Page 29 of Endgame

“It’s fine,” I replied, flipping him the bird. “I’m sure your Mac and Cheese sucks ass anyway.”

“I’ll plate up,” Rourke bit out before leaving the room.

Amelia waited until Rourke had closed the door behind him before saying, “I know my brother hasn’t exactly been welcoming to you, but I promise it’s nothing personal.”

Nothing personal?I scoffed.“It sure feels personal, Amelia.”

“He hates what yourepresent,” she whispered, tone low and hushed. “Not who you are as a person.”

“Why?” Pulling myself into a sitting position, I leveled her with an even stare. “What’s his problem?” I didn’t want to be here either. I wasn’t happy about our parents shacking up. But I wasn’t going around threatening to make his life a living hell.

Amelia exhaled a heavy sigh. “It’s complicated.”

I cocked a brow. “Complicated?”Pathetic.

“In Rourke’s eyes, you’re a threat to our lives,” she whispered again. “A problem. He needs control, it’s how he copes with the screwed-up way Dad has raised us.” She looked at me with the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. “You and your mom arriving was out of the blue. Your mom getting pregnant was unexpected. Rourke hates this. He feels like his world is being intruded on so he reacts in the only way he knows how.” She shrugged helplessly. “He attacks.”

“But I’m not the enemy here!” I threw my hands up in frustration, forcing myself to lower my tone when I noticed her grimace. “And my mom’s not either. Yeah, she’s a flake and likes shiny things, but she’s harmless.”

“I know that,” Amelia replied softly. “But Rourke?” She shook her head. “Not so much. He’s on a permanent witch hunt. He has some really bad trust issues and sees everyone new as a threat to his family.”

“Why?”

“He has his reasons,” was all she replied. “And… issues. Many of which stem from losing his mother so young.”

“What happened to his mom?” I asked then. “I know your mother lives in the south of France.” Gabe had mentioned how Amelia visited her mother during the holidays every year, but he never mentioned Rourke’s mother.

“Camille?”

“Yeah.” I nodded in affirmation. “Is she –”

“Dead?” Amelia offered before nodding. “She passed when Rourke was a little under three.”

“God,” I whispered.

“He’s never been the same since,” Amelia added. “At least that’s what our father says. Of course, I’ve never known him to be any other way than he is now, but I guess that sort of trauma affects a child.”

“I bet.”

“Rourke blames himself for so many things; especially his mom’s passing.”

“Why?”

“Shortly after Camille got pregnant with Rourke, she was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of cervical cancer,” Amelia explained. “The doctors treating her were confident if she started treatment right away they could save her. But starting treatment meant…”

“Getting rid of the baby,” I whispered.

Amelia nodded. “She continued with her pregnancy, choosing to keep her baby. By the time Rourke was born, the only thing the doctors could do was give Camille time and keep her comfortable.”

“That’s horrendous.” Pain speared through me. “Surely he has to know that he’s not to blame for any of that?”

“I was born three weeks before Camille passed,” Amelia added with a grimace. “A product of an affair our father had while struggling to cope with the impending death of the love of his life.” Shrugging, she smiled. “At least that’s what my mother told me.”

“So, your mom and Gabe weren’t–”

“Married?” Amelia shook her head. “God no. Mom was just a shoulder for Dad to cry on.” She scrunched her nose up at the thought. “My mother is a retired dancer. Back then, she was doing a tour of the East coast with the dance company she worked for and met Dad. It was a fling that had been fueled by alcohol and grief, lasted some three weeks, and resulted in her getting pregnant.”

“Damn,” I muttered, unsure of what else to say.

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