Chapter 18

Chapter

Eighteen

Paul paced the sidewalk in front of Darian's house for long minutes. The streetlights illuminated the well-kept neighborhood. Unfortunately, with the shades drawn he couldn't see inside. He hoped his warning was clear enough. If Darian hurt Shay, he would dismantle him. He believed his old friend wouldn't, but he'd never seen him so out of control. The bitterness oozed from him. It hurt. It hurt down deep to think Paul had caused that anger.

He kept praying and clinging to the forgiveness and acceptance he'd felt and Shay's words that he couldn't have known Carrie would die. Carrie's death was a tragedy, but her betrayal of Darian had been her choice. How Darian reacted and let it all fester for so many years had been his choice as well.

Would Shay need to choose to stay by Darian's side to help him heal or prove she was there for her family? Paul's gut turned over thinking of walking away from Shay. He didn't know how he'd do it. He was a fighter and wanted to go battle for Shay, but he had to stand down right now. He'd told her he loved her so much that he wanted what was best for her. He still believed that, even if it would be torture to let her go.

Time passed, and he continued pacing. A few teenagers rode by on bikes. A middle-aged couple holding hands were out on a late evening stroll. Paul watched them go and realized he wanted that someday. With Shay. He wanted to heal from all this pain and anguish and build a life with her. Would she want to do that if it estranged her from her brother? He didn't want her parents to have to choose sides. As angry as Darian was, he would probably demand they choose, not be reasonable about it.

He leaned against the Escalade, suddenly exhausted. Bowing his head, he prayed—for Shay, for Darian, for himself.

The front door flew open and smacked against something in the house. He straightened and stared in awe as Shay in all her glory darted out onto the porch. She searched for Paul, and he hurried to the steps so she could see him.

"I choose you!" she yelled, running to the edge of the porch and launching herself off of it. Paul caught her in his arms. His heart threatened to burst. "I choose you," she reaffirmed a fraction quieter. "Always."

He bent his head and kissed her to hide all the emotion stirring inside him. Releasing her from the kiss, he quickly ushered her behind him when he saw Darian storm out onto the porch.

"I choose Paul," she yelled back at Darian from around Paul's shoulder. "He is my boyfriend, my love, my future."

Paul couldn't help but smile at the words he'd said earlier. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest.

"Fine," Darian hurled at them. "You're no sister of mine. I hope I never see either of you again." He stormed back into the house and slammed the door .

Paul whirled to Shay, gathering her into his arms. He ushered her down the front walk so they were in the shadows and Darian wasn't watching them.

"Shay? Are you all right?"

Tears streaked down her cheeks, but she tilted her chin up. "I had to be brave. I told him he had to turn to Jesus and let go of the bitterness. It's his choice if he is happy or wastes his life away."

Paul was inspired by her. He'd helped Elizabeth Oliver forgive herself for all the evil her parents had put her through. He knew the Savior could help—He'd helped Paul—but Darian would have to choose to turn to Him.

"Yeah, he hated that. He told me I had to choose between you and him." Her lip trembled. "I hated that."

Paul softly kissed that trembling lip. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Maybe we should slow down, let him calm down, try to mend the relationship with Darian before we date."

"No!" She shook her head. "I love him, and I'll never forget him cheering at every event I've ever swam at, but he's a pigheaded dork and I won't enable that any longer. He needs something to slap him in the face and wake him up. When we go through hard things, we can choose to turn to the Savior and make lemonade out of lemons or we can choose to be prideful, alone, eat those lemons, and become a puckered sour-face, like him." She shook her head again. "I'm not letting him ruin my happiness. We'll pray for him, and we won't give up on him, but I choose you. You're my future, Paul Braven, brave and true and my other half."

Paul cradled her close, happiness filling him. "I choose you too, Shay, over everyone and everything. If you want me to retire from my career and live out my life at the edge of a swimming pool watching you train, I'll do it."

She smiled. "No. I love what you do. I love how heroic you are. It might be sticky, but we'll make it work. And if my brother never comes around, we won't invite him to the wedding."

Paul grinned. "Wedding? You're proposing already, my love?"

She wrapped her arms tight around his neck and went on tiptoes. "I'll give you a kiss that will have you storming the jewelry store and proposing as quick as you can."

"Oh. I'm excited to be a willing participant in this kiss."

"It's going to slap, be bussin', hit different, fire baby."

He chuckled and then he lifted her close and she kissed him. Wow, did she kiss him.

"Fire," he whispered against her lips. "Definitely fire."