Page 145 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

I arch a brow at my best friend. “Dude, are you going to say that every time I see you?”

He grins back at me. “Yeah, at least until it sinks in.”

I shake my head. “Come over when he’s crying because he’s tired but won’t go to sleep, and then maybe it’ll be real for you.”

“Mm.” He tilts his head back, pretending to consider the idea. “I’ll pass.”

As I get Sammy buckled into his car seat, the guys disperse in a flurry of back slaps and hollers.

Once the little guy is secure, I pull out my phone and send a text to Rosie.

Me: Are you still on campus?

Rosie: Yeah, are you done with practice?

Me: Finished up and heading out. Do you want to get dinner out?

Rosie: Like pick it up and take it home?

Me: No, I mean actually go out to eat. As a family. We haven’t tried it out with Sammy yet.

She doesn’t respond right away, and I worry she doesn’t like the idea.

I’m almost to my car when she responds.

Rosie: Sorry, I ran into Bertie. She’s acting funny. But yes, sounds great. Where do you want to go?

Me: The Italian place in town?

Rosie: Yum. I’m in.

Fifteen minutes later, I pull into the lot of the restaurant. Sammy has babbled the entire way, playing with his feet and flailing his arms.

Rosie isn’t here yet, so I hop out and grab the diaper bag and quickly make Sammy a bottle. I packed a couple of jars of baby food as well that I can feed him in the restaurant if he gets fussy. Sitting in the back seat, I hunt for the socks he took off on the way—the kid seriously pulls them off each and every time he’s in the car—and take him out of his seat. Once he’s settled in my arms,he greedily takes the bottle, his chubby hands holding on.

I smile down at him, heart full, and soak in the quiet moment.

I thought my life was good before, but fuck, I didn’t know what—no, who—I was missing.

A knock on the window startles both of us. Sammy quickly smiles around his bottle, formula dribbling out of the side of his mouth, as Rosie presses the button to slide the door open. She climbs in, and my chest instantly goes tight. She’s so damn beautiful. Her cheeks are tinged pink from the wind and her eyes are bright.

“Good idea,” she says, nodding at the bottle.

“I figured it might save us some crying and screaming.”

Sammy’s about as easy as they come, but when he’s hungry, he’s not to be messed with—throw in the fact that he’s teething, and his meltdowns have the ability to escalate into disaster-level proportions.

When Sammy’s done, I pass him to Rosie and pack his bag up again. My stomach rumbles, reminding me that I stupidly skipped lunch.

A fifteen-minute wait later, we’re seated at a table.

“Hi, I’m Rory. I’ll be your waitress this evening.”

I look up at that, smiling. “Hey, Rory.”

Aurora, better known as Rory, is dating Mascen, a buddy of mine who graduated last year. I haven’t seen her around much, but frankly, I haven’t been hanging around in my usual haunts. A lot has changed for me this year.

“Oh, hi, Daire.” She smiles. “Rosie. And look at this cutie.”

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