"Hey, mate! Is Callie ready to go?" Adam asked the next day, rocking on his heels in Callie's living area.

"She is still in her room getting ready," the sea prince said half-heartedly.

"Wicked." They stood there in an awkward silence. If the whole wall wasn't clear glass, Triton would've left Adam standing at the door. But the human could see Triton sitting on the couch when he had knocked. "No hard feelings about Delphi and Hayden, right?"

"None at all," Triton offered with his eyes trained on the TV.

"Really? Cause you seemed so determined to get her back... Hayden has been afraid to talk to you since he and Delphi... Thought you'd be mad," he chuckled, but his eyes were measuring.

"Is that right?" Not going to lie. The thought of Hayden being scared of him was hilarious to the prince, but he was more interested in what was going through Adam's head.

He didn't have to wonder long. Adam asked, "Did you change your mind? Are you interested in someone else?"

It should have been an easy question, but when Triton opened his mouth, the words refused to rise. Someone else...

Callie's bedroom door opened and she stepped out wearing a white v-neck tank top with blue skinny jeans and flats. With white rose studs decorating her ear lobes, a light gray cardigan grazed her shoulders matching the overtones of her eye makeup. There was just a hint of dark eyeliner on her eyes and gloss on her lips to accentuate her natural beauty. Triton could smell a new scent from her, a perfume that really teased his senses and made him want to hold her close enough, long enough, to identify its components.

"Sorry! I had a hard time choosing what to wear. It's my first date, so..." she trailed off.

Her flustered disposition made him smile. He thought to tease her until Adam's voice reminded him they were not alone. "No! Blimey! You did great, sheila. I will have to keep you in sight. We should get going. See ya, mate."

"Yes. Let me grab my purse," she said walking over to the counter. She turned and whispered to Triton who had followed her with no conscious thought, "Do I have something on my face?"

"No?"

She smiled, then raised her eyebrow. "Then why do you keep staring?"

"Am I?" He cleared his throat. "You just don't wear stuff like this. Like makeup." That wasn't true. She wore that tight white dress to the club that first night. He just doesn't remember not being able to look away. In fact, that dress showed much more skin than her current ensemble. It made no sense to him why he was so affected.

A crease appeared between her eyebrows and she whispered, "Does it look bad?"

"No. You look... beautiful, Callie."

She blinked and he looked away, wishing there was a black hole under his feet. Why did he say that? It was true, but what if she thinks the wrong thing? What if she thinks the right thing? At this point, Triton could not distinguish right and wrong when it came to his feelings for his human friend. It was just complicated.

"Have fun, you two," he said out loud nodding to Adam before he quickly disappeared into the bathroom. He sat on the floor, his back to the door, until he was sure they were gone.

TRITON tried to watch a movie, but he found himself looking around to see if Callie was laughing at the right moments. Fed up with the silence her absence left, he started pacing the room. It has only been an hour. How long do dates typically last? If she is having a bad time, will he allow her to leave? Will he take her home? She didn't take her car, so how is she supposed to get home in the event she can't tolerate Adam's presence a moment longer?

Get a grip. She got all dressed up for the guy.

What was the point of dates? Callie said she needed to see if they could be more than friends. Why doesn't she know her own feelings? She acts like she is an expert on love, so why doesn't she know if Adam is worthy of hers?

He much preferred his people's way of mating. You are matched and that's it. It's meant to be. Done. Simple. You don't have to dress up fancy, or worry about saying the right words or doing all the right things... no pressure. Okay, there was pressure when it came to him and Delphi, but that's because they were being groomed to rule!

An idea came to mind, and he was changing his outfit and fixing up his hair before walking out the door.

DELPHI was doing everything she could to prepare for her and Hayden's upcoming date. The internet and magazines provided her with small talk topics, first date outfit ideas, and the do's and don'ts of dating in general. She even found an article listing ten tips to get a guy to fall in love. When she heard the bell ring announcing the arrival of someone in the antique shop, she came down the stairs and through the curtain of beads reciting the tips like she was memorizing Newton's laws for a test.

Her betrothed's frame against the window backdrop of the orange sky made her swallow her thoughts. "Triton? What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you on a date," he said not one for beating around the bush. But the words coming from the prince did not make a lick of sense to the mermaid.

"What are you talking about?"

He sighed. "Must I repeat myself? Look. I know this is important to you, I don't understand why, but I know it is. So let us go on a date and try to fall in love with each other."

"I don't know what to say. Oh wait, I do. No."

"Delphi–"

"Why would I go on a date with you when I love someone else? Even if you can't accept—"

"Because we may end up married regardless of how either of us feels!" He took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. "I am sorry. I've only tried to do what is best by you, and I'm trying here. I really am."

His words shocked her. He is trying to give her what she wants, but he couldn't. He knew that. She knew that. What she told Callie before was true. She didn't hate Triton. They grew up together. It wasn't his fault all this was happening. He could've just let her go, let her be banished from the only home she had ever known. But he didn't. He came after her. Can they learn to love each other? Is that how it works?

"I don't know, Triton. It doesn't feel right."

"Just come to the boardwalk with me. Please. You can even take the seawitch with us, so it isn't a real date. We should just see if there is something there."

🦈🦈🦈

"What is his damage?" Erza murmured, still incensed by the Atlanteans interrupting her meditation time to be their chauffer.

"I can hear you," he said from the backseat.

"Good for you. You want a cookie?"

Triton just rolled his eyes. Delphi lowered her voice even though Triton would hear anyway. "Sorry, Erza. We can find another way home if you want to leave."

"It's fine. But do you want me to leave? Or do you want me to stay? Pick one."

Delphi twiddled her fingers in her lap. "I hope we don't run into Hayden, but if we do, I don't want him misunderstanding..."

"So stay, so your date doesn't look like a date. Got it."

"It is not a date."

"Good. Don't let him manipulate you."

"You accusing me of manipulation? That's laughable," he said. "Erza, I am curious about what you were told growing up. Do you even know why your kind was cursed?"

Her brown and blue eyes glared at him in the rearview mirror. "Because Ceto would've sat on your precious throne. And the Theoi Halioi wouldn't have allowed that."

"For a treasonous squid to sit on the Throne of Oceanus? Naturally not."

"Treasonous? She was tired of her people being treated like second class citizens!"

"You would view her as a martyr, instead of the scheming sorceress she was. Delphi, please tell me she hasn't poisoned you--"

"Triton! Erza is literally helping us without the incitation of the oath. Let's not. You two will never agree. But I care for you both, so please drop it."

They parked their car and had to walk almost a mile to the entrance. A traveling company set up multiple carnival rides at the Royal Reef boardwalk at different times in the year. Valentine's Day weekend was one of them. The boardwalk was crowded as tourists and locals alike intermingled amidst the lights, the music, and the food stands.

"This is amazing!" Delphi squealed with excitement. "What should we do first?"

She turned around to find Erza with her arms crossed. Earphones dangling, the witch stared out at where the sun would kiss the sea. Triton was also distracted, skirting around people and looking around as if trying to find someone.

"Where is Callie tonight?" She asked, suspicion tickling her.

Triton shrugged. "Somewhere around here. She went out earlier with Adam."

"Is that why we're here?"

"No," he answered too quick. "Why would we be here because of that? Just thought you'd want to come. Why didn't Hayden invite you here?"

She frowned. "Because..." At that moment, she saw Hayden and Farrah through the crowd. The mermaid ducked behind a line of people, Triton following suit.

"Subtle," he said.

"Did they see us?" She whispered hunched down.

"No, I don't think so." He risked a glance.

"What are they doing?"

"Look for yourself."

She did, and the sight made her stomach clench. Though they were in a large group of their friends, they were engrossed in their own world. Huge smiles and familiar touches lingered between the two as Hayden's exgirlfriend playfully tried to feed him cotton candy. He shook his head, laughing and holding his stomach.

"He missed her," Delphi said. "How can I compete?"

"I didn't know they'd be here, too. I should have. We can go if you..." Triton's sentence trailed off. Delphi followed his line of vision to Callie and Adam as they sauntered up the boardwalk. It didn't take calculating wind speed and trajectory to realize the pair was going to pass right by them.

"Over here," she said, gesturing to another line. "I want to have my face painted."

They propped up a photo album full of colorful choices to hide their faces, but both peeked over the book to watch their respective humans. Triton looked away first and pointed to a picture of a smiling kid. "You can look like a tiger? Do you like... tigers?"

"I want to see a tiger," she said absently.

"You haven't? Have you seen Animal Planet? They have them on there."

"I meant, up close! Not just on the TV. I wish to see one up close, on a safari, perhaps."

"That sounds like a terrible idea."

"But why?" she whispered, her finger tracing the edges of the pictures. "Why must everything I want to see and do be so terrible, Triton?"

"We don't belong up here. Does the ocean not sing to you, Delphi? Do you not feel it anymore? Because no matter how human you want to be, you are not."

"I still hear it. I know all the words by heart. But there is a different song up here. And it is calling me. I want to follow it, but I feel tethered. By my parents. By Atlantis. By you. By destiny."

"You make it sound like such a bad thing. Our people look up to you. They depend on you–"

"Yes! I know! This isn't easy. I care for them, but... don't you wish to be selfish for once, Triton?"

"According to some, I am."

She shook her head. "I know you would do anything for Atlantis, for your people–"

"—Our people—"

"You would give up your own happiness for them, wouldn't you?"

"To be the king they need me to be, who I am expected to be, yes, I would."

"I wouldn't. You do not want me as your queen. I wish to be selfish."

This made the prince step away, his jaw tight. "There is nothing I can do to change your mind? To make this work? You won't even give me a chance to try to love you?"

"This isn't about me at all. You want to save face, because there is something else you want more. More than–"

"You made the oath, Delphi, and your time is running out," he said, not even allowing her to finish. Deep inside, he knew what she was going to say and he did not want to face it. But she is not Triton. She can't deny what she feels no more than she can stop the sun from setting.

"I know," she said quietly. "The oath will be honored, no matter what."

"Promise me."

"Another oath for the oath? Why–"

"No. Only a promise. I will trust the weight of your words. Right here, right now. If things don't go your way, promise me you will honor the oath and come home with me. We can work through the rest then, but do not let the oath kill you. Don't place your death on me. Truth is, I can't handle that. Don't make me."

A sheet of tears coated her blue eyes. Triton was exposing a vulnerable piece of himself. If only she was the one who inspired him to let his heart beat in his chest. Her eyes flitted to Erza for a second. If things didn't go her way.... she refused to think of the repercussions. Feather-like, her hand rested on Triton's cheek. "I promise."