Unspoken Rules (Rules 2)

“What? Why?”

“I want to eat.”

“So I get to drive while you stuff your face? Thanks a lot.” I roll my eyes and switch to the driver’s side against my will. “How the hell am I going to eat a salad while driving?”

“I guess I’ll have to feed you.” He laughs.

“I hate you, you know that?”

We get back on the highway. We’re ridiculous. Kendrick trying to feed me while I drive, covering me in salad dressing and croutons, is a show I should probably pitch to Netflix. He makes sure to mock me every time he gives me a bite, and after a miserably long while, he says that my driving makes him sick and we switch places again.

What? I’m a good driver.

Sometimes.

After a few years, the GPS informs us that we only have one hour left on the road.

“Hey, did you guys find a replacement for Blake?” I ask.

“Yes.”

I wait a second for him to go on, but he doesn’t, so I say, “That’s it? That’s all I get? Who is he?”

“Some guy.” He shrugs.

I can tell he’s dodging my questions, but I don’t have the mental and physical strength to play detective today. Or ever.

“What about the boys? How are they?”

“They’re good. Alex’s got himself a girlfriend. And Will is still… well, Will.” He chuckles.

“Oh, a girlfriend? Is she nice?”

“Don’t know, never met her. Alex’s barely ever around anymore. His girlfriend’s keeping him busy.”

I ask Kendrick about Kass. Apparently, she’s still working at the animal shelter, and last he heard she was seeing Luke Jenson, a jock from school who’s been crushing on her forever. She’s been texting me during my time away and asking why her mom was clearly lying to her about where I was. I get it. Maria doesn’t know how much Kass is aware of. She’s trying to protect her.

I didn’t text her back once. I didn’t text any of them back. Not Will, not Kendrick, not Kass. The phone call with Maria was the best I did. It’s like I was caught up in a dream and I didn’t want to wake up.

As for Kendrick, he tells me that him leaving town without a reason—or at least, a reason that he could share with her—didn’t sit well with Nicole and they’re over… again.

“My phone’s dying. I need your GPS,” he says, but it’s more of an order than a request.

I dread turning on my phone. I turned it off so that I wouldn’t know if Haze contacted me. I do as Kendrick asked and ache when I see the many new voicemails and texts on my screen. They’re all from him.

“Don’t listen to them,” Kendrick says.

“What are you talking about?”

“He left you voicemails, didn’t he?”

I don’t even have to ask him how he knew for him to tell me.

“That’s Haze Adams we’re talking about. He’s not going to stop fighting for you. Eventually, he’ll find out Riley’s a dirty liar and come running back.”

“Maybe I should just listen to one.” I can’t help but crave his voice. Just one more time. Then I’ll get him out of my system.

“If you want my advice, don’t do this to yourself.”