Page 50 of Breaking Rules

When she stands, she gives me a small smile and takes a step.

Before she can go farther, I hold out Milo’s leash to her. “Wait. We’ll go with you.”

Though her expression is wary, she takes the leash.

“I need to pay for my coffee; then we can go.”

With a silent nod, she guides Milo out of the shop. The dog is smitten with her, and I can’t really blame him.

I quickly pay for my coffee, stuff a twenty into the tip jar, then stroll out the door. The warm late-August air makes my skin hum. Or maybe it’s being in Bella’s proximity. She stands a few feet away, watching Milo roll on the grass as if it’s the most fascinating sight in the world. I stop by her side and assess her. She’s dressed in a white T-shirt, a skirt that’s dotted with little red flowers, and beige platform sandals. Her hair is in a high ponytail, giving me a view of her delicate neck.

Her chest rises and falls rapidly—she’s nervous. But why?

Because of me? Miller? What Cindy said?

When she notices me, she holds out Milo’s leash. I take it, brushing her fingers on purpose. The contact makes my fingertips tingle, yet she looks absolutely unaffected.

With a deep breath, she takes a step away from me. “I gotta go.”

My gut plummets.Go?No. I’m not letting her leave in this state.

I catch her elbow. “Stay.”

“Xander, I’m?—”

“Stay,” I urge and turn her to face me. “Talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“You’re a bad liar,” I tell her in a quiet voice. “You’re hiding behind your fake smile, but I see the real you.”

With a scowl, she yanks her elbow out of my grip. “You’re imagining things.”

“Talk to me. Is this about what Cindy said?” I furrow my brow, studying her.

God, she has always been hard to read, but this is taking it to a new level. She’s like a trap, showing me the tiniest glimpse of her true feelings before snapping closed the moment I reach out.

She doesn’t feel like she can trust me.

I need to change that.

I grab her hand and pull her away from the shop, away from our cars. Just down the block, there’s a little park tucked between two buildings.

She tries to free her hand, but I only tighten my grip on her.

Once we’re standing in the grass, I finally release her. Milo sniffs around us, and I give the retractable leash a little more slack. He happily struts forward, and we follow.

I figure Bella will bolt. Instead, she sticks to my side but remains quiet and aloof, as if she climbed inside herself and shut the door.

“You know,” I say, “a few years ago, I saw a therapist. I was surprised by how easy it was to open up.”

She peeks up at me, her lips parting in surprise. Because I’m openly admitting to seeing a therapist, maybe?

“She told me it’s normal to open up to new people. Our problems wouldn’t affect strangers much. They don’t care about the consequences of their help for us. Our past, our expectations for our future, it all means shit to them. They only focus on our present, on the immediate problem we’re facing. The problem we need their help with.”

Milo stops to sniff the grass, so Bella and I pause too. She watches me, but she doesn’t say anything.

I give her a minute, and when she stays silent, I take the hint. She doesn’t plan to respond. “I’m basically a stranger. I don’t judge. You don’t need to tell me about your past or your plans for your future. Talk to me aboutnow. Tell me what’s wrong.”

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