Against the Rules

by Lucero, Isabel

  “This whole thing is out of my comfort zone,” I admit.

  “Yeah, but there’s so much more out there than forbidden relationships.”

  “Hmm.”

  She smirks. “Mm.” Her lips cover mine. “I’ll show you. Don’t worry.”

  “I want to show you something.”

  “Oh, Professor Kingston,” she teasingly sings. “So naughty.”

  With a growl, I shift and pin her to the couch cushions. When she parts her legs for me, I say, “You’re not wearing underwear.”

  She shakes her head with her bottom lip pinned between her teeth. “I was hoping you’d find that out earlier.”

  “I want to taste you.”

  Her body shivers as she releases a soft moan. “Yes, please.”

  I smirk before diving between her thighs.

  32

  After Elijah did deliciously dirty things to me with his mouth, we went upstairs where he continued to wear me out in the best possible way. Even now, hours later, my legs still feel weak, and parts of me ache with a soreness that reminds me of every second spent with him.

  I knew Elijah had his brothers going over tonight, so I made sure not to stay too long in case they decided they wanted to show up early.

  When I got home, I took another shower, threw on some sweatpants and a T-shirt, and tackled a lot of homework I neglected the past two days.

  It isn’t until nearly nine-thirty that I come up for a breather, and that’s only because my sister is calling.

  “Hey,” I sing into the receiver, still feeling giddy from my sleepover with Elijah. “I know I haven’t called you this weekend, but I’ve been busy. Both with homework, which I’m doing now, but also fun stuff.”

  “Nova.” She cuts me off, and her serious tone yanks me off cloud nine.

  “What’s going on?” I ask quickly.

  “It’s Mario. He knows where you are.”

  My voice has been ripped from me. I sit completely stock-still, blinking over and over, hoping this is a dream.

  “Are you there? Did you hear me?”

  I swallow thickly. “Yeah. How?” is all I manage to get out. My heart beats a loud and heavy cadence, growing faster and faster as the fear sets in.

  “Instagram.”

  “What? I don’t even use Instagram anymore.”

  “I know, but someone tagged you. The location was right there, along with the name of the bar you were at. It won’t take him long to get there if he hops on a plane.”

  I instantly put my sister on speaker phone, re-download the Instagram app and log back into the profile that I’d forgotten about for months. I should’ve deactivated the account, but I didn’t think about it. I deleted the app and knew I’d never post on there again.

  When I get to my tagged photos, I see four from Halloween. Two are pictures posted by Ayanna, and the other two are from Lorenzo.

  I should’ve told them. I should’ve made it known that I couldn’t have an online presence, but who wants to be the girl running from her past? I didn’t want to delve deep into my problems, I just wanted to start over. But now, my new friends decide to follow me on Instagram and tag me in photos like normal people do. However, for me, it comes with a cost.

  “Nova. I think you should come home.”

  “What about school?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll figure something out.”

  “What about my apartment, my job, my things? How long would I have to be gone for?”

  Gia huffs. “I don’t know, I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

  “What if he expects you to tell me and is just waiting for me to rush back home? He told you, right? Another letter?”

  “He left a note on my door. All it said was King’s Tavern, Gaspar Ohio. After I saw that, I looked at all of your social media pages. Your Facebook page is locked up, Twitter is bare, but then I saw the photos on Instagram. I clicked on the likes and saw his name. He’s probably already elbow deep into your friends’ lives. I’ve already told the police, and they said they can be in touch with the police there if you want, but they’ll likely only send a car out once or twice to drive by. They can’t do anything until something happens. It’s bullshit.”

  “Why would he tell you he knew where I was? He’d have to know you’d tell me.”

  “We can’t try to figure out why a crazy person would do certain things.”

  “I think I should stay. At least until Thanksgiving. It’s just a few weeks.”

  “Nova, so much could happen in three weeks.”

  “I can’t up and go, G. I can’t.”

  “Goddammit, Nova, I need you to be safe.”

  “I will be. I’ll have friends stay over.”

  “I don’t like this.”

  “I know. I don’t like it either.”

  When we get off the phone, I can tell she’s still unhappy that I didn’t already have a plane ticket bought to go back home.

  I refuse to live like this forever, though. If Mario needs to find me in order to get caught, then maybe it’s time.

  The cops have enough proof of his stalking and threats to be able to bring him in, but they haven’t been able to catch him. If the cops from back home can get in touch with the police station here and get them up-to-date on what’s going on, then when I find Mario, I can alert them and hopefully they’ll be able to take him into custody without any issue.

  33

  As I’m washing the dishes, I spot Royce and Cillian whispering to each other, and then soon after, Midge and London come whisking into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Elijah. We’re gonna head out a little early,” London says, coming in for a hug. “Thanks for dinner. It was delicious.”

  I try to hug her back without touching her shirt with my wet hands. “You know it’s not a problem. I’m happy to have people here.”

  Midge gives me a hug next. “Whenever you feel like teaching Cillian how to make some of these meals, you just let me know. I’ll send him over.”

  Cill pops his head into the kitchen from the dining room. “Hey! I heard that. I don’t have time to cook. I’m…”

  “In the middle of creating a masterpiece,” we all say at the same time, finishing the sentence he’s been repeating for weeks.

  “They both know more than they’re letting on,” I whisper to the girls. “Don’t let them fool you.”

  They giggle, say goodbye to the guys, and then leave. It doesn’t take long before Cill and Royce come stomping into the kitchen. Royce crosses his arms as he leans against the counter, and Cillian moves to the other side of me, choosing to sit on the counter.

  “What?” I ask, rinsing off a plate.

  “What’s up with you? You were extremely happy tonight. You’ve been over here humming while washing the dishes. And nobody does that,” Cill says.

  “Yeah, and you had a smile on your face almost the entire time we were at the table. You were with us, but you were definitely somewhere else in your head,” Royce adds.

  I chuckle. “You two are insane. Are you trying to tell me I’ve never smiled? That’s not new.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Don’t try to bullshit us. We know what’s going on.”

  I turn off the water and dry my hands, then step back so I can see them both at the same time. “What do you want me to say?”

  “Okay, we’re not gonna do this again. We’re your brothers. We’re not saying anything to anyone about you and this student. So just tell us the truth,” Royce says.

  I let out a breath and then smile. “Okay, so she may have spent some time here recently.”

  Their own grins widen. “And?” Cill asks.

  “And what? She came over, we had dinner, we talked. She made breakfast this morning, we talked some more.”

  “Is talk a euphemism for sex?” Cillian asks.

  I give him a look that says I’m not answering that.

  “It is,” Royce says with a laugh.

  “But hold on, she stayed the night? What?” Cilli
an’s eyes look like they’re going to pop out of his head.

  “So, this is serious?” Royce questions.

  I tilt my head back and forth, my arms crossed in front of me. “I wouldn’t say that. It’s more serious than anything I’ve had in a long time, because she did stay the night, and because I am happy when I’m with her, but we can’t ignore the problem. She’s still a student. So, how serious can this be?”

  My brothers come together, grabbing onto each other’s arms in dramatic fashion, their eyes wide with shit-eating grins on their faces.

  “Did he just…”

  “I think he did.”

  “He’s happy,” they say together.

  They start laughing, and I can’t help but join in while shaking my head. “Did you not hear the rest of what I said?”

  “We heard you were happy. I don’t know when I heard that last,” Cill says.

  “Dude, fuck everything else,” Royce states. “You’re happy. Let this play out however it’s gonna play out and see what happens. You know me and Cill have your back. We only want the best for you.”

  “I appreciate that. I do. And I know you guys won’t say anything, but it’s gonna stay in the back of my head. I’m worried that this is only alluring because it’s a secret. What if that’s what’s exciting for her? Sleeping with your professor? But after a while, the fun and sneaking will get old, won’t it?”

  “You don’t know that,” Royce says. “If she’s happy and you’re happy, keep doing what you’re doing.”

  “Yeah, man. You can only take it one day at a time. Don’t spend time thinking about the what ifs, just live in the now.”

  I crack a grin at them. “Look at you two, giving me advice.”

  “The tables have to turn eventually. It’s about time you start confiding in us,” Cill says.

  “I know. I love you guys. Now, help me with these dishes.”

  They pat me on the back, and we laugh as we get back to cleaning up. I feel a thousand times better now that I’ve talked to my brothers about this.

  Now I look forward to tomorrow, because I’m already dying to see Nova again.

  * * *

  My first class on Monday morning feels like it lasts three hours, but that’s probably only because I keep thinking about seeing Nova in the second class. My heart picks up speed at the thought of her, and even though I know we can’t kiss, hold hands, hug, or even stare at each other too long, I yearn to be near her.

  It’s a new feeling for me, and it’s scary as hell.

  However, she doesn’t come into class early like I was expecting. We don’t get those extra couple of minutes to ourselves.

  When students begin to fill the classroom, my eyes keep watching the door, waiting for her to come in, but she never does.

  I push through the class, trying to keep myself from thinking that she didn’t come to class because she didn’t want to see me. Or because she changed her mind about this whole thing because it would be too weird or too hard.

  I want to ask Lorenzo if he’s seen her, but that’s inappropriate. He’d become suspicious, and that’s the last thing I need.

  We never got around to exchanging numbers yesterday. It was always part of my plan to get her number, but we were so caught up in each other, I didn’t think about it. I was lost in the moment, and even that is something new to me. Usually, I’m focused on what’s next. What do I have to do? What needs to be done around the house? What lesson plans do I need to complete? When am I going to go shopping? My whole life is planned out.

  With Nova, however, I was only worried about what was happening then. I didn’t want to think about anything else but her and I together. And now I don’t have any way of getting in touch with her. I hope everything’s okay, but now I’ll just have to wait until Wednesday to see if she shows up in class.

  34

  I decided to not go to school on Monday just to err on the side of caution. Mario could’ve easily found out which college I’m going to if he spent even a little time on Ayanna’s Instagram page. Not only does she have clothing with the university’s name on it, but the location is tagged in any photo taken on campus.

  The campus isn’t small, and it’s not like he would know where to look for me, but I didn’t want to take that chance. I’m not ready to run into him yet, which is why I spent time on the phone with the police in both Tampa and Gaspar. They’re both aware of my problems with Mario and that we believe he’s coming to Gaspar if he’s not already here.

  The cops here told me to call them anytime I feel unsafe or if I think someone’s lurking around my apartment and they’ll send someone over. The good thing about this town being so small is that these police would actually be here pretty fast compared to the cops in Tampa.

  My sister wants me to get a security system, but they aren’t cheap. I can only afford to get these little plastic door and window alarms. If one of them gets opened, it blares a loud siren. It could be enough to scare off an intruder, but it doesn’t alert the police. Better than nothing, though.

  I send a text to both Lorenzo and Ayanna, telling them I want to meet up after school. I still plan on going to work this evening, but I think it’s time to let them know a little bit about my past so they know not to tag me in pictures anymore. I hate that I can’t live a normal life, but that’s why it’s time for Mario to get caught.

  At five minutes to five, the three of us meet up in front of the library and sit at a picnic table.

  “What’s going on?” Ayanna asks, already concerned. “Why weren’t you in school today?”

  “I’m fine. I just have something going on, and I wanted to tell you both about it.” I take a deep breath. “So, I transferred here because I was having some issues with an ex-boyfriend back home. It got pretty crazy. He was tracking my phone, sent threatening letters, and followed me around.”

  “Oh my God,” Ayanna breathes.

  Lorenzo’s brows furrow together. “He was stalking you?”

  I nod. “Yeah, and I just didn’t feel safe. I was worried about my sister, too, and we came up with a plan we thought would be best. I’d move, and she’d tell people that I left, except, she’d tell everyone a different state. We knew word would get around, and we hoped he’d find out and know I wasn’t there anymore and wouldn’t bother going by her house or anything like that. The cops were still trying to find him, because he was also caught trying to break into our home, but he was hiding out pretty good.”

  “Damn,” Lorenzo says.

  “That’s crazy. So, what’s going on now?” Ayanna asks.

  “Well,” I look at them both. “Don’t think I blame you, but apparently, he saw the photos you tagged me in on Instagram. I had deleted the app but not the profile, and he was watching it, I guess. He saw the bar we went to on Halloween and let my sister know that he had found out.”

  Ayanna gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh my God, Nova. Holy shit. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe this.”

  I put my hand on her arm. “It’s okay. Like I said, I don’t blame you. I should’ve told you the truth earlier, but I didn’t want to hash it all out.”

  “Fuck,” Lorenzo exclaims. “I feel like shit, Nova. I’m sorry, Mami.” He looks at Ayanna. “You know we’d never do anything to put you in danger.”

  “I know, I know. It’s okay. I just think he might be on his way. Or he might be here. I don’t really know. I’ve been in touch with the police today and got these little alarms for my apartment, but yeah, I just wanted you to know what was going on.”

  “Well, shit. You can’t stay there alone,” Ayanna says. “I’ll stay the night. We can have Luca and Lorenzo stay over too.”

  I give her a small grin. “I appreciate it, but I only have one bed and one couch.”

  “Then we take turns.”

  “Fuck it, I’ll sleep on a floor. I don’t care,” Lorenzo says.

  I get up and give them both a hug. “I love you guys. I have to get to work, but I’ll text you w
hen I’m off.”

  “Before you’re off,” Lorenzo adds. “I’ll meet you here and make sure you get home safe.”

  “Yeah, don’t go anywhere without one of us,” Ayanna says, giving me another squeeze.

  “Okay, I’ll be in touch. Talk to you guys later.”

  The whole time I’m working, I keep stealing glances at the door, hoping Elijah comes in. I feel like shit when I realize he probably thinks I’m freaking out over our secret affair. I don’t know his phone number, and I only have his work email address, but as I was typing out a quick email, I started wondering if the university could access it. I’m not sure why anybody else would feel the need to go through the professors’ emails, but maybe, and I didn’t want to risk it.

  I want to kick myself for not getting his number, but my mind was on other things.

  Right before I’m about to get off work, I text both Ayanna and Lorenzo to let them know, and within ten minutes, both of them are waiting for me at the door.

  “I’ll ride with you. Lorenzo’s gonna follow,” she says, holding onto a duffle bag. “I brought clothes and stuff.”

  “Okay,” I answer with a grin. I’m already so thankful to have them in my life.

  When we get to my apartment, Lorenzo takes my key and looks through every room before letting me and Ayanna in.

  “I don’t think he knows where I live,” I say.

  “Maybe not, but you can’t be too safe,” he says, handing my keys back to me. “Wanna order Chinese?”

  I shrug. “Sure.”

  All three of us sit in the living room, chomping down Chinese food while trying to study, do homework, and watch TV.

  “Do you want me to stay?” Lorenzo asks.

  “We’ll be fine,” Ayanna says. “But we’ll text you if anything happens.”

  “Well, call the cops first.”

  She throws a pencil at him. “Duh. Get out of here. It’s girl time.”

  Lorenzo shakes his head with a grin on his lips. “Whatever. I’ll check around outside before I leave. Stay safe. Lock the door.”