Unbroken Rules (Rules 3)

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I see him in the distance. He spots us and freezes in place. His jaw falls at the sight of my father dashing toward him at full speed with a baseball bat.

What? Not how you expected to meet my parents, babe?

“Dad!” I shout again, but he keeps on running, paying me no mind. Only a few steps separate us now. Haze gives me a look, and I know exactly what it stands for. He’s going to defend himself if he has to. I call it the “I love you, but I’m not getting beat up by a baseball bat.”

“You think you can break into my house? You’re going to jail.” My dad takes a swing, aiming at Haze.

The loudest, most piercing “Stop!” I’ve ever heard in my entire life rings out in our backyard. A second is required for me to realize that it came from my own mouth. My father halts himself right before impact, and, with my heart beating so fast it hurts, I stride to Haze, stepping in front of him and acting as a human shield.

“What are you doing? Step away! Why are you protecting the thief?” my dad yells.

Kendrick and Will are barely holding back laughter in the background, their faces scarlet.

Did I say I was happy that they’re here? I take it back.

“He’s not a thief,” I pant.

We hear the front door slam and my mom comes running toward us with Maika in one arm and the phone pressed to her ear. She’s calling the police. She stops next to my dad, confused as to why we’re all standing there instead of apprehending the intruder. Anticipating the shitstorm that will come pouring down on me the second I say the words, I inhale a sharp breath.

“Mom, Dad. Meet Haze.”

Someone kill me now.

“My boyfriend.”

4

Deadlines

My parents are petrified. Not a move. Not even a blink. My words echo through the most dreadful of silences, and I pray that someone will say something. My father looks like he’s just seen Medusa. As for my mother, she’s mad, furious even. She hangs up the phone, and her eyes travel back and forth between Haze and me.

“Your what?” my mom blurts.

“You heard me,” I say with a faltering voice.

“A… A boyfriend? When did this happen?” Dad struggles to say the word as though it’s impossible for him to wrap his head around the possibility.

“W-When I was in Florida.” I grab Haze’s hand. The cat is out of the bag, but my stomach remains clenched into a tight knot. I don’t care much for my mother’s opinion, but if there is one person I don’t want to disappoint, it’s my dad.

“What is this imbecile doing sneaking out your window? No, what was he doing in our house to begin with?” my mother spits. Unable to hold back anymore, Kendrick flinches and snickers. “Is something funny?” My mom glares at him.

Kendrick clears his throat, fighting to keep a straight face. “No. Of course not. Will just told me a joke, Aunt Lauren.”

Your existence is a joke.

My mother’s attention comes back to us. “Answers, now!”

I sigh. “Haze left Florida to move here with me. Yesterday, he slept over after Allie and Caleb took us out to celebrate my return. It was extremely late. I… I couldn’t possibly leave him to sleep outside. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d be upset. We just need a place to stay until we find an apartment.” I’m hoping I can convince her not to kick us out and force us to live off vending machines and dirty motels. I know Haze would probably try and pay for a luxurious hotel room if that were to happen, but I’m not going to let him waste his money because of my evil mother.

“So, you decided to, what, pretend he hadn’t spent the night?” My mother crosses her arms over her chest.

“Yeah,” I admit, shame thick in my voice.

“Then what? He was going to come knocking on our door like nothing happened?”

“I just wanted him to make a good first impression, and I thought if he just walked into the kitchen in the morning, you would—”