Page 33 of Obeying His Rules

Taylor slides into the booth beside Jasmine. “Who doesn’t want to go where?”

“Rain is having a hard time with her new friend. Just like…who said she would?”

I groan.

“Um, I think we did,” Taylor replies with a smirk, glancing at Jasmine, then at me, then back at Jasmine. “We did, didn’t we?”

“We totally did,” Jasmine replies. “We said you’d never be able to do a friends-with-benefits thing–”

“And that you’d want to figure him out–what was his name again?”

“Marlon,” I sigh.

“That’s right. Marlon.”

“And that you’d get too attached and that when he ended up cutting you off, bad things would happen,” Jasmine says. “And that’s what happened, isn’t it, Rain?”

“No, that’s not what happened,” I reply indignantly. “Something very different happened, in fact.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” Jasmine asks.

“I’m the one who cut him off,” I reply. “Bet you didn’t see that coming, now did ya?”

The two look at each other doubtfully, then back to me.

“Cut him off for how long?” Taylor asks.

Uh-oh.

I drum my fingers on the table and pretend to examine a photo on the wall of old New York. “Well, it’s been three days…”

“Three days?” Jasmine replies. “You can’t cut someone off for three days, Rain. Cutting them off implies you’re done for good!”

“Right?” Taylor laughs. “That’s more like…oh my God, I was just so busy I didn’t have time to call or text you.”

“Three days.” Jasmine shakes her head. “And I bet you’ve been thinking about him the entire time. Obsessing even.”

“You know what? Fine. You’re right!” I snap. They both look back at me, shocked. “And I’ll tell you why if the two of you will actually listen! Will you actually listen?”

They both simply stare back at me for a moment, but then Jasmine slowly nods.

I take a deep breath and launch into the story of what exactly happened three days ago at Marlon’s penthouse. I realize just about halfway through that I’m starting to sweat and my heartrate is picking up, and when I’m finished, both of them are just looking at me.

“Well? Say something, you ass-clowns!”

“That is intense, girl,” Taylor replies quickly. He looks genuinely concerned.

“Super intense,” Jasmine agrees. “You need to give up on him. He clearly isn’t even remotely interested in a relationship. It’s like he’s using you as one of those hyper-realistic sex-dolls they have now.”

“Totally.” Taylor nods. “Like a fuck-puppet made from latex or something that creepy dudes buy and keep in their basements and dress up in outfits and–”

“Okay, I get it!” I interrupt. “I get your point, we don’t need to go into it.”

This is not going well.

“And he sounds like an asshole,” Jasmine adds. “And a total misogynist.”

“Misogynist?” I frown. “What makes you say that?”

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