Page 14 of Seashells and Daiquiris

Of course… Thalassa actually messaged me. All I see is her name, and don’t read the message before looking back at the crashing waves. She’s controlling me, and she’s getting off on it.

As much as I loved those red cheeks from Freddie, it’s ridiculous that Thalassa’s curse is bleeding over onto humans who have no business dealing with this part of our world.

I lower my gaze and open the phone to see what she sent.

Hello, handsome. I’m aware there’s a new match… I saw it in the pearl. A little human, too! You might feel the desire to try and keep a distance with this one, but doing so means the moon window closes permanently. I’ll see you both at the Luminary.

I read it twice.

Three times.

Well, fuck. She’s not one to just tell me this type of stuff because she’s being friendly. Which means something in the curse has changed, or is activated? Something she’s obligated to help me with? She’s done this before when that’s happened.

Why does that matter?

The three dots appear. Disappear. Appear again.

Because it does.

That's it. That's all she gives me. Which is enough to confirm that… I place the phone down and look in the direction that Crescent Cove is in. Thalassa never meddles if she’s not obligated to. The first time this happened, I had my hopes up, thinking it meant she was finally my soulmate, but whatever small bit of feelings I had left were crushed when I realize it wasn’t meant to be.

Something about Freddie has activated something, or altered it. She’s not just some random human, I don’t think.

Thalassa wouldn't need a new rule if Freddie wasn’t different. You don't add locks to a door that's already sealed.

You add locks when you're worried someone found the key.

I was planning to keep as much distance as possible with her, to keep Freddie away from the Luminary, keep her out of Thalassa's line of sight, let her live her summer and write her book, or whatever the hell she’s doing here. Maybe flirt a little bit, because why not? Kiss her on the full moon somewhere private. See if it works, because I’d be lying through my teeth if I didn’t admit that I want one of them to actually work.

If I do that, though, the moon window closes?

Why would it close? That means the curse would have to be broken, because a part of the curse was the shell would always look for others. And if there’s no way to see if it’s truly found the right one…

Is Freddie actually my soulmate?

My phone screen goes black from not using it as I stare ahead.

I think about her being anywhere near Thalassa, and something happens in my chest, an echo if a feeling that’s more like a directive. Something old and deep and hardwired, something that existed before the curse and apparently survived it.

I don't want Thalassa anywhere near Freddie.

I don't want anything to touch her.

I pull up her contact, Freddie (Shell Girl), and almost text her. Almost warn her. But it's midnight and she's probably asleep and I don't even know what I'd say. Hey, my sea witch ex just changed the rules because she might be scared of you specifically, so I'm pretty sure you're actually my soulmate, and also I can't protect you the way I want to because the curse won't let me, which means we need new rules of engagement. Like you need to be close to me.

I don’t send anything, not quite yet. Instead I eye where, somewhere in a beach house a mile down the coast, a woman I met four hours ago is sleeping with my heart on her nightstand.

Thalassa is scared.

I open my phone back up.

You’re probably asleep, miss author. When you get a chance, we need to talk. In person, preferably. I can meet at Rem’s Cafe at 8 tomorrow morning. Join me?

I’m done being passive about this now.

FREDDIE

I wake up to three things happening at once.