Page 81 of Endgame

“Fucking Mase,” I snarled when I locked eyes on their desk. He was touching Six. Fucker brushed her hair back. Tucked one of her silky tendrils behind her ear. She smiled at him and he leaned closer.

“Mr. Owens, are you alright?” Ms. Black called out sharply, drawing my attention to the front of the class.

I stared back at her. “Huh?”

“Going somewhere?” she asked with a confused expression on her face. It was then I realized I was out of my seat.

Fuck.

“Uh...yeah.”Out of this fucking classroom before I lose my damn mind.

Grabbing my bag off the floor, I stalked out of the classroom, offering Mason atouch her again and I’ll fucking killyou glare when I passed their desk.

I was going to have to keep an eye on that fucker.

He needed to keep his eyes off of Six.

And his hands.

Mercedes

“WHAT DID YOU DO to your stepbrother?” Molly demanded excitedly at lunch. We were in the corner of a crowded lunch room and she was looking at me like I held the answers to all her questions. I didn’t.

“What?” I shook my head and sat down at the empty round table I’d found close to the exit. “Nothing.” Well, that wasn’t technically true. I had tried to screw Rourke once or twice, but he wouldn’t let me. “Why?”

Sitting down opposite me, Molly placed her tray on the table and leaned forward on her elbows. “Word is, you were sidling up to Mason Starr during fourth period. Rourke saw you guys and flipped the hell out.” Molly’s eyes widened. “He is staring at you, Mercy. Like right now.” She pointed to something behind me –presumably Rourke. I didn’t dare look.

“Would you stop pointing?” I hissed, embarrassed.

Thankfully, she did.

“I don’t know what got into him during Biology.” That was the honest truth. One minute, we were taking down notes and the next Rourke was charging out of class like a raging bull. Why Molly thought that had something to do with me, I had no clue. Rourke didn’t care about me. He didn’t want me around. He’d told me it enough times. I was just hoping that one of these days, I would start to feel the same way about him. That day couldn’t come soon enough. “Whatever problem Rourke was having in class hasnothingto do with me,” I assured Molly.

She didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know.” Chewing on her lip, she looked from me to something behind me and then back at me again. “Something is off with him.”

“Do you have a thing for Rourke or something?” Okay, I didn’t mean to be so blunt, but I wanted to know.

“What?” Molly’s cheeks turned red. “Why would you ask that?” Molly asked me.

I would give her nothing but honesty. “Because every time we talk, you bring him up in conversation.”

“No,” she choked out. “I don’t have athingfor Rourke.”

I cocked a brow, silently calling bullshit on that answer.

She turned redder.

I remained silent and waiting.

“Okay, fine,” Molly blurted. “I have a thing for someone, but it’s not Rourke.”

I frowned. “Then who?”

“Daryl,” she whispered, blushing wildly.

“Aw. Look at you all blushing and cute!” I couldn’t stop my smile from widening. “Daryl King.” I waggled my brows. “Well, I’ll be damned. You’ve got a thing for Mister Football himself.”

“It’s not funny, Merc.” Molly dropped her head in her hands. “I’m invisible to those guys. I always have been. Daryl King has never once looked in my direction since I moved back to Ocean Bay. Not one single time in two years.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “You’ve spent a half a day at this school and you are theonlything those boys are looking at.”

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