My Fiance Kept a Mermaid, and She Thought She Owned My Home Chapter 04
My hand jerked so hard I nearly dropped my phone.
Then I laughed, because obviously he was joking.
“Very funny.”
“It’s three in the morning and you still have energy for jokes.
Impressive.”
Orson ignored me.
He pressed his ear against Bonnie’s stomach and listened carefully.
When he lifted his head again, his expression was deadly serious.
“I’ve been doing this a long time.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“And judging by the timing…”
He hesitated.
“She probably conceived not long after Mr. Whitlock brought
her home.”
My entire body froze as my brain supplied images I absolutely
did NOT want.
Calder. A fish.
HOW? WHEN? WHY?!
Bonnie started stirring.
She had apparently heard enough of the conversation to
understand one thing.
She shot upright with a shriek.
“Are you saying I’m finally carrying Calder’s baby?!”
“Give me my phone! I have to tell him!”
Her eyes locked onto the phone on the table.
Then she began hobbling toward it on those new legs with
the kind of terrifying gait usually seen in low–budget horror movies.
I broke out in a cold sweat.
I grabbed her wrist.
“Bonnie. Calm down.”
“Calder is a lot of things, but I seriously doubt he’s THAT kind
of creep.”
“So maybe the baby isn’t his.”
I swallowed.
“Did you have a boyfriend back in the ocean?”
I tried to sound composed.
Internally, I was losing my mind.
Bonnie ripped her arm away and smiled triumphantly.
“Oh?”
“So NOW you believe Calder loves me?”
“We’re already having a baby together. Have some dignity
and get out.”
I let go of her wrist.
Still, there was one question I absolutely needed answered.
“Bonnie.”
“I swear I’m not trying to start anything.”
“And I’m not jealous.”
“But could you please tell me how exactly you and Calder…”
I paused.
“…did that?”
The room went dead silent.
Bonnie’s face turned bright red.
“That is NONE of your business!”
Great.
That answered nothing.
And I couldn’t exactly shrug and go back to sleep now.
I turned toward Orson.
“Can we call a marine vet?”
The second Bonnie heard the word vet, she panicked.
“NO!”
“You are NOT spaying me!”
She lunged forward and bit my hand.
Hard.
Then she shoved me into the habitat.
Orson jumped in after me without hesitation.
Unfortunately, human beings are not particularly useful in a
fight against a mermaid underwater.
Bonnie whipped strands of seaweed around us, tied us up like
two packages ready for shipping, then dragged us into a storage room.
Before locking the door, she leaned against the frame and smiled coldly.
“I can tell throwing you out won’t be enough.”
“You’d just keep chasing after Calder.”
“So you can stay right here until he gets home.”
“Then
you can see for yourself how much he loves me.”
I opened my mouth to scream at her to get back into the
water. Saltwater was her only shot at surviving the
transformation.
Nothing came out.
Not a sound.
My eyes widened.
Oh my God.
Did my voice drown back there?
Orson saw my panic and dragged himself closer.
“It’s the venom from her bite,” he managed to explain.
“It temporarily paralyzes the vocal cords.”
“You probably won’t be able to speak for at least two weeks.”
Seconds later, Orson went silent too.
I looked down.
Blood was seeping through the back of his pants.
Apparently, Bonnie had gotten him too.
We struggled until neither of us had any strength left.
I was just about to give up when I heard the front door open
somewhere beyond the storage room.
Then came Calder’s ridiculously cheerful voice.
“Babe! I’m home early!”
“How’s our chunky little guppy doing?”
“Are her scales growing back?”
Naturally, Bonnie rushed to greet him the second she heard his voice.
Through the crack in the storage–room door, I watched her put everything she had into swaying her hips as she walked toward him.
She still walked like a newborn deer on roller skates.
But in her head? She was serving full Victoria’s Secret Angel.
Calder looked up and froze. For a few seconds, he just stared at her.
Then he pointed.
“Wait.”
“Where are your scales?”