Page 152 of Endgame

“You don’t mean that,” she cried, taking a step towards me and then two more back.

“I do,” I replied hoarsely. “I’ve moved on, Britt. I’m in love with Mercedes.”

“But you were fighting with Daniel tonight.” she sobbed.

“Because he disrespected Mercedes,” I replied in an exasperated tone. “I hit him forher, Britt. Not for you.” Fuck, this didn’t feel good, but I was done protecting Britt’s feelings. “I’m all in with her,” I added. “One hundred and ten percent, B.”

“You said that about me once, remember?” she shot back, angry and hurt.

“I did,” I agreed. “But I was just a kid who couldn’t tell the difference between loving a girl and lusting after one.” A sob tore from her throat but I continued to speak anyway, knowing we both needed to hear this. “I never loved you like I love her. I’m not saying this to hurt you, or get you back for hurting me. I’m telling you the truth here, B. I see a future with Mercedes. One I never saw with you.”

Mercedes

SWINGING OPEN THE side door of the hotel, I practically threw myself outside. Kicking off my heels, I picked them up and stumbled blindly down the neatly trimmed lawn towards the beach. If I had known today was going to be such a fucking horrible day when I got out of bed this morning, I wouldn’t have bothered shaving my legs.

I couldn’t breathe.

Pain was engulfing me.

I felt winded and broken and fucking crushed.

Why couldn’t Britt just leave him alone?

Why couldn’t Rourke leaveheralone?

And why the fuck had I been so stupid as to fall in love with a boy who obviously still harbored feelings for his ex?

“The boy in me will always love you.

The words I had overheard Rourke say to Britt continued to haunt me with every step I took. I couldn’t stand to listen to another word after that. I had bolted from my perch outside the door, desperate to get away from the both of them.

He still had feelings for her. I hated even thinking it, but lying to myself was what had gotten me into this mess in the first place. Deep down inside, I had always known something like this would happen and I had no one else to blame for this but myself.

Rourke had been straight up with me from the beginning. He told me over and over again that this wasn’t long term. I could have backed out at any time. I didn’t. My broken heart was on me.

Pure emotion bubbled up inside of me, the urge to run back into his arms almost overpowering, but I managed to keep going – keep moving away fromhim.

The moment the country club was out of sight, I lost it.

Dropping to my knees, I doubled over on the sand and screamed.

This was too much.

I felt broken. I knew that sounded pathetic and contrived, but it was the truth.

He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. And I had lost him to a girl who treated him like he was a fucking backup plan.

Boys were fickle, they were a dime a dozen, but I knew I could travel the four corners of the world and never find a boy like him again.

Not in my lifetime.

“Mercedes?” a familiar voice called out in the darkness. “Is that you?”

Turning my face in the direction of the voice, I let out a choked sob when I recognized the familiar blond head. “Oh, hey Mason,” I managed to say just before bursting into tears.

“Damn, sweetheart,” he muttered, concern evident in his voice as he walked over to where I was kneeling. Removing his jacket, he placed it over my shoulders before sinking down on the sand and loosely hooking his arms around his knees. “So, are you gonna tell me what happened at the dance, or am I gonna have to guess?”

“You didn’t see?” I asked, surprised.

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