Forgotten Rules (Rules 4)

“In your fucking dreams!”

Luke is torn off me with such strength that his shirt nearly rips. I yelp as he wobbles a few steps backward, gripping my desk for balance. I take in the fuming, broad-shouldered guy at the foot of my bed. How did he…

I didn’t even hear him come in.

“Will?”

Did I forget to lock the front door? Guess I was too busy drowning in my snot.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I just… I had to see you. To explain,” he begs.

I can’t handle his puppy eyes.

“So what? Now you give a shit about her, Martins?” Luke spits. “What happened? Did Zoey get boring?”

Radiating anger, Will tilts his head to the side. There are no more jokes in his eyes, no more escapes. Not a trace of the cocky, prankster guy I fell for. He’s this close to ripping Luke a new one.

“Back off. This doesn’t concern you,” Will cautions.

Luke overlooks his warning. “You’ve hurt her enough, don’t you think? You can’t be mad someone else wants to be with her when you don’t, asshole.”

Will’s jaw flexes and he inhales a deep, noisy breath as if to keep himself in check.

Then he says it.

“But I do.”

He moves closer.

“I really… really…” Another step. “Fucking do.” He stares me dead in the eyes as he says it, his voice so weak it’s barely audible. He looks petrified by the mere thought of admitting that.

Luke scoffs. “You’re insane if you think she—”

“Luke,” I whisper.

He looks at me.

“Please, go.”

I hate being rude, but William Martins is talking about his feelings for once in a goddamn lifetime, and I don’t know how long it’s going to last.

It’s now or never.

Kass, why do you even care?

He kissed Zoey!

Luke frowns. “Excuse me?”

“I’m so sorry I brought you into this. I can handle it from here. Thanks for being such a good friend.”

The switch is instant. Luke becomes this entirely different person, his features twitching in fury.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Friends?” Luke snarls, rushing toward me, which kick-starts Will’s reflexes. Will extends his left arm in front of me, nudging me behind him.

Luke huffs out a bitter laugh at Will’s protective instincts, talking to me over my bodyguard’s shoulder. “It didn’t look like we were friends when you came running into my arms like a pathetic mess every time he fucked up. You slut, you did everything you could to make me think you liked me. Asking me out on a date? Texting me?”