Page 17 of Faking the Rules

Blood drains from my face as panic floods my system. "Oh, God."

"Ellie?" Declan's voice seems to come from very far away. "Who is that?"

I can't answer, can't breathe, can only stare in horror as the ghost of my past raises his hand in an awkward wave, gesturing for me to roll down the window.

"Ellie," Declan's voice sharpens with concern. "What's wrong? Who is that guy?"

"James," I manage to whisper, my voice strangled. "My ex-fiancé."

Declan's expression shifts instantly from confusion to something harder, more dangerous. "The one who cheated on you with your cousin?"

I nod mutely, panic rising like a tide. What is James doing here? How did he find me? And most importantly—what does his sudden appearance mean for the careful new life I've built, including the fragile arrangement with Declan?

"I'll handle this," Declan says, reaching for his door handle.

"No!" I grab his arm, desperate. "Don't. Please. Just... I need to do this myself."

Declan studies me for a long moment, conflict clear in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

No, I'm not sure of anything anymore. But I nod anyway, gathering my courage. "I'll be fine. He's probably just... I don't know. But I need to deal with this."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him," Declan says firmly. "Not after what he did."

"Then wait here," I concede, knowing I won't win this argument. "Let me talk to him first."

Reluctantly, Declan nods. I take a deep breath, straightening my spine, and step out of the car to face the man who shattered my heart and changed the course of my life.

James looks the same but different—familiar features arranged in an expression I've never seen before. Uncertainty. Vulnerability. Fear.

"Ellie," he says, his voice bringing back a flood of memories I've worked so hard to bury. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"What are you doing here, James?" I ask, proud of how steady my voice sounds despite the turmoil inside me.

"I had to find you," he says, taking a step toward me. I back up instinctively, bumping into Declan's car. "I've been trying to call, but you changed your number. You disappeared from everything. I had to beg your father to tell me where you transferred."

The thought of James talking to my father—manipulating him, no doubt—sends a fresh wave of anger through me. "Why? What could you possibly have to say to me after what you did?"

"I made a terrible mistake," he says, his voice breaking. "The worst mistake of my life. Ellie, I love you. I've always loved you.What happened with Alexa... it meant nothing. I was drunk, stupid, self-destructive."

"Save it," I cut him off, the familiar excuses igniting a fury I thought I'd moved past. "I don't care anymore, James. I've moved on."

"Please," he begs, reaching for my hand. I pull away sharply. "Just give me five minutes. That's all I'm asking. Five minutes to explain, to apologize properly."

Before I can respond, I hear Declan's car door open and close. A moment later, he's beside me, his presence solid and reassuring.

"Everything okay here?" he asks, his voice deceptively casual. But I can feel the tension radiating from him, see the warning in his stance.

James's eyes flick between us, confusion giving way to understanding, then something darker. "Who's this?"

"Declan Wolfe," Declan extends his hand with deliberate politeness that doesn't mask the challenge in his eyes. "Ellie's boyfriend."

The word hangs in the air—a shield, a declaration, a lie that suddenly feels truer than it ever has before. James's face contorts with disbelief, then pain.

"Boyfriend?" he repeats. "But... it's only been two months since..."

"Two months is plenty of time to realize what I was missing," I say, finding my voice, my courage. "Declan, this is James. My ex. He was just leaving."

James ignores this, his attention fixed on Declan with growing hostility. "Two months," he says again. "Convenient timing."

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