Page 26 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

That knife in my chest twists, the pain excruciating. I know he hates me, but I’ve never knownwhy. At least I have a reason to dislike him. Even so, it hurts to hear those words out loud. God, I’m pathetic.

“Oh, but guess what, there’s more.” He tosses an arm over his friend Cree’s shoulders, swinging the guy toward his other friend Jude.

Jude shakes his head and grasps Daire’s shoulder. Even on this tiny screen, the pleading in his eyes is obvious. “Don’t do this, man.”

What’s he so afraid Daire is going to do? Air all their dirty laundry?

Daire throws his head back and lets out an obnoxious bark of laughter. “But why not? It’s so fun!” He squeezes his friend even tighter, smiling manically. He’s clearly on the verge of a breakdown. “Are you listening, buddy?” Daire’s mouth is almost on Cree’s cheek in some sort of mockery of a kiss. “This is a big one. Are you ready?” Cree shoves him away, anger clouding his expression. Daire laughs, unbothered, as he stumbles and rights himself.

Instead of the normal sounds of a party—music, chatter—it’s dead silent except for the conversation playing out on the screen. Every person in the room seems to be holding their breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“What?” Cree asks Daire, the question so quiet I’m surprised it’s audible. The grimace on his face makes me wonder if he really even wants to know. “Well, what is it?”

Daire looks off camera at someone. A war of emotions plays over his face. Anger, sadness, fear, maybe a little regret. He shakes his head, then and waves a hand wildly. “It’s not important.”

“It must be for you to be putting on this whole fucking debacle,” Cree huffs.

A sneer forms on Daire’s lips. “Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions, my dude. It’s not like you’re some holy saint. Nah, you like to think you’re a good guy, but you’re a liar just like the rest of us. And here’s another little secret—good guys don’t lie. Your sins might not be as shitty as the rest of ours, but a lie is a lieis a lie.”

That’s when the video cuts off. I’m sure if I scroll, I’ll find one that shows what happens next, but I don’t even want to know. I shake my head, a mix of emotions ranging from anger to downright pity rolling through me. It’s like watching a train wreck and being helpless to stop it. The worst part is I’m stuck in the middle, right in harm’s way if Daire crashes and burns.

I turn my phone off, fearing Bertie will come across one of the videos and call. What the hell would I even say to her if she did? I don’t have a good explanation for Daire’s rant or why he and I aren’t together on our freaking wedding night.

I climb off the bed and set the cheese platter on the table with the other food. My appetite has officially vanished.

Breathing deep, I find a pair of pajamas purchased during my spree and slip them on. Then I turn the lights off and get back in bed, saying a prayer for sleep to come.

When it does, it’s fitful, and I wake more exhausted than I was before.

I head backto campus early since I have class, leaving most of my purchases in the car since it’ll take multiple trips to get it all inside.

I take a few bags with me as I hurry into my dorm to get ready for class. All I’ve eaten since yesterday morning are a few pieces of cheese and bread. I can’t stomach the thought of food right now, and the horrible part of my brain whispersyour mother would be happy.

But I’m not intentionally starving myself.

After the scene in the parking lot yesterday and then the video of Daire, if I tried to eat, it would more than likely come right back up.

Once I’ve deposited the bags on my bed, I quickly apply my makeup. Today it feels like I’m painting on a mask for the world. The stares and whispers have already begun, and I’ve been on campus for five whole minutes. It’s only going to get worse as the day goes on. I still haven’t turned my phone back on. If I did, it would be to see whether Daire has tried to contact me. I hate myself for even caring. For even thinking he may have. It’s unlikely I’ll hear from him after the things he said last night.

When my makeup is done, I grab my backpack, making sure I have everything I need. And when I sling my bag over my shoulder and tuck my hair behind my ear, the ring on my finger glimmers in the light.

It sits like a heavy weight, a reminder that I’m stuck in this situation now. So I better put on my game face and make the most of it.

7

DAIRE

It’s beeneighteen hours since my drunken binge, and from what I’ve been told, the video of my meltdown is circulating everywhere. I didn’t bother going to classes today; I’m too hungover to bother with it.

Every text I’ve sent to Rosie today has gone unanswered. I deserve to be ignored, but it still pisses me off anyway. So here I am, outside her dorm.

As I run my fingers through my hair, my wedding band catches. Shit. Why the fuck is it on my right hand? With a curse, I yank it offand shove it onto the correct finger. I send her another text, letting her know I’m here and on my way up.

Like all the others, it shows delivered but unread.

I hop off my motorcycle and secure my helmet. It’s too cold to ride without bundling up, so I had already put it in storage for the winter, but I figured I’d take it out for one last ride before I sell it. With the way things have gone with Danielle so far, I could see her finding some way to sway a judge into thinking I’m not responsible enough because I have a motorcycle. So it, along with my Porsche, will be going soon.

Yeah, because your drunken rampage wasn’t enough to completely sink your chances at receiving custody.

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