Page 40 of Breaking Rules

The pang in my chest takes me by surprise.

I turn to face her fully, and, sensing my scrutiny, she looks my way. Looking into her eyes is like staring into the deepest ocean…one full of sadness and melancholy.

I swallow my nerves and push the bottle away. Getting drunk is definitely not on my list of things to do tonight. “He and Regina are friends, I know that. They flirt—I saw it myself when we went out after the team party—but she knows he has a girlfriend.”

She nods, lips pressed together and eyes downcast. “It’s just… Ugh, don’t mind me.” She stands abruptly and schools her expression. “Where can I sleep?”

And now she’s running away from me.

“With me.” I grin at her as I stand and collect our glasses.

“Xander.” With an exasperated breath, she bends down to grab her heels. “I’m serious.”

It takes everything in me not to stare at her ass in that tight dress. “What makes you think I’m joking?”

“Because you are.” She straightens, her arms folded over her chest, her stilettos dangling from her fingers. I’m enjoying her annoyance a bit too much, but there are still limits to it. I don’t want to scare her away completely.

“Okay, you got me. It was a joke.” I saunter closer. “You know where the guest room is, right?”

With a nod, she turns and shuffles out of the kitchen.

I stick her mug and my glass in the dishwasher before stopping in my bedroom to grab a T-shirt for her. In the guest bedroom, I find her sitting on the bed, cast in the dim light of the moon.

Unbidden, a memory overtakes me.

The hallway is dark, but I continue blindly, following the sound of water running. The door to the bathroom is slightly ajar. I’m sweating—a sudden pain in the back of my throat makes it difficult to swallow. The sense of dread that hit me when I got her message lingers.

I place my hand on the door and push it open. My knees almost give out when I see the blood on the floor.

Oh my fucking God.No!

I blink, forcing myself to return to reality and loosen the chokehold I have on the shirt in my hand. “I brought you a tee, so you have something to sleep in.”

A small smile tugs at Bella’s lips. “Thanks.”

“Do you often sit in the dark like this?”

“Sometimes,” she says with a shrug.

“You’re weird.”

“I don’t think so. I’ve done it for as long as I can remember. I don’t need to feel or think. I can just be. I can enjoy the quiet and the calm…”

Something in her voice bothers me. Without thinking, I stroll into the room and sit beside her.

“I’m not usually the prying type,” I say, setting the shirt on the bed. “But…did something happen to you when you were a kid?”

“It’s a long story.” Shoulders drooping, she picks at the comforter, avoiding my gaze.

“Perfect. We have the entire night ahead of us.” I scoot over until my shoulder touches hers. “Talk to me.”

Bella waits a few seconds before saying anything. I can see the moment she decides to open up to me, because she straightens her back and looks me in the eye. “My father died when I was five. My mother raised me alone until she met Kevin. I was ten. After that, my whole life changed.”

The meaning behind her words makes me see red. “Did he do something to you?” I ask in a low voice.

She takes a deep, shaky breath. “It’s nothing. It’s in the past.”

“Hey…” I gently wrap my hand around her wrist, turning her to look at me. “That doesn’t mean it won’t help to talk about it.”

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