Falling for a Mermaid

Ella

I have a secret. Every time I come in contact with salt water, I pop a tail.

Because of that secret, my parents will hardly let me out of the house. So when my mom tells me I’m grounded, it doesn’t even faze me. She’s always busy partying on yachts, anyway. It’s not like she will know the difference if I sneak out.

Next thing I know, I’m at the beach, meeting up with a lifeguard I spent the majority of the summer crushing on. Everything about him makes me feel happy and safe. But I can’t ignore the fact that if I get too attached to him, he might discover my secret.

William

Because of my mom’s physically abusive boyfriend, I’ve been forced to leave my own home. I’ve been sleeping at the beach for the past several days.

Ella Paxton is the main girl who’s been on my mind for weeks. That’s why I’m shocked when she finds out about my situation and begs me to move into her guest house. That is, without her parents’ permission.

If you like sweet and wholesome romance, then look no further!

Chapter 1
William

Ella Paxton’s long, dark hair swayed in the balmy wind. A string of lights dangled above and highlighted her every move as she made her way across the golden sand.
Despite the crowd of people circling around us, her eyes met mine, and the corners of her mouth flipped up into the slightest grin.
I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn’t believe she was here.
I hadn’t seen her in weeks. The way she looked at me made me wonder if she had missed me as much as I missed her.
I walked in her direction. With every step I took, my doubts skyrocketed. Part of me considered turning around. As I came closer, her smile only grew.
I took one more step and stood directly in front of her.
My hand trembled slightly as I threaded my fingers into my wavy blond hair. “How’s it going?” I stammered.
She grinned and wrapped her long, dark hair around her index finger. “It’s going.”
She batted her eyes at me, and I couldn’t breathe.
“You look kinda familiar,” I teased. “Have we met?”
“Yes, we have.” She smiled and shook her head to the side. “We only hung out half the summer.”
“Until you disappeared. Where have you been?”
“I was visiting my mom’s family in Korea for a few weeks.”
My grin spread from ear to ear. “I thought you decided I wasn’t your type. You kind of ghosted me.”
She looked up at me through her long, dark eyelashes. “I’m guessing you missed me, right?”
I folded my arms and looked up at the sky, trying not to smile. “Maybe a little bit.”
“Whatever. I bet you couldn’t do anything without me.”
“I managed just fine,” I insisted.
“Sure you did. You probably spent the rest of your summer sitting in your lifeguard stand, gawking at all those girls in their bikinis.”
“What girls?” I laughed.
She slugged me in the arm. “That’s what I thought.”
“Exactly. When I’m at work, I keep things strictly professional. I’m all about saving lives.”
She smirked. “You are such a liar.”
“Maybe,” I said, and my lips formed a satisfied grin.
“So…” She tilted her head. “What else did you do while I was gone?”
“I basically hit the waves all summer.”
“Oo,” she chimed and wiggled her eyebrows. “Okay, surfer boy.”
“I can’t believe I’ve never asked this, since we’ve hung out so much, but do you ever surf?”
“I don’t,” she said. “I’m trying to picture myself on a surfboard, and I’m having a hard time imagining it.” She had to stifle a giggle.
“Why?”
Her face turned red. “Let’s just say water sports aren’t exactly my thing.”
“Really? You live this close to the beach, and you don’t enjoy being in the water?”
“Let’s just say that when I’m in the ocean, I’m not exactly myself,” she said cryptically.
What did she mean by that? “That’s okay. Change of subject. What do you like to do for fun besides tanning on the beach?”
“To be honest, I don’t get out as often as I wish. My mom made me study for the math section of the ACT all summer long. But if I have free time, and I’m not at the beach, I like shopping.”
“I love shopping,” I said, grinning.
“Really?” she asked with a smile in her voice.
I shrugged. “No, not really. When I’m not at the beach, I’m kind of a nerd. I love reading.”
She laughed. It was a familiar sound. One that made it impossible not to laugh along with her.
A band stepped onto the stage and played a romantic song. The lead soloist began to sing, and a few couples danced barefoot in the sand.
I nudged my thumb in the direction of the small crowd. “Would you like to dance?”
She beamed. “Sure.”
We slipped off our flip-flops. I reached for her, and she placed her hand inside my own.
As we walked across the sand, she glanced at me with a hint of flirtation hidden in her dark eyes.
A shiver ran across my chest, and goosebumps threatened to arise on my skin.
I led her to a spot in the center of the small crowd. She released her hand from mine and wrapped her arms around my neck.
My eyebrows shot up. Was it just me, or did she seem interested? I saw her fairly often earlier in the summer, but I always had a feeling I would never measure up. It was like there was an invisible wall between us.
I slid my hands around the small of her back. She took a step toward me, and we swayed to the combination of the waves crashing against the shore, and the smooth voice of the male singer.
My fingertips brushed the ends of her long dark locks, and I couldn’t help but imagine what it might be like to bury my hands in deeper.
The song came to an end all too soon, and she whispered in my ear, “Thank you for that.” The warmth from her breath lit my insides on fire and left me wanting more.
I watched her walk away in a total daze. Her hips swished from side to side. I couldn’t help but smile at her beautiful curves.
She turned around and waved goodbye. I stood there staring after her like a drunken fool until a voice inside my head said that if I didn’t continue the conversation, I might not see her again tonight.
I caught up to her in a nanosecond.
She looked over her shoulder and smiled as I ran to catch up.
I shifted back and forth on my heels. “You hungry?”
“Starving,” she said.
We went to the indoor-outdoor restaurant on the beach. I led her to the cashier.
She glanced over the menu hanging above the counter and then returned her gaze to me.
“I know what I want,” she said in a sly tone that made me think her statement held a double meaning.
“Me too.” A slight blush crept over my cheeks.
She stepped up to place her order. “I'll have clam chowder.”
The cashier typed in the order, and she slapped down a twenty. “Keep the change.”
Her meal only cost about five bucks, but she told him to keep the rest? She sure was generous.
The cashier turned to me next. I rattled off an order of fish and chips and a large glass of water. I took out a five and a couple of ones before leading Ella to a tall table. She hopped onto the barstool, and I did likewise.
“So, tell me.” I leaned forward and smirked. “Are you excited to go back to school, or are you sick of being with only girls every day nine months out of the year?”
The all-girls school she went to cost somewhere between $40,0000 to $50,000 annually. It was easily one of the most expensive private schools in California.
“Actually, I’m excited to see a friend I haven’t seen all summer.”
“I guess that’s the price you pay for going on expensive vacations.”
“As if! It wasn’t entirely my fault.” She laughed. “She was at opera camp all summer.”
My mouth slid slightly open. “For real?”
“Yeah,” she said with a grin. “But enough about that.” Her smile broadened. “What about you? Are you ready to go back to school?”
I slid back in my seat, and my chest tightened almost immediately after her last question. I’d never mentioned that I went to public school. When we met, she told me she went to Girls Preparatory School. I didn’t want to admit that I was going to public school. But hey, it was now or never. I took a deep breath and blurted, “I go to Orange County High.”
To my surprise, she didn’t seem disappointed at such a lame answer. In fact, if it wasn’t my imagination, I’d say she looked pretty pleased.
The waiter came by with two large glasses of water and left them on the table without another word. Poor guy, with all the customers he was taking care of, he was barely making his rounds.
“So…” Ella said as she leaned forward. “When will you lifeguard now that school is starting?”
“Typically, whatever flows with my schedule,” I said and brushed my fingers against my bottom lip. “Why?” I asked with a lopsided grin. “Are you thinking about stopping by?”
“Possibly,” she said in a soothing tone.
“That could be fun,” I said as I tried to hide the excitement in my voice.
A delivery man rolled in a large tank full of live lobsters. I watched with wide eyes as he came behind me. Water slopped over the edge of his tank and left a thick covering over Ella’s legs. Her exposed thighs started to shake uncontrollably.
“Oh my gosh, are you having a seizure?”
“I’m fine. I’m just having a moment.” She immediately stood up and ran for the bathroom quicker than I could get a word out. She blurted over her shoulder, “I’ll be right back!”
“Okay,” I said after she was long gone.