Pearl's POV

The beach is an interesting place. We don't have beaches in the mermaid world and I wish we did.

I've never felt anything like the sand between my toes and the dried salt in my hair back in the ocean. When Pale figures out how to turn me back into a mermaid, I think I'm going to miss the beach the most.

I walked around the docs. There were only a couple fishermen there who all seemed extremely occupied in their boats.

I giggled as I felt the wind tickle my hair.

"Pearl? Is that you?"

I glanced around the doc. No one was in sight. Maybe it's just Pale playing a trick on me.

"Pale are you there?" I called. "I want to hear about the fish market!"

"Oh my god. It is you."

Oh no.

I felt like exploding.

My chest was capsizing.

My heart went heavy.

That voice.

It used to serenade me to sleep. That voice.

It gave me comfort and strength. That voice.

That voice is not where it should me.

I looked down at the water and saw Eric, with eyes so wide they seemed to pop out of his sockets.

"You're...one of them?"

I was too stunned to speak. All I could do was gawk.

I glanced around, but no people were in sight. It was just Eric and I.

"How is this possible?"

"Um...uh..."

"I don't even know what to say."

Me too.

"What will my parents think? Dating a human girl?"

"Eric...I'm not human."

Eric snorted in disbelief. "Your legs say otherwise!"

"It's not my fault!"

I could feel my cheeks heat up and my stomach tremble. My lip quivered and my eyes stung.

"Not you're fault? Did the Queen do this? I told you, common folk and royalty don't mix!"

Common folk? Royalty?

"I can't have a human girlfriend! Merpeople will talk!"

What does any of this have to do with our relationship?

Tears slipped down my cheeks one at a time. The lip trembled like an earthquake and I'm pretty sure Pale's mascara was dripping down my cheeks.

"We're done Pearl!"

"Wait-"

"I can't wait up on a human girl."

And he was gone.

There was no stopping the tears now. I wept as my tears dripped into the salty water.

How could he just leave me?