Romance with the Cursed Siren

CHAPTER 47. Getting Caught

Crystal's entire body felt heavy, especially her head, as she yanked her hair harshly, assuming it could ease some pain, but it didn't work. However, it couldn't be a reason for her not to move, as the sun is about to rise any minute and she can already feel her switch is about to start. She stayed lying on the couch while taking off her underwear, raising one leg and then the other. She rolled her body as she felt dizzy and unable to stand on her feet that made her body drop hard on the floor.

"Ouch!" she wailed when her nose touched the ground first and again started crying softly, feeling pity for herself. After a while, her bones crunch as her transformation begins, but the feeling of her hangover, injured nose, and heartache are much more overwhelming than the pain from her switch until she passes out.

Minutes later, Gabriel came and strode straight near the pool to check the siren, but his eyebrows furrowed when he saw nothing down there.

"Crystal?" Calling for the lady while looking around until his eyes darted to an empty bottle of vodka. His eyebrows furrowed, and panic rose when he saw the siren slumped on the floor, laying on her stomach.

"Crystal!" He quickly raced in her direction and turned her body. He noticed her nose was red, also her lips and tail were so dry.

"Crystal? Hey! Baby, wake up!" Patting her cheek to bring her consciousness back, but he failed.

He abruptly shoved her siren body to carry, but her sharp fin accidentally slices the skin of his arms. He winced in pain. However, it doesn't stop him from taking the siren to the water. Gabriel dipped half of his body in the pool while he held the siren in his arms as he soaked her whole body into the water. From the tip of her fin to every strand of her hair. 

“Please, wake up. Open your eyes.” He keeps on shaking her body until her eyelids flicker.

“Ga-Gabe?”

“What happened to you? Look at your nose, did you fall or something?” he inquired, still holding her body. But it surprises him when suddenly the siren whimpers softly, clutching his shirt.

“I thought you loved me? What’s wrong with me? Why are you doing this to me?” she continually asked as her eyes kept on shedding tears that quickly turned to pearl the moment it dropped from her face. However, before Gabriel could utter a word, Crystal pulled herself away from him and dived to the bottom to continue her grief.

Gabriel sighed, looking down at her through the clear water, unable to distinguish where her sudden drama came from. 

‘Is it because of what happened last night?’ he thought, confused. Crystal once told him she is in love with someone else.

‘Yet, why is she questioning my feelings for her?’ he heaved a deep sigh and dived, getting closer to the siren. But the moment Gabriel gets near, he notices her sleeping as she breathes calmly through the gills behind her ears. Gabriel kisses her on the forehead before he swims up to the surface again.

*****

It was almost sunset when Crystal woke up. Slowly, she moves her body and flips her tail to go up to the surface. She looks around the room, but nothing seems different. The usual dying silence still surrounds it. She sighed. 

She swam to the other side where a trolley of food was prepared and took a pack of crackers then munch it. A few minutes later, she already felt her switch was about to start and so she placed the food back in the cart. She gripped the side of the pool while enduring the painful transformation, when suddenly she heard a loud splash in the water behind her. She jerked her head to look back and saw Gabriel stroking his arms towards her direction and grabbing her body to support. Crystal did not hesitate to wrap her arms around his shoulders until the switching was done. 

“I thought you said that you don’t want me near you?” she whispered while catching her breath, but Gabriel did not answer. He helped her reach the elevated surface before he followed and pulled himself up as well. 

He shoved her body from the floor and carried her to the bathroom. 

“Gabe?”

“Hmm?” He only hummed in response without looking down at her.

“Do you have doubts about me because I’m a siren?” she unexpectedly asked, but the man still refused to answer. Until they entered the bathroom and settled her carefully inside the round bathtub filled with water with a lavender bomb that he prepared earlier.

Crystal sighed and bit her lower lip to stop herself from breaking down again.

Gabriel bent down and tugged his shirt that she was wearing, then pulled it off over her head while Crystal dipped her body even more.

"Gabriel, I can manage it from here." She told him that the man didn't resist and walked out of the bathroom. Crystal fists her hands underwater, feeling pissed at his behavior towards her.

'It's your fault. You should have kept your own words. Look how he easily hurt you again.' She scolded herself as she cried excessively while in the bathtub. But her drama became epic when suddenly Gabriel came back with a pill and water in his hand.

“You’re such a crybaby, love,” Gabriel commented as he laughed softly at her.

“Here, take this. It’ll help ease your hangover.” He told her. But when Crystal is about to grab the pill from his fingers, he jerks it away.

“Open your mouth,” he demanded, in which the lady obediently did and fed her the tiny medicine by his hand and gave her the glass of water after.

“What happened to your nose?” he inquired, noticing that the red mark still hasn’t gone yet.

“I fell,” she briefly responded, but Gabriel only chuckles while shaking his head negatively.

Crystal looks at him with a scowling face and pouty lips.

“It’s not funny.” She said seriously.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t help to imagine how you feel with your face, hitting the floor first.” He continues to mock her.  

Crystal moves to face Gabriel and abruptly tugged his collar and before he could react she already had their lips connected against each other. Her initiative surprises Gabriel, but before he subdues her temptation, he pulls away. lightly moving the lady’s body away from him. 

His action hurt Crystal, and a sudden stream of tears flowed down her face.

“Crystal, I’m sorry.” He apologized.

“Why can't you love me?” she suddenly asked, gazing into his eyes with her blurry ones.

“What? Of course, I love you.” 

“Love me, but making love with someone else last night?” she let out.

“Baby, it’s not what you think.” Gabriel tried to reach for her, but Crystal shook his hands away.

“Yes. of course, it’s always not what I think.” She huffed sharply and stepped out of the bathtub. She grabbed a towel from a cabinet and wrapped it around her body while she left Gabriel, dumbfounded at being busted.

Crystal went to the closet and grabbed some clothes, a hoodie, and jeans. She quickly wears them on and races towards the door, and before Gabriel could stop her, she has already stepped out of the room.

“Crystal?” he saw her leaving the chamber.

“Crystal!” He tried calling her as he ran behind the lady, but Crystal didn't look back and continued her pace until she reached the elevator.

“No, no. s**t!” but Gabriel was too late to catch her. The elevator door has shut before he reaches it.

Unfortunately, this level of his house doesn’t have stairs for an alternative way aside from the fire exit that is connected to his walk-in closet window. However, he can’t follow the runaway lady from there since it would only consume a lot of time. He has no choice but to wait for the lift to come up again.

“This house plan was a massive failure!” He annoyingly complained about it, kicking the elevator door.

Crystal ran straight outside the mansion.

“Miss Crystal?” Layla saw her, but she only ignored the servant.

“She hurriedly raced towards the gate, even though she was uncertain which path she should take after she got out. But before she could reach the exit, a bright headlight of a vehicle pointed in her direction. She didn’t mind it and continued her stride, but halted when a familiar voice called to her from behind.

“Hey!” It was Rachel, stepping out of the car.

Crystal refused to face the lady, but it was she who turned to see her face.

“Crystal!?” she deeply uttered with wide eyes and abruptly gripped her arm harshly.

“What are you doing in my fiance’s house!?” she asked without releasing her arm.

“Answer me!” gripping Crystal’s jaw with the other as she harshly dug her sharp fingernails into her skin.

“You’re planning something against me, aren’t you?” she accused, but Crystal only shook her head negatively, saying nothing.

“Speak up!” she furiously pushed the poor lady on the ground harshly.

Later on, Gabriel came running and saw what Rachel did to Crystal.

“Crystal! Are you okay?” He quickly attended to her and supported her body until she found her grip, while Rachel was looking at them with flaring nostrils.