Midnight Surrender: A Paranormal Romance Anthology by Alyssa Rose Ivy, Airicka Phoenix, Shannon Dermott, Charlotte Abel, Kelly D. Cooper, Laura A. H. Elliott, Amy M. Jones, Kris Kendall

wasn’t fair. She and I wanted to be together. But her mom had been very clear on the matter.
    “ It doesn’t look like you are okay,” Maggie said, the death rays were only a precursor to the main event of tongue lashing I was yet to suffer through. But Mercy wasn’t having any of it.
    “ Really Mags, it’s fine,” she said taking one step back.
    Before she could totally retreat, I kissed her forehead. Then, I whispered, “Are you going to be okay?” She nodded and I added, “I’ll see you at lunch.” She nodded again. But I didn’t see her at lunch.
    Walking around the corner to class, Bellman and his friends were standing around their locker. “So you bagged her and dumped her. Bowman, you’re my hero,” melon asshole said.
    Snapping, anger coursed through me. I tunneled into the guy with fists flying. When he went down, I gave a final upper cut that had bone cracking. Then I was pulled back by two guys. “Don’t ever talk about her like that,” I spat.
    Bellman stood with the help of his friend spitting blood. “What the fuck Bowman. She’s just a dumb bitch.”
    “ Mercy’s no bitch and if I ever hear you speak about her, I’ll finish what I started today,” I promised.
    It was then I was let loose. Flynn stepped from my side and got in Bellman’s face. “Don’t speak her name,” Flynn said with his hand wrapped around the guy’s throat.
    Then Luke stepped over adding, “Don’t even think her name.”
    Hands raised, Bellman knew his limits. “Whatever, I don’t even know who you are talking about.”
    “ That’s a good boy,” Flynn said, using the hand that just held the guy’s neck to pat him on the head.
    Flynn tugged me away. “I’ve got your back. No one will talk about your girl like that again.”
    “ She’s not my girl,” I said, the rage gone in its place was a hole I didn’t think I’d ever fill.
    “ What,” Luke said catching up to us.
    “ We’re not together anymore,” I said, going along with Mercy’s excuse. “We broke up.”
    Flynn stopped and I thought it was because of what I said. And maybe part of it was. The other was the principal and two teachers marching in our direction. My bloody hand was a dead giveaway. I was so fucked.
    ****
    Approximately two years later
     
    Working at the restaurant paid off. I had the car, the girl and I was headed to an Elite party. I never had aspirations to be popular. It just kind of happened.
    To top it off, I was the starting pitcher last year and college scouts would be coming to see me. I had been so sure that Flynn would win the job. But after that afternoon with Mercy, everything seemed to change.
    We couldn’t be together and that bothered me. In the end, I’d somehow earned Flynn and Luke’s friendship. It weighed on me for a while that when Flynn’s pitches went wide and his fastball was slow, I knew he’d thrown the competition. He swore to me, that it wasn’t true. But in the back of my mind, I’d always wonder. It was too convenient that he’d thrown out his shoulder.
    “ Are you sure you want to go to the party tonight?” Amber asked.
    We’d been together for a while. It was still amazing to me that I was dating one of the prettiest girls in school. My mind traveled to Mercy where it always did. Mercy’s beauty was the kind that made a guy say ‘isn’t she lovely’ in a mushy way. Amber was stacked, not as much as Mercy was on top, I didn’t think any girl in school could compare there. But Amber was the kind of girl, that made a guy say ‘damn she’s hot.’
    “ Yeah, Mercy’s going to be there.” I wanted to retreat my words when I saw Amber’s frown. She was jealous of Mercy’s and my relationship. “She’s just a friend,” I said automatically. “If you would get to know her, you would see that she’s only a friend.”
    Amber nodded. As much as I wanted to reassure her, I knew if I could, if it were possible, I would try to win her back. I really liked Amber a lot and