Page 98 of Breaking Rules

Bella tugs, but I don’t release her.

She steps closer to me, her tits pressed against my chest as she says, “Let me go.”

“Tell me what happened.”

She throws her free hand in the air. “Jake happened, okay? He was waiting for me when I left my aunt’s place. We talked, and he left,” she grinds out. “Happy now?”

With a harsh breath, I let her go. “Why wasn’t it there earlier?”

“Because I covered it up. I showered while you were gone and forgot to put concealer on again. You weren’t supposed to see it.” Bella folds her arms over her chest. “Can I go now?”

I nod and take a step to the side.

She stomps past me while I stay still, stewing in the thoughts that war inside my head. But before she has a chance to leave the kitchen, I turn. “What did he want?”

With a sigh, she stops. “He came to convince me to go to the game.”

My anger and frustration mix into a dangerous cocktail, making it impossible to think clearly. In two strides, my chest is pressed to her back. Wrapping my hand around her throat from behind, I lower my head to her ear.

“I fucking hate that you didn’t feel safe enough to tell me,” I whisper hoarsely. “Why did you hide it? You don’t trust me?”

“Xander, that’s not why.”

I whirl her around and cuff the back of her neck, keeping her close. Our gazes lock, and, like it always does, everything else disappears. Her eyes usually remind me of sapphires, but right now they’re the color of the deepest ocean. My lungs hurt; taking a deep breath is impossible. The beating of my heart echoes in my ears, loud and demanding.

“Then why?” I ask.

“I didn’t want you to know because I was afraid you’d hurt him. And if that happens, everyone will know the truth…about us,” she says.

I trace the delicate skin of her throat, my thumb hovering over the vein on her neck.

“If people found out you were fucking your teammate’s girlfriend, it would damage your reputation.”

“You’re not his girlfriend,” I argue. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”

“Break or not, to the world, I am still his girlfriend, Xander.” Bella splays her hand over my heart. “If this got out, I’d be a whore who cheated on her boyfriend, and you’d be a traitor who fucked his teammate’s girl. No one would care to hear our side of the story. I don’t know the details of your contract, but it sounds an awful lot like misconduct,” she says quietly. “I know what I’m doing when it comes to Jake.”

I thread my fingers through her hair. “If he hurts you like this again, please tell me. You don’t have to deal with him on your own.”

“He won’t,” Bella says, lifting her chin. “I already asked Ben to meet me at Jake’s house immediately after the game so I can get my stuff.”

I shake my head. “If Miller feels like he’s being backed into a corner, he’ll be unpredictable. Trust me.”

Bella chews on the inside of her cheek, and I swear I see the wheels in her head turning. Then she shrugs. “Okay. Once I break up with Jake and move in with my aunt, you won’t have any reason to put up with me. You won’t need to worry about me anymore.”

I stagger back, feeling like I’ve been stabbed in the gut. “Wait…you’re moving in with your aunt?”

“She suggested it. Said I can stay with her for as long as I need.”

My heart sinks. So we’re just not going to see each other anymore?

Bella tries to untangle herself from me, but I’m not letting her. “I’m curious,” I say. “Why do you think we won’t see each other after you dump Miller?”

Her lips part, and she shifts, causing her pebbled nipples to brush my chest.

Dammit. I’m seconds away from fucking her in my kitchen.

“You told me yourself,” she says, her tone derisive. “You have no interest in a relationship. So that makes us friends who fuck, and I’m sure once I’m out of this house, you’ll have a ton of girls eager for a chance with you. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

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