Rule #5: You Can't Trust the Bad Boy (The Rules of Love)

by Anne-Marie Meyer

  If I got any deeper, there would be no way I could get onto the plane Monday morning and save his sister’s promotion. If I cared about him, I needed to leave.

  I stared at Kate’s number, knowing what I needed to do. I’d call her and get this whole dumb decision behind me.

  I found her number, brought the speaker up to my ear, and waited. Two rings and Kate answered.

  “Hey, girl. What’s up?”

  Tears welled up inside of me, but I wasn’t going to cry now. I needed to be strong. “I was wondering if I could spend the weekend with you.”

  I could hear her snapping her gum on the other end. “Sure. Why?”

  I sighed. “My parents are shipping me off to Italy with the Espositos. I think they want me to marry their son as some part of their business deal.”

  Kate laughed. “What? Are they crazy?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they are. Anyway, I want to get away. Could you come pick me up?”

  “Sure. I’m about ten minutes from the Livingstone.”

  I winced as I closed my eyes. I needed to prepare myself for Kate’s over-the-top reaction to what I was about to tell her. “I’m not exactly there.”

  “Okay, where are you?”

  “Do you know a Jet Miller?”

  All I could hear after that was screaming. Like, ear-piercing, dogs would join in, type of screaming. It went on for a good ten seconds before she had to catch her breath and I could speak.

  “I’m assuming you know him.”

  “Yeah, I know him. He was like the rebel of the school last year.” She took a deep breath. “How do you know him, and why are you with him?”

  I took a deep breath. I really didn’t want to get into it over the phone. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you once you’re here. Can you just come get me?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be there in ten.”

  “Do you know where he lives?”

  “Oh, honey, everyone knows where Jet lives.”

  We said our goodbyes, and, once the phone fell silent, I set it on the counter next to me. I was trying to fight the twinge of sadness that had settled in my chest. I knew I should be happy; I was sparing myself and Jet from the inevitable heartbreak that would take place if he and I actually allowed ourselves to grow close.

  I was protecting myself as well as him.

  Even though my stomach was tying itself in knots and my heart felt as if it were crumbling to pieces, I knew this was for the best.

  It was the only way for Jet to be happy, and that was all that mattered to me.

  Chapter Twelve

  I tried to stay in the bathroom until Kate got there, but Cassidy wasn’t having it. She kept knocking and trying to whisper into the crack of the door. When she asked me if I needed medicine, I decided it was best to get out of the bathroom. No reason to make people think I had bowel issues or something.

  Jet was in the kitchen with his hands elbow-deep in sudsy water when I walked in. He’d put on a shirt and looked so adorable standing there washing dishes that I almost turned around and ran back into the bathroom, not caring what anyone assumed about my bathroom needs.

  All I could think about as I stood there, dumbfounded, was how much I liked Jet. Like, really liked him.

  And the more I was around him, the harder I was falling for him.

  He must have heard me come in because he turned and winked at me. “What? Never seen a guy do the dishes before?” he asked.

  His half smile made my knees feel as if they were going to collapse. My whole body was responding to the way his gaze swept over me and the look in his eyes as he met mine.

  I scoffed, hoping that I would come across as cool instead of the nerd I felt like. “I’ve seen guys do the dishes before,” I said as I walked over to the oven, grabbed a towel, and began drying the stack of dishes that he was piling up next to him.

  “Thanks,” he said as I took a plate from him.

  The sound of his voice and the way he leaned into me caused shivers to cascade down my back. Before I could police myself, my fingers brushed his and I almost dropped the dish.

  Jet’s soapy hands were suddenly on mine as he tried to grab the plate. His laugh was soft, and I felt him glance over at me. Heat pricked at the back of my neck, but I kept my gaze trained on the plate.

  “Sorry,” I whispered.

  Jet let go of the dish and stepped back to grab another dish. I hoped that really was reason, and not just an opportunity to get away from me. He dunked the next dish into the water and started scrubbing.

  We worked in silence. I kept my ears open for the sound of Kate’s arrival. I wanted to get away and to stay at the same time. It was exhausting to have such conflicting feelings raging inside of me.

  I just knew that if I could just get away from Jet, maybe I could actually figure out what I wanted. Or how I was going to end this weekend without my heart shredded to bits.

  “You okay?” he asked as he dipped down, trying to catch my gaze.

  I pinched my lips together as I snapped my attention back to the dish I was drying. “Yes,” I whispered.

  He stopped moving and turned to face me. I could see him stare from the corner of my eye. What was he thinking, and why was he looking at me like that?

  “He’s not going to come back. He never does. He’ll probably go sleep it off at his friend’s or another bar.”

  Confused, I glanced over at him, only to have my breath taken away. Jet had this soulful, worried look in his eyes. Like he was concerned about me.

  “Who?” I asked.

  He blinked a few times. “My dad,” he said slowly.

  Right. “Oh. Okay,” I replied.

  “Was that not who you were waiting for?” He returned to the sink and sunk his hands back into the water.

  I shook my head. “No.”

  He glanced over at me. “Then why do you keep looking over at the door?”

  I took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. It made a soft whistling sound. “I asked my friend Kate to come pick me up.”

  I wasn’t sure what I’d expected Jet to do when I finally confessed that I’d asked Kate to come get me, but the frustrated expression on his face surprised me.

  He looked angry.

  I’d figured I was doing him a favor. Leaving before he and I started down a path we couldn’t finish. And maybe if he knew about Italy, he’d be fine with it. But that was a secret I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. I didn’t want him to see me as this weak girl who just did whatever her parents told her to do.

  Sure, I always ended up giving my parents what they wanted. It was easier to give in than try to battle a Livingstone, but right now, I didn’t want Jet to look at me with pity in his eyes. It felt harder to live with than just anger.

  “Why?” he asked as he plopped a pan covered in grease into the sink, causing soap bubbles to shoot into the air. “If it’s about my dad, he’s gone. I promise. He won’t be coming back until he sobers up.”

  My emotions were choking my throat. So many thoughts, so many feelings, were coursing through me, and I wasn’t sure how to handle any of them. Pushing them way down felt like the best option. At least until I was no longer around Jet.

  I could hold out until I was gone as long as I got some distance between us.

  “It’s not about your dad,” I said as I wiped the plate I was drying. I needed something semi-normal to focus on, and wiping a plate gave that to me.

  “So, what? Haven’t I delivered what you asked for?”

  I peeked over at him and saw that he’d placed both hands on the front of the sink and was leaning in so that his shoulders were pushed up to his ears. I couldn’t tell he was frustrated from looking at him, but I could hear it in his voice.

  “You’ve been great. Really. I just...” I sighed. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I also didn’t want him to think that there was a chance I would stay.

  Because I would, if he asked.

  Deep down, I didn’t want to
go. I wanted to stay here. I wanted to be with Jet.

  Only, I couldn’t have him. It would never work.

  My parents would never allow me to date him. And if I tried, it might compromise my parents’ deal, and I couldn’t do that to Jet’s family. Too much was a stake, and my happiness seemed to get lost in it all.

  “I just realized that maybe I was being a little childish and I should probably head back.” I shrugged like what I was saying was not big deal...even though it was. A really big deal.

  When he didn’t say anything, I peered over at him, wondering what he was thinking. Did he hate me? Was he relieved? Sad?

  I shook my head. I couldn’t let myself get wrapped up in how he felt. I feared my lack of strength if he cared in the slightest that I was leaving. I feared that if he asked me to stay, I would. My resolve would crumble, and I’d lose all the strength that I’d gathered to get through this.

  Before he could say anything, his phone rang. He pulled his hand from the sink and shook it off. Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone.

  “Hello?”

  I pretended to busy myself with the next dish. I wasn’t trying to listen to the conversation, but it was hard not to.

  “Hey, man, what are you up to?”

  I was pretty sure it was Crew on the other end.

  Jet glanced over at me, pulled his other hand out of the water, and shook it off as he made his way over to lean against the fridge.

  “My evening just freed up. Why? Where are you?”

  I tried not to wince at Jet’s words or the bite to his tone. I’d hurt him. I could hear it in his voice, and it was getting harder and harder to convince myself it was for his good.

  “Shut up and Drink? What time?”

  I had no idea what he was talking about. I wanted to ask, but I knew it wasn’t my business anymore.

  “Thirty minutes?”

  I saw Jet peer around the fridge. Then he moved back to lean on the fridge. “Yeah, I think I can make that work. Once things are wrapped up here, I’ll head over.”

  He listened for a moment.

  “Man, I told you. That’s over. She’s in the past.”

  More silence.

  I felt like the room around me was shrinking. I wanted to know who he was talking about. Who was in the past? Was it an ex? Was she going to be there tonight?

  I cleared my throat, just to get my own thoughts to shut up. I needed to stop thinking and just focus on getting out of there.

  “Fine. Fine. It’s okay. I’ll come.”

  Jet didn’t sound too pleased about whatever Crew had said, but after he said his goodbyes and slipped his phone back into his pocket, he returned to the dishes like nothing had happened.

  Here I was, standing next to him, feeling like I was going to burst with questions. I chewed my lip in an effort to give myself something to do other than talk. I shouldn’t care what Jet did or who he was seeing tonight. I was done with him.

  I had to be.

  I finished drying the last dish while Jet unplugged the sink and rinsed the remaining soap down the drain. Just as I tucked the towel around the oven handle, there was an erratic knock on the door.

  Kate.

  Relief flooded my body as I headed over to the door, but Jet beat me to it. He pulled the door open, and I could see the huge smile that emerged.

  “Kate Wilson. What are you doing here?”

  The laugh that escaped Kate’s lips made me wince. She was anything but stealth. Even I could read her emotions.

  “Jet Miller. It’s good to see you,” she said amidst her giggles.

  “Come in,” he said, pushing the door open farther and nodding toward the kitchen.

  “Thanks,” she said as she entered. When she saw me, she squealed and rushed over to me and gave me a huge hug. “I’m so happy you’re back,” she said.

  I didn’t want to let go of her. With the way I was feeling, I needed to hold onto everything that brought me peace. And right there and then, that was Kate.

  If Kate noticed my clinginess, she didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she gave me a smile before she turned back to Jet. “I love your kitchen,” she said as she peered around at the yellow wallpaper.

  Jet snorted. “Right,” he said. He was leaning against the counter, and he had this sort of cocky arrogance about him. Like he’d won something, but I wasn’t quite sure what. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

  Kate’s cheeks hinted pink as she giggled. “It gets the job done, am I right?”

  I stared at my friend, who couldn’t hide her gushing feelings for Jet. I knew if I didn’t get her out of there, she was going to be a big puddle of goo on the floor with the words Jet Miller imprinted on her.

  “Come on,” I said, linking arms with her and pulling her toward the door. “We should get going. Jet’s got plans for the night, and we don’t want to be rude.”

  As soon as those words left my lips, regret filled me. I pinched my lips together so that nothing else could escape and pulled at her arm again.

  Kate would not be deterred, however. She ignored me and turned to Jet. “Plans? What plans do you have?”

  Jet’s smile made me wince. I hated how confident he seemed as he pushed off the counter and shoved his hands into his front pockets. “Oh, just meeting some friends at Shut Up and Drink.” His gaze roamed over Kate before it landed on me. “Do you want to come?”

  Yep. That’s what I’d feared.

  “I don’t—”

  “We’d love to come,” Kate said.

  I snapped my gaze over to Kate and gave her my best exasperated look. “We—”

  “We can go,” Kate said as she glanced between me and Jet.

  “I really think Jet just wants to be with his friends,” I said, leaning in to her. For my best friend, she was really bad at picking up on my hints.

  “I don’t mind. The more the merrier.”

  I tried not to glare at Jet as I met his gaze. “Yes, but it’s your friends. I’m sure you want to be alone with them.” My voice came out strained.

  Was no one capable of picking up on my body language?

  Jet shrugged. “It’s not a birthday party. It’s a group of us hanging out at a bar. It’s pretty relaxed. I’m sure there will be other people there. And I’m okay with that,” he said as he leaned toward me. I couldn’t help but melt under his stare as he focused it on me.

  “See, he doesn’t care,” Kate said as she swatted my arm.

  I glared at her. I didn’t want to go. And I didn’t want to go home. I wanted to be with Kate somewhere far, far away from Jet. And my attempt at freedom was rapidly slipping from my grasp.

  “It’s settled then,” Jet said as he clapped his hands together. “We’re meeting there in thirty minutes.”

  Kate’s smile was huge as she nodded vigorously. “Amazing.” Then she glanced over at me. “We can make that work, right?”

  I shrugged. I wasn’t being heard anyway. I doubted that even if I yelled “fire” anyone would listen. “Sure,” I said.

  Kate nodded. “Perfect.” I felt her gaze roam over me. Before I could stop her, she said, “Let’s go get you changed, and then we’ll meet Jet at the bar.”

  That was the exact opposite of what I wanted to do. Curling up on Kate’s bed in a pair of her fleece pajamas while eating chocolates and watching sappy chick flicks was what I wanted to do. What I didn’t want to do was to go to her house so she could dress me up for a party I didn’t want to go to.

  But Kate didn’t pick up on my obvious sighs or stares in her direction. Instead, she linked arms with me and pulled me toward the door. She opened it and ushered me onto the front stoop. “See you soon,” she sang out just as she shut the door.

  I followed her down the driveway. Just before I climbed into her car, I heard a knock on the living room window. Cassidy’s earnest face came into view.

  “Bye, Brielle,” she said, her voice muffled from the glass. Her little hand was waving so vig
orously that I couldn’t help but wave back.

  “Bye, Cassidy.”

  She smiled and saluted me before disappearing behind the couch.

  When I turned back, I saw a very smug smile on my best friend’s face. I furrowed my brow as I stared at her.

  “What?”

  She snorted as she opened the driver’s door and climbed into her seat. “I didn’t say anything.”

  I glared at her. “You were thinking something,” I said as I sat on the passenger seat and buckled my seatbelt. Just as I shut my door, she started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

  “I just think it’s interesting that I find you at Jet Miller’s house waving goodbye to his little sister.” She paused at a stop sign and took that time to stare me down. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  The all-too-familiar lump returned to my throat as I fiddled with the hem of my dress. “No,” I whispered.

  I was so close to losing control of my emotions, and I feared talking about it would reopen the waterworks. I needed to be strong. I had to be.

  When she didn’t respond, I glanced up at her to see her studying the road.

  “That’s it?” I asked, kind of shocked that she didn’t ask me any more questions. Kate was not one to give up so easily.

  Kate shrugged. “I figure I have all night to get answers from you,” she said, glancing over at me.

  I nodded, relief rushing through me. I was grateful that she didn’t press me, even though she was going to expect answers at some point. But maybe by then I could actually give them to her. Right then, I needed to wallow. I needed the comfort burying my feelings brought me.

  Because once I broke that dam, I was going to be forever changed. And I wasn’t sure I could handle that right now.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I stared at the black minidress that Kate picked out for me to wear. It was form-fitting and definitely not something I was used to wearing. My legs looked like they went on for days, especially when I wore a pair of stiletto heels with them.

  “I’m not sure,” I said, pulling down the hem of the skirt. I hoped it would do something. Maybe cover me up a tad bit more. But it didn’t.