Page 39 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

The two of us don’t speak until after the plane has taken off for New York. It’s a short flight, so we settle in quickly. Rosie puts a corny rom-com on and slips a set of headphones onto her head. She’s makeup free, which is a rare sight. It’s been years since I’ve seen her when she wasn’t completely made up. She looks softer without it. Younger.

She slides the headphones off and rests them on her shoulder. “I can feel you staring at me. What do you want?” She doesn’t ask it with malice, but rather simple curiosity.

“Nothing.” I reach for the bottle of water our flight attendant delivered earlier. I’d prefer something stronger, but I know better than to show up drunk to her family’s home or mine.

“It must be something.” She angles forward and pauses her movie.

“Nope.”

She rolls her eyes. “Liar.” Hands on her headphones, she moves to put them back on but stops. “You know, in order for this marriage to work, we need to communicate.”

I snort. “This isn’t a real marriage,Rose. Let’s not get it twisted.”

“You’re impossible.” She crinkles her nose in annoyance. “We don’t know how long this is going to last. We need to at least try to get along. Think you can do that? Need I remind you, I’m doing you a favor, not the other way around? I alsoreallymiss sex.”

The last part she tacks on has me snickering. “The eyeful you got of my dick didn’t satiate you?”

“After I stopped gagging? Hardly.”

“Please.” I fight my smile. “You were drooling, but I could certainly make you gag on it if you’d like.”

Rosie’s cheeks turn a shade reminiscent of the bright red lipstick she usually wears.

“I’m done talking to you.”

She slips her headphones on, but before she can settle them in place, I touch her arm, halting her. Lips pursed, she arches a brow in response, clearly annoyed that I’m interrupting her again.

“I don’t want to tell anyone about Sammy yet.”

She closes her eyes, inhaling a long breath. “No talking about Junior yet. Got it. Are we done here?”

I nod, and she puts her headphones back in place, then starts her movie once more.

Set on getting some much-needed sleep, I recline my chair and close my eyes. It’s not a long flight, but hopefully with a nap, I’ll be better prepared to handle whatever shit’s about to go down.

“Who are we telling first?Your dad or my parents?”

We probably should’ve discussed this before we boarded the plane this morning. At the very least, we should have worked through it before we got in the car that’s taking us to our families’ homes.

“My dad,” I finally reply.

In front of us, the driver glances at us in the rearview mirror, brow arched. We’ve kept the conversation cryptic, since Tony has worked with Rosie’s parents for years and will certainly tattle before we can confess.

“Good idea,” she agrees, digging through her purse. She pulls out a mirror, then a small fabric bag. From there, she proceeds to apply a full face of makeup. I don’t see why she needs it, but if it makes her feel better, then who am I to tell her not to? She wipes beneath her left eye where her mascara has smudged and then applies her red lipstick. Once she’s capped the lipstick, she nods at her reflection, almost like she’s giving herself a silent pep talk.

“How many of your brothers are going to be there?”

I look at my watch. “Cash should already be here, so all of them.”

“Okay.”

She’s not at all unnerved by the idea of facing all four of them. She actuallylikesthem. I’m still wrapping my head around the idea that she stayed in touch with them after our friendship imploded. And not a single one of the fuckwit traitors mentioned it to me.

“Hey, Tony,” she says, like he hasn’t been eavesdropping on our conversation. “I’ll get out at Daire’s house. Let my parents know I’ll be over later.”

He arches his brows in the rearview mirror. “Do you want me to give them a reason why?”

“No,” she says brightly, unfazed.

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