and I would definitely be sent away for this one.
Megan and Cruz ended up spending the night on the beach, waiting in vain for my return.
They knew that Ethan lived at the harbor, and went to him at dawn for help. His father was away on a fishing trip for the weekend, but Ethan had his inflatable skiff.
They told Ethan about Lorelei, and were surprised when he believed them. Of course he would, I thought, for he had seen her too. I felt terrible, for now he knew that I had lied to him.
Lies of omission.
They told him about my near fatal trip to the buoy last time. Megan had guessed that she would take me there again, and Ethan thought he knew where they might find it. Cruz and Ethan left the harbor in the early morning light to search for me. They were far out to sea, circling hopelessly and getting nowhere when the dolphins came and guided them. I thought about the pod we saw surfing and wondered if they were the same. Could Lorelei have sent them?
I dozed off and on, utterly exhausted, lulled to sleep by the droning engine. The next thing I knew Ethan was lifting me up from the boat onto a dock where Cruz held me upright and steadied me. Megan came running up, a relieved look on her face.
She gave me a big hug, “Thank God! We thought we might not get you back!” I looked down, contrite, “You were right. I’m sorry.”
“For God’s sake Marina, promise us you won’t have anything to do with her anymore,” said Megan sternly.
I hesitated, Lorelei may be annoyingly childlike, but now I knew she was part of my family.
My voice was quiet, “I don’t know if I can.”
Megan looked at me in frustration, “Marina, you’ve got to drop this obsession! It’s going to get you killed!”
Ethan was standing there, arms crossed. He looked mad.
“Thank you for finding me,” I told him timidly, “You saved my life.”
“My place is up there,” he said, gesturing to a row of apartments overlooking the harbor,
“You need to get out of that wetsuit.” He was right. I was uncomfortable and dirty from the buoy.
I turned to Cruz, “My clothes! Do you have my bag?”
“Sorry, I left them at home when I got the car last night,” Cruz said, “I’ll get them and bring them here. Mom thinks that Ethan picked you up from Megan’s to take you surfing.” Megan yawned and stretched, “My mom is wondering where I disappeared to… I gotta go.” Cruz followed Megan over to the Porsche. He stopped and turned around, dangling my purse. He must have taken it off the buoy.
“At least I got your Prada back from her!”
Megan and Cruz looked at each other and laughed. I turned to face Ethan. He was not amused.
“Come on,” he said, walking away. I trailed behind him.
Ethan’s place was on the second floor, and I followed him up the stairs on stiff legs. The front of the building was covered with a huge blooming bougainvillea, creating a wall of brilliant fuchsia. He opened the door and let me in wordlessly, avoiding eye contact.
I stood there awkwardly, feeling like I had ruined our friendship. Ethan left the room and I looked around nervously. His apartment was comfortable but spare; you could tell that no woman lived there. An overstuffed couch sat facing a big TV, and there were stacks of sports and surfing magazines. A desk in the corner held a computer and printer, piled high with mounds of papers.
He came back in the room, brusquely handing me a folded towel, sweats and a T-shirt. He pointed in the direction of the bathroom. “Give me your wetsuit and I’ll get it cleaned up for you.
You need to rinse off.”
I nodded, “Thanks,” I said weakly. I stripped off my wetsuit and handed it to him through the cracked door. When I peeled off my swimsuit I could see the outline of a nasty sunburn flaming on my back. I shuddered with the chills, and got into the shower. The warm water felt like heaven, and I wanted to curl up and go to sleep right there. I rinsed out my swimsuit and hung it on the rod.
I slipped into Ethan’s clothes and looked in the mirror. My bruised face was now sporting a sunburn across the bridge of my nose and my cheeks. My lip was still swollen with a big scab where the split had closed. My