Page 46 of Mercy & Malice

“Avoidance much?” I quip.

“You can’t seriously be asking if I slept with Luca?” She glares at me for a few seconds before she shakes her head. “Oh my gosh, I really didn’t think you could get even more irrational. Why the hell would I sleep with him? That doesn’t even make freaking sense, Micah. Why would I do that to Ivy? Or you?”

“We’re not together. It’s nothing to me.”

She stomps in front of me, poking her finger in my chest before she waves it in front of my nose. “I’m the one in charge right now. Mercy says you have to obey me, and I want to know why you would ever think I’d sleep with your brother. I want you to explain it to me in the next three seconds.”

Fuck. I thought she’d just leave. “My father saw you talking and is wondering if you’re conspiring with the ‘better’ twin, and Remy said you fucked Luca thinking it was me.”

Her mouth drops open as she gapes at me. “And you believed them? Do you really think that little of me?” She closes her eyes, her fingers pressing against her temples. “You do. I’ve never once mistaken the two of you morons. And don’t even get me started on Montclair senior and his conspiracies, because then I’d have to discuss my mother.”

I’m not surprised she’s aware of their affair. But I don’t want to even touch that topic right now.

“You’re a bonehead.” She goes to the door. Instead of just leaving, she yells, “Follow me. Now.”

This should be entertaining. I trail behind her as she goes to Luca’s room, barging in and shrieks, “Tell him it’s not true.”

Luca flatly says, “He has to obey you, not me.”

Brooke doesn’t relent as she says, “No, Luca. Explain to him that I never slept with you. Your father saw us talking and then Remy convinced him that you fucked me because I couldn’t tell you two apart. The bastard is trying to play all of us against each other because that would upset Ivy too.”

He keeps a detached expression. “Not my problem.”

Brooke’s fit heightens as she stomps her foot and points in the direction of Ivy’s house. “If you don’t admit the truth, I’ll tell Ivy every single thing you’ve asked me to do to manipulate her.”

“Go ahead,” he states, still completely unbothered and hardly reacting to the threat of her telling Ivy.

What the hell is wrong with him? He’s usually not outright reactive, but this indifferent gloomy persona is new when his precious individual is at risk.

“Luca,” Brooke shrieks as he looks back to me.

“He won’t believe me either way, but here goes: No, Micah, I haven’t screwed Brooke. She never sucked my dick or whatever else Remy said. He’s playing the two of you against each other. It’s easy when he knows your weakness.”

Brooke slaps her palm to her forehead and sarcastically grumbles, “So convincing.”

Then she turns to me, pointing at my brother. “But see, I didn’t sleep with him. Why would I when I have your multiple personalities to keep me occupied while we play this godforsaken game? Besides, the mistaken identity should’ve clued you in immediately. I’ve always been able to tell you two idiots apart.”

It did. But it still had a way of playing on my nerves.

She turns her focus back to Luca, “Where is Ivy? It’s her turn, right?”

He says, “Yes. I’m guessing she went home.”

Brooke’s frustration fades, her tone sympathetic as she says, “Guessing it didn’t go well.”

She doesn’t stop long enough to take a breath much less allow us to answer before she is full-blown irate again. “Why can’t the two of you”—she jabs her finger between Luca and me—“get your heads out of your asses?”

The sight of her annoyance is refreshing and maybe so is the fact that she’s shut out the annoying doubt in my mind with her rant. I can’t help but smile as I ask her, “Is that a literal request so it can be in yours instead?”

She’s shoves past me when I glance back to Luca, motioning to his bloody fist. “You should probably get that stitched up.”

It’s finally a mess he’s involved in and not about me. I have something else to entertain or I’d poke more at him despite my father’s warnings to steer clear.

When I get back to my room, I find Brooke sitting on the edge of my bed, her legs crossed at her knees and her arms folded over her chest. “Now, will you tell me what your real problem is?”

I casually say, “I’m good.”

“You’re lying. I can tell. And since it’s still my turn, you have to listen to me. So, Micah, tell me why you’re sulking and mopey and didn’t make me do some stupid tasks when you said I was yours and you were all excited about his stupid dare. You only shut down like this when it’s really bad. Is it the fight? The game? I know it wasn’t the mess with Luca and me, because you know me better than that. Right?”