Forgotten Rules (Rules 4)

I suggested we get out of the house in the hope that it would take my mind off my nonexistent job. I’ve been thinking—more like obsessing—over why I didn’t get a callback from the pet store since my interview. Granted it’s only been a few days, but I really need this to work out, and the wait is slowly driving me insane.

Here we are, driving back home, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic after a few hours of wasting money and trying to convince Winter to touch anything with heels.

“So… About the party,” I start, my thoughts drifting to the text Zoey sent me this morning. She said last night took quite the turn, and after Will and I left, the cops showed up.

She also said, her voice loaded with jealousy, that she saw Winter leaving with Haze. No, wait—running with Haze. Something about Haze dragging her away from the police. Winter didn’t come home until eleven this morning. It’s not rocket science. She must’ve slept at his place.

“What about it?” Winter asks, rubbing her temples as though she’s hoping to make her headache disintegrate.

“Rumor has it you slept at you know who’s?”

She scoffs. “You can say his name. He’s not Voldemort.”

“Haze,” I barely say.

“Yeah. I did.”

I can’t help myself. “What’s the deal between you two, Winter? He’s dangerous.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“I’m serious. You need to be careful. I can’t believe you let him take you to his house. You need to stay away from him.”

“I’m trying to,” she assures me.

“Oh, really? Is that why you keep hanging out with Kendrick and his trouble-magnet friends? They’re involved in…” I stop, too much of a chicken to resume. “Some stuff.”

I hate lecturing her, but I have to do something. I know she thinks she’s safe, but she has no idea what she just got herself into. I don’t want anything to happen to her.

“Stuff?” she questions, and I almost laugh. We’re doing that thing where we pretend we’re not aware that Kendrick’s favorite hobby is punching people.

“Stuff.” I clear my throat. “Do you know what happened yesterday? I was already gone, but I heard it caused a panic.”

She zeroes in on her feet. “Cops.”

Winter’s always been a terrible liar.

Glad to see that hasn’t changed.

“I know that’s what everyone said, but it seemed like a lot more than that. Some people said they heard a gunshot.” My thoughts wander to the few posts I saw scrolling through social media.

“Cops these days.” She shrugs.

“Yeah.” I struggle to hide my frown. “I’m just saying to be careful. Haze Adams is not one to do romance and—”

She cuts me off. “Wait a minute. You were gone? With who?”

Shit.

“With… with a friend,” I stutter.

“Oh, come on. Who’s the boy?” she insists, and I scold myself for letting that last detail slip out.

“There’s no boy. Don’t try to change the subject. What were we talking about?”

“You were lecturing me about Haze.” She heaves a sigh.

“Right. All Haze wants is fun. Like what he does with Bianca. He keeps sleeping with her even though the poor girl’s head over heels in love with him. Just don’t let him fool you, too.”