Here it is guys, Temptation. I hope you enjoy!


Mercedes Jones-Smythe laughed as her daughter splashed her in the pool. "Hey! No splashing, mom! I just got my hair done."

Sebastian swam over to them. "And you know how much she pays for her hair." He teased. "Why don't you go get dried off with Carrie and your brother so you can make a list of all the movies we are gonna watch together tonight," he said to their daughter.

Zola squealed. "Do we get Ice Cream Sundaes?"

"Of course! And Uncle Blaine is joining us too, so he is bringing Pizza!"

Zola hugged him and jumped out of the pool, running to find her brother. Mercedes kicked her feet in the water. "You are having a movie night with the kids? Why didn't you tell me?"

Sebastian pulled himself out of the water and sat next to her. "Because Quinn, Santana, and Brittany are in town, and you are having a girls night."

Mercedes scoffed. "No, I'm not. I already told them to go without me."

"And I told them you were coming, and I already laid out a dress for you."

"Bas, I don't want to go out! I have a client meeting tomorrow.

"Yeah, and that is not until four pm. So go out and have fun. I feel bad, Mercedes. And you are punishing yourself for something that isn't even your fault."

Mercedes grabbed her towel, stepped out of the pool, and walked to her room. She made her way up the stairs and shut her door as she went to take a shower to wash off the pool. Her mind went over the last 35 years of her life and how much she had been through in that time.

Mercedes grew up in Pacific Heights, a prestigious neighborhood in San Francisco. Both of her parents come from old money; her Grandfather was the previous Mayor of San Francisco, only to be replaced by Sebastian's father. Her father was one of the most sought Plastic Surgeons on the West Coast, and her mother was an Heiress who caught Richard Jones's eye the moment he saw her.

As the only daughter and youngest child of Richard and Miranda Jones, Mercedes was set up for success the moment she could walk. She went to Private Schools, was in all the right clubs, including Chess and Debate, and was a Cheerleader like her mother. They wanted her to have all the best opportunities the world could offer, so they made sure she was in all the right social clubs as well, and that she met and was associated with all the right people, and that included an arranged marriage to Sebastian Smythe, Heir to the Smythe Dynasty, which anyone who was anyone knew who they were.

The two were thrust together at age 4, a match made in parental heaven. Family dinners, parties, and events were all attended together. And Mercedes figured it could be worse; Sebastian was very attractive and intelligent, and those who knew him knew he had a soft side. But her thoughts changed significantly when they turned 16. Sebastian dropped the bomb on Mercedes that he thought he liked guys. Of course, she wouldn't say a word, he swore her to secrecy, but it made her wonder if their set marriage was going to happen or not.

As she stepped into the shower, her mind went back to that night, the night Sebastian told her why he had never complained they were thrust together.


Nineteen years ago


Mercedes had just finished her English paper as her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, where are you?" Came from the other line.

"Seriously? Where am I always?" She replied.

"Fine, Mercedes, Mercedes, let down your hair."

"What?" She laughed.

"I am outside, about to climb up the side of your wall. Open the Balcony doors."

Mercedes sighed heavily as she went to her balcony and opened the doors, waiting for Sebastian to join her. He climbed in, still wearing their school uniform. "Why do you look like you were out and up to no good?"

Sebastian smirked, pulling his jacket off and kicking off his shoes. "Because you know me very well."

Mercedes laughed, shaking her head. "Dude, I swear I am not gonna keep covering for you."

"Yes, you are." He teased, laying on her bed.

She sat back in her chair and sighed, turning back to her paper. "Let me guess, your parents are tracking your phone, and you have to at least act like you were dropping me off?"

"Uh no…wait, I don't know, maybe, but that's not why I am here. Merce, I have to talk to you."

"About what? What have you been doing lately? Because I really don't like being left in the dark, you are supposed to be my best friend, and I am yours." She said, not looking at him.

"I was with Hunter." He said, staring at her.

Mercedes turned to face him. "You've been spending your time with Hunter? What have you guys been doing because? I am pretty sure Hunter plays for the other team."

Sebastian runs his hands through his hair. "Mercedes, he plays for my team."

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've known for a while now."

She moved from the chair and sat over on the bed. "Wow…do your parents know?"

"God, no! And you can't tell them! Please, Merce." He looked at her with pleading eyes.

"I won't say anything, I promise, but you should; we can't get married now."

Sebastian took her hand, "Mercedes, I can't tell them; my parents just got off my back. As long as they think we are engaged, they are good, and I can't…." He trailed off.

"Sebastian, it almost sounds like you still want to get married."

He shrugged. "I could be married to the worst people."

"Sebastian, we can't! It's bad enough that I am being forced to marry someone, but to marry a man who is gay, I can't! I at least want love."

"I do love you. Mercedes, you are my best friend. Look, we don't have to think about it right now. I just, I couldn't keep hiding from you, hiding my truth."

She moved closer to him and cuddled next to him. "Thank you for telling me. I am glad you trusted me enough with this."

"Merce, of course, I trust you; I trust you with my life." He kissed her forehead and smiled. "Now, keep cuddling with me 'cause this is really comfortable.


Mercedes sighed as she washed off the soap she had been lathering; while she didn't think they would get married after that, they did. It happened to both of their dismay; right after their high school Graduation, their parents threw an engagement party. Even though their parents wanted them to get married as soon as possible, Sebastian and Mercedes convinced them to let them start College first, and then once Mercedes graduated with her BA, they would get married. They had both hoped that would give them enough time to devise a plan so this marriage would never happen.

Mercedes was excited when she got into UCLA. It was 5 hours from where she lived, and though she wished she could get further away from her parents, this was a start. She felt a freedom she had never known before when she stepped on campus. Mercedes decided to go with a double major in Business and Interior Design, while Sebastian decided to go to Law School.

Her mother gave her the rule that she had to pledge Alpha Delta Chi. Mercedes wasn't sure she was much of a sorority girl. She hated Cheerleading, didn't want to be around people, and wanted to use College to start finding who she was, but she also didn't want to hear her mother's mouth, so she joined as a Freshman, and that is where she met Quinn and Santana. They ended up pledging together and rooming together in the sorority house.

Mercedes loved College. She had friends, she had a life, and she found love. Anthony Rashaad was an Alpha who immediately noticed Mercedes and shot his shot at the first mixer. Mercedes turned him down, but the man didn't give up. After a few days of him walking her to class, carrying her books, and flirting with her, she finally agreed to go out with him. He was older than her and more worldly, but she didn't care; he was fun to be around. And for the first time in her life, she felt butterflies just being near a man.

She sighed, stepping out of the shower and putting on her fluffy purple robe. She sighed, thinking about College. She knew Santana and Quinn would drag her out if they had the chance, and Sebastian would lead the charge. But they meant well, and they were the ones who encouraged her to go out with Anthony.


Seventeen Years ago


Mercedes smiled as she held up the carwash sign. The Sorority was raising money for Habitat for Humanity, which was the only reason she was standing there, wearing a red two-piece bathing suit with a black sarong, waving a sign encouraging people into the parking lot so they could get their cars washed.

"Girl, I think most guys are pulling in just to see them curves!" Santana teased.

Mercedes laughed, shaking her head. "Stop! Are you not looking at you and Quinn in those suits! You are practically naked."

"Merce, there are 25 versions of Quinn and me but only one version of you. You are like the new exotic toy that every man wants."

"Yeah, okay, can I wave my sign in peace? You are tripping, girl." Mercedes laughed.

"Oh? Incoming, ten o'clock."

"What?!"

Santana smirked, walking away as someone tapped her shoulder.

"Mercedes Jones, you gotta stop doing this."

Mercedes turned and shook her head. "Anthony Rashaad. Care to tell me what I am doing?"

"Really? As if you don't know. I mean the audacity of it all. I can't believe you are doing this to me." He teased.

"I don't even know what I'm doing." She said innocently.

"You are standing here, looking drop-dead gorgeous, making me and every other man on this campus wish we were in your arms instead of that sign."

Mercedes smacked her teeth as she shook her head with a smile. "Here, you had me thinking I was doing something actually wrong."

He gestured towards her body. "This is wrong! You over here not even caring that you are breaking my heart."

"Oh, now I'm breaking your heart?"

"Yes, yes you are, and now you have to fix it by joining me for dinner, or everyone will know you are a heartbreaker."

Mercedes chewed her bottom lip as Quinn and Santana stood behind her, nodding. "Anthony, I told you I-"

"You don't date, so you say, but all I am asking is you join me for dinner; you gotta eat, right?" He said with his hands behind his back. "I'll pick you up at seven?"

Mercedes nodded. "Okay, just dinner, nothing else."

Anthony smiled. "Okay."

"I mean it!" she said, playfully shoving him.

"Okay, if you say so." He shrugged.

"I do say so!" She said.

"Okay, we will see." He said, backing away from her.

"Anthony, I am serious,"

He smirked at her and walked away.

Quinn bumped her shoulder with Mercedes. "Finally, put him out of his misery and agreed to date him?"

"It's just dinner; I can't date anyone," Mercedes said, looking after him.

"Girl, come off it. I know you want that mandingo!" Santana teased.

"It doesn't matter, and I can't. I told you guys I have a commitment back home; once I graduate, I am arranged…." She lowered her voice. "To be married."

Quinn leaned closer to Mercedes. "Look, that's four years away; it doesn't mean you can't have fun until then.

Mercedes looked over to Anthony, who smiled bashfully and then turned away to talk to his friends.

"Merce, you can do so much worse than Anthony Rashaad. He is a Sophomore, one of the best-looking guys in all the Fraternities on campus, and he is sweet." Quinn said. "Plus, you deserve to have some fun."

"What if my parents find out? They are not going to be happy with me even thinking of dating anyone but Sebastian."

"Merce, do you really think Sebastian is at Yale being Mr. Good boy? You guys agreed to go to different schools for a reason, to enjoy your freedom; you can't enjoy it if you are constantly worried. Go out with him and have fun; you might even like it." Quinn teased.

Mercedes looked back over to Anthony, who blew her a kiss, and she smiled, catching it and putting it on her cheek, which made him touch his heart and grin. Maybe the girls were right, and she needed to enjoy her time away from it all, and maybe Anthony was the one to enjoy it with.


Mercedes applied her lotion, thinking of their first date. He took her to a skating rink, and she had a blast. She hadn't expected to have a great time, but she did, and the more time she spent with him, the harder she fell. They dated on and off all through College and a year after he graduated, and had she not been promised to Sebastian, Mercedes really could have seen a future with him. But when he asked her to move in with him, she turned him down, and he asked the one question she was dreading, did they have a future?


Mercedes snuggled up close to Anthony and sighed as he kissed her forehead, playing with her hair as they watched a movie. Anthony seemed to be her weakness, every time she tried to break up with him; he would give her space, and then a few days later, he was back to trying to woo her. She tried to stay away, six months was her longest bout, but he showed up at the sorority house, soaking wet, begging her for another chance.

She wanted to tell him the truth, and every time she tried to tell him, he would stop her and ask her to try and stay in the moment. And right now, in her apartment, that's exactly what she was doing.

"Hey, Merce?"

"Hmm?" She asked, closing her eyes.

"Where do you see us in 5 years?" He asked, shifting, and she stiffed against him.

"Huh?"

"Babe, do we have a future?" He asked, lifting her face to his.

"Anthony…" she sighed, sitting up.

"What? Do you not love me?"

She closed her eyes, looking away from him. "Please don't do this now?"

"Do what? Mercedes, you are graduating soon, and I just want to know where you see us. Can you see yourself marrying me?"

She looked back at him. "Anthony, I love you, I am in love with you, and if things were different, yes, I can see us together."

"If things were different?" He asked, looking at her confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means, it means…it means I can't marry you."

Mercedes stood up from the couch and ran her hand through her hair, but Anthony pulled her back to him, sitting her on his lap. "No, what do you mean you can't marry me."

"Anthony, I- I am engaged."

His face dropped, staring at her. "I'm sorry, what?"

Mercedes closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "My parents arranged for me to be married, and it's been set up since I was born. And I thought coming here I could get away, but I was reminded recently that I have no choice in the matter."

He turned her chin towards his face. "You always have a choice."

She stared at him. "But I don't. He's my best friend, and if I don't marry him, if we don't do this, our family will… they will disown us, among other things."

"Merce…" He moved her hair from her eyes. "Marry me, marry me, and we can be together. I have a great job, I make good money, and I can take care of you. And you will have your degree; we can start over, just you and me."

Mercedes felt her eyes water. "I want that. I want that so bad, and if it was all about me, I would say yes, and we could be married." She stood so she could get some space from him. "But it's not about just me. Between Bas and my Grandfather being sick. I have no choice."

He lifted her chin up and bent down to kiss her softly at first. "Be with me." He said, pushing her against the wall and kissing her neck. "I love you; just say yes."

"Anthony…"

He shook his head, nipping at her lips as he ran his hands down her body. "I want you, I need you…I love you." He said, nipping at her earlobe. "Let me make love to you…let me show you."

Mercedes moaned at his touch as she gently pushed him off of her. "I can't. I am leaving after graduation to get married." She said barely above a whisper.

Anthony stood, moving over to her. "Don't do this! Mercedes, four years we have been doing this dance, and now you tell me that it was all for nothing? You knew you were toying with me, and you still did it? This whole thing was a game! Were you even a virgin when we met? Or was that a lie too."

"Stop! Yes, I was a virgin! And no, this wasn't a game. I love you! I am in love with you! And this is eating me up inside."

He turned her towards him. "Then be with me. Mercedes, I will be whatever you need me to be. Just say yes."

She stared at him for a long few moments, unsure what to say. He nodded. "Fine! Whatever! Thanks for wasting four fuckin' years of my life."

"Anthony! I didn't want to even go out with you! You pursued me!"

"And you spent four years lying to me! You used me! Got what you wanted, and now you are off to be with whoever or whatever you want."

Mercedes stepped back, feeling as if he had slapped her. As bad as she felt, she knew she deserved it and hurt him. That look on his face, it made her feel like she was nothing but scum.

"You know, you could give some of the guys at the fraternity a run for their money; you played me like a chump." He said, gathering his things. "I'm done with you! Don't call me, don't message me, don't even look at me."

"Anthony, please just-"

"JUST WHAT!" He screamed, looking at her. "You made me love you, knowing that you could never be mine." He said, tears in his eyes. "I wish I never met you! I love you, I love you with all of me, but I hate you more now than I could ever love you."

"Please." She whispered as he grabbed his shoes and keys.

"Go fuck yourself." He spat, walking out of her room and slamming her apartment door.

Mercedes broke the moment the door slammed. She deserved his anger; she deserved his hatred. She deserved this pain.