Page 42 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

Cash chuckles with a shake of his head, but he finally lets go of Rosie and holds both hands up. “How was I supposed to know? My invitation must’ve gotten lost in the mail.”

Rosie’s cosplaying as a tomato now. “It was pretty sudden.” She darts a look at me, silently asking whether what she said is okay.

I eat up the distance between us and put a hand on her waist. I can’t yell at my brother for manhandling her and then act like I don’t want to touch her myself.

“Wait,” Roman keels over laughing, “does Dad know?” When I shake my head, he sobers, his eyes going wide. “Doyourparents know?” he asks Rosie.

“No.” She bites her lip. “We’re telling everyone today.”

Cash reaches for another piece of fudge and pops it into his mouth. “I’m so glad I’m here to witness this.”

I narrow my eyes on him. “Stop reveling in this.”

He chuckles. “Nice try, but I’m going to enjoy every second of the show when Dad chews you out, and I thoroughly hope Chandler tears into you,” he says, referring to Rosie’s dad. “Oh, yeah.” He rubs his hands together eagerly. “This is going to be great.”

Brothers—we’d go to war for each other, but we also take immense pleasure in watching one another suffer the consequences of their actions when it comes to our dad.

“What’s going on in here?” Elsie’s voice echoes through the room. “Do I hear my favorite?”

“If by me, then yes, but you already saw me,” Cash says as Elsie enters from the hallway on the other side of the kitchen.

As he goes in for yet another piece of fudge, she puts it into overdrive and reaches him in time to slap his hand away.

“You’ll spoil your dinner,” she scolds. With a big smile, she turns and stops in front of me. She has to stand on her tiptoes to take my face in her hands. “I’ve missed you. You don’t come home enough.”

My chest tightens. She’s right. “Sorry.”

“Sure you are,” she harrumphs. An instant later, though, her smile grows impossibly wide. “And you brought Ms. Rosie with you? I take it this means you two have finally made up. I’ve missed seeing you around, deary. Oh.” She freezes when she notices my hand on Rosie’s waist, and her eyes widen with excitement. “Are you two together?”

“Better,” Roman replies, leaning against the counter with a smirk. “They’re married.”

“Married?” Elsie blurts, bringing both hands to her cheeks. “How come I didn’t know? I would’ve made the cake!”

“It was a bit sudden,” I answer, ignoring the guilt eating at me at the mix of excitement and hurt every person we’ve told thus far has displayed.

“Yes.” Rosie beams, looking for all the world like she’s truly in love with me. She wraps her arms around one of mine and gazes up at me adoringly. “Once we made up, we realized how much we actually love each other, and now, here we are.”

Elsie puts a hand to her heart. “That’s so sweet. But no wedding?”

“It’s okay.” Rosie flashes a smile. “My boo bear promised me the wedding of my dreams this summer.” She pats my chest.

“Boo bear,” Cash chortles, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s not as built as I am, but he’s plenty muscular. “You’re never living this one down, baby brother.”

I roll my eyes. He acts like I’m so much younger than him.

“Where’s Dad?” I ask Roman, because Cash is currently dead to me.

“In his office,” he replies, opening the fridge and sticking his head in. “What’s for dinner, Elsie?”

“We better go talk to him,” I whisper in Rosie’s ear. Now that Cash and Roman know, it’ll be no time before Asher and Hudson find out. The last thing I need is for my brothers to tell my dad before I can. I’m mostly certain he’ll be cooler about this than Rosie’s dad, but I worry he’ll be upset if he hears the news from someone else.

“Okay.” She gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Good luck!” Cash calls, cackling like this is the funniest thing he’s ever witnessed.

Ignoring him, I tug Rosie down the hall to the back set of stairs that will bring us close to my dad’s office on the second floor.

“Did you have a thing with Cash?” My tone is harsher than I intend and laced with an anger I have no right to feel.

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