Yve and Lara shared the same bed that night.
For a while, neither of them said anything, until Lara finally broke the silence.
“Thank you…
for getting me out.”
Yve turned to look at her.
“You’re my friend.
It’s natural for me to help my friends.”
Lara smiled faintly before hesitating.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure…”
“You’re…
not from here, are you?”
Yve frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“When I first met you, you didn’t look like someone who’d gone through some tragic past.
You looked confused and lost, but at the same time…
weirdly different.”
Yve listened as Lara continued.
“I’ve seen a lot of women come through that shelter.
I know what someone with a tragic backstory looks like because I’m one of them.
We all shared the same look in our eyes, but you didn’t have that.”
Lara paused, studying her.
“Then there’s the fact that you had absolutely no idea how anything worked.
Money, appliances, cleaning, all of it.
But you don’t seem mentally challenged.
I’ve watched you learn things.
You pick them up really easily once someone explains them.”
Yve pursed her lips.
“You’re right.”
Lara stared at her.
“You’re right.
Whatever you’re thinking…
I tried hard to conceal who I really am.”
They both sat up.
“So you’re not…
you’re…”
“I’m a Siren, Lara.” Yve looked directly at her.
“Siren-borne from the ocean.
You’re right.
I’m not a human.”
For a moment, Lara simply stared at her.
Then she gave a nervous laugh.
“I…
I…”
She was still hesitating, and Yve knew exactly why.
She didn’t press her.
She simply waited for Lara to decide whether she believed her.
Finally, Yve raised her hands.
Scales began spreading across her skin, covering her fingers and extending toward her wrists.
Fins protruded from the sides of her arms, while her nails elongated into sharp claws.
Lara’s eyes widened.
She screamed and jumped out of bed.
Yve immediately tried to follow her, but Lara backed toward the door.
“Please…
don’t hurt me!”
Yve stopped.
Lara scrambled out of the room and hurried toward the front door.
The noise woke Dylan, whose bedroom door opened just as Lara stumbled into the hallway.
He only caught sight of her rushing toward the entrance before she disappeared through it.
Dylan stared after her for a moment, then went to Yve’s room.
The lights came on.
Yve was sitting on the bed, her hands already back to normal.
Her claws had retracted, leaving no trace of what Lara had just seen.
She sat there biting her lower lip, staring down at her hands.
Dylan looked at her expression.
“Yve?”
She said nothing.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
She bit her lower lip harder, trying to hold herself together, but the tears kept coming.
She sniffed and turned her face away, yet the effort only made her breathing more uneven until a quiet sob escaped her throat.
Dylan immediately moved to her side.
“What’s wrong?”
Yve didn’t answer.
She only shook her head and tried to suppress another sob, but her voice caught in her throat.
Dylan didn’t know what to do.
He sat beside her and gently caressed her hair, then rested a hand against her back and gave her a few awkward pats.
Yve continued sobbing beside him, unable to get the words out.
Dylan stayed there anyway.
Roughly ten minutes passed, and Yve was still sobbing.
Dylan looked down at her, unsure what else he could say.
After a moment, he asked again, “What happened?”
Yve only shook her head.
Dylan watched her for a few seconds before deciding not to press any further.
Whatever had happened, she clearly wasn’t ready to talk about it.
Instead, Yve reached for him and tugged his head toward her until she could rest against his chest.
She snuggled closer, still snorting between quiet sobs as she wiped the tears from her face.
Dylan stiffened.
He looked down at her, clearly caught off guard by the sudden closeness.
His hands hovered awkwardly for a moment, as though he couldn’t decide where they were supposed to go.
“Uh…”
He glanced toward the door, then back at Yve.
He probably should’ve moved her away.
Instead, he sighed and let her stay.
His hand rested against her shoulder, gently rubbing it as he ran his other hand through her hair.
Every so often, he gave her shoulder a reassuring press, eventually rocking her gently without even thinking about it.
Yve’s sobs gradually grew quieter.
Neither of them noticed when sleep finally took over.
Yve remained curled against Dylan’s chest, her face tucked against him, while Dylan’s arms had wrapped around her without him realizing it.
~~~
The next morning, Yve woke to the warmth of something beneath her hand.
She blinked sleepily and realized her palm was resting against Dylan’s chest.
She lifted her head, still half-asleep, only to freeze when she found his face just inches from hers.
Dylan stirred at the same time.
His eyes opened, and for a moment he simply stared at Yve.
Then reality caught up with both of them.
They pulled apart almost at once.
Yve sat upright, her face warming as she looked away and began fidgeting with her fingers.
Dylan cleared his throat.
“Uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked anywhere but at her.
Yve glanced at him.
“Good morning…”
“Yeah.
Mornin’.”
Another uncomfortable silence followed.
Dylan stood up a little too quickly and nearly stumbled.
He caught himself against the wall, muttered something under his breath, and headed for the door.
“I’m gonna get breakfast.”
Yve nodded, still avoiding his eyes.
“Okay…”
Dylan opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
He made it only a few steps before stopping and leaning against the wall, taking a deep breath.
“The hell…” He rubbed his face and shook his head, giving both cheeks a light slap with his palms, then took another breath.
“Get a grip, Pierce.”
After another moment, he straightened himself and headed for his bedroom.
Dylan put on a pair of pants, grabbed his wallet, and headed out of his bedroom.
At almost the same time, Yve stepped out of hers.
They both looked at each other, then immediately looked away.
Dylan cleared his throat.
“Wanna come with me?”
Yve hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“Oh…
yeah.
“Alright.”
Dylan headed toward the door, and Yve followed behind him.
Once they stepped outside the apartment, Dylan glanced over at her.
He looked down at the clothes she was wearing, then noticed her bare feet.
He stared for a moment.
Then sighed.
“Stay here.”
Before Yve could say anything, he turned around and went back inside.
He searched through the apartment for anything she could wear, but his own collection of footwear wasn’t exactly extensive.
After a moment, he found his military boots and picked them up.
They weren’t ideal, but at least the laces could be tightened enough to keep them from slipping off her feet.
Dylan returned to the hallway and set the boots down in front of Yve.
She looked at him, then at the boots.
Dylan nodded toward them.
Yve understood.
She slipped her feet into the oversized boots and stood up, testing them as she took a few steps.
Dylan watched her for a moment before stopping her.
“Hold up.”
He crouched down in front of her and began tightening the laces, making sure the boots were secure enough that she wouldn’t trip over them.
Yve looked down at him and said nothing.
Dylan simply finished tightening the laces, stood back up, and nodded toward the elevator.
“Now we’re good.”
Yve looked down at the boots and smiled faintly before following him.
~~~
Dylan parked in front of a Fred Meyer and stepped out of the car.
Yve followed him inside without much thought, but the moment she passed through the entrance, she stopped.
Her eyes widened.
The store stretched out in front of her, aisle after aisle filled with more food, clothing, household goods, and unfamiliar products than she’d ever seen in one place.
Yve slowly looked around, taking everything in.
Dylan barely noticed.
He grabbed a cart and headed toward the grocery section.
“We need food.”
Yve followed behind him.
Dylan moved through the aisles, picking up canned goods, easy-to-cook meals, and a large sack of rice.
He compared prices between different brands, occasionally putting one item back in favor of another.
Yve, meanwhile, was having a completely different experience.
She examined almost everything she passed.
She picked up packets, turned them over in her hands, and brought them close to her nose to smell them.
She shook cans beside her ear, listening to whatever moved inside.
Dylan glanced back once.
“Don’t break nothin’.”
Yve ignored him.
Then they passed a long aisle filled with chocolate.
Yve stopped.
Her attention immediately shifted toward the shelves.
The smell reached her before she even stepped closer.
Her eyes followed the rows of brightly colored wrappers as she walked toward them.
Dylan continued down the aisle, comparing the prices of two different brands of canned food.
For a few seconds, he was distracted.
That was all it took.
When he looked back, Yve was standing beside the cart, casually eating a Dairy Milk bar.
The wrapper was already open in her hand.
Dylan froze.
Yve took another bite.
She looked perfectly content.
Dylan stared at her.
Then he noticed one of the store employees standing several feet away, arms crossed as she watched Yve.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
“Jesus Christ…”
Yve took another bite.
Dylan walked over, gently took her hand, and started pushing the cart forward while keeping her close beside him.
Yve looked at him, confused.
“What?”
“Keep movin’.”
“This is good.” She looked down at the chocolate in her hand.
“Can I have another?”
Dylan glanced toward the employee watching them.
“Later.”
Yve accepted that answer without argument and continued walking beside him, still holding the half-eaten chocolate bar.
They eventually reached the Meat and Seafood department, just beyond the produce section.
Yve immediately made a beeline for the seafood counter.
Her eyes lit up at the fish laid out over the ice, and she bit her lip as a small smile formed across her face.
Dylan noticed.
“You want some?”
Yve nodded.
“Yes…”
Dylan approached the employee behind the counter, a man in an apron holding a fillet knife.
“Can I get some fish?”
“Sure.”
The employee reached into the display and started selecting a few fish, but Yve stopped him before he could finish.
“Nope.”
The man looked at her.
Yve pointed at the display.
“All this here has already lost their taste and are decomposing.
Why are you giving us dead fish?”
The employee stared at her.
“Uh…
ma’am, they’re supposed to be dead.
It’s seafood.”
“They’re decomposing.”
“They’re on ice.”
“That doesn’t stop decomposition.”
The employee glanced at Dylan as if hoping he’d intervene.
Yve continued examining the fish.
“The flesh has already changed and the texture is wrong.
They’ve been dead for too long.”
“They’re still safe to eat.”
Yve frowned.
“Safe does not mean good.”
Dylan sighed and stepped closer.
“Okay, okay.
What do you want?”
Yve turned and pointed toward an aquarium behind the counter.
Several fish were swimming around inside it.
“That.
I want that.”
The employee followed her finger.
“The fish in the tank?”
“Yes.”
“Uh…
we can’t sell those.”
Yve looked at him.
“Why the hell not?”
“Those are live display fish.
They’re part of our holding system.
We keep them there to show customers what we have and to keep certain seafood alive until it’s processed.
They’re not available for individual sale.”
Yve stared at the aquarium.
“But they’re fresher.”
“Technically, yes.”
“Then I want that.”
The employee hesitated.
“I can’t give you one.”
Yve frowned.
“Because?”
“Because we’d have to remove it from the tank, process it, and put it through our regular seafood procedures.
Those fish aren’t being sold directly from the display.”
Dylan took one last look toward the seafood counter before shaking his head.
“Let’s just go.”
Yve frowned as she followed him, still disappointed that she hadn’t gotten any fish.
Dylan glanced at Yve while they waited and immediately noticed the chocolate smeared across her shirt.
Her hair was still a mess, she was wearing his oversized clothes, and the military boots on her feet were far too large for her.
She looked like she’d been picked up off the side of the road.
Dylan winced.
He stared at her for a moment before letting out a dry chuckle.
“Why am I doin’ this…”
Yve looked at him.
Dylan shook his head and turned the cart around.
“Come on.”
Instead of getting in line, he pushed the cart toward the clothing section.
Yve followed.
Dylan stopped in front of the racks and gestured toward them.
“Get some clothes.”
Yve looked at the rows of clothing, then glanced down at herself.
After a moment, she looked back at Dylan’s clothes, studying the shirt she was wearing as if comparing it to everything hanging in front of her.
She reached for a men’s T-shirt.
Then a pair of men’s jeans.
Dylan didn’t say anything.
Then she picked up a package of men’s boxers.
He immediately stopped her.
“Those are for men.
Ya can’t wear those.”
Yve raised an eyebrow.
“I’m wearing it now.”
Dylan stared at her as he had no response to that.
After a moment, he gently took the boxers from her and put them back on the rack.
“Women’s section.”
He guided the cart toward another part of the store while Yve followed beside him.
The women’s clothing section had rows of shirts, shorts, sleepwear, and other basics.
Yve stood there looking through everything without much idea where to begin.
Dylan spotted an employee nearby and approached her.
“Excuse me.
Could ya help her pick out some clothes?”
The employee looked at Yve, then smiled.
“Of course.
We can find you some things that fit.”
Yve looked at Dylan, then back at the woman.
The employee gave her an approving glance.
“You actually have a great figure.
The oversized clothes are hiding it, though.”
Yve looked down at herself, then back at the woman.
“Is that good?”
The woman laughed lightly.
“Yes.
Definitely.”
She led Yve toward the T-shirts.
“Let’s start with something simple.
What colors do you like?”
Yve looked through the selection.
Her hand moved past the brighter colors until she found a dark green shirt.
She held it up, considering it, then picked out a dark brown one, a deep red, and a navy blue.
The employee nodded.
“Good choices.
Let’s get you a few different styles too.”
She guided Yve through the rest of the section, helping her choose shorts, camisoles, and sleepwear while explaining which sizes would fit her best.
Yve listened carefully, occasionally holding something against herself before deciding whether she liked it.
Dylan followed behind them with the cart.
He muttered something under his breath as another piece of clothing went into the cart.
“How’d this become my problem…”
Neither woman paid much attention to him.
Every so often, Dylan glanced toward Yve.
He’d catch himself watching her as she compared clothes or listened to the employee, then immediately looked away and pushed the cart a little farther.
The pile in the cart kept getting bigger until Dylan finally looked at the employee.
“Ain’t this a lot?”
The woman glanced at the cart and gave him an apologetic smile.
“Oh…
sorry about that, sir.
I asked her if she had any clothes, and she said no, so I thought we’d get her a few combinations as well.
We haven’t even gotten to the lingerie section yet.”
Dylan followed her gesture.
He immediately froze.
His eyes landed on the rows of lingerie and he choked on his own saliva and quickly looked away, suddenly very interested in the cart.
“Uh…”
The employee waited.
Dylan cleared his throat.
“Gonna go get in line.
Just help her choose whatever she needs.
I’m gonna wait at the cashier.” He paused, then added, “And could ya help her get some toiletries too?
Whatever women need.
I don’t know what the hell I’m lookin’ for.”
The employee nodded.
“Of course.
We can get her everything she needs.”
“Thanks.”
Dylan grabbed the cart and started pushing it toward the checkout.
~~~
Forty five minutes passed before Dylan finally reached the front of the line.
He had just started unloading the groceries onto the conveyor belt when the employee returned with Yve.
She was pushing another cart, this one filled with toiletries, personal-care items, several pairs of slippers, a couple of pairs of boots, and, unfortunately for Dylan, lingerie.
Dylan’s eyes passed over the cart once before immediately moving away.
He cleared his throat.
The employee smiled at him.
“I think we got everything she needs.”
“Yeah…” Dylan muttered.
“Looks like it.”
She was about to leave when Dylan reached into his wallet and pulled out a considerable amount of cash.
“Here.
For helpin’ her out.”
The woman immediately shook her head.
“Oh, no, sir.
That’s really not necessary.”
“Take it.”
“I appreciate it, but I can’t.”
Before Dylan could respond, Yve took the money from his hand and held it out to the employee.
“Thanks.
I learned a lot.”
The woman hesitated, then accepted it with a small smile.
“You’re very welcome.”
She gave Yve one last smile before walking away.
Dylan stared after her for a moment.
Then he looked down at the cart.
His eyes landed on the lingerie and he took a deep breath.
He then began unloading everything onto the conveyor belt, deliberately keeping his attention on the groceries.
When one of the lingerie packages ended up in his hand, he paused.
For some reason, his mind immediately went back to the night he’d had to undress Yve after rescuing her from the bathroom.
Dylan’s jaw tightened as he looked away, put the lingerie on the belt and rubbed his face.
Beside him, Yve watched the entire checkout process with quiet fascination.
The cashier scanned each item.
Beep.
A number appeared on the monitor.
Beep.
The number changed again.
Yve leaned slightly toward the screen, watching as the total climbed higher with every scan.
The bagger collected the items and placed them into bags, sorting everything as he worked.
Yve watched with the same curiosity she’d shown toward practically everything else in the store.
Dylan, meanwhile, was having an entirely different experience.
He was absolutely having a reaction to the lingerie sitting on the conveyor belt, and his imagination wasn’t helping.
His mind wandered somewhere it had no business going, and he immediately shoved the thought aside.
He cleared his throat and focused on the groceries instead.