Page 3 of Break My Rules

What do I do now?

My phone buzzes in my bag, and I pull it out, seeing a dozen missed calls and texts from Saint that arrived during the drive back to Oxford.

Where are you?

Did you leave the party?

Are you okay? We can’t find you anywhere.

Tessa, I’m worried. Please, tell me what’s going on.

The messages get increasingly anxious, and I feel a traitorous pang of guilt, just imagining his confusion to find me suddenly gone.

But he doesn’t deserve my guilt, I remind myself, as I turn my phone off entirely. He doesn’t deserve anything from me, except my anger, and revulsion, and rage for what he’s done.

Except… I don’t feel it.

I can’t feel anything except numb shock and disbelief.

I lay back on the bed, and stare at the ceiling in a daze, trying to reconcile the man I know with the monster I’ve been chasing. It doesn’t make sense to me, that he could lie to my face, over and over again. That he could be guilty of such terrible crimes against my sister—but make me think that he really cared about me. Be so tender and supportive, passionate and fun.

As the memories taunt me, my tears come again; hot sobs of anguish and betrayal as I lay there, broken.

How could I have been so wrong about him?

Chapter2

Tessa

Ispend the weekend locked away in my room, ignoring his messages and struggling to make sense of it all. It’s not just the shock and horror of discovering that Saint might be the one behind Wren’s attack; I’m surprised by the force of my heartache, too. I guess I didn’t even realize just how deeply I was falling for Saint, until I realized that it was all a lie.

Now, I’m careening between hating him, and missing him. Cursing his name and wanting desperately to believe there’s some other explanation. Maybe someone else has the tattoo… Maybe he hasn’t been lying to me…

By the time Monday morning comes, I’m exhausted from the battle raging inside me. I stumble out of my bedroom and down the hall. My roommate’s voices come from the kitchen in hushed, gossipy tones.

“Do you know what happened? She’s been bawling her eyes out all weekend.”

“She wouldn’t say. Just that they broke up.”

“You mean, he dumped her ass, just like we knew he would.”

“She’s a wreck. Clearly, she didn’t see it coming.”

“What? She figured she’d fall madly in love and live happily-ever-after with the duke?” There are snorts of laughter. “We tried to warn her, those rich bastards never really care.”

“Shh, I think she’s coming. Just don’t say we told her so.”

I swallow hard and brace myself, opening the door loudly. “Morning.”

“Good morning!” Right away, Kris and Jia leap to attention, giving me wide-eyed looks of sympathy.

“How are you feeling?” Jia coos. “Do you want some coffee? Did you get any sleep?”

“A little. And coffee would be great, thanks.” I manage to force a smile, as I pour myself a bowl of cereal and perch at the table. I know they’re being two-faced, pretending to care when they were just laughing about my heartbreak, but I’ll take it.

I’d rather them thinking I’m some naïve woman who just got dumped than have to explain the truth.

“So what are you up to today?” Kris asks brightly.