Page 2 of Blast from the Past

I’ve been gone for more than five years and so much has changed over that time. People have gotten married, had children, or moved on. Loved ones have passed leaving gaping holes, and families and friends have grown apart.

But there are some things that will always remain the same. Like the fact that I still love Shane Blake. Even though I swore I was over him.

“Are you okay?” Lisa, my best friend and partner in crime,asks.

“Sure,” I mumble.

“You don’t look okay.” She frowns. “Did you get hurt when you fell?”

“I will probably have big-ass bruises on my knees in the morning.” I laugh as I shove her shoulder lightly trying to get her attention off me. “But I’m fine. I promise.”

Lisa assesses me for a moment but doesn’t push. She knows I will tell her when I feel like it. “Let’s get a drink.”

“Here?” I ask dubiously. It’s my first time at The Pit where the unsanctioned fights happen but I don’t think I want to stay here now that the fights have finished. It seems a little sketchy.

“Hell no!” She laughs as she grabs my hand and tows me through the throngs of people and out a side door that has been painted bright blue. “We’re going to Blake’s.”

“I can’t.” I stop dead in my tracks.

“Why not?” She looks confused when I won’t budge.

“It’s a long story,” I mumble.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Mercy!” she yells, her exasperation clear. “We all grew up. Things have changed.”

“Have they?” I raise an eyebrow at her.

“Well, yes and no. But you can’t just avoid them forever. You need to face this head-on. You’re bound to run into each of them soon enough either way. You’re living in your old house, for crying out loud. Why not get it over with?”

“Do we have to do this tonight?” I sigh as I get in the passenger seat of her little gray car, already knowing her answer.

“Yes.” She nods. “Just rip the Band-Aid off and all that shit. Besides, they could be happy to see you.”

“I doubt it.” Not if Shane’s reaction is anything to go by.

Chapter Two

Shane Blake

I rarely drink but I do need a drink tonight. After grabbing a shower to wash off the sweat, anger, and lust, I jump on my Harley and head straight over to Blake’s. My brother bought the bar a few years ago and now he runs it with Karmen, his fiancée, and the love of his life. It is also the only bar in town so it’s not like I have many options.

I do love my brothers, and we are always in each other’s business, both personal and professional. Each of us helps wherever we are needed but we mostly have our own shit to do. I opened the only real estate agency in fifty miles with my best friend Kalum. Our youngest brother Adam does the books for both businesses. He’s some kind of mathematical genius, the little fucker. Even though he chooses to act like an idiot most of the time.

We have always been close and even though we have grown up, we still are. Mercy used to be part of that dynamic. But then she grew up and wasn’t just another playmate. She became my greatest fantasy. The girl that turned me inside out if I just thought of her. And being a kid, I didn’t know how to cope with that, so I pushed her away, and as a result, so did my brothers.

One day we were all laughing and joking in the backyard and in the blink of an eye we were helping her load a moving truck after her mother passed. I never forgave myself for not taking a chance and trying to get the girl of my dreams.

She is never far from my mind, though, and I almost thought I was hallucinating earlier when she was in my arms. One thing is for sure, she isn’t the girl of my dreams anymore. She is all woman now.

She is all I have ever wanted but I fear I will never get thechance. My drive over to the bar is filled with thoughts of Mercy, trying to figure out how to get her to give me the time of day. My life is a fucking mess, and I don’t think she would want to be drawn into my bullshit.

You also have to consider how Charlotte will react to me being with Mercy. The night our child was conceived was a Halloween party and I was drunk off my ass. Somehow, I convinced myself that Charlotte was Mercy. Hence the not drinking part. Not that it matters now, I’ve already fucked up lives in irreparable ways.

When I pull up, the parking lot is filled to the brim. But what else would you expect when we are the only bar in town? Shutting down my bike, I take a deep breath before slinging my leg over my Harley, walking around the building, and entering from the back. Wesley is probably going to need some help behind the bar tonight.

Coming in through the back door, the last thing I’m expecting is to find Mercy behind the bar when I walk in. She is slinging drinks just like she did when we were younger.

“What the fuck?” I ask loudly.

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