Unbroken Rules (Rules 3)

“I don’t want to go back with you!” Jay snaps, taking both me and Lauren by surprise.

“E-Excuse me?” Shock is thick in her voice.

“You heard me. I don’t want to go home with you. Winter’s more my mother than you ever were. She’s the one who showed up. You didn’t give a shit about Dad. Or me!” His outburst draws unwanted attention to the scene.

Her face twists in fury. “Jaden! What did you just say to me? I’m your mother. They told me you were okay. If there was even the slightest chance that you had been hurt, I would’ve been there in a heartbeat.”

That’s when the fake tears come into play.

Guilt decreases Jaden’s anger.

“After all that I’ve done for you. I raised you and y-you think that I’d be capable of—” She lets out the worst fake sob I’ve ever heard, covering her face with perfectly manicured hands.

“Mom, stop, it’s okay. I’ll go with you,” Jay gives in, suddenly acutely aware of the unwanted audience. I must give it to her. She’s good. The witch knew there’s nothing a socially awkward fourteen-year-old moody boy hates more than being the center of attention.

“You… You will?” She sniffles.

“Yes. Just… stop crying, please.” He grimaces.

“Great.” Her sadness quickly vanishes. “I have to go see your father, then we’ll be on our way home.” A nurse walks into the waiting room the next second, beckoning for my mom to follow her. I watch the distance between us stretch with only one thought in mind…

I will bring that woman down if it is the last thing I do.

Haze Adams has put me in situations I’d never experienced before multiple times since I met him. He’s been my first real crush, my first boyfriend, my first heartbreak. He’s been a million things to me, but what he has never been… is gone.

Radio silent, vanished without a trace gone.

He was big on disappearing before we got together, but since we made it official? He’s never ghosted me without so much as a phone call or a text. He’s not a quitter. The thirty-something missed calls I got from him last week made that clear.

Lying in bed with Waze’s head propped on my stomach, I wait for the guy I love to come bursting through the front door. He didn’t come home last night. Nor did he answer any of my calls and messages. He said he was going to get his clothes at Vic’s, then return to me.

So, I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But he never came.

Alex, Will, and Kass hopped on a plane to Florida early this morning, so yesterday we had a “goodbye” dinner party after I got back from the hospital. It was a great night, one that managed to take my mind off the disaste

r that’s currently my life. Allie and Kendrick even announced that they were thinking of moving in together, which means my cousin will be clearing out his room as soon as Haze officially moves back in.

But that would require Haze still being alive.

Paranoia steals what’s left of my sanity. What if something happened to him? What if he’s hurt? Should I call Vic? The cops? If he’d ended up crashing at Vic’s when he went to get his clothes, he would’ve called.

Screw this. Pushing Waze off me gently, I grab my phone and sit up straight. It rings five times. He finally picks up.

“Hello?” Vic’s voice emerges down the line.

“Hey, Vic. It’s Winter. Have you seen Haze?” I skip straight to the point.

“Haze? No, I haven’t seen Haze. Why would I have seen Haze?” He speaks so rapidly, doubt creeps into my mind.

I smell bullshit.

Then I hear something in the background.