Away in a Tentacle Lair

5. Leo

Chapter five

Leo

“ I 'm sorry.”

That will never be enough.

He turns to walk off, but I do a stupid thing and grab his arm. I've dug myself a massive hole now; I might as well keep going.

“That came across as insensitive. I just… I wanted to offer you a change of subject in case the memory hurt. But really, I wanted to change it for me. I am so bad in these situations.”

“I told you my mum died, and you want to know about the seaside?”

“My parents are both safe and healthy. I've never experienced any loss or trauma. I'm not qualified to give sympathy in these situations. But I realise my reaction was wrong. Please, let me try again.”

“Fine.” Kai dropped back into his chair. “I miss my mum, but I have a large family, so I’ve never felt alone. I just wish I didn't remember her bleeding out under the water as my final moment with her.”

“I'm so sorry to hear that.” I give my best sympathetic face.

“No. Stop that. That face is terrifying,” Kai laughs. “But seriously, I've only brought this up because it was the research centre who killed her.”

“The whole centre?” I frown. “I find that hard to believe. Please convince me otherwise.” I hope that was a suitable response.

“It was one of their boats. Struck her on the head and left her to drown. Being pinned underwater reminded me of that moment. Being too scared to surface because there was something on the surface that killed my mum.”

As terrible as the event was for him and his mum, it isn't the conspiracy theory I expected—just a horrible and regrettable event.

“I'll mention what happened today to one of the management team,” I promise.

“They won't care. They are terrible for the local area.” Kai huffs.

Here is the conspiracy theory I was expecting.

“They are destroying the town by bringing in their own supplies from out of the area. They don't buy locally. But they leave us with all their rubbish.”

“That is very unfortunate for the town. I can see how they would be annoying.”

“They cycle their water for all the tanks through the sea, clean water, dirty water out. My cousin is a lawyer, and he fights against the research centre, trying to get sanctions in place.”

“How else are they going to keep the tank water clean?”

“We pump the water from our tanks through filters. Nothing goes into the sea from our house.” He leans back in the seat, crossing his fingers behind his head.

“You have fish tanks at home?” I can't see my eco-warrior keeping live animals in tanks at home. “Yes. But we take nothing from the sea and put nothing in.”

“And your job is to pick up rubbish from the bottom of the sea?” But he has one cousin fighting a lifelong eco battle with the centre, and he gets to pick up bottle caps from the sea. I feel like some of his family work harder than others.

“We all do our part.”

“A lawyer and a litter picker?”

“Well, if he'd learn to hold his breath, he wouldn't have gone to law school, but that's what he wanted. Peter was very passionate about stopping the pumps legally.”

“Does your family buy locally?”

“Of course we do. We do everything to support this community. My family are devoted to the area. I spend all my time cleaning up the mess that the research centre makes. Research is terrible for the wildlife around it.” His fists clench with the passion filling his words. This guy is obsessed with the ocean.

“This is my dream job,” I warn before he says something we might both regret.

“Your job is stealing from the sea and looking at it under a microscope? Why don't you look at it in the sea where it belongs?”

“I'm going to make amazing discoveries, and my name will be in the scientific papers.”

“I'm sure that will make your wallet very happy.” Kai huffs. “I prefer making my discoveries in the deep and sharing them with my community.”

“That doesn't put food on your plate,” I scoff.

“You don't get food from the ocean? Oh, Mr Neoprene, how naive you are.”

“Mr Neoprene?” I smile as his face flushes red.

“You're not as infamous as I am.” He pulls away. “Try being known by those around you, and you'd rather than a faceless name in an unread paper.” He stands up and offers me his hand. “Thank you for saving my life.”

Why do I feel so rejected as that man walks out of my life?

“If you change your mind about the research centre, come find me. I'll either be under the water or helping my cousin with his water samples at home.”

That feels like a challenge, but it's not the rejection I expected. His flirtatious smile as he walks away sends a tingle through my body. If I find this guy again, it won't be for his water samples.