Unbroken Rules (Rules 3)

the world has been lifted off my shoulders.

“Please don’t hate me. I didn’t want to tell you because nothing is official. That’s just one of the places I found. Wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget.” He avoids looking into my eyes, and I can’t tell if he’s doing it out of shame or because he’s not telling me the whole story. My stomach twists.

“Haze, if… if you’re lying to me,” is all I say.

He doesn’t reassure me the way I expect him to. An awfully long silence crushes me. I’m being ridiculous. I know him. It’s Haze. I would know if my own boyfriend was lying to me, right?

Right?

I cup his face, forcing him to meet my eyes. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

“Of course not.” He intertwines our fingers, leaning forward and kissing my knuckles. Conflicted, I steal my hand back. Worry creases his forehead. “You believe me, don’t you?”

I hate myself for saying this, but…

No, I don’t. I don’t believe him.

I think back to the moment we shared two days ago. We said we’d tell each other everything. He promised. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I believe you. I know you’d never do anything to hurt me, and I trust you.” His eyes light up with something. It’s dark, raw, real. He opens his mouth to spea—

There’s a loud knock on the door.

“It’s probably room service. It comes with the suite,” Haze says, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. “Right on time.” I watch him walk to the door. As predicted, a fancy breakfast is waiting on the other side. After he’s brought the food in, he says he needs a shower and locks himself in the bathroom. He didn’t ask me to join him. Something is definitely bothering him. Unable to ignore the bad feeling burning within me, I eat breakfast alone and hope the rest of my day goes better than the way it started.

The drive back to the apartment is awkward. Yep, awkward. The sort of awkward I’ve never known with Haze before. Something has shifted between us—a bad something. Worst part is, it’s not for my lack of trying. I keep on cracking jokes, asking him questions he barely answers. He’s somewhere else. Somewhere too far for me to follow.

I didn’t dare bring up his motel investment story after he got out of the shower. I’m afraid he’ll get offended and think that I don’t trust him. I do trust him.

Or at least… I really, really, really want to.

He lowers his right hand to my thigh while driving and squeezes. The gesture, as small as it may be, brings me comfort.

When he rolls into our parking spot and kills the engine, I’m tempted to ask him what’s on his mind, but the sight of my best friend exiting my apartment building stops me.

What is Allie doing here so early?

She speed walks to her car parked in the visitor spot, and my gaze walks with her. She seems… emotional, distressed even. Before I know it, her car is nothing but a memory speeding down the street. I turn to Haze, who witnessed the whole thing.

“That’s weird,” I say and get out of the car, hurrying to the entrance. The elevator takes forever to get down, which only irritates me. Why would Allie be there when I’m not? Guess I’ll just ask the boys. Haze trails behind me, the same torn expression he’s had since this morning darkening his features. When we reach our front door, he grabs my wrist.

“Winter, wait, I know why Al—”

The front door opens from the inside.

In the doorway is Will.

Let me rephrase, Will and his luggage.

“Will?” I analyze the scene. “Are you leaving?”

No, he packed his entire life for fun, Winter.

“Yeah, I am.” He wraps me into an unexpected hug. “Thanks for letting me stay here, Canada.”

“But… why?” I ask, a bit emotional, even though the conversation we had when he gave me a ride to school yesterday sure gives me a hint. I catch a glimpse of Kendrick sitting on the couch over Will’s shoulder. His eyes are glued to the floor, his jaw hard as a rock. This isn’t good. They definitely had a fight.

“I just…” He breaks away from me, quickly glancing at Kendrick with pained eyes. “I really have to go home. My flight’s in a few hours. Take care, okay?”