Mercedes
I SLIPPED OUT OF Rourke’s bedroom at the crack of dawn on Monday morning and left for school before his alarm went off. Sure, I had to wait in the parking lot for an hour, but I gladly took that over facing him.
Knowing that Rourke had touched – licked – intimate areas of my body was too freaking much. I knew I wasn’t reacting like a mature seventeen-year-old. But how the hell could I?
He was fucking beautiful and I was scared of getting too attached – more attached than I already was. The way he had made me feel this past weekend?
My cheeks still flamed at the thought. I actually came in his mouth. On multiple occasions. Like, what the holy hell?
I had no idea how I was ever going to face my stepbrother again. It was different back in his room. School was the real world.
What if he was different with me there?
I didn’t dare stick around to find out.
I didn’t think my heart could take it.
And so, for the millionth time since arriving in Ocean Bay, I found myself asking the same question; what the hell was wrong with me? This time, however, I voiced the question out loud, turning to the one friend I had made for answers.
“There is nothing wrong with you,” Molly assured me during lunch. Picking up an apple, she rolled it between her hands as she spoke.
“Yeah, right,” I half scoffed, half moaned. “Then why won’t he won’t have sex with me?”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“All freaking weekend,” dropping my head in my hands, I stifled a moan, “I offered myself to Rourke on a plate and he turned me down.”
“He did?”
“He’d never admit it, but I know it’s because I’m a virgin,” I muttered, dropping my gaze to my uneaten lunch. “He doesn’t want the mess, so he just goes down on me instead.”
“Omigod!” Loud spluttering noises coming from Molly caused me to lift my attention to her. “Rourke went down on you?” she hissed, eyes alight with excitement. “For real?”
I nodded.
“What was it like?” she asked, leaning closer.
“It was incredible,” I wailed. “Like mind-blowingly good, Molls.”
“Wow.” Smiling dreamily, she added, “You know; ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the female population at this school would die to be in your shoes right now.”
“You’re not helping,” I bit out, cheeks burning. “I’m completely mortified, Molly.”
“Why?” she asked. “You spent the entire weekend with him.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “But we’re back in school now.” I could feel my face burning as I spoke. “In the real world, and I feel…embarrassed.”
“Well don’t be,” she shot back with a smile. “Do you have any idea of what a catch that boy is?” She tipped her hand towards me and said, “Take it as a huge compliment. Rourke is picky as hell. Most of the girls around here would scratch your freaking eyes out to get their hands on him.”
I cast a glance around the room at all the freaking stunning girls I had the misfortune of going to school with. “Great,” I moaned. “And now I’m jealous. Thanks for that, Molly.”
“Why?” She looked at me like I had two heads. “Mercy, you’re gorgeous and funny and kind. Trust me when I tell you that you have nothing to worry about. Besides, you’ve obviously got something all these other girls don’t.” She scrunched her nose up and paused. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rourke with any other girl besides Britt.” Her brown eyes were wide and sincere. “Like ever. That in itself is a pretty huge deal.”
“Britt,” I sneered in disgust, scowling deeply. “Britt the Bitch.”
“Yep,” Molly snickered. “She is certainly that.”
“Why was he even with her in the first place?” I grumbled cattily. “That girl is like the she-devil with blonde curls.” I fake gagged. “Ugh.”
“I guess he was young and blind.” Molly shrugged. “They were together forever. Maybe it was like a comfort thing for Rourke?”
My brows furrowed. “A comfort thing?”
“Well, yeah,” Molly replied quietly. “Rourke hasn’t exactly had the most stable home life growing up, what with his father marrying and remarrying every other year.” Sighing, she added, “Britt’s the only constant he’s ever seemed to have.”
Well shit…
“He’s looking at you,” Molly offered with a grin, gesturing to somewhere behind me. “If that helps.”
“It doesn’t,” I muttered, squirming in my seat. Unable to stop myself, I turned my head to the side and sneaked a peek at the football team’s table.
Rourke was there, perched on top of the table, looking deliciously disheveled in his white school shirt with his tie hanging loosely. And oh yeah, he was looking at me. His focus was on our table, his eyes burning into mine.
“Okay, maybe it helps a little,” I breathed before quickly turning my attention back to Molly. “Hey – I never got a chance to ask you about the party.”
“The party?” Now Molly was the one to blush. “What about it?”
“What was going on with you and Daryl King?” I asked nosily. “You disappeared with him and I didn’t see you for the rest of the night.” Awareness dawned on me and I waggled my brows. “Did you hook up with him?”
“We talked,” Molly squeezed out, looking mortified. “Just talked.”
“Just talked?” I stared at her in disbelief. “About what?”
Just then, several cheerleaders passed by us and one of them tossed some snotty comment over her shoulder. “Boyfriend stealing tramp,” the blonde tossed out with an obnoxiously loud voice.
I responded by flipping her the bird and saying, “Run along.”
“Did you actually speak to me?” the blonde spat. Halting mid step, she spun around and glared at me. “Don’t think you can speak to me, you little tramp,” she growled.
Recognition flickered inside of me. I’d seen this girl before – had definitely heard her high-pitched whiney voice. “I’m the tramp?” My lips tipped up. “Have you looked in the mirror today? You have your skirt rolled so high the entire lunch room can see your boney ass.”
The blonde’s eyes narrowed in fury. “Better to be bony than a fat cow like you,” she quipped in a mocking tone. “Maybe you should lay off the carbs, sweetie.” She looked me up and down before sniffing in obvious distaste. “Ew. Just, ew.”
“Back off Ashley,” Molly was quick to defend.
Ashley!
That’s who she was. Ashley freaking Thomas – Britt’s best friend, and the other girl at the house the night Rourke dunked me in the pool.
“Mind your own damn business, Freddy Kruger,” Ashley hissed cruelly. Her tone was mocking, taunting, and I knew what she was talking about; Molly’s burns.
Molly’s face contorted in pain and she was on her feet in seconds, running from the lunch room.
“How dare you!” I snarled, walking right up to her so that we were chest to chest. Of course, this girl – like most people – towered above me, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t an aggressive person by nature, but Molly was my friend and I wasn’t about to sit back and let some nasty cheerleader talk to her like that. “How fucking dare you call her that name!”
“Get out of my face, you little heifer,” Ashley warned.
“Make me, bitch,” I shot back before shoving her in the chest, hard.
I could hear the bustle and loud cheering around us; the word ‘cat fight’ being thrown around, but I didn’t care. I was burning mad. “How would you feel?” I demanded. “If I mocked you for something you had zero control over?”
Ashley retaliated by shoving me back equally as hard and I staggered back a few feet. Damn, this bitch was strong. “Don’t freaking touch me,” she screamed.
The retort I had on the top of my tongue, not to mention the physical harm I intended to cause, was lost the moment a pair of strong arms came around my body, lifting me clean off my feet. “Simmer down, Six,” a familiar, deep voice said, and instantly, I gave up the fight to break free. Rourke was too freaking strong.
“Did you hear what she said?” I demanded, feeling tears sting at my eyes. Temper tears.
“No,” Rourke replied calmly. He set me down on my feet, but didn’t release me from his hold. “What did she say?”
My chest was heaving from sheer outrage on my friend’s behalf. Twisting in his arms, I looked up him and said, “She called Molly Freddy Kruger because of her burns!” Rage coursed through me once more and I lunged for Ashley. I didn’t get far though; not with Rourke’s steel grip on me.
“What the actual fuck, Ash?” Rourke demanded, and he was the one bristling with anger now. “You threw the fire in her face?”
Everyone in the room was silent; glued to the showdown happening between us.
“She was getting up in my business, Rourke,” Ashley shot back, with far less conviction in her voice now. She glanced around the room nervously before looking back at Rourke. “She should have stayed out of it.”
“So that gives you the right to torment her?” Rourke shook his head and sneered at the wide-eyed blonde. “I thought you were better than that, Ash. I really did.”
“She was defending me!”
I groaned internally when Britt walked over to stand beside Ashley. If I thought Rourke was bristling before, he turned completely rigid the moment Britt got involved.
“Stay out of this,” he warned her, never taking his hands off me. I was thankful for that. I didn’t know how I would have taken the rejection.
“Since when are you going around fighting Molly Peterson’s battles?” Britt countered, green eyes locked on the boy standing behind me.
Rourke stiffened. “Since I apparently need to,” he shot back, unsmiling.
“And her?” Britt sneered, looking down her nose at me like I was the most disgusting thing she had ever laid eyes on. “Defending her in public again, Rourke?” She laughed cruelly, but there wasn’t a hint of humor in her voice. “Keep it up and people are going to talk.”
Rourke shrugged and pulled me closer. “People can say what they want,” he replied coldly. “I take care of what’s mine and I make no apologies for it.”
Those words seemed to floor Britt.
And me.
Yep.
Definitely me.
I take care of what’s mine…
“Yours,” Britt hissed, glowering at the both of us. “And she’s your what, Rourke? Your fuck buddy? You stepsister? Your revenge? Your rebound –”
“My girlfriend,” Rourke interrupted without a hint of hesitation in his voice.
My mouth, along with several other people’s, fell open. My beef with the girls forgotten, I spun around to face Rourke.
“She’s my girlfriend,” he repeated in a loud, clear voice, dropping a hand to rest on my hip before pulling me into his side.
I went willingly, too stunned to do anything else.
Had I just imagined this whole thing?
Or did Rourke really just declare me as his girlfriend to the whole room?
“What do you mean she’s your girlfriend?” I heard his ex-girlfriend demand from behind me. Hell, Britt could have been having a full-blown meltdown right now, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Rourke.
What the hell was he doing?
Was he using me to make her jealous?
No.
He wouldn’t do that to me… would he?
“Screw you, Rourke Owens!” I heard Britt scream before the clanking sound of high heels retreating filled my ears.
Rourke glanced down at me then and smirked, revealing those deep dimples. I almost melted in a puddle at his feet. “What the hell was that?”
He raised a brow. “What was what?”
“You told her I’m your girlfriend,” I half whispered, half hissed, my face burning with a mixture of embarrassment and lust.
“And?” He was staring down at me with those freaking baby blues and that mouth…god, just thinking of what he did to me with that mouth caused a pang of desire to erupt inside of my body.
“And?” I shook my head and exhaled a shaky breath. Did he not hear me? “Rourke, you made it very clear that this…” I gestured between us with my index finger “Was very much a friendship thing.”
Rourke was completely serious for the longest moment before his face broke out in a huge megawatt smile. “About that,” he chuckled, pulling me in closer. “I meant to tell you; right around the time you were promoting me to best friend status, I was giving you a promotion of your own.”
“What are you talking ab–?”
He kissed me.
Right there, in the middle of the lunch room, in front of half the school, Rourke put his mouth on mine. My hands fell helplessly at my sides as he held my face between his hands, taking control of the kiss, taking control of everything. Stunned, I could do nothing but kiss him back, feeling more emotion than was safe for me.