Page 79 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

“Daire!” Her voice is so high pitched I expect dogs to start howling at any second.

“Apologize,” I singsong.

She huffs, stomping her foot. “I’m so sorry for making fun of your mom-mobile.”

“Mm,” I reverse slightly again. “Not good enough.”

“I’m sorry! Okay? Don’t leave me here!”

The desperation in her voice hits me like a stab to the gut. I was just having a little fun. I would’ve neveractuallyleft her here. I’m not that much of an asshole.

I unlock the doors, and when she yanks the door open, I angle over the center console. “I wasn’t going to abandon you.”

She gets inside with a huff, her nose pink from the cold. “Sure, you weren’t.” She yanks the seat belt across her body, avoiding my gaze.

My heart pangs at the hurt and anger wafting off her after such a harmless joke. “I mean it, Rosie.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “You’ve done it before. Why would now be any different?”

With my heart in my throat, I pull back into the parking space. Once the van is in park again, I turn in my seat to face her, racking my brain for any memory of leaving her behind. But I come up empty.

“When?” I demand.

“The day our friendship ended.” She wraps her arms around herself, looking away like she wishes the words hadn’t tumbled out of her mouth. She bites down on her bottom lip, but not before I catch the way it trembles.

Fuck. I hate that she’s on the verge of tears because of me.

“The day… junior prom?”

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, but she doesn’t turn my way. “You have to remember.”

I’ve never forgotten that fateful day, but I didn’t leave her.

“You left with Brady Jackson.”

Her lips part, and she whips around, eyes wide. “Brady? Are you serious? I hated him!”

I turn the music down and clear my throat. “That’s not what I heard. Alyssa told me?—”

“Alyssa?” She huffs. “I shouldn’t be surprised that she’s the one who spewed that bullshit at you. She hated me.”

“What?” I rear back. “No, she didn’t.”

“Daire.” She blinks at me like she’s waiting for me to connect a series of dots I’m too dumb to see. “She was your girlfriend, and I was your best friend. She didn’t like that.”

My stomach twists itself into a knot. “Why would she?—”

“Because I was in love with you!” Rosie screams, throwing her arms out. Her knuckles hit the window, and she winces, then cradles her right hand in her left. “Everyone knew.” Her voice is softer, her arms wrapping protectively around her body again. “Everyone but you.”

Everyone but you.

Clueless fucking idiot.

She turns back to the window and sniffles. “That night… I don’t know if she knew I was in the restroom, but I think she did. She was bragging about how… about how you guys were going to finally have sex and…” Rosie drops her head. “I knew she was your girlfriend. I knew it was inevitable, but it still hurt. And then you were supposed to take me home, and you just… left me.”

I stare at her, my heart cracking wide open. Why the fuck was I so stupid back then? How the hell did we let this ruin our friendship?

“I was so fucking angry,” I start, curling my fists like I did all those years ago, “when she told me you went home with Brady. I was jealous when I had no right to be. I liked you too, but I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.” I bark out a humorless laugh. “But after that night, it was ruined anyway.”

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