Page 150 of In Rising Tides

His eyes roved across her face before settling on her lips. “Are you listening?”

She found it difficult to look away, much less answer, so she settled on a nod.

He sighed and leaned against the ledge beside her. She curled her tail tighter to her body, her fins floating in the current.

“You had once told me I was incapable of loving anyone but myself,” he began with a chuckle. “The truth is, I don’t think I’ve ever been capable of loving myself, not when you were around, always making me feel inferior.”

“I made you feel inferior?” She reeled back.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. He had constantly flaunted his superiority at her with every opportunity.

He had been older, faster, stronger, a better student, and a male.

“Of course,” he said. “No one has ever been as clever or as witty as you. You were born into wealth, and are the most breathtakingly beautiful mermaid in all the seven seas. And I—I was just a poor prince’s son from a backwater territory that everyone equates to brainless brutes.”

She scoffed, but he wasn’t wrong.

No one held a high opinion of Ithicias, least of all her. She struggled to find a reason for him to tell her all of this.

“I’m glad we could have this time together before the wedding. I hope it’s brought you some solace.” His smile wassmall at first before it grew wider, darkening the dimple in his chin.

The pieces fell into place. He had tried to win her over by force before and had failed.

Now he was trying his hand at sympathy. Lyra scowled at him.

“Have I said something wrong?” His smile fell away, and his brow furrowed with what he probably intended to reflect concern.

She shoved off the ledge before whirling on him. “Haven’t you done enough?” Lyra’s chest heaved with her sharp inhale. “You bullied me, bartered me away to further your goals, and then ripped me away from the only man who has ever loved me. All the while murdering my father and dismantling our kingdom. And now—now you sink to sway my opinion by falsely claiming to be the victim in all this?” She pointed at him with one steely talon. “You are a monster.”

With each of her accusations, he had raised himself up. His lips parted to defend himself, and anguish swept across his eyes.

It was a farce.

It had to be a farce.

“I have told you nothing but the truth,” he snarled, jutting a finger back in her direction.

“You can’t possibly expect me to believe you when you have done nothing but lie to me!”

He crossed his arms over his chest and leveled a look at her. “When? When have I lied to you? I’ve kept things from you, sure. But I have never lied to you.”

She opened her mouth to refute his claims, yet she drew up short.

She couldn’t remember a time when he had lied to her.

But she had lied to him.

“Exactly,” he spat. “I may be a lot of things you find to be heinous. But everything, every action, every choice, has been for you. You chewed me up and spit me out, and instead of hating you. I rebuilt myself into something better—something strong. All of it for you.”

He had floated towards her so close, they were almost touching.

His chest heaved, and with every breath, he almost grazed her.

“I know you don’t love me. That you might not ever, and if I wouldn’t stop you—you’d run right back to him,” he choked back a snarl. “But please, just let me love you.”

It was too much.

The water felt heavy as it pressed down on her.