The Rulebreaker

by Claire Contreras

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I’m sitting in Tony’s drinking water, waiting for Landon, when Maverick walks in. My body instantly reacts—pulse racing, heart flipping into the pit of my stomach. Mitchell walks in closely behind him, followed by Colson, and some other guys. They look like trouble and Maverick looks extra sexy. Mitch, Mav, and Colson are all wearing backward baseball caps, as if they were in a ninety’s bad boy band or something alongside Marky Mark. My mom freaking loves Marky Mark. Well, back then, she did. In all her old photos, she has him plastered on the walls of the house where she grew up in Jamaica, which means his sex appeal was global, and I can see why, but he has nothing on these guys.

  Colson spots me first, and nods one of those cool guy nods before heading to the table they normally sit at on Thursdays. Mitch looks over right after and nods and throws up a peace sign as he follows Colson. The rest of the guys look in my direction and do a little wave before Maverick finally sees me. When our eyes meet, I swear it’s like everyone in this restaurant instantly disappears and that’s just not good. He walks over to me and that’s when I see he has a bouquet of white hydrangeas. I frown as I look back up. Is he meeting a girl here? Rebecca. I feel the color drain from my face as he reaches me.

  “What’s up?”

  “What’s wrong with you?” He slides into the booth, across from me.

  “Nothing is wrong.”

  He sets the flowers on the table. I love them. I hate them. “You’re waiting for Landon, aren’t you?”

  “Jesus,” I grumble. “Do you find out about everything?”

  “I saw him earlier. He was bragging.” Mav’s mouth tilts into a half-smile as he checks me out. “I can’t blame him.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Talking to my bestie. Why?”

  “Your bestie.” That makes me laugh. I nod at the flowers between us. “Are you meeting Rebecca here?”

  “Nope.”

  “Oh. Wow. You move on fast.”

  “You can say that.” He looks like he’s trying not to laugh. Normally I’m in on the joke, so this is wild, this feeling of the unknown between us.

  “You’re so weird.” I bite my lip and glance toward the door. Landon sees me and waves with a smile on his face. I sit up straighter. “Landon’s here.”

  “I guess I’ll let you be.” Maverick slides out of the booth and walks over to my side, kissing me on the cheek. I ignore the way my body awakens with it.

  “Don’t forget your flowers,” I say, making him chuckle against my face, which in turn makes me go hot all over.

  “The flowers are for you, bestie,” he whispers in my ear before pulling back and walking away.

  I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’m blushing fiercely and it doesn’t matter that I’m brown, or that I’m wearing makeup, or that I’m trying my best to stay calm. Freaking Maverick. I take the flowers and place them beside me, smiling up at Landon when he finally reaches me.

  “It’s not your birthday, is it?” He looks at the flowers with a frown.

  “Oh. No.” I laugh. “Inside joke.”

  “You must have a lot of those.” He shakes his head as he sits across from me, setting his backpack beside him. “Being that you’ve known each other since you were tweens and all.”

  “Yeah. Tons of inside jokes.” I keep smiling, hoping my blush will go away soon. I take another sip of water and set it down.

  “He warned me about you earlier.”

  “What?” My smile drops. “What about me?”

  “Nothing bad, just not to break your heart or something. I mean, he didn’t say that exactly, but he basically said if I hurt you he’d kill me and feed me my balls or something. He seemed upset about the whole thing,” Landon says casually. “But then Colson told me you’ve been friends forever and I realized it’s probably something he says to all the guys you hang out with just in case. I mean, I do that with my little sisters.”

  “Hm. Nice to know.” I reach into my backpack and pull out my psych book. Landon does the same. “How many sisters do you have?”

  “Two. Might as well be twenty, as troublesome as they are.” He flashes me a smile. He’s really freaking handsome and has perfect white teeth that stand out against his dark skin.

  “Well, they’re lucky to have you.” I smile. “I’m an only child and I always wanted an older brother.”

  “From the looks of it, you lucked out and got three. Those Cruz brothers are definitely loyal.”

  “Ha. Yeah, they are.” I open the book and start leafing through it. Anything to get out of a conversation where Maverick and I are anything like siblings.

  I can barely remember the last time I looked at him like a brother. Thankfully, Landon takes the hint and moves the conversation to the impending test we have. We study for a while. Long enough that the server comes by at least six times to refill my water and ask if we want more bread or any more food because they’re about to shut down the kitchen and the DJ is about to start playing.

  “You wanna stay here or go someplace else?” Landon asks.

  “Are we going to keep studying or just chill?”

  He looks around, waves at a few guys he knows, and looks back at me. “I mean, I love Tony’s on a Thursday, but if you’d rather hit up Franklin Street or a brewery or something, I’m down too.”

  “We can stay here.” I smile and start getting out of the booth. “I need to take this to my car and go to the restroom.”

  “I’m going to get a drink at the bar then since we’re not going to stay at this table. I’ll be in that general area.” He signals toward his friends.

  I nod, grab my things, and head outside. The chilly wind hits me as soon as I step out there and suddenly I’m grateful I pulled a jean jacket out of my closet at the last minute. You never know what the weather will be from one moment to the next in North Carolina. That’s one thing I learned quickly after moving here. I lock my car and walk back inside, beelining to the bathrooms. Once I’m done and finish washing my hands, I check myself in the mirror. I still look fine. My curls are extra voluminous tonight after the deep conditioning I did this morning and my makeup is still on point. I’m feeling myself as I walk out of the bathroom and find Maverick standing there, holding a drink in his hand.

  “Fancy meeting you here.” I smile at him.

  “How’d your study date go?”

  “Well, that portion of the date is over.”

  “And there’s another portion coming up now?” He takes a sip of his drink. I step forward and take the glass out of his hand, smelling it before taking a small sip.

  “It’s good. Tequila?”

  “And club soda.”

  “I don’t normally like club soda, but this is good.”

  “You love lime, so it’s probably that.”

  “True.” I smile. “Anyway, yeah, we’re just going to hang out here for a while. What are you up to tonight?”

  “Playing masochistic games. You know, the usual.”

  I frown. “What?”

  “Nothing.” He chuckles, taking another sip and glancing away. “I’m going to hang out here as well.” He looks at me. “Are you going to the Halloween party Saturday night?”

  “I have a game that afternoon. I guess it depends on how badly I get beat up.”

  “I’m always available for massages.” He winks.

  “Mav.” My heart pounds harder in my chest.

  “What?” He cocks his head to the side, shooting me that flirty smile that I know for a fact makes women crazy, and right now, I’m women.

  “Why’d you bring me flowers?” I cross my arms and rock slightly.

  He smiles, standing upright. “Why do you think I brought you flowers?”

  “I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking.”

  “It’s on your list.”

  I blink. “My list?”

  “The list of things to do in order to impress someone. You said to give her flowers.”

  “But
. . . you gave them to me.” My heart is racing now.

  “Did I impress you?”

  “No.”

  “No?” He raises an eyebrow. “Wrong kind of flower?”

  “No, the flowers are beautiful, I just, I don’t understand why you would want to impress me, to begin with.”

  “That’s a good question.” Mav chuckles, glancing away momentarily. “I think Landon’s waiting for you. Go have fun. We’ll talk later.”

  “Okay.” I feel my frown deepen, but we both head toward the main area, where everyone is hanging out.

  To say I’m confused is an understatement. He brought me flowers and flirts with me but then backs off and tells me to go have fun with some other guy? It’s not like Maverick. Once he gets his eyes on a girl he usually goes all in and he’s definitely not the sharing type, so the fact that he’s willing to share me is all wrong. Then again, maybe I’m the one who’s crazy for thinking he’d want more with me. Mom always says when someone shows you who they are, you should believe them, but I know him. I’ve seen all of the faces of Maverick Cruz and so far, there hasn’t been one I haven’t liked. Unfortunately for both of us, even though I swore up and down that I would not let sex between us change our relationship, it obviously has, but if he wants to play this game and act like he’s okay seeing me with another man, who am I to not take advantage of that freedom? On that note, I turn to Landon and start talking to him.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Maverick

  “You look like you’re about ready to kill someone. Who we fightin’?” That’s Colson, and he’s not kidding, he’s ready to fight. I’ve seen that look on his face one too many times.

  “I’m good.” I take another sip of my drink.

  “And you’re drinking tequila. You’re going to box people up tonight,” he shouts excitedly.

  “You’re wild.” I chuckle.

  I don’t normally drink and when I do it’s definitely not tequila, but I saw a TikTok the other day that made me want to try this, and I actually really like it. The lights to Tony’s dim and more and more people spill in. It’s definitely the place to be on a Thursday. You wouldn’t know it if you come here for lunch or dinner, but once they clear the tables out and start playing music it has a nightclub vibe. Misty and Jo’s uncle definitely capitalized off the whole Thirsty Thursday thing, too, inviting good DJs to play their sets here and making the drinks half price.

  “What happened with Rebecca? The reality didn’t meet your expectations?”

  “You can say that.”

  “Or have you finally decided to open your eyes and realize you’re in love with Barnes?”

  My gaze swings to his blue eyes. “What?”

  “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me, not that it’s much of a secret, considering everyone fucking knows.”

  “What are you talking about? Who’s talking about this?”

  “Everyone in the locker room.”

  “I haven’t heard anyone say anything.” I feel myself frown as I set my empty glass down.

  “Because no one wants those hands.” Colson raises an eyebrow. “But trust me, they’re talking.”

  “Brian’s the one who’s been out with her multiple times.”

  “And he hasn’t gotten very far.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything.”

  “It wouldn’t if he hadn’t said every time they’re out she’s texting or talking to you on FaceTime.”

  “That was one fucking time.”

  “Bri’s a good boy from the South. You think he’s going to exaggerate that or make it up?”

  I press my lips together. Do I think that? No. Do I think he’s an asshole for telling my teammates that Rocky and I spoke a couple of times during their dates? Absolutely. I look at Colson again.

  “Maybe if he actually paid attention to her like he should she wouldn’t have been talking to me in the first place.”

  “Maybe.” Colson shrugs a shoulder. “Or maybe he knows there’s no competition between you and him and you already have her, so what’s the point in trying?”

  “Spoken like a true loser.”

  “It seems like everyone is a loser in this scenario. Brian for liking someone he can’t have, you for liking someone you don’t have the balls to go after, and her for pining after you with those puppy dog eyes and not giving anyone else a shot.”

  “What. The. Fuck. Are you talking about right now, Bridges?” I turn to him fully now, pulse racing. He must really be looking for a fight tonight.

  “I’m just saying, Cruz. If you don’t want her, tell her. Straight up. You’re the most stand-up guy I know. Even on that TikTok we did, everyone said you’re the one they’d want their daughter to date because they know that, but what you’re doing is kind of fucked up.”

  “What am I doing? I’m not doing anything.” I take a deep breath to calm down because this shit is exasperating.

  “You’re leading on your best friend and that’s a sucky situation to be in if you’re Rocky.”

  “You’re talking like you’ve been in this situation.”

  “I have.” He lets out a laugh. “Robin was my best friend and I fell hard for her and swallowed my feelings and where’s Robin now?”

  I cringe. “Married.”

  “Married,” Colson confirms. “I mean, good for her, her husband’s a great guy, but what the fuck? It just makes you wonder, what if I’d told her how I felt, you know?”

  “Well, soon you’ll be playing in the NHL and Robin will be wondering the same thing,” I say, because I’ve seen the way she looks at Colson when her husband’s not paying attention.

  “An NHL contract doesn’t mean shit if you don’t have the right people to celebrate with.” He raises an eyebrow. “A wise man once said that to me.”

  I take a breath and let it out, letting myself glance over at Rocky and Landon, who are talking. It’s not that I wouldn’t kill to be with her, because I would, but I’m not going to be the reason she doesn’t play the field. Rocky got here with a few things in mind. She was going to play soccer, get a professional contract to play for a U.S. team, and enjoy the college experience, which, to her, includes hooking up with random guys. As far as I know, the only guy has been me and I’m not random. I took her virginity the other day, for God’s sake, and I will never, for as long as I live, forget that night, but I refuse to bind her to me because of it. So, while I did say that, I’ve said it several times to my teammates and brothers—Jagger, who went pro, and Mitchell who will most likely go pro—and I truly believe it myself, but I want Rocky to be the one to decide I’m her forever and not the other way around. I don’t want her to spend the rest of her life regretting that she ended up marrying the same guy she lost her virginity to and feel like she’s trapped because of it.

  Real love sucks sometimes.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Rocky

  It’s past two in the morning when I awaken at the feel of my bed shifting. I let out a long breath. Maverick has always been a terrible sleeper. When we were teenagers, he would call me in the middle of the night sometimes and we’d talk for hours until he found sleep. This is similar, except he doesn’t always talk when he comes in here. Most of the time, he just lays beside me and falls asleep at some point. Some of the times, I don’t even notice he’s there until I wake up in the morning. We’re both militant sleepers and don’t move much, so despite his size, it’s not like our paths cross while we’re in bed. At least, they didn’t, until the other night. I shut my eyes tighter and push the thought away. The last thing I need is to think about having sex with him right now. Just because he’s hot and lying down beside me doesn’t mean I have to touch him. I think I make a sound, a soft whimper, because suddenly he shifts again.

  “Rock?”

  “Hm?”

  “You’re awake?”

  “No.”

  He chuckles. “Why are you lying?”

  “Because I want you and it’s ridiculous since I al
ready decided I am not hooking up with you again.”

  “Hm.” He reaches for me, his large hand landing on my hip. I swear my entire body goes haywire, the mere touch eliciting electricity to shoot through me. “You wanna tell me how you reached that conclusion?”

  I turn to face him fully, his hand gliding over my abs, to the other hip. “You want me to date other guys.”

  “I do.”

  “Which means you don’t want me to date you.”

  “It’s a little more complicated than that.”

  “Explain.”

  “I want you to have the freedom to do what you want. You remember what you described your college experience like?”

  “No.” I let out a laugh.

  “You said you wanted to do all the things you couldn’t do when you were living with your parents. You wanted to go wild, within reason, and date a ton of guys since you hadn’t thus far.”

  “Maybe I changed my mind.”

  He lets out a huffed laugh. “As much as I wish you did, and as much as I wish you’d say you’re serious about me and dating me, I think you need to experience it for yourself.”

  “If you want to date other girls, you can just say that, you know?”

  “That’s not the case though. That’s not what I’m saying.”

  I inch closer, until we’re nearly chest to chest and I can feel the rest of his warmth against me. God, to have him this close. It’s intoxicating. And still, here he is, practicing restraint. Restraint he normally doesn’t practice with others. I understand it now though, so I’m doing my best not to get upset. I push closer still, my pelvis against his growing erection.

  “Mav,” I whisper.

  “I’m trying so hard to be good, Rocky.” His grip tightens on my hip. “Why are you doing this?”