It wasn't going to happen.

I couldn’t talk if I wanted to.

Wren had too much power over me.

Over this whole damn town.

Dick.

"What's happening with you and Sissy?" I asked a little while later when we were walking to first period.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing."

"I ain't got a stepsister to fuck, Rourke – unless you're planning on sharing yours."

"Watch your fucking mouth," he barked.

"Well shit." I arched a brow. "Could that be real emotion you're emanating right now?"

"Maybe." He grinned. "Six is…special."

"Special," I repeated, mulling the word around in my head. "Is that why you're still calling her Six and not Mercedes? Because I've gotta tell you, man, referring to the girl as the 'sixth' stepsibling doesn’t exactly scream special to me."

"It's more of a pet name now," he explained with a shrug. "A term of endearment."

"Whatever," I replied, too lost in my own thoughts to try and talk sense into the stubborn fucker. "It's your relationship."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" I replied flatly.

"Don’t piss down my back and tell me it's raining," he shot back. "I know you snuck off with Molly during the party last week and you've been avoiding being alone with me ever since."

"I haven't been avoiding you."

"Did something happen with her?"

"Nope."

Rourke scoffed. "Like you would tell me if it had."

"Nothing happened, Rourke," I growled, defensively. "Nothing."

He smirked. "You sure about that?"

At that exact moment, I caught a glimpse of Molly at the other end of the hallway with Mercedes. The sunlight was shining through the glass floor to ceiling windows, illuminating her in what looked like an honest to god halo, and when she smiled, it took the air clean out of my lungs.

Fuck my life.

The world felt like it was moving in slow motion. Everything came to a standstill. I didn’t know what to do, how to react, how to feel. Everything had intensified to the point where breathing hurt.

"Fuck," I breathed, stopping short, eyes glued to her as she disappeared inside a classroom with Mercy in tow. "Fuck."

Was I broken?

Did my eyes not work right?

How in the hell had I not noticed her before last week?

"I'm guessing from that reaction to her that something definitely happened at the party," Rourke mused, rubbing his jaw. "Looks like I'm not the only one emanating emotions, dude." He winced before adding, "Sucks to be us, huh?"

"I don’t know what to do here, Rourke," I admitted, feeling completely fucking rattled now. I swung around to face him, tone urgent. "I don’t know what I'm supposed to do."

"You're eighteen," he replied slowly. "No one knows, D."

"No." I shook my head. "You don’t get it."

"Get what?"

"Her." I blew out a pained breath. "I don’t know what to do about her."

"Molly?"

I nodded frantically. "And feelings."

"Molly and feelings…" He cocked a brow. "Wow. You're just swell at expressing yourself."