Page 60 of Breaking Rules

“Okay, okay.” He hauls me into his chest, holding me close.

I go numb. It takes what little strength I have left just to remain on my feet.

“I’m sure my mom will understand. She loves you, Isabella,” he whispers in my ear.

If I still possessed even an ounce of energy, I’d probably shudder.

His mother doesn’t think I’m good enough for him, and she doesn’t hide that opinion. Back when Jake and I were just friends, she fawned over me, always talking about how she wished she had a daughter like me. That all changed when we started dating his senior year of high school, and all her concerns about me were connected to my mother. Now she suddenly wants to be friends with her? It doesn’t make any sense.

“You smell like coconut,” he says, planting a kiss on my cheek.

This sudden change of subject is so typical for him, it doesn’t surprise me anymore.

“I just got out of the shower.”

“How is the bathroom design going? Is everything ready?” He holds me at arm’s length, his expression hardening again. “If I’d known it would take you this long, I wouldn’t have suggested you help Xander.”

My hackles raise at the slight. “All I need now is Xander’s approval on a mirror and a light fixture.” As I say the words, my chest pangs. This project has been the perfect excuse to spend time away from Jake, and I’m not ready to give it up.

As if he hasn’t been listening to a word I said, he takes my hands in his, smiling. “Wanna watch a movie and order takeout?”

I let out a relieved breath. “Takeout sounds good. I’ve been watching?—”

“Babe, no, please. You know I don’t like those stupid cartoons.” He grimaces.

I roll my eyes.Whatever. Watching anime with him is torturous anyway. He makes fun of the characters and the plot the whole way through, as if his favorite blockbusters are fucking masterpieces. Bullshit.

As I follow him back to the couch, one thought becomes louder in my head: I’m pretty certain I don’t want to be in this relationship anymore. But I’ll have to stay somewhere else while I search for affordable housing, so maybe a break will do for starters, and I’ll need to be very careful figuring out my next steps.

Because Jake’s behavior concerns me more every day.

* * *

I chewon my bottom lip as I take in my reflection. My floral lace midi dress is white with a surplice neckline. I feel like a princess in it, elegant and poised. The material is soft, and my nude stilettos are as comfortable as stilettos can be.

Despite all that, I worry I won’t look proper enough for Jake’s mother.

My hair cascades down my shoulders, and I’ve combined two little braids into one to make a halo. The style is effortless and a bit messy. It’s perfect for me. For makeup, I stuck with black mascara and a nude lip gloss only. Jake’s mom hates when women wear too much makeup, so I decided to play it safe.

Downstairs, Jake is on the phone, his loud voice echoing off the walls. “Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. The bastard brought us luck.” He barks out a laugh. “We’ve got Tampa Bay in the bag… You too, man. You’ve been on fucking fire this season, Garcia.”

I stop at the threshold of the living room just as he finishes the call. “I’m ready.”

He stalks toward me, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He’s dressed in a white shirt and beige pants. The whole outfit is tailored to fit him perfectly, and he looks good. “You look absolutely amazing, baby.”

For a week after he brought up my parents, he tried one approach after another to convince me to invite them. When guilting me didn’t work, he tried begging. But my answer stayed the same, and he finally backed off. For the past week, we haven’t had even the slightest argument. It’s like we’re tiptoeing around each other, like one spark will be enough to start a fire that would demolish everything in its wake.

This is all a pretense. A façade. On the outside, everything is perfect. On the inside, it’s all crumbling—like my whole life at this point.

“I hope your mom thinks so too.” I give him a small smile.

With his hands on my hips, he kisses me. It’s slow and sweet, and it takes me by surprise. Recently, he hasn’t been particularly gentle with me. When I found bruises on my ass cheeks after we had sex a few days ago, he said he got carried away, that he didn’t actually want to hurt me. I like it when he’s rough with me, but I don’t tell him that. If I do, I worry he’ll take it too far. The bruises on my ass are definitely not the first ones I’ve found on my body after sex.

“Nothing can spoil my mom’s good mood. She went all out.” He grins at me and takes a step back.

“Thank you for understanding. I’m sure my parents won’t be missed.”

With a shrug, he shifts his attention to the bookcase. “You said you didn’t want to invite them, so…it’s okay.” He looks around the room, chin lifted, as if searching for something. Then he brings his gaze back to me. “Sounds like Walker is happy with his new mirror and the light fixture you ordered. It was delivered and installed yesterday, and he couldn’t stop blabbering about it in the locker room.”

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