Chapter Twenty-Seven

Basque took me far across the ocean where we were supposed to meet Jason's father. I don't know why I went here, but I did.

"Thank you, Basque. Make sure Agris get to Atlantis' jail." I got off the shark, floating.

"Will do." He nodded then swam away. I surfaced, jumping onto the dock of a lighthouse. The sun was starting to rise so I turned my back to the lighthouse and looked over the water. I could feel my tears streaming down my cheeks.

"H-Hello?" A voice asked behind me. I pivoted on my heels quickly, the voice surprising me. In front of me stood a tan skinned, older, man. He looked nice and had kind brown eyes. "You must be Blake." He smiled briefly. It faded as he studied my face.

"What's wrong?" He looked overly concerned for someone he had just met. My legs buckled and I fell to my knees, hugging myself and crying. "Hey, hey, hey." He got on his knees and hugged me. Why was he being so nice when he didn't know me? He rubbed my back as I cried against his shoulder. After what seemed like forever, we sat on the dock under the rising sun.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He questioned me softly. We sat next to each other with our feet hanging over the dock. I took a deep breath, finally calm.

"The Queen of the Mediterranean Sea set this... fat... merman to sexually assault me. She wouldn't let Jason be near me, but he did beat the merman up eventually." I sniffled, looking at my hands. "Jason was so upset that he left so he could calm down. I fell asleep and when I woke up, the merman was... raping me. I didn't even know they had penises!" Jason's dad was silent. He had told me before that his name was Earl.

"I mean... it makes sense. They have to reproduce somehow." I wiped my face as new tears fell. "So, I left. I rode Basque here."

"B... Basque?" He looked at me confused.

"He's a great white shark." I nodded. "I would think he would be a basking shark by his name, but he isn't."

"I'm sorry that happened to you. It's not right." He touched my hand.

"Jason was right. You are pretty cool." I smiled and he smiled back.

"Where... where is Jason?" He tilted his head and I realized he was balding. The hair that remained was jet black like Jason's. There was a splash a few feet from the dock, inducing us to look. Jason was on the shore, turning around until he saw us. When he came to the dock, we stood.

"Blake-" As soon as he got onto the dock, I jumped off. I didn't want to talk to him. "BLAKE!" I swam to a nearby beach and walked towards town.

*~~*~~*~~*

After several hours, I got bored and went back to the lighthouse. Earl was leaving as I arrived.

"Join me. I'm going to the bar." He put an arm around my shoulders as walked me back into town. We went into the bar, which was empty besides two people. Jason and the bartender. There was a large glass full of dark, bubbly, liquid in Jason's hands that were on the bar counter as he looked down. Earl sat between both of us and I got a soda while Earl got a beer as big as Jason's. He looked at both of us before he drank. After a long swig, he leaned to his son. "Do you love her?"

"Of course."

"Then talk to her." Earl nudged Jason. My hands were wrapped around my cold glass as I looked forward at all the different drinks on the shelf.

"Blake, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to protect you." I could see Jason look at me across his father in the corner of my eye. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. "I shouldn't have left you alone." I remembered the feeling of Agris, our glasses starting to shake.

"Blake-" I opened my eyes and stood, causing him to stop talking.

"I was RAPED while I SLEPT!" I shouted. "I lost my virginity to a fat, sticky, RAPIST! Not you! Do you know what that's like?!" The bar started shaking.

"Even before I became who I am now, before I knew what I was, I wanted to be with you! I wanted to lose my virginity to you! I wanted to marry you!" The glasses behind the counter clinked against each other, the bartender looking around. "I had who I was hidden from me! You hid from me! And now something I can't get back has been taken from me!" Tears flowed from my eyes and Jason stood and he moved in front of me.

"And I am so sorry about that." His voice was soft.

"You... you know I can't protect myself." I cried. "And you've taken care of me for years. I can't ask you to protect me." He pulled me into his arms where I cried into his shirt.

"I hate you." I lied, hitting him weakly. "I hate you...."

*~~*~~*~~*

I sat on the edge of the dock for a while, watching the waves bump into each other. There had been dark gray clouds earlier, but now the sky was somewhat clear. Jason and Earl were in the lighthouse talking so I stayed outside. I heard footsteps approach me, but I didn't look. Jason sat next to me, quietly. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes.

"I don't hate you, just so you know." I glanced at him. "I was just angry."

"I know."

"I still want to marry you." Droplets of water fell from the sky, light at first then steadily picking up. He looked up then to me. "That's just the natural rain. I didn't cause it."

"Will you forgive me?" He looked sad, like he had been scolded or beating himself up.

"It wasn't your fault, but if you want me to for whatever reason then yes." I smirked slightly. The rain got heavier, soaking us. He pulled me close, cuddling me in his arms as we watched the rain hit the sea.

"I love you." He kissed the top of my head. We sat there, leaning against each other in the rain.

"I love you, too. Forever and Always."

"Forever and Always."