Page 37 of Holiday Wishes and Tentacle Dreams

They were also naked. In their desire to leave, they’d destroyed their shorts and shirt in the shift, not bothering to stash the clothing in the cache farther down the beach.

Jake’s eyes burned into them as they stood there bare in the chilly December air.

Chapter Twelve

JAKE

Jake had almost lost Doren. He’d reacted instinctively to their claim of being an alien. On one hand, who could blame him? The idea that his handsome surfer was an extraterrestrial in disguise was ridiculous. It was impossible.

But if he was honest with himself, that wasn’t why he responded the way he did. It was just too easy to think that Doren hadn’t been truthful about their feelings, that Jake was so depressed and boring and a downer that all of it had been a lie from the beginning.

He’d kicked them out because he wouldn’t have survived Doren proving him right, confirming that he was fundamentally unlovable. Now, Jake wanted to go back in time and listen to his person tell him the truth about themself.

Honestly, what he wanted most of all was to jump Doren’s naked bones. But they had shit to talk about.

Stepping forward, Jake bestowed a soft, chaste kiss on Doren’s lips before grabbing onto their hand. “Let’s get you inside before someone calls the cops.”

MP tucked under one arm and Doren on the other, Jake made his way back to the house, his head spinning. Now that Doren had transformed, doubt was creeping in. Had heimagined that Doren was a sea monster? Was it some kind of delusion?

Once they were in the house and Doren had covered up, Jake poured them each a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table. He said nothing for a long moment, trying to wrap his mind around how to approach the insanity he’d found himself in.

Jake was mentally ill, but this was straight-up crazy.

Doren sat across from him, silent, as if scared to speak. Finally, Jake took the leap.

“Hallucination has never been one of my symptoms, but itispossible I’m having a psychotic break. Unlikely, but possible.” Peering into Doren’s eyes, Jake wondered if Doren themself was a hallucination, a kind of comforting love interest provided by his depression at a time of loneliness.

Doren shook their head and reached out to grab Jake’s hand. “You are not delusional. This isn’t a hallucination.”

Jake frowned and took another sip of coffee. He was glad he hadn’t put any sugar in it. As it hit his tongue, the bitter taste grounded him in his senses, in the reality of the world.

“That’s pretty much what a hallucination would say, but…” Jake took yet another sip and shrugged.

Words were hard right now. As he pondered what else to say, a tentacle snaked out of the sleeve of Doren’s t-shirt and made its way to Jake’s hand, massaging Jake’s wrist just above where Doren’s fingers were grasping it.

Jake’s eyes widened, but he didn’t move. The feel of the appendage was smooth and soothing, and he couldn’t help but find comfort in Doren’s alien touch.

“So…I guess that’s really happening, huh?” Jake stared at the tentacle around his wrist. His reactions to it were complicated. Yes, it was fucking weird, but the sensation reassured Jake, as well as turning him on.

Wasn’t he supposed to be freaking out?

“It is real,” Doren said, a small smile sprouting on their face. “I am an alien, although I’ve never visited the planet where my species originates. I was birthed here on Earth. My parents and six siblings dwell in the depths of the ocean off the coast of Maine. I am, uh, almost three hundred years old.”

“What?” Jake put down the mug he had raised to his lips. How was that even possible? What sort of fantasy had he found himself in?

Doren smiled sadly and nodded. “My species is long-lived.”

Jake pulled his hand back from the tentacle that gripped his wrist, rubbing at it with his other. “I don’t understand. Why are you here with me? You’re a centuries-old alien. I’m nobody. Just a sad little man hanging out in a tourist town filled with empty rentals and townies I’ve said all of two words to. I don’t have a job. I can’t even get out of bed. You could have anyone you want.”

Doren furrowed their eyebrows, but Jake didn’t understand what was so confusing. The truth was obvious to him. It should be obvious to Doren as well. They were a unique, fantastical creature, besides being an incredibly sexy human. Jake was cursed. Doren shouldn’t allow themself to get drawn into Jake’s disaster life.

“I care for you, Jake. Deeply.”

Jake’s shoulders scrunched up to his ears. “But why?”

“Because I do! Because you are sweet and kind and contain an astounding strength. I have never known a human as strong as you.”

“Strong?!” Jake jumped from his seat and stepped away from Doren, who stayed still and calm in their seat. As he did, Miranda Priestly launched onto the table and glared at Jake, probably angry he’d made so much noise.