Page 8 of The Mountain Merman's Curvy Bride

In the sunshine, I don’t know what to do with myself. I am too angry to drive so I heft it to the beach, cursing every little thing.

What a sucker I was. I can’t believe I fell for this matchmaking bullshit. Of course there wasn’t an incredible, sexy, curvy woman out there who is perfect for me. What a fool I am. Paige was just playing a game with me.

Once I reach the ocean I pick up rocks from the sand and pelt them into the waves. I shout some selected curse words into the salty wind.

“Dude, are you having an actual mantrum?” a voice yells out to me.

Murphy is sitting on a jetty in his merman form, watching me with bemusement. He swims over, walks out of the water butt naked, and throws on a robe that was laying on the beach.

“Paige has a fucking boyfriend.”

“What? No she doesn’t. Well, I mean, minus you.”

“I literally just met him, Murph. He’s a prick. I was an idiot to believe in this magical matchmaking Liora crap.”

“Listen, dude, she does not have a boyfriend. Liora and I have been in contact this whole time. Paige literally moved here to start a new life to get away from a toxic ex. Larry, Jerry, I don’t know.”

“Gary?”

“Maybe?”

Fuck. I am an idiot but not for the reason I thought.

“I got to go.”

I run off from Murphy who laughs while yelling good luck to me.

When I reach the bookstore’s door I find it locked even though the sign says Open. I bang on the door. No response but I can hear a muffled argument. I bang again and wait. Something is wrong. I can feel it in my core. I begin kicking at the door. The third kick cracks it off the hinges.

“Paige?” I shout, throwing the door to the side.

Voices are coming from the room behind the register.

I rush to the back and find Gary pressed up against Paige. I step forward to grab him when she manages to free her hands and pushes him hard toward me. Gary falls against my chest. I grab his neck and slam him to the wall.

“Lachlan!”

“Paige, is this guy bothering you?”

“Yes! He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my piece of shit ex.”

Gary tries to squirm away from my grip but I have several inches and several pounds of muscle on him. I grip his collar and drag him to the front of the shop.

“I better not fucking see you around these parts ever again, dick.”

I toss him down the front steps and he lays splayed out on the sidewalk.

“Get lost!”

Gary jumps up, runs to a beat up Chrysler, hops in, and peels out.

I turn to see Paige standing behind me with her arms crossed, looking at her broken door with tears in her eyes.

“You can leave, too, Lachlan. I don’t know why the hell you don’t trust me after the connection we’ve experienced but you need to get the hell out of my store.”

I open my mouth to protest but her face fills with hurt fury and she points to the door.

“Out! I want to be alone.”

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