Free Waiting for Mercy (Cambions) by Shannon Dermott Page B

what I had to say.  He let go of my hand and sat in the swing beside me.  I held the chains lightly at first. “It’s getting late, I should probably go.”
     
    He bowed his head in obvious disappointment. “Even though you came, you’re not going to give this a chance, are you?” he asked.
     
    I pushed off on the swing a little moving up and back in time with the beating of my heart.  “You’ve ignored me for months.  And you just come tonight expecting-” I didn’t finish.
     
    He turned to glance off into the night before returning my gaze.  Nervously he finger combed through his hair.  “I was waiting to see if you and boy wonder would get together,” he said straight faced.
     
    Eyes narrowed, I said, “Who’s boy wonder?”
     
    “Flynn, who else,” he said.
     
    Eyes wide now with fisted hands at my side, exasperatedly I said, “Flynn?  There is so nothing going on between Flynn and me.”
     
    Arching an eyebrow at me, he said, “Say I believe you.  Does Luke know?” Pausing, he answered his own question before I could with a bitter chuckle. “Of course he doesn’t because Flynn lives.”
     
    A part of me wanted to ask Paul why he thought Luke would best Flynn, but I didn’t want to encourage this line of discussion. Instead, I averted my eyes and looked off into the darkness. “Have you thought about Amber,” I said.  Turning to look at him I caught the sour look on his face.
     
    Again he broke our eye connection.  So there was something there between him and her still, I thought. “I never loved her,” he said, still looking away when he said it.  Almost as if he wasn’t talking to me.
     
    Stunned, I put my feet on the ground abruptly stopping my forward motion. “She’s great and don’t get me wrong, I wanted to.  Maybe I’m crazy, but she’s not you,” he said.  He turned back at me.  I opened my mouth to speak. He lifted a hand in warning for me to let him finish. “Amber’s beautiful and she’s great, but honestly we have nothing in common. Half the time we make-out because we really have nothing to say to each other.”
     
    Now it was my turn to say ‘Wow’, but I said it in my head. “There’s got to be something you both enjoy,” I said.
     
    He laughed cynically.  “Yeah, but that only goes so far.”
     
    I didn’t ask him to elaborate because I really didn’t want to know.  “Why are you pushing me to be with her?” he asked.  “Is it because you’re getting back with the golden boy?”
     
    Why did everyone call him that? “No,” I said defensively. “In fact, I left Luke to come be here with you.”  Sometimes, I should keep my mouth shut. 
     
    He beamed. Apparently, that was confirmation enough for him. Then he frowned “You did,” he said, voice taking on the cadence of one not very happy.  He was out of his swing taking steps towards me with that puzzled expression on his face.
     
    “Yeah, but I’m not sure what that means,” I said, now holding my hands up letting him know to ease up before he touched me.  We needed to talk not kiss.
     
    “It means a lot though.  But what were you doing with him?” he asked, looking at my wrist where his bracelet hung. Unintentionally, I lifted that wrist to feel the familiar puffed heart at my throat. He frowned.  Luke’s necklace lay safe in my fingers and I felt a flutter in my belly.  But now I understood where the frown was coming from.
     
    “You still love him,” he said resolutely.
     
    Unable to lie to him, I said, “Yes.”
     
    “But you love me too?” he question, like he wasn’t sure.
     
    Still answering truthfully, I said, “Yes.”
     
    “How can you love us both?” he asked.
     
    “I don’t know,” I said. I mean, was a person’s heart limited to share love with only one person?  I didn’t think so because I also loved my mom and Maggie as well.
     
    “He left you,” he implored.    
     
     “So did you,” I said thinking back to that night