Surfacing - Book One in the Swans Landing Series

Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

The world dropped away when my eyes fell on Dylan standing at the edge of the forest, hurt plastered across his face as he took in the sight of Josh and me. Just behind him stood Sailor, her hands on her hips and a satisfied smirk directed my way.

“Dylan,” I managed to squeak out. My fingers were still laced with Josh’s and I seemed unable to move to pull them away. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s public land,” Dylan said. His teeth were clenched and his lips barely moved as he spoke. “I’m allowed to come here.”

A bead of sweat trickled down my back, despite the cold day. “Dylan, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to find out like this—”

Dylan held up one hand. “Just answer one question. How long have you been kissing both of us at the same time?”

Josh’s head snapped toward mine. I kept my gaze focused on Dylan, although I could feel both Josh’s and Sailor’s eyes boring into me as well.

“We kissed once,” I said. “It was a mistake.”

“We kissed more than once that day,” Dylan spat out. “And that night. And the next morning when you woke up in my bed.”

These last words were meant to rub venom in Josh’s face, to make him think more happened than what really did. From the tightening of his hand around mine, I could tell that it had worked.

Sailor had turned as red as the scales she grew in the water and she rounded on Dylan. “You slept with her?” she roared.

“We didn’t sleep together!” I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Josh’s tense body relax slightly at my words, relief written across his face.

Dylan’s expression darkened and his eyes once again flashed like they had that day he stood up to Elizabeth and her friends. The anger on his face made me shrink back, retreating to safety. I didn’t think Dylan would hurt me, but I wasn’t sure exactly what he would do.

Josh stood, brushing sand from his jeans. “Look, man, I’m sorry you’re upset, but I’m not sorry about seeing Mara.”

Dylan’s nostrils flared. “You know nothing about her. She should be with her own kind. She should be with me.”

“She is with her own kind,” Josh said.

Dylan’s scowl deepened. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m finfolk, too.”

Dylan’s mouth dropped open. The wind whipped his hair into a crazy frenzy, covering his eyes for a moment. When I could see them again, the doubt and confusion in his gaze was clear.

“It’s true,” I said. “Josh is finfolk. I’ve seen him change. We know more about each other than you think.”

Dylan shook his head, trying to deny the truth despite the defeat in his expression. “He can’t be finfolk. It’s impossible. I know all the finfolk on this island and he is not one of us.”

“Dylan,” I said gently, standing and moving toward him, “you’ve been a great friend to me, and I really care about you. But I don’t feel the same way you do. When I’m with Josh, everything makes sense. I don’t feel as lost as I do the rest of the time.”

The hurt in his eyes broke my heart. “Didn’t it mean anything to you when you kissed me?”

Sailor spun a dazed Dylan around so that he faced her. “You’re not supposed to like her!” she shouted at him. “You’re supposed to be my best friend.”