Mercedes
I SPENT ALL DAY FRIDAY avoiding Rourke. Thankfully, I had to work a double shift which got me out of the house for most of the day. However, Alec was in a horrible mood for most of it which sucked big, fat donkey balls. I was so used to happy-go-lucky Alec that I wasn’t prepared for the cranky asshole Alec I was greeted with. Yeah, that version of my boss was a douche.
All day, my thoughts were seized by the beautiful bastard who slept in the bedroom next to mine. The moment I had laid eyes on Rourke Owens, I knew he was going to be trouble for me. I should have listened to my gut when it screamed warning after warning at me; instead I had listened to my heart and my stupid teenage hormones.
And now?
Now I was in over my head, drowning in feelings I had no idea how to deal with.
Rourke wasn’t for me. He was wrong. All fucking wrong. My brain knew it; I just needed the rest of me to get with the program.
He was my stepbrother, dammit. His father was married to my mother. Getting myself involved with him would be all kinds of crazy, and I didn’t need the trouble that came with a guy like him.
Besides, he was back to being mad at me again.
The way Rourke was treating me now only assured me that I did the right thing by stopping it from going any further the other night. He was back to being cold and indifferent, ignoring me when I walked into the same room as him.
Knowing Rourke wasn’t affected by what happened between us Thursday night, and was quite content to party it up with his buddies, well that upset me more than I cared to think about.
I decided that I should feel glad that he was avoiding me. After all, he was only doing what I asked him to do. Forget it ever happened.
I didn’t care anyway.
I hated Rourke Owens.
I hated him almost as much as I hated myself for pushing him away.
I wanted him the other night, more than I dared to admit. The feel of him touching me, of being in his arms; it was haunting me. He turned me on like no one ever had before. And that kiss? Rourke had kissed me like he was starving for me.
Thinking about his lips on mine still made my toes tingle. I needed to shut it down and fast. Lusting after a boy who hated me was a very bad idea and a sure-fire way of getting my heart broken. I was catching feelings for him. That was bad because he wasn’t even nice to me. He was cruel and mocking and cold and I still wanted him…
Molly called me when I got off work Friday night, asking if I wanted to come over to watch a movie. Glad to have an excuse to avoid going home and facing Rourke, I had happily agreed. It was 2am when we finished a Twilight marathon so I ended up staying the night at her place.
When I walked back into the Owens’ residence just before eight the following morning, it was to a frosty reception and a trashed house. “Mind telling me where you were all night?” Rourke demanded, barreling into my bedroom after me.
“Mind telling me why I should?” I shot back, not bothering to look back at him. “Another thing; the house looks like a dump.” Shrugging, I added, “I hope you’re not expecting me to clean up after you.”
“I had a few friends over last night,” he muttered impatiently. “What about it?”
“Nothing. Just don’t expect me to clean up your mess.”
“Fine. I’ll do it myself when you tell me where you were all night?”
“I was out.”
“Six!”
“Rourke.” Slinging my backpack down on my bed, I flopped down beside it and yawned. Dammit, I shouldn’t have stayed up half the freaking night with Molly. I had an eight hour shift ahead of me and I was beyond exhausted.
“Where the hell were you?” Rourke repeated, blue eyes blazing and locked on mine. “You didn’t come home last night.” Slamming my bedroom door, he prowled towards me, looking both furious and relieved. “You always come home.”
“So, I changed my pattern for once,” I replied wearily, folding my arms behind my head. “I stayed at Molly’s.”
“Molly.” Rourke frowned. “You stayed at Molly Peterson’s place?”
“Yes, Rourke, I stayed at Molly’s place,” I shot back sarcastically. “Sorry I didn’t tell you, but I wasn’t aware I had to fill you in on my whereabouts.”
“My father left me in charge,” he countered, towering over my bed, his heated gaze focused entirely on me.
“Of Amelia,” I corrected. “Not me.” Speaking of… “Where is Amelia?”
“At the Kings’ house,” he replied, still looking at me with a furious expression. “She’s staying over there again tonight.”
“Did you give her this much shit for staying out all night?”
“She called,” he hissed.
“You’re overreacting here,” I shot back. “Making a mountain out of a molehill.”
“Well, sue me for actually giving a crap about you,” Rourke shot back angrily, running a hand through his already sexily disheveled dark hair. “For fuck’s sake, Six, you could’ve called and let me know you weren’t coming home.”
My heart skyrocketed at his words.
Sue me for actually giving a crap about you
He gave a crap about me?
He cared?
No, my brain hissed. No, he doesn’t!
“I didn’t think it mattered,” I mumbled meekly.
Rourke released a heavy sigh and sank down on the edge of my bed. “What if something had happened to you?”
“Nothing happened to me,” I heard myself placate, pulling myself into a sitting position. “Rourke, I’m –”
“Don’t…” Pausing, he pinched the bridge of his nose, obviously trying to calm himself down, though why he was getting so worked up over this was a mystery to me. “Call,” he finally said, turning his blue eyes on me. “Next time you plan on not coming home, call one of us and let us know.”
“You mean call you?” I offered, body heating from his intense stare.
Rourke didn’t argue.
“Okay,” I conceded. “Next time, I’ll call.”
“Good.” Rourke visibly sagged in relief. Then he flew off my bed like the covers had scalded him and stalked out of my room.
The moment he slammed my bedroom door shut, I threw myself down on my back and let out a huge sigh.
When had my life become so freaking complicated?