Page 62 of Breaking Rules

God, I hope she’s here alone. If Kevin is here too, I’ll snap.

“You have such a beautiful house, Caroline.”

That fucking voice…

My knees go weak, and my vision goes spotty as my stepfather steps out of the house. His white shirt and black pants are fitted, flaunting his muscles, as always. He’s more concerned about his looks than just about anything, and I guess he has to be. My mom would’ve left his miserable ass if he didn’t take care of himself. Everything in her world must be perfect.

“We’ve done a lot of renovating since Jake started playing for the Warriors—all of which he insisted he pay for,” Mr. Miller says, his chest puffing out.

Kevin’s smile is wide, but it doesn’t reach his dark brown eyes as he looks from person to person. He envies Jake’s parents…and he envies Jake, a guy in his twenties who has achieved way more than he has at fifty.

“It’s very nice of you to invite us.” Kevin shakes Mr. Miller’s hand and then turns to Jake. “I love watching you on the field. Your game is incredible.”

“Thank you.” Jake holds out a hand.

With every step closer he gets, my muscles tense further. My heart pounds painfully, and blood rushes in my ears. If I thought I could move, I’d probably run. Instead, I’m frozen in terror.

“Isabella, my sweet girl. It’s been so long.” Kevin pulls me into his arms.

Once again, I hold my breath. This time, I worry that if I catch the scent of his cologne, I’ll vomit right here in front of everyone.

“You look breathtaking.” The words are whispered in my ear, his breath hot on my neck.

Through gritted teeth, I hiss, “Get your hands off me.”

“Isabella, Isabella. You know I just miss you,” he murmurs sweetly, finally releasing me.

With that, he turns and launches into a conversation about the people in attendance, clearly assessing their statuses and whether they’re worthy of his time.

While the five of them yammer on, I stand there, quietly seething, praying our parents walk away so I can speak to Jake.

But where my mother is concerned, my prayers are never answered.

She leans in, her eyes narrowed to slits. “Next time you decide to open your fucking mouth and be nasty to me, I’d advise you to think twice. I have no problem telling everyone what a vindictive little bitch you are.” Her words are pure venom. “I doubt it would take long for Caroline and Dave to kick you out of their house and out of their son’s life. You don’t want that, do you?”

“Honestly?” I can feel Kevin’s gaze on me, but I keep my focus trained on Mother instead. “By all means. Do whatever you want.”

Her lips flatten, and her nostrils flare. “So incredibly selfish and ungrateful. As always. I shouldn’t be surprised.”

She turns back to Kevin and slips her hand around his elbow. He watches me again, eyeing me up and down as he runs his finger along the edge of his shirt collar. Finally, he turns back to Jake, who’s still droning on about the Warriors this season.

I hate it here.

When dinner is served, I tug on Jake’s sleeve, stopping him from going inside.

“Why are they here?” I ask once we’re alone.

“Baby, I’m so sorry.” He moves closer.

On instinct, I step back.

He frowns but stays where he is. “I told Mom you wouldn’t be comfortable with them here. She swore she wouldn’t invite them, but two days ago, I found out she did it anyway.”

The numbness has returned, causing my extremities to tingle. “So…you knew?”

“Well, yeah. I didn’t know how to tell you, and with the game, it kinda slipped my mind.” He licks his lips.

Liar. He knew I wouldn’t be here if he had told me the truth, and he didn’t want to upset his mother.

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