Page 20 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

Me: Should I wear a tie?

I can’t believe I’m even texting Rosie about this, but she’s all I’ve got. I’ve yet to even mention the situation to my family. I don’t want my brothers trying to talk me out of this or my dad intervening to fix my problems for me. Sure, my solution is unconventional, but it’s going to work. It has to. I need to do this on my own, to prove to myself that I don’t need my dad and his money. I’m a dad now. I have to come up with my own solutions.

Rosie: I think so.

With a groan, I reach for the solid black one, then I get to work on knotting it. All my years of dressing up for hockey games are paying off.

Married.

I’m getting married today. It’s certainly not how I thought it would go. There’s nothing romantic about this, and even though I’ve never been in a serious relationship, I’m a bit of a romantic at heart. I’ve always thought about what it would be like to find that girl who’s my best friend. A woman I share everything with, laugh with and?—

Jesus. Thingsusedto be like that with Rosie.

Our friendship ended messily, with way too much vitriol spewing from both our mouths. We’re both passionate people, and that doesn’t always bode well.

Over the past week, between getting the marriage license and dealing with house things, like a walk-through with the inspector, we’ve seen each other a lot. It’s strange being around her again. Strange, not because it’s bad, but because it’s easy. Like it used to be. Sometimes it’s all too easy for me to forget that we ever stopped being friends.

The house is eerily silent around me. A year ago, the place was always filled with people. We hosted parties every week. Now, Cree is too focused on wooing his mystery girl and Jude is too busy trying to get into Millie’s pants.

None of my friends or my roommates know anything about what’s going on with my life because none of them are even fucking around to talk to or answer my texts. Even though Cree and I are both on the hockey team, there’s no time to talk because he’s always disappearing.

In the bathroom, I fix my hair and spray on some cologne. I have no idea why I’m going through this much trouble. Rosie’s request isn’t a good enough reason. Cologne won’t help, even if photos of our courthouse ceremony are brought up in court. But it’s too late now.

I take the stairs slowly, each one creaking beneath me on my way down, and swipe my keys up on my way out. Until Rosie brought it up, I hadn’t even thought about my car situation. But she’s right. I need something family friendly.

Me?

Family friendly?

It’s laughable.

But I’ll do whatever it takes, and that means my beloved car will have to go. I could purchase a more practical option and keep the Porsche, but I don’t see the point. If I get the shared custody I want, there won’t be much time to enjoy it anyway.

I’m still in the driveway when another text message from Rosie pops up.

Rosie: I’m running late. I’ll meet you there.

Me: NO. I’m picking you up.

Rosie: Don’t be so stubborn. It makes more sense to meet there.

Rosie: Stop frowning at me. I know you are.

Even though we haven’t spoken in the past couple of years, she still knows me inside and out. It’s maddening that she hasn’t forgotten. Though I suppose I haven’t either when it comes to her.

Me: Fine. I’ll be counting how many minutes you’re late.

Rosie: I’d expectnothing less.

I blast my music on the way to the courthouse. My tie is strangling me, but I don’t dare loosen it. It’s shitty of me, but I wish I were drunk right now. This is the last thing I want to deal with. I act likeI’mthe one being coerced into this, which is unfair to Rosie. I need to get my head on straight.

Parked near the front of the building, I sit and wait for her to arrive.

Sixteen minutes and twenty-three seconds later, her Mercedes-Maybach SUV careens into the lot. With the way she drives, I’m not sure how she still has a license. She’s a menace to other drivers.

As she parks a few rows behind me, I climb out of my car, lock it, and lean against the passenger door to wait for her.

Fuck me.

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