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"So you and Shai are basically working against me now?" I retorted angrily to Taylor.
"I think you're getting a little crazy actually," he responded quietly.
Now that Shai and Natalie were gone there was really no reason so fight or quarrel with my little brother anymore so we both just decided to sit calmly…and wait.
"Do you really think he'd take her back?" I asked trying to hide the worry in my tone.
"You know we can only visit a human world once…you know what will happen to Shai if he goes back.  What would happen to any of us if we went back," Taylor added darkly.
I narrowed my eyes.
"I take it you didn't tell Natalie about that either," Taylor continued.
"No, I didn't.  There's no reason for her to know.  She's going to stay here, with me…I mean all of us."
"And what if she wants to go home?"
"Home to what?  She's said a million times, there's nothing for her to go home to.  At least here she has food, shelter, family, and friends."
"And which one do you want to be?" Taylor challenged, his voice changing quickly.  I was taken aback by his surprising tone but tried to maintain my composure.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…Cayton…what exactly are you planning to be to Natalie?"
I was puzzled by the question, it struck me as familiar and I was reminded of the time where Natalie was confused about exactly the same thing.
"I know how Shai feels about Natalie, and I know how I feel about Natalie, where I am confused is how you feel about Natalie, Cayton," Taylor went on in that tone that he rarely used.  Suddenly, I was little nervous about talking to him.  He seemed so sure of himself, so confident.
"Natalie knows how I feel," I added.
Taylor cocked an eyebrow and his strange purple eyes bored into mine.
"Does she?  Has she ever questioned you about it?"
"Of course she has!" I said, my temper rising.  "How could she not?"
"What does that mean?" he shot back quickly matching my tone.
"What's with you all of a sudden?" I couldn't help blurting out.  "What's with all the questions?"
Taylor shook his head.  "I just don't understand why you are so obsessed with her only liking you, it's like you want Shai and I to be the bad guys and for you to be her hero.  I don't get where those feelings are coming from."
"Because she's mine okay?" I blurted out angrily but immediately regretted it.  Taylor smiled back calmly.
"She's your what though?  Friend?  Family?  What?"
I stared at Taylor, trying to figure out for myself.
"What exactly is Natalie to you?" Taylor pressed on.
"What are you…on team Shai or something?"
"No actually," Taylor chuckled.  "I'm on team Taylor."
"And what the hell does that mean?"
"It means…that Natalie's happiness means more to me than her just choosing me.  I want to know if your intentions are the same or if this is just about winning."
"Choosing you?" I grabbed onto Taylor's weakest statement.  "Natalie would never choose you Taylor."
"And I've come to terms with that," Taylor replied sadly.  "Besides, as much as I care for her, my feelings will never compete with how Shai feels for her and how Natalie feels for Shai."
The words struck me like a punch in the face.
"Shai has feelings for her?" I asked skeptically.
"Of course he does!  Gods, are you so self-obsessed that you couldn't even see it?"
I did.  But I didn't want to.
"And Natalie…she?"
"She appears to have feelings for him as well.  You can see the way they look at each other.  I don't see that with you Cayton, I'm sorry."
"Well it's not for you to see Taylor…" I grumbled in frustration.  I looked out the window.  "You don't think they really went back do you?"
"No, I don't think that they did.  Shai knows what will happen to him if he takes her back, I don't exactly know how he feels about that.  I know he cares about Natalie, but I don't know if he cares that much to give up everything here for her."
"Do you?" I asked quietly.
Taylor looked away and I watched his hands tighten into fists.  "It doesn't matter how I feel, it matters how Natalie feels."
"Would you go back with her though?  Would you go back to the land of the humans?"
"I'm only sixteen you idiot, what are two sixteen year olds going to do on an island?"
I slammed my fist on the table.  "In a few years then…"
"She won't stay a few years…"
"BUT IF SHE DID," I shouted angrily, relieved that I could finally raise my voice again without fear of hurting Natalie's ear drums.  "If she did agree to wait…you would go wouldn't you?"
"Would you?" Taylor shot back.
"Huh?"
"Would you go back if she asked you?  I mean it's one thing, it's easy for you to keep her here as your little pet/sister/friend thing…but would you go back for her?"
"I asked you first,"
"In a heartbeat," Taylor retorted quickly.  "I would do anything for her.  Now you."
I don't know why but I suddenly found myself at a loss for words.  I cared for Natalie, sure, and I wanted to fix her, but Taylor was right.
"I don't…I don't think I could go back with her."
"And why is that?" Taylor asked angrily.  "I thought you cared the most."
"I do!  But I just don't think…I don't think I could leave here."
"Well I could," Taylor interrupted.  "I would go back to today if she wanted, but that's not what she wants."
"You don't know that…"
"Yes I do, Shai put it best.  To Natalie, I'm nothing but a shoulder to cry on.  And that's fine because that's what she needs.  But Shai…and gods…even you can give her things that I can't and that's why she views me that way."
"Than stop being just a shoulder!" I couldn't help arguing.  Why was I even helping him out?  And then I realized, out of my brothers I was the only one who wasn't in love with her.  I cared for her, I wanted to help her, but I wasn't ready to give up my entire life and my world for her.  I looked at Taylor, he was ready.  I remembered the look Shai gave her when he scooped her up and stormed out of the house.  He was ready.  It appeared that I was the only one who wasn't.
"I'll talk to Natalie," I said quietly and Taylor turned to look at me.
"About what?"
"Natalie has so many things she needs to get off of her chest.  And yet, I know she feels bound to tell me about them first."
"You mean about what happened with her mother and sister?"
"Yes," I nodded.  "She was so ready to tell Shai, and I bet she wants to tell you.  It isn't fair that I be the first to know when you guys care about her in a way that I guess I cannot understand."
"Why does it even have to be a competition?" Taylor asked returning to his normal, neutral self.
"Because in the end, only one of us…can go back with her.  I don't think I want to go back anymore.  I found a human, and I think you are right, I think I wanted one for the wrong reasons.  I won't hurt Natalie in that way by holding her in chains to my promises."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to tell her that she can tell whoever she wants to about what happened with her mother and sister."
"I think that's a good idea Cayton.  One of your better ones actually."
"But Taylor…what if she chooses Shai?"
Taylor shrugged.
"She will choose Shai…but I'm okay with it…I guess," his voice cracked slightly and I rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You should fight for her," I whispered and pulled him close to me.
"How?"
"Talk to her, tell her how you feel."
"And what if she still chooses Shai?"
"Than you go back to what you said originally, about making her happy first.  But you have to at least let her know how you feel."
Taylor nodded against my shoulder just as the door unlatched.
"They're back!" Taylor exclaimed quietly as Shai and Natalie came through the door.
My heart sank a little when I saw Natalie sitting on Shai's shoulder leaning up against him, but I realized, with amazing relief that it wasn't the type of jealousy that a man feels for a woman he loves.  It was the jealousy one feels when someone borrows their favorite book or movie and doesn't return it right away.  It was painful to realize that though I found Natalie first and though I cared for her very much, that my feelings would simply never compete with my brothers.
I looked at Taylor and nodded with a smile.
"It looks like it's going to storm soon," Natalie replied lightly as Taylor rose up from his chair and stood right in front of Shai and Natalie.
"It sure does," I chuckled as I watched my two brothers stare at each other, finally realizing they were both in direct competition.