Page 40 of Endgame

“Yeah, and you might wanna record it.” I shrugged, looking down at the floor. “Because it doesn’t happen often.”

“Wow.” Her voice was soft. “Okay.”

“Okay?” I frowned. What the fuck was okay supposed to mean?

“Yeah,” Six replied. “Okay.” I listened intently to the ruffling noises and sound of drawers opening and closing behind me. “I forgive you,” she finally said, coming to stand in front of me, dressed in a tank and pajama shorts. “Just don’t… do that to me again, okay?”

I nodded. “I won’t.”

“I’m not my mother, Rourke,” Six added, voice thick with emotion, as she looked up at me with those big, grey eyes. “I’m here because I don’t have a choice.” She folded her arms across her chest as she spoke, never taking her eyes off my face. “I don’t want your father to take care of me. And I don’t want his money either. All I want is to finish high school and get the hell out of here.”

I knew that. Fuck, deep down inside I think I alwaysknewit. One look in her eyes and a blind man could see the sincerity pouring out of her. So why couldn’t I justacceptit and be nice to the girl?

Because you’re afraid of the way she makes you feel a voice in my head screamed. It was the same voice I’d been trying to block out since she walked into my house.

Mercedes

I WAS WALKING around the counter with two mugs of black coffee in my hands when Rourke walked into Madame Jory’s on Friday afternoon with that big guy I’d thrown in the pool a few weeks back – Daryl King.

The moment my eyes landed on Rourke, my step faltered, but I quickly righted myself, managing to deliver the order without scalding myself in the process.

What the hell was he doing here?

He hadn’t come in here before.

Why now?

And why the heck had Alec decided to take his breaknow?

Things had been weird between me and Rourke. Weirder than before. Something had changed in his eyes that day he caught me in his bedroom. For a brief moment back in his room, I had thought he might kiss me. Of course, my mom had ruined that by bursting in and bringing up a shopping trip. The shutters Rourke had opened slightly to me that day had slammed tightly shut when Mom had mentioned money.

And then there was the whole escapade with that stupid song. Rourke had purposefully taunted me with it before doing a one-eighty and apologizing to me. I didn’t understand him or the way he made me feel. Most of the time, I wanted to scratch his eyes out, but there were brief moments when I wanted to wrap my arms around him and hold him close. Yeah, I hated those moments. They made me weak.

In the days that passed since our weird run in, I had been expecting Rourke to be extra cruel.

He wasn’t.

Like last night for instance; Amelia and I had ordered take out and were watching a movie in her room. When Rourke popped his head around the door to say goodnight to his sister, I had expected him to retreat the moment he noticed me.

He didn’t.

He accepted Amelia’s offer of joining us. Rourke didn’t say word to me during the movie, but he wasthere. He confused me and if I was being honest, fascinated me...

Forcing my features to remain impassive, I fought down the swell of anxiety in my stomach and walked back around the counter to serve him.

“What can I get you?”

“Sissy.” Daryl grinned. “How the hell are ya?”

“It’s Mercy,” I corrected him in a tight voice, forcing myself to remain professional.

“Mercy,” Daryl repeated slowly with a huge smile before winking. This boy was beautiful and I had a feeling he knew it. He had that enormous, sexy football player thing going for him, with a sun kissed tan, deep green eyes and dark brown hair similar in color to Rourke’s. He and Rourke were the same height, both giants, but where Rourke was lean and muscular, Daryl was broader andbigger. “I’ll have an iced tea,” he told me, again with the flirty wink.

Nodding, I reluctantly looked at Rourke. “You?”

Rourke looked down at me with a curious expression, his blue eyes locked on my face. Immediately, I felt my face heat under his stare.

He smirked, revealing both dimples in his cheeks and I bit back the urge to sigh. He affected me and what’s worse, I had a feeling he knew it. “I’ll have the same, Six.”

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