Page 64 of Against The Rules

I go still, staring at the name lighting up the screen.

Savannah.

Swallowing hard, I accept the call and try to play it cool.

“Hey, Savannah,” I say. Appropriately calm. “How are—”

“Tyler,” she says, and my name comes out on a sob.

I’m in motion immediately, scrambling to find my car keys. “What’s wrong?” I ask. “Are you hurt? Where are you?” I’m racing out the door, locking it behind me before she stops crying long enough to get out something coherent.

“I’m at home. I was— I was—” A hiccup interrupts whatever she was going to say, but I have the information I need and I start the car, letting the call go to Bluetooth as I back down the driveway.

“Are you safe?” I ask. “Do I need to call 911?”

“It was supposed to be a girls’ night,” she wails. “But Presley left. And I have all these things to do with her, and she left me here to go be with her awful boyfriend, and I am just so sad, Tyler. She’s my best friend, and it’s been awful between us lately.”

Fury rises in me, and my knuckles go white on the steering wheel. “I’m coming over.”

“No, no, I shouldn’t have called you. I’m just sad. I’m just really sad.”

I hate that she’s sad. “That’s bullshit and I’m coming over. Whatever you were going to do with your friend you can do with me. You’ll get your girls’ night.” I wince. That sounded a little threatening. “Well, you’ll be a girl having a night.”

She gives a wet laugh. “You really don’t have to do that. I know it’s Friday night and you probably have big plans to go to a club or whatever—”

“Peaches, I haven’t been to a club since the night I met you in Vegas.” It comes out like I meant to say it, but I blink at the red stop sign in surprise. I haven’t been to a club in months. Haven’t had a party. Haven’t done any of the things I used to do all the time.

How did that happen?

“Really?” She sniffles.

“Really.”

“I don’t want to bother you.”

“Savannah,” I say gently, even though I’m fucking furious at her friend for making her cry. “I wanted to see you tonight. I didn’t have plans. I would love to spend time with you. When I saw it was you on the phone…”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“How long until you get here?” She sounds like she’s crying again, but softer now, like she’s trying to hide it. “I could really use a hug.”

I glance at the clock. “Twenty minutes, tops. And I could use a hug too, Peaches. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“And Tyler? Thank you. This means… it means a lot to me.”

Warmth spreads through my chest. I don’t know the last time anyone told me I meant a lot to them. Maybe never.

“It means a lot that you called me,” I say.

“Drive safe.”

The line goes quiet for a moment, but neither of us has hung up. Neither of us knows quite what to say to end the call.

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