Page 58 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

“That would be much appreciated.” My smile is entirely grateful.

“I have some stuff for bruising we can apply to your face when we get back to the house too. With five roughhousing boys, I should’ve taken stock in arnica. It’ll also help with the pain.”

I press the ice to my face again. It’s beginning to melt, leaving my fingers wet, but I keep it there anyway. The more I ice it now, the less swelling I’ll have later.

“I always thought you’d be a part of this family.”

My chest tightens at the sentiment, and I shift in my seat so I’m facing Peter. “Really?”

“I thought the two of you would go the more traditional route, but it was inevitable.”

“Me and Daire?” Surely the hit to my head has given me a concussion. There’s no way he means Daire.

He laughs quietly. “I questioned it there for a while, when you guys fell out of touch, but I had a gut feeling you’d eventually find your way back.”

Daire and Roman appear, Roman knocking into his brother’s shoulder. They’re laughing, but when Daire spots me, he quickly sobers.

“How does it feel?” He crouches in front of me, gently pulling the ice away from my face. “It’s not looking too bad.”

“Is he lying?” I ask Roman.

Roman bends down too, peering at me. “It looks better than expected.”

“Good.” I stand, returning the ice to my face. “Let’s get out of here.”

15

DAIRE

Even though I’mliving with Rosie, along with a whole host of complicated thoughts and emotions, it’s good to be home.

The trip to New York for Thanksgiving was nothing short of a shitshow I’d prefer to put behind me.

From the opposite end of the sectional couch in our living room, Rosie frowns at her phone.

I watch her, surveying her face. Guilt eats at me every time I see her black eye. I was so pissed at Cash that I had no idea she was even on the ice.

He’d been begging for a beating from the moment we got to the rink. By the end of the game, I’d reached my breaking point, and when he tried to claim I’d cheated, I snapped. He was only trying to get a rise out of me. Even then I knew that, but I couldn’t control my temper.

“Your face is going to freeze like that,” I tell Rosie when her frown deepens.

She looks up from her phone. “Huh?”

I turn the volume down on the TV. Neither of us is paying it much attention anyway.

“You look annoyed.”

“Oh.” She sets her phone face down beside her. “Just my dad.”

“Is he still not talking to you?”

She shakes her head. “He told me to stop texting him—that he doesn’t have anything to say to me.” Her shoulders sag. “Do you think now would be a good time to thank him for buying this house?” She jokes, her smile hollow.

“I really don’t know why I told Cree that.” I was panicked. In my brain, it made more sense to tell him that someone other than me had bought the house. My thoughts weren’t exactly logical, but I can’t recant the declaration now.

“It’s whatever.” She waves a dismissive hand. “I knew he’d be upset, but I didn’t think he’d be so mad he’d stop speaking to me.”

The sadness radiating from her is almost too much for meto bear. I so badly want to make her feel better, but I don’t have the first clue how.

---