The Rule Book

by Sarah Adams

And in tiny invisible ink subtext scribbled on the bottom corner of my heart: I miss my Derek.

Does he realize he’s holding me so affectionately? Possessively? It’s not the kind of touch a stranger would give. It’s the kind that says You were mine once.

“Are you still in love with her?”

For once I’m too tired to fight with him. “Yes, I am. Deeply. Terribly.”

“Yes—I’ve eaten about four thousand milligrams of caffeine, and I’ve gained spidey-senses. It’s great, everything is swirling and tingling around me.”

“Listen to me, rookie.

we’re going to go to the airport and you’re going to sleep the entire flight. I mean it, Nora, if I even see a sliver of your green eyes, I’m going to call it all off, understand?”

Hey, I’m still in love with you and unless you love me back, we can’t do this because it hurts so damn much to be near you and not have you.

kiss it. I hate that you hold my heart in a vise grip and you have no idea. I hate that I’ve never been able to move on from you—not for a single day. I hate that if I were to tell you all of this, you’d leave, and I’d be left vulnerable and bleeding out at the bar.

“Why would you even consider doing that?” His smile curves softly and when he shrugs, the combination is almost sad. “Because it’s for you.”

There’s only one bed.

I mean it. I’d go to jail for her if it meant keeping her safe from assholes like this guy.

“Do you see that woman behind me that you just touched without her consent and then called a nasty name?” I ask him in an intentionally low voice that I hope haunts his nightmares. He swallows and barely manages to get his single-word answer out. “Yes.” “She’s my wife. And if it were up to me, I’d have you bleeding all over this bar right now for laying a single finger on her that she didn’t invite. When I let go of you, you’re going to apologize to her. And then you’re going to leave this bar, and if you ever treat another woman like that again, I will know, and I will hunt you down…and for legal purposes, I’m not going to tell you what I’ll do to you. But I’m sure your imagination can fill in the blanks.” I

only lost because I want to show you in a physical way that I’m intentionally and completely vulnerable to you, Nora. That I’ll gladly lose to you every day of my life—because for me, the prize is just being near you.”