Worth It

“I meant an abortion, and you knew it.”

City’s breath exploded, and I realized she’d just caught on. I reached back for her fingers, but I couldn’t find her hand.

“Well, I decided maybe I wanted the baby, after all.”

Max snorted, “Yeah right. You mean, you decided having the kid would help you get your hands on some Bainbridge money.”

Mercy stepped in closer to him this time. “Well, it should,” she spat insistently. “I was your goddamn pussy call for six months, you bastard. I bore your fucking child. I deserve something for that. I deserve half of everything you have.”

With a mocking leer, Max shook his head. “But you won’t get shit. My father will see to it. He doesn’t take kindly to gold-digging whores.”

“You helped make me a whore, prick.”

“Then I guess you shouldn’t go around spreading your legs so much, bitch.”

“Listen here, dick face.” She dug her finger into his chest, but he batted it away.

“Get your dirty hands off me.”

Eyes glittering with hatred, Mercy gritted her teeth. “You certainly weren’t saying that when I had them wrapped around your—”

He caught her wrist and glared back. “In case you didn’t catch the memo, those days are over. I just needed a no-strings-attached fuck, and you wanted to strike it rich through your pussy. I guess neither of us got what we wanted. So I no longer require your services.”

As he turned and strolled away with a cocky saunter that I wanted to kick out from under him, my sister called after him, “You were a sucky lay, anyway, you asshole. Your friend Fred was ten times better.”

When Max ignored her, she stomped her foot. “Damn you, Bainbridge. What the fuck am I supposed to do with a fucking baby? It cries all goddamn day long, and just won’t stop needing shit.”

“Not my fucking problem, Mercedes. I told you I wasn’t having anything to do with a kid. Drown it in a fucking river for all I care.”

City gasped. I didn’t realize I’d stepped from our hiding spot and was stalking toward her asshole brother until she grabbed my shirt and frantically pulled me back to the corner of the building. Reality set in—the fear of us getting caught and me never seeing her again—and finally, I dashed back with her.

Once we were hidden from view again, I turned to her, feeling as dazed as she looked. Then I grasped her hand and dragged her deeper into the dark street, my mind racing with everything I’d learned, with all the hate I felt even deeper for the Bainbridge family.

Once we were far enough away that I felt safe to talk, I paused to wipe my hands over my face. Felicity blew out a breath and hugged herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

“Your sister,” she finally said, “is...awful.”

I gaped at her, unable to believe my ears. “My sister?” I hissed. “I think it was your brother who suggested drowning Bentley in a river.”

“But she admitted straight to his face that she was only ever interested in his money. She got pregnant only to get money out of him.”

“And he was only ever interested in fucking her.”

“Well, she should’ve known that about him.”

“Oh?” I lifted my eyebrows, unable to believe my ears. “So it was completely impossible for her to believe your brother might’ve actually liked her for her? It had to be about just nothing but sex, huh?”

“That’s not what I—”

“Is that what I should know about you, too? I should stop thinking you might actually like me for me, because no one could ever like a fucking trashy Parker? You’re what, just experimenting with me before you get yourself a real boyfriend, someone who’s actually worthy enough to crawl between your sacred Bainbridge legs?”

With a gasp, City visibly flinched and jerked away from me.

I opened my mouth, unable to believe what had just rolled off my tongue. Regret ran like acid through my veins. I wished I could grab the words from the air and shove them back in my mouth, deep into my throat so she’d never heard such a vile, crude accusation, so they’d never existed, so I wouldn’t have even thought them.

I gaped at her, my skin turning cold with fear, not sure how to even begin to apologize.

She shook her head before I could formulate a response. “That’s not what I meant.” Her voice trembled and tears sparkled in her eyes. I fisted my hand, bringing it to my mouth, so ashamed of myself I almost started crying, too. “I wasn’t trying to say Mercy shouldn’t have assumed he might really like her. But she should’ve also known...well, he’s a teenage boy. Everyone knows the only thing they want is sex.”