Rules of the Game (Rule Breaker, #2)

by Jessa Wilder

“So what about the red-faced comment?” She changed the topic. “He followed me on my run.” She laughed. “Like a lost puppy.” A smirk grew on my mouth. “Yeah, kinda.”

It didn’t take long for the guys to drift off into dark corners with the girls I still hadn’t recognized. I swore if I heard the rhythmic slapping of water, I was stealing Jax’s truck, and they could cab it home.

She was stunning with her blonde hair pulled back off her face, exposing the delicate column of her throat, and she had on a simple black dress that hugged her body as it swished just above her knees. The muscle in my jaw ticked as I looked her over. Her outfit had date written all over it, and my chest tightened painfully.

I’ve got plans.” “What sort of plans?” I knew I didn’t have the right to grill her. I fucking knew I’d given that up, but damn if I didn’t want to drag her back into my room and lock her in.

“Ignore him. He’s just being the overprotective brother’s best friend.” Sharp pain pierced my chest, and she visibly flinched before continuing. “He’s harmless.”

She walked toward his car, a shiny black BMW, and glanced back. “Don’t wait up.” Fuck. My blood heated in my veins and blocked out the sounds around me.

My heart battered my ribs, pain radiating outward, and I choked it down. She wasn’t mine to protect, and I had no one to blame but myself. I rested my head against the wall taking deep breaths until my phone buzzed in my pocket. Jax: Hurry the fuck up.

“Piper’s on a date.” “What?” He jerked toward me, and his mouth hung open before curling at the corner. “You’re fucking jealous.” Frustrated, I ran my hand over the back of my neck. “Yeah, I’m jealous.” “I don’t know what your problem is, but you’re fucking things up with Piper, and you will regret it.” His voice was stern, and I shifted my weight like I’d been scolded.

“She’s not going to wait forever for you to figure out your shit.” “That’s the point. I want her to move on.” I tipped my head back and looked at the ceiling, hiding the lie in my eyes. “Keep telling yourself that. Maybe everyone else believes you, but I see the way you look at her. The way you’ve always looked at her.”

“Whatever it is, you can tell me. I know it all happened when Marcus died.” He took a long sip of his Gatorade. “It’s time for all of us to let go.”

This was going to require a nice long video chat with my therapist.

Tears leaked down my cheeks as pain radiated through my chest. I missed my brother. I missed the life we had. I’d broken apart and strung myself together, but I was faking it.

Jax groaned. “I don’t want you to see me like this, Pips. Not like this.” He sounded devastated, all the joy leaked from him, and I struggled to keep my voice steady. “It’s okay. We take care of each other, right?” “Right—” He brought his hand to his mouth. “I’m going to be sick.” We came with him to the bathroom, where he dropped to his knees and proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach, murmuring he was sorry.

“I miss him, so fucking much.” Jax’s voice broke, and my heart ached. “Me too, Jaxie, but you need to take care of yourself. Okay?” I looked at Lucas and whispered, “How often?” His eyes were downcast, and he clenched his jaw. “More than he should. We all cope differently.” His voice was stern, defending his friend, but it wasn’t necessary. “I care for him too.” Lucas’s shoulders relaxed, and he sat on the edge of the tub. “Fuck, Piper. I know you do. It’s just been a hard year. I’ve been trying to keep him together.”

“I’m still spinning. How bad was it?” He hung his hand over the bed and touched the ground like it would steady him. “Well, you ran out the front door of the house party.” I almost felt bad being the one to tell him this next part. Almost. “That’s good. At least I didn’t ruin their couch or anything.” He breathed out a sigh of relief. I bit my cheek to stop my smile before continuing. “Oh no, you just splattered the girl sitting on the front steps.” Jax lifted up and looked at me with wide eyes, searching my face for the lie. “No?” “Afraid so. She shrieked and everything.”

“Fuck. I’m such an asshole.” I patted him. “Whatever. Ask her out next week and she’ll be fine.” “Was she hot, at least?” he asked, contemplating the idea, and took a long sip of water. I choked out a laugh. “Are you asking if the girl covered in your vomit was hot?” “I didn’t score tonight, but I’m still ahead of you. What’s up with that?” He gave me an all-too-knowing look. “Unless you hooked up tonight?” “Leave it.”

“You could talk to her.” He slurred his words, taking him under. I huffed out a breath, walked to my room, and leaned against the wall that connected with Piper’s. I slid down the wall, kicking my feet out in front of me, and let my head fall back. It nearly killed me to step away when she’d rested against my chest earlier. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and bury my face into where her hair fell over the curve of her neck. Jax’s words circled my brain. You could talk to her. My stomach turned in on itself at the idea.

But even the idea of her with someone else was like driving a knife through my chest and twisting it just for fun.

The way she mentioned the Hunt like it was no big deal to pick someone else up, no big deal to be with someone else, fucking gutted me. I couldn’t even look at another girl without feeling like I was betraying Piper. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t mine. I wasn’t ready not to be hers anymore, even if seeing her move on was fucking brutal.

I pulled out my phone, pulled open the Grief Anonymous app, and sent her a message. I’d modified her name months ago.

“He asked me out again.” My gaze snapped to hers. She was already watching me intently, her eyes roaming over my face, trying to read me. “Are you going?” “I think so,” she replied, still scanning for my reaction. The muscles in my back tightened, and my mouth went bone-dry. I fucking hated this. I didn’t have the strength to lock her out, not when I was so close to losing her forever. I dipped a finger into the flour mix and ran it over the tip of her nose.

Specks of white sprayed my shirt. “You’re fucking done for.” “You started it!” She squealed a laugh, circling the other side of the island, and a wide smile took over her face, stealing my breath. I’d missed her so fucking much. With flour in my hand, I chased her around, easily snagging her waist.

The thin fabric over her shorts tickled my palm before the heat of her thighs sank into it. Piper’s head fell back, resting on my shoulder, completely exposing herself to me, and she let out a small moan when I tightened my fingers around her throat.

“I’m sorry.” “Lucas, don’t. I don’t need an apology…I need…I need to forget.”

She took a hesitant step toward me. She lifted onto her toes and placed a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth. “I need you to make me forget.”

Fuck. My control snapped like a band, and I dug my fingers through her hair, securing her mouth to mine. Her sweet taste filled my mouth, and I was lost. I dug my fingers beneath her thighs and lifted her to sit on the counter, then stepped between them. She devoured my mouth, dragging her tongue across mine a...

“I’m going to make you come so hard you won’t need to forget because you won’t be able to think.” I slid my hands higher until the heat of her stomach scorched my palms. “And before you come down from it, I’m going to do it again.”

She was fucking delicious. “Perfect,” I breathed.

Her breaths came in pants, and her nails dug into my skin, but I took my time, knowing this would be it for me. That I didn’t deserve this moment, but I was selfish enough to enjoy every second.

I smiled against her mouth at her enthusiasm and drove my hands higher, groaning low when they were met with only skin, no barrier of panties between us. I rested my forehead in the crook of her neck. “Fuck, you’re going to kill me.”

Now that I knew she walked around with nothing on under her pajamas, I might fucking die every time I saw her.

“That’s it, beautiful. Fuck my fingers. Take what you need.”

The click of her door latch followed her, and my chest caved in, muscles rioting to go to her. To beg her for forgiveness… I wanted things to go a million different ways. But they didn’t. I was responsible for Marcus’s death, and she’d never forgive me if she knew.

I took another drink of my water, and Jax chuckled, giving me a knowing look that had a blush crawling up my neck.

He then put a green six under his name twice as large as the others. I choked on my water. “You’re disgusting. It hasn’t even been a week.” Jax waggled his brows. “Some girls know how to share.” My nose scrunched. “Gross.”

“You went on a date?” “Yes.” I shook my head. “Jax, I didn’t sleep with Eric.” “No shit.” He choked out a laugh. “What?” “You’d have to be an idiot to think you were actually playing this game.” Jax bit his smile, and his dimple deepened. “Thank fuck he’s an idiot.”

How’s Lucas?” A flash of frustration coated me. “Still a dick.” “Still a dick you want to fuck?” Shana grinned. I couldn’t stop my laugh, and my cheeks heated. She knew me entirely too well. “Unfortunately.”

“He’s hot. Fuck him.”

Dammit. This guy was a star athlete, admittedly superhot, and moved like the devil incarnate, and somehow, my body was reacting like he was my long-lost cousin. The thought made me scrunch up my nose.

Callused fingers trailed over my cheek and slid my hair behind my ear.

“I miss you.” His words broke around the vowels, and I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth, my body tensing against tears. I took shallow breaths, surrounded by the smell of beer, cinnamon, and sandalwood. I knew he wouldn’t be here if he was sober, but I couldn’t stop myself from enjoying this moment, even if it was the only one I had.

Always. 07-24-2004 He’d gotten a tattoo of my birthday?

“I don’t understand.” My voice was barely a whisper. He cupped my jaw and ran his thumb over my cheekbone. I leaned into his touch, unable to help myself. “I wish this was real,” he said before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me into him.

“Where the hell am I?” “Apparently, you spent the night in Alex’s room.” He sounded entirely too amused. My brows pinched, and I fought through my muddled thoughts before jolting up. “Piper!” “Took you long enough.” “Fuck.” I rubbed my palms over my face. “Did she sleep here?” “Not from what I can tell.” He shrugged. “At least, she wasn’t here when I got up.”

But fuck, every fiber of my being supported being an asshole. Instead, I downed my weight in liquor and barely remembered the night.

“Lucas, you’ve been a brother to me for a long time. You are fucking up here.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the ceiling before his gaze bored into mine. “Why are you doing this to her?” I should’ve lied—hell, I wanted to lie, but the truth slipped from my tongue. “Because I fucking love her.” Jax’s eyes widened, and the muscles in his neck stretched. “Then tell her.”

“So, what the hell are you going to do, just fucking watch her date other guys?” “That’s exactly what I’m doing. This shit is going to die with me, and it better die with you too.”

Jax was the last to leave and gave me a mischievous smile. “You sounded like a real captain there. Tell me you googled that speech.” “Fucker.” I looked away because we both knew I did. Jax grabbed the back of my helmet and pulled my visor against his. His voice was dead serious. “He’d be proud of you.”

“You’re going to make me fucking cry.” His dimple indented his cheek, and he headed toward the rink, shouting back, “Least I can do, Captain.”

The guy from the other night stood to her left, and he was looking down at her with soft eyes. Look at the fucking flag, asshole.