Rules

by Doe, Anna B.

  Max tilts his head to the side, pretending to think it over. “Nah, I think that would be too condescending. But maybe I could give you one of my hockey jerseys.”

  “I’m not one of your puck bunnies!” I swat at his shoulder, pushing him away.

  “I’d like to think not. No puck bunny gets my jersey,” Max laughs.

  I lift my hand again, but he raises his arms, palms stretched in surrender. “Okay, okay. I get it, no jerseys.”

  “I hate to break your bubble, but we’re here,” Andrew says, the car stopping to a halt.

  My stomach drops as I turn around facing the two-story house in front of us. No backing down now.

  “It’ll be okay.” Max’s hand squeezes mine before he gets out. Pushing down the fear, I grip the handle and open my door. I barely get out before I hear the front door burst open, followed by running footsteps.

  My head snaps up just in time to see a flash of wild red hair, and then my best friend crashes into me, her arms wrapping around my neck.

  “You’re never, ever, ever doing this to me again!” she cries into the crook of my neck.

  For a second, I stand shell-shocked, but then I feel my body relax in her familiar embrace. Wrapping my arms around her, I return her hug, my eyes filling with tears. God, I hate hormones. “I’m s-so sorry, Lia. For all the awful things I said.”

  “I don’t care.” She sniffles, pulling away. Her hands grip my head. “You don’t get to leave me. Promise me right this moment. You’re not leaving again without saying goodbye. Hell, you’re not leaving me at all, ever.”

  Brushing my tears away, I nod my head. “I promise.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” Lia warns. She tries to keep a tough face, but it falls fast, a giggle bursting out of her lungs. “I missed you sooooo much!”

  With that, she pulls me against herself once more. Looking over her shoulder, I see that our friends have gathered around us. Andrew’s hand is wrapped around Jeanette. Derek is standing behind Lia with Max close by.

  I was so scared of coming back, but I should have known better. And although this town never felt like home to me, looking at the people surrounding me, I realize I found my home. My family. It’s not traditional, but it’s mine. And I couldn’t be happier to have it.

  * * *

  “I still can’t believe you’re pregnant!” Lia says, her eyes glued to my stomach. She’s been playing this staring game for a while, and although I hate being the center of attention, I can’t blame her for it.

  “You better get used to it, because this one’s coming soon,” I laugh, my hand sliding over my stomach.

  Jeanette shifts in her seat, drawing my attention. “Are you sure you’re okay with it?”

  After things calmed down a little, we went inside, where they wouldn’t leave me alone until I told them everything.

  “Don’t be silly!” Jeanette gives me a soft smile. “I can’t wait for you to have this baby. It’ll be the most spoiled little thing in the world.”

  I didn’t doubt it for a second. Until Jeanette’s pregnancy scare, I never realized she wanted kids. It just didn’t go with the version of her I knew, but now I see it. She really wants this, a family of her own. And although I can see the hurt and pain lingering in her gaze, I can see happiness too.

  “And he’ll be happy to have you.” I place my hand on each of my best friends’, giving them a light squeeze. “Both of you.”

  We share a smile before I pull away and cover my mouth with my hand to hide the loud yawn. I look at the clock on the wall, noticing it’s well past ten in the evening.

  “Tired?”

  “It’s been a long day.” I nod. “Plus, apparently one needs more sleep to grow a human being.”

  “Go figure.”

  “Where are the guys?” Lia stands up and goes to look out the window.

  “They just went to grab our stuff from the car.”

  I get on my feet just as the front door opens, and I can hear their soft voices coming from the hallway. Giving up on waiting, I go to them instead.

  “What took you…” The words die on my lips when I see Andrew’s worried face. “What’s wrong?”

  I can feel Lia and Jeanette come behind me, but I don’t move my eyes from my brother’s face.

  “I think you should sit down,” Andrew says softly, but even before he finishes, I shake my head no. Hands grip my shoulders from behind as he nods his head. “The PI who found you?”

  “What about him?” I ask, although a part of me already suspects, already knows.

  “You know I sent him back, to take care of that Dan dude? Well, I told him to check on Josephine, just in case.” I nod, nibbling at my lip. Waiting. “He found her. She’s dead, Brook. She overdosed.”

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  MAX

  “Everybody is staring,” Brook protests by my side, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She pulls, yet again, at the hem of her shirt, but really there isn’t much she can do to hide her belly since the shirt is plastered to her skin.

  “It’s because you’ve been gone for weeks, and now suddenly you’re back,” Lia offers diplomatically as we walk down the hallway.

  Brook glares at another one of our classmates who takes her in, his eyes staying a second too long on her stomach. “I think it has nothing to do with their worry about my education and everything to do with the bump I’m sporting.”

  “It’s a really cute bump, you have to admit.”

  “The cutest,” I agree, letting my hand graze her waist, fingers brushing the curve of her stomach. Yes, we were getting curious looks, and some nasty ones too, from the moment we entered the halls, but no one dared to come closer or comment anything out loud, and they better not. Leaning down, I whisper in her ear, “Still against wearing my jersey? I think it would be just the right size to keep this hidden for a bit longer.”

  Brook looks over her shoulder at me. “I thought you didn’t want to hide.”

  “Hell no. But I don’t want you to be uncomfortable either. Besides, having my name plastered on your back is hardly hiding.”

  Rolling her eyes, she shoves me away, but I can see a glimmer of happiness there.

  It was hard leaving her behind yesterday, especially after Andrew dropped the bomb on her. Brook insisted she was okay with Josephine’s death, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. How could she be? Yes, Josephine was a sad excuse for a mother, but she was her family. We told her to take the time she needs, but she said she’s okay and ready to get back to her normal life, so that’s what we did. We gave her the normal while waiting for her to be ready to talk to us if she wanted.

  “When are you going to talk to your parents?” Brook’s quiet question brings me back to the school hallways.

  “After school.”

  Yesterday when Jeanette and I got home, Mom was still awake, so I let her know I needed to tell them something. Them meaning both her and Dad. We haven’t talked since the phone call, but I knew she was seeing him. They decided to try couple’s therapy, and they even suggested family therapy, but so far I’ve been able to get out of it. I wasn’t ready to talk to him, but with everything going on, I didn’t have much choice. I didn’t want to hide Brook or our baby. Not from my family and not from anybody else.

  “Want to come with?” I ask. I’m not sure how my parents will react, so I don’t want to bring her into the crossfire, but I don’t want her to feel left out either.

  Her hand squeezes mine. “If you want me too.”

  “It might get messy,” I warn, using her words from yesterday. Was it only yesterday? It feels like it’s been ages considering all the things that have happened.

  “I’m kind of an expert on messy.”

  I pull her to a halt, my hand grazing her cheek. “What a pair we make.”

  Brook holds my gaze for a while, then her eyes fall down to my lips. I haven’t kissed her since Andrew’s interruption yesterday, and my body is dying to rectify that.


  “There you are.”

  Speak of the devil, I groan, tilting my head back. Fucking cock-blocker. I’m so going to get back at him eventually.

  Andrew gives me a knowing smirk, but doesn’t comment. Instead, he gets between the two of us, his attention on Brook. “You’re all set. You have the same schedule you did before. You’ll have to check with your teachers on how to catch up, but they did promise to let you finish the year even though you’ve missed the last three months.”

  “How the hell did you manage to do that?”

  Andrew cringes. “I might have had to ask John to pull some strings.”

  “I thought you weren’t talking to him anymore.” Brook’s face turns serious.

  “He owes you this and more.”

  “I don’t want anything from him, Andrew,” Brook protests. “I could have gotten my GED and avoided this circus.”

  She waves her hand at the students still gaping at our little group.

  “I know, but I’m not letting that son of a bitch off the hook that easily. Besides, there are only a few weeks left, and you deserve a little bit of normality in your life. We want you to finish senior year with us. Please?”

  “Fine,” she sighs. “I’ll do this for you guys. And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab my books and go to class. Apparently, I have some catching up to do.”

  * * *

  BROOK

  “Mom, you here?” Max calls as soon as we get inside his house.

  I look around, nerves getting the best of me. You’d think this was my first time here, but even though it’s not, I’ve never met their parents. And with all the things the Sanders family is going through, I definitely don’t think now’s the right time.

  Considering they’re your baby’s family too, I don’t see how you have a choice.

  “In the kitchen,” she yells back as Max helps me out of my jacket. Most of my clothes have become a tight fit in the last few weeks, and I know I’ll soon have to do something about it, but for now, leggings are my best friend.

  Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I straighten my shirt and wish for the hundredth time today I’d been smarter and worn one of my loose shirts this morning.

  Max’s hand settles on mine, covering my stomach, his gray gaze meeting mine in the mirror. “You look fine.”

  “They’re going to be pissed off, aren’t they?” I can feel my whole body shudder at the thought. The last thing I wanted was to cause more trouble for Max and his parents.

  “Most likely,” he agrees, and somehow his sincerity makes me feel a little bit at ease. “But let them.” His fingers spread over my stomach, giving it a small rub, and the now familiar flutters spread underneath my skin. “I love you, Brook. I want you and this baby and our future.”

  Looking at those stormy eyes, I can see the truth in his words that warms my heart. I open my mouth, the words on the tip of my tongue, but don’t get to say them out loud.

  “Ready?”

  Nodding my head, I let him take my hand in his and lead me to the kitchen to meet his parents. Jeanette decided to give us some time alone to tell them and instead went with Andrew to look at some apartments.

  At first, I was worried about how we were going to be able to get an apartment, but as it turns out he got partial access to the trust fund his grandfather left him when he turned eighteen. I promised I’d give him back my share as soon as I found a job, but he didn’t want to hear it. Not like that is going to stop me.

  “There you are!” a woman who’s the spitting image of Max says as soon as we enter the room. Although she’s dressed casually, designer jeans and a cashmere sweater with pearls around her neck, everything about her screams wealth. “You had me worried when you…” Her gray eyes grow wide when she sees me peeking around Max. “Oh, you brought company.”

  My cheeks flush instantly, but Max doesn’t let me back down. “I wanted you to meet somebody.” He pulls at my hand he’s holding, bringing me to his side. That’s when I see the man sitting on the barstool looking at us with interest—Max’s dad. I saw him a few times in passing after hockey games but never exchanged more than a polite greeting with the guy. “Mom, D-dad.” Max’s eyes dart to the man for a second. I can see the pain flash in them, his hand gripping mine tighter, before he pushes the unwanted emotion away. “This is my girlfriend, Brook.”

  The dead silence that falls over us is almost palpable. I debate whether I should go and shake their hands, maybe introduce myself, but when I see no indication they would accept it from me, I settle for a small wave.

  “What the hell is this?” Dr. Sanders asks, first to break the silence as his eyes take me in. “You got a girl pregnant?”

  His words are sharp, and although they’re directed at Max, I can’t escape the burn of his disapproval.

  “Now, Samuel,” his mom says, her finger twisting the row of pearls around her neck. “I think we should let them explain.”

  “Explain? What is there to explain? He knocked up some random co-ed and ruined his future before it even started!”

  “Enough!” Max shouts, his hands falling on the counter. He looks between his parents. His face is red with anger, breathing heavy. My instincts scream at me to run away, but I ignore them. Taking a step closer, I put my hand on his back, rubbing away the tension.

  “Brook is not some random co-ed. We’ve been together for months, but we kept it quiet. Either way, we’re not here for your approval.”

  A little stretched but…

  “Oh. this is rich,” Dr. Sanders says, but his wife throws him a death stare that shuts him up instantly.

  Max frowns at them, but continues. I’m surprised how calm his voice sounds considering the vein throbbing in his forehead.

  “I’m here to tell you that we’re together and that yes, she is pregnant, and we’re having this baby.”

  “And where exactly are you having the baby? I’m not sure your new coach will be too happy with his star player distracted by his family.”

  “As a matter of fact,” Max grits through his teeth. “I called the coach and explained the situation.”

  A surprised gasp parts my lips. I can feel Mrs. Sanders’s curious gaze on me, but I ignore her, too stunned by Max’s words to care what she thinks. I knew Max said he wanted me to go with him to Boston, but I never thought it could have consequences on his scholarship or spot on the team. I didn’t even know the terms of his scholarship, much less that he called his coach to tell him about me.

  “Coach agreed to let me stay off-campus if Brook decided to live at BU with me. If not, I’ll do my year as promised and then try and transfer somewhere closer to home.” He looks over his shoulder at me, those gray eyes softening around the edges, although I can still see the anger burning inside them. “He also said he’ll pull some strings if you want to enroll at BU once the baby is born, given the fact that up until now your GPA was stellar.”

  “How did you know that?” I breathe out.

  “Lia,” he says as a means of explanation.

  I want to ask more questions, but his father interrupts our moment.

  “That all sounds amazing, but are you aware how much work it is having a family?”

  Max’s whole body tenses. “And you’re one to talk?” he throws back at his dad, turning around to face him. “You, who destroyed our family. You, who was never home because you had to work. You want to school me on how hard it is having a family? I’m not stupid, Dad. What I am is willing to try and give it my all. I don’t expect it to be easy, but I do know Brook is worth it. My family, our family, is worth it. And if it comes to it, I’d rather give up hockey than give up her.”

  Tears well in my eyes. Hockey is his life, his future, I should know because I was there helping him reach his dream this past year. And when he told me he did it, I couldn’t have been more proud of him. And now he says he’s willing to give it all up for me. Like I needed another reason to fall even harder for him.

  “Now if you’re d
one throwing accusations at us, I’m going to take my girlfriend out to eat.”

  And with those words, he pulls me out of the room and away from his family.

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  BROOK

  “How are you feeling?” I ask him, taking a sip of water.

  Max all but dragged me out of his house. I could feel all the emotions swirling inside him, so I let him be. I thought he’d take me home, but instead he stopped at a deli to grab something to eat for us and then continued driving around until we got to the park, the same one where we met for the first time.

  It felt like déjà vu, but we were so far from the kids who met each other a year ago in this very place.

  “Is it okay to be disappointed?” he asks, swaying lightly on the swing next to mine.

  “Of course. I think they need time to adjust,” I offer. I’m not sure if I’m telling the truth or not; I don’t know his parents the way he does. Hell, with how dysfunctional my parents are, I should be the last one to give advice to anybody.

  “Maybe,” he agrees, and I can see that he’s done with talking about his parents, so I let it go. There is something else I wanted to talk about anyway.

  “So,” I drawl slowly. “You talked to your new coach.”

  That brings a small, sheepish smile to his face. “Maybe.” When I give him a stern look, he sighs. “I wanted to have all the facts before we talked about it again. What I said to my parents is true. I’m not their first student to come with a family. I don’t want to hurry you, but I need an answer as soon as possible so I can let him know if we want their help in finding housing. Even if you don’t decide to come, I’ll probably find an off-campus apartment. I don’t want you to think you’re not welcome to come anytime you want.”

  I look at him, my hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair off his face. “You really want this, don’t you?”

  “I want you to be happy, Brook. That’s the only thing that matters.”