Page 88 of Sea's Secret

“No, I do not wish to cut it, but it irritates me.”

He walked closer to me, and I breathed in sharply with surprise when he began to touch my hair, twisting it in his fingers.

“Is this okay?” he asked in a whisper.

I nodded, and he stepped away. I wondered what he was doing until I noticed he was pulling out a comb from his pocket. He smiled at me and stepped around, standing behind me.

I tried to compose myself as he lightly combed out the tangles with his comb, gently gathering my hair into sections as he quietly worked, tickling my neck every so often with the brush of his fingers. I closed my eyes, enjoying every single moment. I could have stayed there forever.

“There–is that alright?” he asked after a few minutes. His hands were no longer in my hair.

I reached up to touch my hair, which was all gathered together.

“I only know the braid we use for making ropes,” he said, moving from behind me to look at me directly. I could feel his eyes on me, but I did not meet them with my own. I felt the top of my hair and trailed the grooves down until I reached the end. I rested the braid over my shoulder and looked down at the way he had braided it. It did, indeed, look like the weave of the rope I'd seen on the ship. I smiled; it was pretty. I walked over to the small mirror on the closet to see it even better.

I looked different, older–stronger. I had never seen myself that way. I smiled wide at the pretty way the pink and blond strands twisted together.

“This is–Dominick! I love it! You have such skill.”

“I assure you, I am not good at it, but I hope it will suffice. Sorry, I do not have another lady here to help you more.”

“I enjoyed it. I mean, your hands felt good on my head.” I felt my cheeks darken.

Dominick smiled and walked over to stand behind me.

“I am glad to help. I have never seen such beautiful hair before,”

I watched both of our reflections in the mirror. He was so handsome. His features were so dark, where mine were light. A beautiful contrast. It was possible that I was growing more and more attached to that human. My heart was bursting with feelings for him, and my soul was constantly reaching out to sing a melody with him.

“We are ready to go,” his deep voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I turned around to face him and nodded, “okay.”

I looked at his lips. Edmar’s lips were a disappointment, but I couldn't stop wondering, over and over, how it might feel to kiss Dominick’s lips. I had a strong feeling it would feel completely different. Everything with him was different.

“Are you ready for an adventure?” he asked, his eyebrows moving up and down with that playful smirk he sometimes gave me. I laughed and touched his shoulder. His warmth was so addictive.

“I have been on an adventure ever since saving you. I would go on a thousand million adventures with you.”

“A thousand million, huh?” he questioned and motioned for the door.

“Or more, endless really,” I shrugged.

“Sounds like you like me a bit,” he said with a teasing smile.

“A bit, yes.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Dominick

Once our feet stepped onto the sand, something felt different. I turned to look at Peter and then Meria who were on either side of me. They merely looked about. As we reached the dense jungle, there was a thickness, also, to the air–as if it pressed upon us, holding us, waiting to alert the island of our presence. To say I was apprehensive would have been an understatement. I was still trying to wrap my head around the information Meria had told me about Peter. How could he be so kind when I had been so mean to him? Does he want a relationship? Want us to be friends–brothers again?

“It is so thick–the air here,” Meria said, coming up beside me, moving me from my confused thoughts and ever confused feelings about my brother, back to her and the confused thoughts and feelings that she gave me.

It seemed I would never escape them. I just wanted–

What do I want?

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