Page 82 of Make Out With A Merman

Light begins to filter in, silver and pale.

Callie shifts against me and blinks.

“You good?” I mouth, just above the waterline.

She nods, breathless. Beautiful. Fierce.

We break the surface together.

Gasps tear from both of us. I clutch her to my chest, treading water like the lake might still try something.

But it doesn’t.

The water’s still.

Not just calm,quiet.

Like it’s exhaled.

Like it’sat peace.

Callie leans her head against my shoulder and whispers, “Well, that sucked.”

I laugh. Real. Deep. Surprised myself.

“Yeah,” I rasp. “It did.”

She tilts her face up to me, eyes wide, lips parted. “Did we… win?”

I look out across the lake.

No pulse.

No shimmer.

No pull.

Just soft ripples and starlight.

I nod. “Yeah. We did.”

She lets out a breath like she’s been holding it all summer.

Then she smiles.

Gods, that smile.

I kiss her forehead. “Next time you follow me into near-death, maybe leave a note.”

“Next time you try to sacrifice yourself,” she shoots back, “I’m punching you first.”

“Deal.”

We float there a moment longer.

Weightless.

Together.

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