Page 82 of Cruel Tides

My tension eased. Leander had gotten control after all. Beside me, Barren nodded. “See?” He shifted, his shoulder settling into the middle seat like he was hunkering down for the flight.

“Trying to get some sleep?” I asked again. Even though he didn’t look as exhausted as Kai and Leander, he’d still driven them all the way to the airport.

“No. But you can.”

“I’m a bit too nervous to sleep,” I admitted, turning my attention back to the screen in front of me. “I thought watching a movie might help me get my mind off of things, but I don’t think it has internet.”

Barren’s hand dug into his pocket and reappeared with earbuds. He popped the Bluetooth jack in and handed me the square, white case. “Here. The internet will turn on once we’re in the air.”

“It’s so we’ll pay attention to the safety brief, isn’t it?” I mumbled, taking the case from him. When I opened it, not a single speck of dust was present inside. In fact, they looked brand new. Knowing Barren, I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I hadn’t expected him to be so prepared.

I must have stared at them for too long, because Barren said gently, “They’re clean. My ears are in perfect health.”

My lips tilted as I popped the left one out of the case. “You think I’m afraid of your germs, dear husband?” I prodded his elbow as I secured the earbud in my ear. “We’re married, after all,” I drawled, chuckling to myself at how absurd the entire scenario was.

I went to pull the second earbud out, then paused as I thought better of it. Wearing both seemed too much like isolating myself from Barren, so I flipped the case closed and handed it back to him with the right one still in it. “In case you want to listen.”

Barren didn’t hesitate to thump open the case and pop the earbud in his right ear. As I debated internally if I should switch to the screen closer to him, I felt his breath on my skin as he leaned in closer. “What are we watching?” he asked, the low gravel of his voice making me shiver. Yeah, I was definitely not switching screens. Nope. No way.

“Haven’t decided yet. Guess I’ll see what there is when the internet comes on,” I said as I went back to scrolling. Then the airplane started moving, and my whole body tensed.

We were moving.

The flight attendants started going through their spiel, and I didn’t realize I was frozen, watching them pantomime what to do in case of an emergency, until Barren’s wide hand closed over mine, bringing it down off the tv screen. “Claira,” he whispered, his voice even and unaffected. “I was nervous my first time, too.”

The plane lurched, and my heart jumped into my throat.

“I’m here,” he said, this time louder, in that same steady, unshakable tone.

“Right. Yeah—” I choked out, turning to look at the window, then thinking better of it because things were movingfastpast my window. “Are—are we supposed to be rattling like this?”

He pulled my hand over onto his thigh as his grip tightened over my fingers. “Yes, my wife. Normal and expected.”

Normal, right. Expected, sure.

A strangled laugh escaped me. “Thank you, dear husband. I don’t know why, butIdidn’t expect it,” I wheezed out, clutching my seat as the plane ascended. It was an odd sensation, as if the surrounding air was pushing against me. Like being underwater, only without the protection of magic or the familiar shield of a scaled tail.

Even after the plane leveled and steadied, the reassuring grip of Barren’s hand on mine stayed constant. “What do you want to watch?” he asked as soon as I resumed breathing in a normal rhythm. “The internet is on,” he said, pointing to the corner.

This wasn’t so bad. We were in the air, and that was the worst part of flying, right? Well—there was the landing to worry about, of course. But that was hours away.

“Comedy, maybe?” I said, my voice strained. Yeah, this was fine.I was fine. I cleared my throat and used my other hand to scroll, pressing extra hard with my finger to hide its trembling.

A comedy seemed like a good idea right now—maybe something that could get Barren to laugh as well. I passed by a movie Gram had mentioned enjoying and paused there to look over the details. “This one seem okay?”

“A rom-com.” Barren nodded. “This will be my first. I don’t watch many movies.”

Barren knew what a rom-com was? “Glad to be here to witness your first,” I said, selecting it on the screen. “Gram saw this one in theaters with her friends. She said it was hilarious.”

The music slowly faded in, and I got comfy in my seat as the movie began. That is, until a groan pierced my earbud and I nearly leapt from my seat.

“Yes. Oh god,yes!”

All the blood drained from me as the first scene panned over the tv screen. Legs, long and bare. Rhythmic rutting and the crumpling of bedsheets. Moaning. Lots of moaning.

Why, Gram?Why?

The music kept building, rising and falling, as the screen zoomed on manly abs and thighs. A female’s well-toned ass. Gritting my teeth, my mind raced. Should I change it? Would he think I was weird if I did? Prudish? Someone who, until very recently, hadn’t ever moaned and gyrated on top of a man—er, merman?

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