Unbroken Rules (Rules 3)

“I don’t know.”

He nods faintly.

Then he’s gone.

HAZE

“Haze? What the hell are you doing here?” Vic asks when I burst into his apartment uninvited. I spent hours just roaming around town, talking myself out of driving straight to her house and begging her to take me back. It’s past midnight.

“You told her, didn’t you?” Rage boils inside me.

He tries to get up but quickly tumbles backward onto the couch. Great, he’s drunk. I can’t even be mad at his dumb ass. He won’t remember a thing tomorrow.

“I’m sorry. She called and asked where you were and I…” He pauses, his eyes widening. “I…” He brings a hand to his mouth.

Tell me he isn’t going to…

Yep, he just puked.

I’m grateful for the trash can next to him. I can’t be cleaning up vomit after I just got dumped. Or did I? Shit, I don’t know.

“And he’s wasted.” I crinkle my nose at the smell and plop onto his couch. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“You should’ve told me she wasn’t supposed to know.”

“You mean I should’ve told you I was lying to my girlfriend again?”

It sounds so fucking bad put like that.

Wow, she was right to kick me out…

She should’ve done it ages ago.

“Are you in trouble?” Vic asks.

I scoff. “Trouble? She kicked me out. I think we’re over.”

“Now where have I heard that before?” he mocks. “You two break up twice every five seconds, and guess what? She always takes your sorry ass back.”

“This one was different. I’m telling you, she’s really done with my shit.”

So is the whole world.

“That’s also what you said last time and you still ended up hooking up the night of the party, am I wrong?”

The memories invade my brain. I see Winter in a towel. The drops running down her breasts. How much she didn’t want to want me when I pushed a finger inside her. I forgot half of my night, but this… I could never forget.

He snorts. “You never really lose Winter, man. That’s what makes Winter… Winter.”

His mocking tone triggers me. He speaks of her like I could do anything and she’d still take me back, like her love for me makes her downright stupid.

“Don’t talk about her like that,” I warn.

“Woah, chill.” He puts his hands up. “I’m not mocking her. Not at all. I envy you for having a girl like that. Love so strong you’d accept even the worst things. It’s almost like she loves you so much she’d choose you over herself.”

I’m about to tell him he’s wrong when my phone vibrates.

What now?