Unspoken Rules (Rules 2)

“I wish that girl would eat sand and choke,” Kendrick whispers in my ear, and I hold back a laugh.

Also one of the reasons why I’m glad my cousin’s here.

We lay down the few towels we brought into a circle and sit.

“What took you so long?” Riley asks.

Kendrick scoffs. “You mean, aside from having sex in the shower and thinking they’re sneaky?”

When he says that, I’m the one who wants to eat

sand and choke. Haze and I shift uncomfortably, both thinking the same thing: Well, shit.

Riley’s mouth flies open, and her face twitches in anger.

“Excuse me?” she lets out.

This it is. She’s going to expose herself.

She notices Haze’s perplexed eyes stuck on her and covers Jacob’s ears to make it pass as if he’s the reason she’s upset. Thankfully, he’s way too young and focused on his sandcastle to even come close to understanding what’s been said. I know damn well she wasn’t being a protective parent. She was being a jealous ex-girlfriend.

Haze apologizes for Kendrick’s behavior while my cousin beams, proud of the very awkward moment he just created. Riley is careful not to address anyone but Haze for the next twenty minutes. She asks him to help Jacob with his sandcastle, making sure to exclude us and scooting closer to him on the beach towel. Kendrick and I exchange glances.

Good to know at least one guy here isn’t completely blind.

Kendrick and I decide to make a sandcastle of our own, well aware that Riley will surely cut our fingers off if we try to intervene in her picture-perfect family moment. After a few minutes of very bad sandcastle making, Haze turns to us and laughs.

“Not to be mean, guys, but… a two-year-old’s castle looks better than yours.”

Haze made a joke. That’s Riley’s cue.

Like she’s on a timer, she bursts out laughing and punches him playfully. My gaze jumps to Haze, and I try to catch his eyes. The look on my face screams “I told you. I freaking told you.” But, of course, he doesn’t look my way, his attention drifting back to Jacob and his unsteady castle.

“Are you thirsty?” Riley asks Jacob after a while.

Haze jumps at the opportunity to go get us drinks at the food stand on the opposite end of the beach. It warms my heart that he’s so caring and good with kids, but… it also destroys me that I had to find out this way.

“Not that I love your company, Kendrick, but I won’t be able to carry five drinks by myself,” Haze says, and Kendrick groans, getting up to help.

“I’ll help, too,” I say. I can feel Haze’s insistent eyes on me, but I don’t care.

I’m not staying alone with her even if you pay me back all the money I’ve spent on food in my entire life.

We’re halfway there when he says it.

“Babe…”

“What?”

“You know what. You should go back there and try to talk to her. Give her the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure you’ll like her if you give her a chance.”

“I highly doubt that,” I say to myself.

“Winter, please. For me. I really want you two to get along.”

I can tell it means a lot to him.

“Fine.” I roll my eyes, and he smiles. “But if it’s hell on earth, you owe me big-time.”