The Mermaid's Mirror - L. K. Madigan [41]
And she had given her a key.
Blinking against the setting sun, Lena lifted her hand.
A slim white arm rose out of the water in response, then there was a small splash as the mermaid disappeared, leaving behind the empty ocean.
CHAPTER 22
"My friends are going to pick me up at the highway," Lena lied.
"Fine. We'll wait with you until they get here." The bearded man was relentless. He seemed prepared to stay glued to her side until she proved she had a ride home.
"No!" said Lena. "Thanks for your help. I'm fine now, okay? If my friends don't show up, I can walk. I live nearby." The thought of trudging home in the dark on noodle-weak legs, carrying a heavy surfboard, seemed impossible. But there was no way she was going to accept a ride home from a stranger.
That would be dangerous, she thought wryly. And I'm all about safety. A choked laugh escaped her throat.
The man studied her intently. "Why don't you call them?" he persisted. "Or did you have a prearranged time?"
Tears leaked from Lena's eyes. She just wanted to go home, and this guy ... this guy was so damn concerned about her, she was afraid he was going to follow her home to make sure she was okay. And once he knew where she lived, he might try to talk to her parents—he might tell them she'd been alone at Magic's.
"Look," she said, trying to project a sane, trustworthy vibe. "Thanks. But I told you I'm fine. I don't need any help."
"No, you look," answered the man, rather fiercely. "You almost drowned out there! You've been through a traumatic experience. You're shivering, you're laughing and crying, and your behavior is erratic. I'm a parent and a doctor, and I am not leaving you alone in this condition. Either you call your friends, so that I can see you're going to be okay, or you let us take you home. It's extremely important that you get warm as soon as possible."
Lena didn't answer, just reached for her duffel bag. She slid the key into an interior pocket, zipping it closed. Then she pulled out her cell and dialed Pem, walking a few feet away.
"Leen?" answered Pem.
"I need you to come get me."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," said Lena. "I mean ... it's a long story. Please, can you and Max come get me? Please."
"I thought you didn't want him to..." Pem trailed off. Lena knew she meant that Max wasn't supposed to find out she had surfed at Magic's.
"I know, but I ... i need a ride, and I don't want to call Kai."
"You'reat—?"
"Yes. You might as well tell him I'm at Magic's. I don't have the energy to walk anywhere else. I'll meet you at the highway."
"We'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"Thanks." Lena clicked off the phone and put it back in her duffel bag. She pulled out a big towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. "They're coming," she said to the bearded man.
"We'll wait with you," he answered with maddening courtesy.
Eyes widening, Lena looked over at the man's son, as if to say, Is he always this annoying?
The guy grinned, understanding her perfectly. "Yeah. He can't help it," he said. "He's a giver."
Lena gave him a small smile.
She picked up her duffel and the surfboard, and headed up the beach to the highway, the man and his son close behind. She no longer felt cold. She was warm with the glow of belief: there was magic at Magic Crescent Cove.
The three of them walked in silence to the man's car parked on the side of the highway. The boy glanced curiously over at her a couple of times.
"Here," said the man, handing her a jug of water. "So you can rinse off your suit."
"Thanks," mumbled Lena. She turned away, tugging off her wetsuit, conscious of the other two peeling off their own wetsuits. The three of them rinsed their suits, and the men tossed theirs in the trunk of the car, which was lined with towels. Lena dressed in the clothes she'd packed earlier, placing her wetsuit in the bag. She took the key out of the bag and slid it into her hoodie pocket, keeping her fingers loosely around it.