The Summer of Broken Rules

by K.L. Walther

“You’re still my favorite girl to have on my arm.”

Assert yourself.

Sarah, Honey, and the café vanished; it was only us. “We don’t need to publicly confirm or deny anything,” he said. “But sure, let them think we’re this Assassin power couple.”

I’ll tell you when I have my arms around you, he said. My breath caught. He was so casual, so easy with his affection. There was no stupid winky face emoji or a hundred obnoxious hearts following his words—he wasn’t teasing or even flirting. He was just being open and genuine.

“Smart,” Wit went on. “Goofy.” He took a breath. “Dramatic. Midnight snacker. Loyal. Fantasy reader. Competitive. Deep sleeper. Fearless.”

“For example, Sarah is a Swiftie because she’s part of the Taylor Swift fandom, so Michael’s a Sheerio because he loves Ed Sheeran.”

“I adore you, but I love you even more.”