Unwritten Rules (Rules 1)

Two: Now everyone, especially Haze, knows that I never had a boyfriend before. Why’d she have to expose me like that? He’s never going to let me hear the end of it. He already thinks I’m a prude.

If only I was.

Haze ignores the first-boyfriend comment, thankfully.

He grins. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell them about us, babe. I thought we were official.”

To think that I almost missed him.

“Please, give me your coat. Welcome to my home.” Maria smiles warmly. Haze takes off his jacket and hands it to her with a thanks.

“What’s wrong, honey bunny? No kiss?” Haze turns to me.

“Of course. I’ll give it to you in a second. I just have to show you the thing first,” I lie, a fake smile plastered on my face.

“What thing?”

“You know that thing that I talked to you about the other day?” I elbow him when no one’s looking, obviously saying “just go with it, or I’ll make you swallow your eyeballs.”

“Aren’t you eating with us?” Maria asks, a bit disappointed. I bet she’s just dying to get all the juicy details of our “love story.”

“We’ll be back. Start without us,” I reassure her and quite literally drag him out of the kitchen to escape the killer looks Kass and Kendrick have been throwing at us for the past minute. I can tell Kendrick is on the verge of losing it. But he can’t do anything as long as Maria is here.

I slam the door shut as soon as we walk into my bedroom.

“Are you out of your freaking mind?”

I push him, but he barely steps back, still smirking.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t miss such an opportunity to piss off Kendrick.”

So it was true. He really was outside of my house this whole time. I don’t know what to think of it.

“Do you realize what you’ve done? Kendrick will literally crucify me, and don’t even get me started on Kass and her guilt trips. You can’t just show up when you want to. Especially not now,” I spit, pushing him once more. “Why did you do that?”

“I was in the area and thought it had been a while.”

The fact that he thinks for even one second that this is a good enough answer is what baffles me the most.

Haze is that guy who leaves for three months, then comes back and says it’s because he forgot to look at the time.

“Thanks, I noticed.”

“God, you’re sexy when you’re mad.” His eyes travel downward to my dress and back up to my face. I don’t usually wear dresses. It sure is different from my usual Converses and T-shirts. He chews on his bottom lip for a second, and a wave of shivers runs down my spine.

Damn you, sexual tension.

When he steps closer, I step back faster than I thought possible.

“You’re going to tell them something came up and leave, am I making myself clear? We’ve worked too hard for this to have you come in and ruin it all.”

“And miss all the fun? No, thanks. I’d much rather stay and enjoy a great family dinner with my girlfriend. But, I mean, if you really needed me to behave, I could be convinced.” His voice is dripping with suggestion.

The conclusion that’s brought upon me when he finishes speaking is one that I wish I never had to face. He has the upper hand. I’m helpless.

“What do you want?”

He raises his eyebrows, satisfied. “You agree to come with me somewhere after dinner.”