Eli's POV

I stand rooted to the spot, staring at the calm water where Aria disappeared just moments ago. A tail. Not just any tail—a shimmering, light purple tail, like something out of a fantasy movie. My brain's trying to catch up, but I can't shake the image. It feels impossible, like my mind's playing tricks on me.

But I know what I saw.

Aria is a mermaid.

I run a hand through my hair, my heart still pounding in my chest. Part of me wants to laugh it off—convince myself I've lost it—but it all starts to make sense. The boiling water in my bottle earlier today, her dive into the sea at the beach, all those moments where she acted strange around water. How did I miss it?

A shaky breath escapes me. "This is crazy," I whisper to myself, but I don't feel crazy. Everything clicks into place like puzzle pieces falling together.

I keep staring at the water, half expecting her to pop up and tell me this was all a joke. But she doesn't. She's not coming back. I can feel it deep down.

I glance out at the horizon, my thoughts spinning. Where would she go? And then it hits me. The island. The moon pool. It's the one place that always felt connected to her somehow, even before I knew her secret.

Without another thought, I start walking. I don't know what I'm going to say when I get there, but I need to know. I need to understand.

Aria's POV

The water rushes past me, my tail cutting through the ocean as I speed swim away from the pier. The cold water feels sharp against my skin, but it doesn't stop the heat of panic that's burning in my chest. Eli knows. He saw me. He saw everything.

My mind is a whirlwind of the day's events—the whispers at school, Eli demanding answers and pushing me until I lost control, the water boiling in his bottle. And Jack... Jack threatening to change partners. It all comes crashing down on me.

I push harder, my tail propelling me faster as I head toward the one place that's always felt safe: the moon pool. I don't know what I'll do when I get there, but I can't stop now. I need space. I need to think.

I finally pull myself into the cove, my legs returning as I shift back into my human form. The air feels colder here, and I shiver, not from the temperature, but from everything that just happened. I'm sitting on the edge of the moon pool, knees pulled to my chest, trying to catch my breath.

He knows. I let my guard down, and now Eli knows everything. The boiling water, my tail—there's no going back now.

I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't hear him at first. But then I see the shadow, and I look up.

Eli.

He's sitting on the other side of the pool, his eyes locked on me. There's no anger in his expression, no fear—just confusion. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asks, his voice soft, almost disbelieving.

I blink at him, still catching my breath. Tell him? Is he crazy? I give him a look that says as much.

He chuckles lightly, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Point taken." His face sobers, though, as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "So, are you ever going to tell Jack?"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I freeze. Of course, he'd ask about Jack. Eli always saw more than I gave him credit for. "I overheard your conversation earlier," Eli says, his tone softening. "Jack looked pretty upset. You really think you can just... keep this from him forever?"

I shrug, trying to act like it doesn't bother me, but the truth is, I don't know what to do. Jack's frustration still lingers in the back of my mind. "He already said he wanted to change partners," I mutter, my voice tight. "So, I don't care."

Eli sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I get it. You don't want to tell him. And I swear, your secret's safe with me. But you keep pushing him away, Aria. If you keep pulling back like this... nothing's going to move forward between you two."

I don't respond. I can't. He doesn't understand what's at stake. Jack can't know—not about my powers, not about any of it. "It's better this way," I whisper, barely believing it myself.

Eli watches me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. "You really believe that?" he asks, his voice soft but filled with doubt.

I bite my lip, staring down at my hands. "Yes," I say, but the word feels hollow.

He lets out a long sigh, leaning back slightly. "If you say so," he says, though his tone tells me he's not convinced.

The moon pool ripples softly beside me, and I look down at the water. It's always been my sanctuary, the one place where I could be myself. But now... now even this place feels like it's slipping away. Eli's seen too much. What if he tells someone?

The thought sends a shiver of panic through me, and I look up at him. "Are you sure you won't tell anyone?"

Eli raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Are you crazy? You'd end up as a science experiment. That's just... no. I'm not signing up for that nightmare."

I can't help it—I let out a small, nervous laugh. "It's not funny, Eli."

He grins, but there's a seriousness behind his eyes. "I know. But I'm not going to tell anyone. I swear. This stays between us. But... Aria, you have to stop shutting people out. Jack—he cares. Whether you like it or not."

I swallow hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me. I don't know if I can trust anyone with this secret. But Eli... he hasn't run away. He hasn't looked at me like I'm some freak. Maybe, just maybe, I can trust him.

But Jack? I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell him.

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Eli's POV

The moment I step into the cave, I feel like I've walked into another world—one I wasn't supposed to see. The moon pool sits in the middle, glowing softly under the light filtering through the cracks in the rocks above. The water shimmers, rippling gently like it holds secrets of its own. My breath catches in my throat, and for a second, I can't believe this place is real.

It's beautiful—like something straight out of a dream.

I glance at Aria, who's sitting by the edge, knees pulled up to her chest. She's staring at the water, her expression distant, lost in her thoughts. I can't imagine what she's feeling right now. But I have to say something, anything, to break the silence. "This place..." I breathe out, shaking my head in awe. "It's... incredible. Like... wow."

Aria's eyes flicker toward me, and she nods slightly. "Yeah," she murmurs, her voice quiet. "It is."

I sit down across from her, my mind still spinning with everything that's happened. A mermaid. Aria's a mermaid. It's insane. And yet, here I am, sitting in this hidden cave with her, staring at a pool of water that seems too magical to belong to the real world. I try to process it, but it feels like I've stepped into a fairytale. One where everything I thought I knew doesn't really matter anymore.

"So..." I hesitate, trying to find the right words. "When did all of this... happen? I mean, when did you... become like this?"

Aria doesn't look at me right away. Her fingers trace the edge of the rock she's sitting on, as if she's searching for an answer there. Finally, she sighs, her voice soft. "I was ten. My parents took me on a business trip. They were busy, so I wandered off... found this place, and... well, things changed."

Ten. She's been carrying this secret since she was a kid. I can't even imagine that. "So you've kept this to yourself for all these years?" I ask, still trying to wrap my head around it.

She nods, her gaze still distant. "Yeah."

I swallow, feeling the weight of her words. How lonely must that have been? "Do your parents know?"

"No." Her answer is quick, almost defensive. "They don't. No one does. Not until now."

I let out a breath, shaking my head. "That's... a lot to carry by yourself."

She doesn't say anything, but I can see the tension in her shoulders. She's been carrying this for so long, and now that I know, it's like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like she's waiting for me to freak out, run away, or do something to betray her trust. I can't imagine how hard it must be for her to let someone in after all this time.

"And... whenever you touch water...?" I ask, still trying to fill in the blanks.

Aria finally looks at me, her lips twitching into a small, humorless smile. "Yeah. Whenever I touch water, I grow a tail."

I chuckle softly, trying to lighten the mood. "That's... something else." I shake my head in disbelief, a grin forming on my lips. "I guess that explains a lot though. Like why you freaked out at the beach that day."

She gives me a small nod, but I can see her guard is still up. She's not used to sharing this part of herself. And I get it. It's huge.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice her camera sitting nearby, the waterproof one. I pick it up and glance at her, raising an eyebrow. "So, you don't just vlog around cafes and malls. You vlog here too?"

She meets my gaze, and for the first time tonight, a small, genuine smile tugs at her lips. "Yeah. I do."

I shake my head, letting out a low whistle. "You've got a pretty interesting life, you know that?"

She looks down, a bit embarrassed, but I can tell there's still something weighing on her. I set the camera back down and lean forward, softening my voice. "Aria... you don't have to do this alone. I'm here for you. We're friends, okay? You don't have to keep carrying all of this by yourself."

Her eyes widen slightly, like she wasn't expecting that. She stares at me for a moment, like she's trying to figure out if I'm serious. It's like I can see the walls she's built around herself starting to crack, but I know it's not easy for her to trust someone with something this big.

"I've never had a friend before," she says softly, almost like she's talking to herself. "Not... not really."

My heart tightens in my chest. I can't imagine going through life without someone to talk to, without someone to rely on. And now, she's letting me in, even if it's just a little. "Well," I say, smiling gently, "you've got one now."

Aria's POV

I don't know why, but something about Eli's words makes my chest tighten. You don't have to do this alone. I've spent so long keeping everything hidden, pushing people away, that I don't even know what it feels like to let someone in. And now... Eli is here, sitting across from me, telling me I don't have to carry this weight by myself.

For a second, I almost don't believe him. I've been so used to being alone, so used to hiding, that the idea of having a friend feels... foreign. But then I look at him—really look at him—and I can see it in his eyes. He's not judging me. He's not scared of me. He's just... here. And it hits me like a wave. I'm not alone anymore.

"I've never had anyone to talk to about this," I whisper, my voice shaky. "I've always kept it to myself because... because I didn't want anyone to know. It's... it's hard to trust people when you're afraid they'll see you as a freak."

Eli's expression softens, and he shakes his head slowly. "You're not a freak, Aria. You're just... you. And that's enough. That's more than enough."

I swallow hard, feeling the emotions welling up in my chest. For so long, I've felt like I was carrying this huge burden, like I had to protect myself from the world. But now... with Eli here, it feels like the weight is starting to lift, just a little.

He smiles at me, a warm, genuine smile that makes me feel like maybe—just maybe—I can trust him. "You've got an interesting life, you know?" he says, teasing lightly. "But hey, if you ever need someone to help you with your underwater vlogs, I'm your guy."

A laugh escapes me, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I don't feel so scared. I'm still overwhelmed. I'm still terrified of what this means, of how much I've opened up. But for now, I'm not alone.

For the first time, I have a friend. And that's more than I ever thought I'd have.

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A/N: Awh, what heartfelt moment, don' t you think?