Page 42 of Taming the Beast (Fairy Tales of New York)

“But what if he doesn’t?” said Faith. “What if it’s changed for him too?”

Oh, if only…

But that wasn’t the case, and she knew it wasn’t because he’d been quiet after the ride in the Mercedes. Withdrawn. Clearly not happy. And she thought she knew why. She’d pushed him too far with all that talk of healing. She’d asked too much of him. And he’d backed off. She hadn’t seen him again once they’d gone upstairs and she’d taken a quick shower. She didn’t know where he’d gone. She’d just waited a while, then as day had dawned, had gotten dressed and left, feeling sick.

“It hasn’t,” she said despondently. “It really hasn’t.”

“Do you know for that sure?” said the ever optimistic Faith. “Because, you know, if he wanted it and you wanted it, it could work. I know you’re piled high with your studies, but I can’t imagine Seb would be the type to rush into cohabitation or anything either. He’s been on his own, emotionally and physically, for years. That kind of thing takes some adjusting, I’d have thought, and you have time.”

“She’s right,” said Dawn.

Faith nodded. “You could muddle your way through it.”

Mercy shook her head and stamped down hard on the flicker of hope that flared inside her because that kind of thinking would only lead to disappointment. “He’s not going to change, Faith. Really he isn’t. He even warned me against thinking he might.”

There was a contemplative silence following that. “Well, on the upside,” said Faith eventually, “he’s not a brother of mine, which can only be good.”

“He’s Zel’s, though.” Mercy groaned as the truth of that hit her on top of everything else. “She’s going to hate me.”

“Of course she isn’t,” said Faith. “She’s loving the changes she’s seeing in him. Why would she hate you when those changes are largely down to you?”

“Because it’s going to ruin everything.”

“Why?” said Dawn.

“I don’t know, but it is.”

“Has anyone heard from her?” said Faith.

“I had a text,” said Dawn. “She’s fine. Enjoying it. And Ty arrived yesterday to surprise her.” She turned to Faith. “Did you have any idea he was going to do that?”

“Nope. Turns out he’s quite the romantic.”

Mercy sighed at the thought of how happy Zel was, how well everything was going for her. “You have no idea how envious of you and Zel I am right now, Dawn.”

“It wasn’t exactly easy for either of us.”

“No. But you got your happy endings and now look where you are. Finn’s moved in with you and Zel’s in St. Petersburg, no doubt being romanced with rides in troikas to The Summer Palace or wherever. That’s not going to happen here.”

“Look, why don’t you just tell Seb how you feel and see what he says?”

As all her blood rushed to her feet, Mercy stared at Dawn, aghast. “What? No. No. Way. Are you insane? He’d run a mile.”

“Zel says he’s chilling out.”

“Maybe he is with her,” she said, her pulse suddenly racing, “but he isn’t with me. And he very definitely wouldn’t be chilled about my being in love with him. It’s not the deal. I should know the parameters – I sort of set them. So I can’t go changing them.”

Dawn looked at her over the rim of her glass. “I’d have thought if you set them then that’s exactly what you can do.”

“Stop it. You always put ideas into my head.”

“The last one was a good one, wasn’t it?”

Mercy blinked. “Yes. No. Dios, I don’t know anything anymore.”

“Have another drink while you think about it,” suggested Faith.

“Good idea,” she said because if ever there was a time for alcohol this was surely it.

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