Page 80 of Endgame

“What happened?” Leaning forward, Daryl whispered, “When you sayalmost?”

“First time, she stopped it because I wouldn’t give her something she wanted,” I admitted gruffly. “Second time, she offered herself to me anyways and I walked away.”

“The fuck you do something stupid like that for?” His tone was indignant. “What did she want from you?”

“Something I don’t have to give her, D,” I bit out. “Something I ain’t ready for.”

“Fuck,” Daryl muttered and I knew he got it then. He understood. He’d been my best friend my whole life. Mason, Reebo, and Bear were my friends, but Daryl? Daryl was my family.

We’d been through everything together; broken hearts, broken families, dead momma’s, and cheating fucking exes. We’d done it all together, supported one another. The truth was, Daryl King was the only person I would ever consider talking about my feelings with.

“She love you?” he asked then.

I shook my head.

“You love her?”

“You know the answer to that.”

“But you like her?”

“Never thought I would.” I sighed heavily. “Never fucking expected to.”

“But you do?”

“Yeah, man.” I pressed my head into my hands and fought back the urge to groan. “I think I really fucking do. Her eyes, man.” I threw my head back and sighed. “They’re like fucking silver diamonds. I’ve never seen anything like ‘em. Fucking beautiful.”

“Then I’m gonna give you some real good advice, man, and I want you to take it.” Mirroring my slouched position on the desk, Daryl turned his face and looked me square in the eye. “If you want her, you better snatch her up fast or someone else will. She’s gorgeous, Rourke.Fucking beautiful,” he said with a smirk, mirroring my words. “The guys won’t stay away from her forever, no matter how much you warn them off. So I suggest you go and find it. Whatever Sissy asked you to give her? Find it, man.”

“Easier said than done, D.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Rourke,” he corrected, tone low. “You’ve been a mess since she walked into your house six weeks ago and we both know why. You want her. I see it. The guys see it. Hell, even coach knows something’s up with you.” He frowned as he spoke. “I know you’re all fucked up in the head when it comes to shit like this, but Mercedes?” He shook his head. “She ain’t nothing like Britt, man – most girls aren’t,” he added. “And deep down, I think you know it.”

Britt.

Fucking Britt.

“I don’t want to go there again,” I confessed, biting down hard on my bottom lip. “I won’t.”

“I get it, man,” Daryl sympathized. “It was bad enough the bitch was stepping out on you with half the damn football team from Jefferson High, but to fuck with your head about being pregnant?” He shook his head. “And during state? That was cold, Rourke. Fucking cold, man.”

Britt missed a period last year right around the time of playoffs. I’d been fucking terrified over it and had worried unnecessarily for weeks about her potential pregnancy, only to find out that her period had arrived a couple of days later and she had never thought to tell me. “Scariest three weeks of my life,” I muttered, shuddering at the memory.

“And you can be damn sure she enjoyed every minute of it,” Daryl added grimly. “Hell, even if she had been, the odds of you being her baby daddy were slim fucking pickings, dude.”

I flinched.

I couldn’t help it.

Itstillfucking hurt.

“You need to cut her loose,” Daryl continued to say. “Once and for all. Be done with the bitch.”

Again, I knew Daryl was right. But knowing it was right didn’t make it easy. I’d been with Britt since I was twelve years old. She was my first crush, first kiss, first love, first fucking everything. Even though Britt had done me wrong, and I’d been with other girls since, I still harbored some serious feelings for the girl. Of course, that love wasn’t there between us anymore, at least not like it used to be, but there was stillsomethingthere. Something that kept me coming back to her.

I never thought about it much before Six walked into my life. I didn’t have to. I ate, drank, and slept football. Britt had broken my heart but she was still there to fuck when I needed it. I thought I was happy with it like that. I thought it was easier. Now I had no fucking clue…

“You might want to make a decision sooner rather than later,” Daryl muttered, poking me in the ribs with his elbow before gesturing to the other side of the classroom.

---