The No Bad Boy Rule (Rule #2)

by Ashley Erin

  “You better learn how. Otherwise, you are going to have your hands full when he is a teenager.” Mom wraps me into her arms, squeezing affectionately. “Now, since all of your friends are coming over, we need to decide what you want me to cook.”

  Pushing play on the movie, I curl into my mom’s comforting embrace. “You know my favorites. You decide.”

  “Ok, I’m going to have fun with it, though. I think we need to make it a theme party, so I’m going to contact your brother, and you can be surprised.” She is practically quivering with excitement.

  “Should I be worried? I feel worried.”

  “Don’t be silly, it will be great. I will even convince your dad to participate.” There will be no talking her out of this and to be honest, I’m excited to see what she comes up with. Mom is incredibly creative and always throws the best parties.

  Steam wafts from my bathroom as I enter my room, smiling when I see the dress Mom has laid out on my bed.

  Alice in Wonderland, the Tim Burton version. She knows me so well.

  Excitement hits me as I try the baby blue dress on, twirling in front of the mirror. Quickly taking it off so I don’t mess it up, I set about getting myself ready.

  Sitting at my vanity table, a birthday gift for my eighteenth birthday, I set my hair in rollers before meticulously applying my makeup. Instead of trying to get it exactly like the movie, I take some artistic liberties.

  Tilting my head as I complete the smoky eye, I finish with a soft blush. Carefully checking my hair, I quickly unroll it and spray it with copious amounts of hairspray. Running my fingers through the curls, I slide back into the dress and check out the final look.

  Barely holding back a squeal as I swish the dress, my excitement diminishes a bit as the doorbell rings. The nerves take over as I realize that Mom and Dad are going to meet Dax as more than just Andie’s brother, now he means something to me. They have been incredibly protective of me since Noah and the thought that they may not like him because of the energy he tends to put out sets the butterflies in my stomach into a flurry of activity. I want them to see past the tough exterior like I did almost right from the start.

  Taking a deep breath, I exit my room towards the sound of voices. The low rumble of Dax’s voice stands out, it’s so sexy that my body is at war trying to decide if it’s nervous, turned on or excited. I haven’t seen him since we slept together, but we’ve chatted every day. Nervous to see how this evening goes, I try to steady myself before seeing him.

  Peering around the corner, I slap my hand over my mouth as I see my friends all dressed up. They look hilarious and incredible. Dax is the Mad Hatter, hair teased in a way I didn’t know possible and face all made up in bright makeup.

  Inhaling, I start down the steps, eyes on Dax. The nerves are winning out, how do I greet him? The entire group will know about our make out session by now thanks to Kensi, but we haven’t really established more than he wants to take me on a date.

  Dax looks up at me, his hazel eyes widening as he slowly looks me up and down, caressing me with his eyes. Freezing in place so I don’t fall, I’m captive in his gaze, and I don’t ever want to be free. The world falls away as he strides towards me, my breath caught in my lungs.

  This man is dangerous.

  My feet move before my brain has caught up to my body’s response. Ava looks absolutely stunning, and the only thought in my head is the need to be close to her. Forgetting where we are, I take the few remaining steps towards her and rest my forehead on hers.

  “Wow.” Slowly inhaling, I stare into her eyes as I try to find the words I need to describe exactly how spectacular she looks. “I’m at a loss for words. There is not a single word in the English language that can describe just how beautiful you are.”

  Her eyes shine, and I can’t control myself any longer, I need to taste her again. Leaning down, I capture her lips with my own in a soft kiss before I step away from her reluctantly. That one kiss felt like the first sip of water after being deprived for too long.

  We have an audience, which seems to be a trend when I kiss her and the fact that her parents are standing in the room has managed to break through the fog in my head.

  Turning around, ready to face probing eyes, I’m shocked to see the entrance has cleared out. Voices come from somewhere else in the house. “They’re in the kitchen.” Ava’s voice is soft as she steps down next to me and looks up, her hands teasing the tips of my hair as she pulls me down, her lips eagerly pressing against mine.

  Leaning into her, I press her against the wall and deepen the kiss. Her hands pull my hair harder, her lips devouring mine. Reluctantly, I pull away. Everyone in the kitchen knows what’s happening on these stairs.

  “Well, I guess that’s a way to make an impression on your parents. What do you do to me? I forget where I am with you.” Intertwining my fingers with hers, I pull her into my arms reveling in how it feels to hold her.

  “I don’t know. It’s never been like this for me.” Her whisper is so soft, I don’t think I’m meant to hear her. Tilting her chin up, I brush my lips against hers, unable to resist the temptation.

  “That makes two of us. I guess we can figure out how to navigate this together.” Everything feels so fast. We went from being friends to having sex in the blink of an eye. Skipping everything in between that should have been done, I feel like I failed her, but I know if I voice that out loud she might yell at me again.

  She may be okay with the order things happened, but it will be a regret for me. A slip back into old ways.

  “What’s with you two and stairs? Come on, you have got to see what Jules has done in here.” Andie stands at the bottom of the stairs, smirking at us. Resting my hand on Ava’s lower back, we walk into the kitchen together. Both of us unsure and unsteady about what exactly we’re doing and how to make our way through these overwhelming emotions.

  I can’t speak for her, but I feel like I’ve been submerged all at once sputtering for air as I try to keep my head above water.

  “Mom! You . . . I . . . Holy shit.” Ava sputters and I finally really look around the room.

  The table is set in the midst of lush green vines and foliage. Each table setting is different and made up with toadstools, teacups and napkins shaped into animals. I don’t even know how she managed it.

  The food smells amazing and is stored in baskets or uniquely shaped pottery dishes all over the table. It’s funky and cool.

  Ava leaves my side and wraps herself into her mom’s embrace. That’s when Noah comes in the room, dressed like Tweedle-Dee or Tweedle-Dum. The laugh that escapes me is unavoidable. “Dax!” Noah runs up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

  “Hey, Buddy!” Crouching down, I straighten one of his suspenders and hug him. “Your costume is awesome!”

  “Grandma made it. It’s Momma’s birthday tomorrow.” He continues talking about how he helped Ava’s mom decorate and how hard it was to keep the secret. “Can we play hide and seek?”

  Laughing at the abrupt subject change, I stand up and look over to where Ava is talking with Lucas. “We better ask your momma if we can play later. I bet if you ask really nice we will all play.”

  Noah runs over to Ava talking excitedly about everything. Smiling at them, I feel someone looking at me and turn towards the table. Ava’s mom is walking towards me, her expression serious.

  Trying not to look too intense, an automatic expression for my face when I’m feeling apprehensive, I hold out my hand as she stops in front of me. “Hi Mrs. Jensen, it’s nice to see you again. I apologize for earlier.”

  She ignores my hand and pulls me into a hug. “Call me Jules.” She steps back from me, her expression serious and I freeze. “I’ve never seen Noah quite like that with anyone except his Uncle. It’s something special, which means you’re someone special.”

  Without saying anything, she walks away from me, leaving me stunned.

  “Okay, let’s all dig in while the food is still hot. Rumor has i
t that afterwards an epic game of hide and seek will commence so you’re going to need your strength.” Jules winks at Noah as he bounces in his seat.

  “Sit beside me.” Ava slips her hand inside mine, filling the void I never knew I needed to be filled until her, pulling me towards the head of the table.

  Carter, Jaden, and Dean are the only ones who couldn’t make it, the rest of our group including Peyton all surround Ava. They are loudly showing their appreciation for the meal Jules prepared.

  “Mom, this is incredible!” Lucas’s mouth is full and before Jules can scold him, Andie elbows him in the side.

  It doesn’t take us long to finish eating. “Mrs. Jensen, that was delicious. Thank you so much for having us.” Peyton’s voice is soft. She sits beside me, and I can tell this whole experience has been overwhelming for her. She’s used to crowds of people, but not settings like this. She grew up moving from family member to family member before being removed and placed in a foster home. By then she was disenchanted with the whole “family” situation and ran away to join the Vipers.

  “Anytime you all want to come over, you’re welcome to. It doesn’t matter the day or time, someone is always here.” Jules smiles warmly at Peyton. “Now why don’t you play that game of hide and seek while I get the cake ready.”

  Noah jumps out of his chair and is running out of the room before any of us have stood up.

  “I’m tired already.” Lucas jokes before racing off after his nephew.

  “I will count.” Nella volunteers, sitting back down at the table and closing her eyes.

  Looking at my remaining friends, we all laugh and race out of the room. Dragging Ava with me, we search for the perfect spot. “You’re hiding with me.”

  “I know just the place. Honestly, I never get tired of this game. That’s something I love about being a mom, I have an excuse to still enjoy the things I never want to grow out of.” Ava leads me to the basement where she pulls open a door that blends so well in with the wall I never would have expected it to be there. “This used to be my fort. I’ve been saving it for Noah’s birthday next week. Until they find Lucas, no one will be able to find us here.”

  Getting on my hands and knees, I crawl into the room blinking as Ava turns on a lamp. The ceiling is low and covered with brightly colored curtains giving it a tent-like feel. Pillows cover the floor in piles creating cozy areas to sit or lie down. “Well, this is really damn cool.”

  Feeling the warmth from Ava’s body behind me, I turn around. Her lips are on mine, arms wrapped tightly around me before I’ve even processed her movement. She makes me forget to be on guard. That thought flies out of my head as she nudges me into a pile of pillows, straddling me without lifting her mouth from mine.

  Breaking away, I pull her down next to me and rub my finger gently over her lips, smirking as she pouts. “I know your birthday is tomorrow, but how is this birthday measuring up to previous ones?”

  “Best one yet. Honestly, I love celebrating my birthday. I don’t care about gifts, but spending time with family and friends doing something fun always makes me happy. It’s also when I do most of my reflecting on what I want to change or accomplish over the next year. I think my twenty-first year will be a hard one to beat.” Her hands find mine and I hold them up, looking at our fingers clasped together.

  The smile that crosses my face when I see pink, orange, and purple paint staining her hands faintly is inevitable.

  “What’s so funny?” She pulls her hands away and starts inspecting them closely.

  “I love that no matter what you always have paint on your hands. It’s one of the first things I noticed about you. The ever changing colors surrounding your finger-nails or staining the tips.” Grabbing her hands back into mine, I hold them close. “Tell me something about you I don’t know.”

  “I can’t curl my tongue. Lucas used to mock me all the time, teasing me by curling his and then laughing when I wasn’t able to.” She scrunches her face and laughs softly. “Your turn.”

  “I can curl my tongue, but I don’t want to upset you, so I won’t demonstrate.” She squeezes my side in just the right spot, causing me to seize into a little ball. “Oh and I’m very ticklish right there, so much so that I accidentally elbowed someone in the face once and broke their nose.”

  Ava drops her hands from my sides, her eyes wide. “Good to know.”

  The sound of voices outside the closed door catches our attention, and she puts her fingers to her lips as she crawls and turns off the lamp.

  We’re both blinded as the door swings open and Lucas peers in triumphantly. “I knew it! Kensi, you owe me twenty bucks, they’re not naked.”

  “Damn!” Kensi’s face appears and she glares at me as she slaps a twenty-dollar bill into Lucas’s waiting hand. “You let me down.”

  “Hey! Watch what you say, where is my kid?” Ava’s sharp “mom” voice comes out, and they both have the good sense to look ashamed.

  “He’s upstairs helping your mom put candles on the cake.” Andie’s voice carries from behind Lucas.

  Crawling out of the fort after Ava, we exit to the room and shut the door. Kensi leads the charge back to the kitchen, Ava falling into step beside me at the back. Stopping her outside the kitchen, I kiss her lightly on the lips. “Best game of hide and seek I’ve ever played.”

  Smiling, she steps into the kitchen to a chorus of voices singing happy birthday. I move to stand with the group and watch her blow out the candles, her eyes finding mine as the last flame is extinguished.

  Lucas leans back, the kitchen chair balanced on two legs, his brows raised as I stumble into the kitchen. “Coffee.” My voice is rough from just waking up and I blindly reach for a mug and pour myself some coffee. Breathing in the aroma, I lose myself in the rich flavor as I gulp back the caffeinated goodness. Feeling a little more human, I pour myself a second mug and sit down at the table, ready to savor this cup.

  “I’m surprised you’re here and not shacking up with Dax.” He narrows his eyes at me and despite the teasing tone, I feel the unspoken words.

  “You’re not planning on going across the hall and kicking some ass are you?”

  Lucas drops the chair back onto all four legs with a solid thud. “Nah. Dax is a good guy. I’m just disappointed I heard about you two from Andie and then witnessed it myself at your party. We haven’t had much time to chat lately. That’s partially my fault.” He leans forward, his expression serious. “Have you thought this relationship through?”

  “Honestly, not really. It’s happened so fast. We need to take several steps back and have some serious conversations. Being a parent and dating doesn’t exactly give me the leisure of taking my time in discussing the future, especially since Noah is attached.” Sighing, I’m relieved to be voicing some of my concerns. Lucas looks at me empathetically.

  “No, not exactly.”

  “Can I ask you something?” Wringing my hands together, I wait for his nod before continuing. “Andie and Dax are both so closed. I’m not sure how to get him to open up and there are things we both need to share.”

  “Well, your situation is a little different, but just be direct. If you open up first it will make it easier for him.” Lucas stands and refills our cups before dropping into a chair closer to me. His face is serious as he examines me. “How does Noah fit into all of this? That’s something you need to figure out as well.”

  “I know. I’m scared. Noah is part of being with me, and that’s long term, I’m not quite sure how to broach that subject either.” Lucas just stares at me, and I laugh. “I know, just be direct. This is so hard.”

  “If you want this to work he needs to be aware what that entails, including your expectations.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand.

  “Thanks, Lucas. I guess I know all this, it’s nice to talk it out, though.”

  “Anytime.” We finish our coffees, Lucas putting the mugs in the dishwasher. Leaning over, he kisses the top of my head. “Love you Ava.”


  “Love you too.”

  An hour later, my phone vibrates with the reminder that I need to leave and meet Joe. He decided for Noah’s birthday that he wanted to take us to see some new movie that he thinks Noah will like. I tried to convince him to take Noah without me, and I would go shopping with the gift certificates I got for my birthday, but he said no. I had explicitly said that for the first several visits, I needed to be there, and he is holding me to that because now he has a motive for me being there.

  Sighing as I look at the cards in my wallet begging to be spent, I call Noah. Everyone wanted to get me art supplies, but since they don’t know what I need, they pitched in, and I now have one hundred and fifty dollars burning a hole in my pocket.

  Noah is already standing at the door with his shoes on, bouncing in place. “What movie is Daddy taking us to see?”

  This is the second visit with his Dad in a month, a record for Joe. He’s also taken up FaceTiming with Noah a few times a week, so for the first time in a long time, Noah is actually excited to see his father. I’m happy about this, I’m not happy that since Joe told me he wanted us to try again he has been actively pursuing me.

  Flowers on my birthday. A good morning text every day.

  He is determined.

  “It’s a surprise Little Man. Let’s go and maybe we can convince Daddy to buy you some popcorn.” Opening the door, I follow him to the car and buckle him in. Looking to the sky, I pray that we can just have a good afternoon.

  We arrive at the theater early, but Joe is waiting outside the doors with a birthday gift for Noah. “Hi, Daddy!” Noah walks up and hugs him, smiling when Joe ruffles his hair.

  “Hey, Kiddo. Happy Birthday!”

  “Daddy, my birthday is tomorrow.” Noah scrunches his face in confusion.

  “You’re right, I just don’t get to see you tomorrow so you get to open a present early.” Noah grins as Joe hands him the gift and we go inside to find a place to sit.