Chapter 27

"Casey!" Shawn pounded on the front door. Martin's SUV was gone so he knew that Casey's uncle wouldn't be answering and most likely driving him away. It was probably better that way, since Shawn was sure he might tear the man's head off knowing Martin had to have been the one to lock Casey in that damn cave.

He was certain now that this was the true reason that Martin hadn't wanted him around, but he wasn't sure yet of the man's intentions. Was the man really just trying to keep Casey safe? Or keep him to himself? That thought just spurred his anger even more. He knew he looked furious, but he couldn't help it. He was angry at Martin for what he suspected the man was doing to Casey, and angry at Casey for letting the man control him.

Of course, he wasn't even sure that Casey was in the house. But he wanted answers. He needed to see Casey, to understand what had happened last night.

He tried the door but wasn't surprised to find it locked. He called out several times before deciding to walk around to the deck. Maybe the back door was open. Maybe Casey couldn't hear him.

He yanked at the back door to no avail. "Casey! Come on, man! I need to talk to you! Are you in there?" He pressed his hands against the glass to peer inside, but other than a coffee mug on the table, he couldn't see anything else.

He was truly beginning to think Casey wasn't there, but that begged the question of just where he had gone. He turned to stare out over the ocean. Had he not come back after swimming off? Was he scared of what Shawn thought of him?

Damn, if that was true, he really needed to find the man. But, fuck... he didn't even know where to begin looking.

A noise above him drew his attention, but from his current vantage point, he couldn't see anything. Yet he knew Casey's room was up there. Maybe his window was open, and he had heard Shawn calling.

Then why the hell wasn't he down here opening the damn door?

"Casey! I hear you up there!" he tested. "Get down here! We need--"

"I saw enough last night. You saw enough last night," Casey's strained, hoarse voice filtered down to him.

"Casey--" But he was cut off by the distinct sound of a window slamming shut, and seconds later music boomed loud enough to be heard outside. "Fuck, Casey! Come on!" he yelled up in frustration even knowing the man wouldn't hear him.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," he cursed, stomping off the deck. He circled the house several times, trying to think of a way to get through to his obviously hard-headed boyfriend, but finally had to give up.

Sulking all the way back to his cottage, he decided maybe Casey needed a day or two to cool off. He'd come to his senses. Casey had to know that he was just in shock last night. That they would need to talk about what had happened, right? Casey couldn't think that he would abandon him without even talking to him, would he?

Shawn finally dragged himself upstairs to his shower. A much needed one. The heat from the shower soothed his aching muscles, but his heart still hurt. Casey's refusal to talk to him seared his soul. Collapsing into the bed, he eventually dreamed peacefully of soaring through rippling turquoise waters chasing a beautiful blue-tailed merman.

@@@@

Casey let the music drown out Shawn's voice. He couldn't bear to listen to it. Not now. Not when he was sure he'd hear the censure and distain in it, or even disgust and horror like he'd seen last night.

He could live locked away up here. Shawn would eventually go away, leave him, probably trailing tales of a monstrous freak of nature he'd seen that no one would believe. Hopefully.

He sat cross-legged in his papasan chair, wishing he could just sink into it and never emerge. He tried focusing on the words of a book, but his eyes just kept blurring, refusing to work, knowing all they wanted was to see Shawn's smiling face again.

But that would never happen now. And he couldn't stand the thought of Shawn looking at him with the same sneer that his uncle sometimes did.

He suddenly wished he hadn't fought so hard in the cave. If he'd just let the waters take him then he wouldn't feel like he was dying now.

@@@@

Damn that man, Shawn thought, fuming as he paced restlessly across his deck. For two days, Casey had refused to acknowledge him, ignoring his demands that they talk. He was sure the man hadn't even heard anything he said since every time he tried yelling at him from outside all he could hear was the thumping bass of AC/DC.

He could be stubborn, that's for sure. But Shawn wasn't ready to give up. The man had to come out of the house eventually. He was a merman for god's sake. He had to swim in the ocean sooner or later, right?

He rolled his neck on his shoulders. The aches from over extending his muscles the night of the storm had faded, but he was feeling restless with inactivity. He'd gotten used to swimming or running or just generally horsing around with Casey every day, and his body craved it. It craved Casey.

He needed to taste that sweet man's lips again, his slightly salty skin.

Damn it. He needed release.

He yanked his swim trunks on and grabbed a towel. Maybe a long swim would work out his restlessness. If nothing else, he'd tire himself out enough to maybe sleep longer than two hours at a time.

He clambered down the path, scraping open one of the cuts on his leg from two nights ago in his haste. He swiped at it, wiping away the small smear of blood before dropping his towel on the rocks. He wasn't in the mood to drag out one of the lounge chairs today.

He crashed through the surf, hissing slightly at the sting of the salt water on his cut. Good, it would give him something to focus on rather than the pain of Casey's rejection. When he had waded far enough out, he dove into the waves, fighting the pull of the tide until he was well past the breakers. Then he just swam. And swam.

@@@@

Two days. He'd managed to ignore Shawn's shouting and yelling for two days. Although this last time, he hadn't sounded quite as angry so much as...pleading? But it didn't matter, Casey refused to leave the house, barely leaving his room except to get food. Fortunately, his uncle assumed that he was just still mad with him for letting him nearly drown, so the man didn't question his isolation.

Right now, Casey couldn't face either one of the men. Both of them had hurt him, and he wasn't willing to pretend it wasn't tearing him apart inside. So it was better to just keep to himself.

He'd spent so much time in his room the last two days, reading, staring out the window, hoping to see Shawn from a distance even if he couldn't face him--that he'd actually witnessed the birth of the baby reef shark yesterday.

It was the one bright moment he'd had. It was rare to see a shark giving birth, and he marveled at the sight. Of course, then he wondered if he'd been born like that and it only reminded him of what a freak of nature he was. He watched sadly as the mother disappeared into the deeper ocean, leaving the pup to fend for itself along the shore.

He knew it was natural. Sharks didn't usually stay with their babies after they were born, unlike dolphins or whales. It sadly had reminded him of how he'd been abandoned. Today, the pup was scouring the shoreline for food. The small form glided effortlessly through the waters, wriggling its little body back and forth. It was actually pretty cute.

He'd stood at the window for so long, staring out over the blue waters watching the baby as well as a pod of dolphins much farther off shore, wishing he could join them and lose himself again in his mer side, that he was startled when he saw movement on the beach.

Shawn.

He pressed his hand to the window, wishing he could touch the man's tanned skin again, feel the man's arms hold him like he had in Casey's bed that night. Tears slipped down his cheeks. Damn it. He wiped at them furiously, but was unable to drag himself away from the window.

He watched the man he loved swim, farther out than they usually went. He longed to be next to him, to feel the brush of his limbs against his as they sliced through the water. When Shawn finally stopped swimming to head back, Casey was a little thankful. The pup was slowly making his way along the shore, and he didn't think Shawn would appreciate running into the shark, even if he was just a baby. While the baby would probably avoid a body in the water larger than itself, one never knew. He was a newborn so he might test the waters, so to speak. Fortunately, Shawn only floated on his back for a few minutes before starting the swim back to shore.

But... he wasn't making progress.

Casey frowned. Even though Shawn looked like he was stroking forward, he wasn't gaining ground toward the shoreline. It looked like he was fighting the--

"Oh, shit!" Casey gasped. Shawn was caught in a rip current, and he was fighting it.

He'd exhaust himself if he didn't stop.

Casey hesitated only a moment longer, just long enough to take in Shawn seeming to pause, gasping for breath before trying again. Damn it, the idiot would get himself killed. And Shawn's flailing limbs would attract the pup to come check out what was making such a ruckus in the waters, hoping for food.

He raced down the stairs, whipping open the back door and nearly sliding down the hill as he tried to keep Shawn in sight. The man disappeared under the water several times, and Casey knew he had to be tiring.

He stripped off his shorts before splashing into the water, diving in nearly before it was deep enough. He shifted immediately, flicking his tail powerfully. He'd never felt his heart pounding so hard in his chest. If he didn't make it to Shawn before he--

No, he couldn't think like that. Shawn would be fine. He had to be.