
Luke smiled a little. “I knew you’d appreciate it, my mom was fond of them too.”
But Liriya wasn’t registering his words, she was working out something else as she stared at his face. He took her away from the ball to go with him alone, showed her to the secret passageway, let her get a glimpse of his childhood, carried her all the way down the stairs, all while bringing her to his mother’s garden.
When she realized the significance of it all, she couldn’t believe or fathom his intentions.
“Why me?”
Luke blinked and stared back, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
“Of all the candidates back inside, why me?”
Luke’s eyes softened. “Oh Liriya, because you strike me as a significant one.”
“Because I am a mermaid?”
“In truth, yes, it’s because you’re a mermaid that I noticed you in the crowd yesterday; otherwise, I wouldn’t have. You stood out as a significant one—”
“I was not the only mermaid there,” she cut him off. “My sisters were with me too.”
“Really?” Luke’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “But I… I saw only you.”
“That is impossible, because we three share the same mermaid traits; our skin shimmers under the sunlight and glows under the moon.”
“But I saw only you,” Luke said slowly, his eyes calculating as he looked into hers, before a small smile graced his lips. “Oh, I realize it now. Perhaps you being a mermaid isn’t entirely the most significant thing about you that struck me yesterday. You were you, the answer to my prayers, andthat’swhy I saw only you.”
Liriya realized what he was talking about; the mermaid bride he had been looking for. He had been desperate when she eavesdropped on his conversation with Cedric on the seashore that day. Now he believedshewas his answer.
“All those girls are ready to fall off their feet for you.” It didn’t make sense to voice her thoughts right after hearing from him that he believed she was his answer. But Liriya wanted to hear more from him; to know how exactly he thought of her, for him to make his intentions crystal clear to her—to knowwhyhe wanted an underwater being to share his life with.
“I know that, but perhaps I want someone who can stand on their own two feet for me—with me—rather than falling.” The humor in his voice made her stifle a chuckle.