Page 80 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

She whips toward me so quickly I have to dodge the fan of her hair. “You liked me too?” she blurts, her eyes wide as they meet mine. “You… I never had any idea that?—”

I’m fucking helpless to stop myself.

I grab her by the back of the neck and pull her into me. Our mouths meet, and just like the times we’ve kissed before, it’s an explosion of sparks. A kiss has alwaysjust been a kiss to me. With Rosie? It’s an experience. One I want to savor.

A small sound leaves her, one I quickly swallow, and then her tongue meets mine.

More.

I want so much more of her, and that’s fucking terrifying.

We’re married.

But not for real.

Feelings would only complicate things, but I can’t pull myself away from her.

I don’t break the kiss, even though my subconscious is screaming that this is a terrible idea. The taste of her is incomparable. In this moment, I’m certain I could kiss her for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

In the end, she’s the one who breaks the kiss. I guess that’s for the best.

She rests her forehead against mine. “What are we doing?”

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly, smoothing a hand down her neck and shoulder as I sit back. “I don’t know.”

We sit there for another minute, probably longer, watching each other, before she says, “I’m starving. Let’s get burgers.”

With a thanks to the waitress,Rosie squirts a ridiculous amount of ketchup onto her plate.

“Would you like some fries with that ketchup?” I quip, taking the bottle when she’s done.

She laughs, unfolding the napkin from around the utensils. Knife in hand, she cuts her burger in half. “I like ketchup.”

I add a much smaller amount to my plate. When she suggested burgers, I couldn’t pull out of the parking lot fast enough, more than eager to put off talking about the kiss. Especially when I can’t make sense of my own thoughts. It’s like a maze with no way out.

She’s had a few bites of her burger when she says, “I can’t believe we’ve hated each other for years because your ex-girlfriend is a big, fat liar.”

I nearly choke on my Coke. “I guess you’re right,” I say between coughs as I wipe my mouth with my napkin.

“Alyssa was always a bitch.”

I chuckle, sorting through my fries for the crispier ones. “She was,” I agree. It’s why I broke up with her shortly after that. We didn’t last through the summer before our senior year. By that time, though, Rosie was dating someone, and I was still angry enough that I didn’t reach out.

Young and foolish.

That’s what we were.

A wasted friendship for nothing.

If we’d justtalked—used our words, like my nanny used to say—we could have easily mended our friendship rather than stewing in hatred.

Neither of us can go back and undo the past now. There’s only forward.

There’s an expiration date on our marriage, but that doesn’t mean we can’t remain friends.

“This burger,” Rosie points at her plate, “might be the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“Ever?” I laugh. “That’s a pretty big declaration.”

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