Page 6 of Breaking Rules

Did I make the right choice, coming here? Do I have it in me to forget what happened? To finally let go of our past?

I don’t know.

* * *

The airinside the club is stifling. Already, my shirt clings to my chest. I undo another button and then down my whiskey in one go. At the prickle of awareness over my skin, I look up and lock eyes with a blonde. She has her hair pulled up in a high ponytail, her shimmering gold dress exposing her deep cleavage. She smiles at me, and I smile back.

I’m not leaving this place alone. I need a distraction.

A booming laugh to my right makes me wince. Jake and some of our teammates are lost in conversation, a few girls squeezed between them—though the petite redhead isn’t so muchbetweenas she is plastered to his front, her ass on his lap. My annoyance flares hot. It’s not my business, and this is as far as it has gone, at least that I’m aware of. Still…is this why he sent Isabella home?

Fuck, that woman is messing with my head.

I rise to my feet and make my way to the VIP bathroom. Inside, I lock the door and stare at my reflection. My hair is tousled on top, damp with sweat. Angling over the sink, I splash icy water on my face and let it slide down my cheeks. The relief is minimal, but it’s immediate, so I do it again.

I live with guilt, carry it with me wherever I go. Not even therapy helped me deal with it. The past still tortures me, while Miller looks like he’s been living his best life. Nothing bothers him, and now he has his girl back, the one he never forgot, even when he was fucking his way through college.

Asshole.

My body tenses, my jaw rigid and my muscles quivering. The anger inside me bubbles up. Fuck, what I’d give to make the world see the real Jake Miller.

I’d do anything.

I’d do…

An idea flashes in my mind, and the details fall together quickly. Lips curving up, I grip either side of the sink and reassess my reflection.

This is it.What I need to move on, to escape my past. Why didn’t I think of it sooner?

I don’t need to tolerate Miller. What I need is to make him pay, to expose him for who he really is.

My chest expands, and I feel lighter than I have in years.

Oh, I know what I’m going to do.

And Isabella is going to help.

CHAPTER3

XANDER

BELLA

July

I sit up in bed,eyes bleary, and scan the room. My heart beats insanely fast, making me clutch my hand to my chest.

On my nightstand, my phone buzzes, my best friend’s face displayed on the screen. As I answer the call, I drop back onto the mattress. “Hey, Meg.”

“Hey. Did I wake you up?”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” I pull the phone away from my ear with a yawn and check the time. Nine a.m. “How are you?”

“I’m good. Thought I’d call to see how you are. I see your precious boyfriend had a real night out.” She clears her throat. “If you went to the team party together, how come he ended up at the club?”

“It was just the guys, and I didn’t want to go anyway.” I glance at Jake’s side of the bed and find it empty. My stomach twists.

Where did he spend the night?

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